Excused Absences

What to do when you are sick

First and most important, take care of yourself. Get medical assistance if you need it. Stay home in bed if that is what is needed. Unless you need to visit your doctor, you should stay home until you are well enough to resume normal activities.

If you have missed term work or a midterm exam

  • Contact your instructor by phone or e-mail as soon as you are able to in order to advise them of your absence. You do NOT need to do this in person.
  • Keep your instructor advised of when you will be well enough to return to class.
  • Request an excused absence from the term work or midterm exam as soon as you are well enough. Delay in doing this may harm your chances of getting the excused absence approved.
  • Your instructor may ask you for some documentation of your illness. A medical note cannot be required so you cannot be required to go to the doctor if you choose not to.
  • If you have no medical documentation, you can provide alternative documentation to your instructor if he or she requests it in the way of a Faculty-approved form, or a Statutory Declaration available from your Faculty Office.
  • In most cases, your instructor may at his or her discretion, provide an alternative method for you to complete the missing term work or exam, or may shift the weight of the missing term work or exam on to the final exam. Some Faculties or Departments have rules governing this choice.
  • Excused absences are not automatically granted even where you provide documentation.
  • Generally, contact your Faculty Office for detailed information or if you have any questions about the process, or see ss. 23.4(3) and 23.5.6(1) of the Calendar.

If you have missed a final exam

  • Contact your home Faculty by phone or e-mail as soon as you are able to in order to advise them of your absence. You do NOT need to do this in person.
  • Visit your Faculty Office to request a deferred examination as soon as you are well enough. Delay in doing this may harm your chances of getting the deferral approved.
  • Your Faculty may ask you for some documentation of your illness. A medical note cannot be required so you cannot be required to go to the doctor if you choose not to.
  • “Doctor” includes any recognized health care provider such as the University of Alberta Health Centre, a physician, dentist, psychologist, Medicentre, Hospital, or health clinic.
  • If you have no medical documentation, you can provide alternative documentation to your Faculty if they request it in the way of a Faculty-approved form, or a Statutory Declaration available from your Faculty Office.
  • Deferred exams are not automatically granted even where you provide documentation. Speak to your Faculty Office about detailed requirements.
  • Generally, contact your Faculty Office if you have any questions about the process or for detailed information or see s. 23.5.6(2) of the Calendar.

If you get sick while writing an exam

  • Speak immediately to an exam supervisor, hand in your paper and request that it be cancelled.
  • Follow the process above that applies depending on whether the exam was a midterm or final exam.