Attendance and Class Meeting Times–Spring 2021

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• Attendance
• Class Meeting Times
• Free Time Zone

Attendance

Students are expected to be present throughout each semester at all meetings of classes for which they are enrolled. The right to excuse a student from class rests solely with the instructor of that class.

In accordance with Section 224-a of the New York State Education Law, any student who is absent from school because of his or her religious beliefs must be given an equivalent opportunity to enroll in classes or make up any examinations, study, or work requirements that he or she may have missed because of such absence on any particular day or days. No fees of any kind shall be charged by the university for making available such equivalent opportunities.  In order to facilitate preparation of makeup exams, students intending to be absent in order to observe religious holidays are requested to notify the instructor by the end of the first full week of classes.

Class Meeting Times

In accordance with the Instructional Space Scheduling Policy, faculty must work with their department chairperson to make every effort to comply with standard class meeting times.  Only when local resolution proves impossible may the faculty member request, in writing, an exception.  The exception request must first be approved by the unit associate dean, or an equivalent individual designated by the unit dean, who must then seek final approval from the vice provost for undergraduate education.

The standard class meeting patterns listed below are valid effective Spring 2021. For information on Fall 2020 meeting patterns, please visit Fall 2020 Meeting Patterns .

Class meeting patterns below are listed by duration and the number of times the class meets per week: 50 Minutes, 75 Minutes, 90 Minutes, 115 Minutes, 145 minutes, and 180 minutes. 

50 Minute Periods

75 Minute Periods (1 hour & 15 Minutes)

90 Minute Periods (1 hour & 30 Minutes)

115 Minute Periods (1 hour & 55 Minutes)

145 Minute Periods (2 hours & 25 minutes)

180 Minute Periods (3 Hours)

Tuesday and Thursday evenings are reserved for evening examinations and therefore shall remain free from classes and laboratory exercises. On Monday and Wednesday evenings only regularly scheduled courses, and prelims previously approved by the Office of the University Faculty are permitted. Other evening academic activities commencing at or after 7:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays are not allowed.

Free Time Zone

Faculty legislation defines the “free-time zone” to be Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays between 4:25pm and 7:30pm, Fridays after 4:25pm, Saturdays after 12:05pm, and all day Sunday. The idea is to create a dependable space for relaxation and outside-of-class activities.

Graduate-level courses are allowed to meet during the free-time zone. Undergraduate-level courses, or course combinations that include any undergraduate course, are generally not allowed to meet during the free-time zone. 

It is important that the intent of the free-time-zone policy be respected during the process of course scheduling. For that reason, the scope of teaching in the free-time zone will be reviewed annually by the Vice-Provost for Undergraduate Education, the Dean of Faculty, and the University Registrar.