Class Attendance & Disruptive Behavior

Class Attendance & Disruptive Behavior

Students have the right to attend and participate in all classes for which they are officially enrolled. They may be denied only for the purpose of maintaining suitable circumstances for teaching and learning. Any student who has neglected the work of the course or is disruptive to the educational process may be excluded from a course.

Attendance

At Humboldt, regular and punctual class attendance is expected. Each instructor establishes regulations regarding attendance requirements. It is the responsibility of the student to make arrangements regarding class work in those cases where the student's absence is because of participation in inter­collegiate athletics, forensics, drama festivals, music tours, and the like.

Disruptive Behavior

Disruptive student behavior in the classroom is defined as behavior which interrupts, obstructs, or inhibits the teaching and learning processes. The faculty member determines what is disruptive and has a duty to terminate it. Disruptive behavior may take many forms: persistent questioning, incoherent comments, verbal attacks, unrecognized speaking out, incessant arguing, intimidating shouting, and inappropriate gestures.

Disruptive classroom behavior may, on the other hand, result from overzealous classroom participation, lack of social skills, or inappropriately expressed anger at the course content. Sometimes there is a thin line between controlling the learning environment and permitting students' academic freedom, between intentional and unintentional disruption. Faculty have the responsibility to maintain a learning environment in which students are free to question and criticize constructively and appropriately. Faculty also have the authority and responsibility to establish rules, to maintain order, and to eject students from the course temporarily for violation of the rules or misconduct.

The faculty member shall give at least one verbal warning to a student to cease in class disruptive behavior. In cases of abusive behavior, this requirement may be waived. In addition, if the in class disruption does not cease, an attempt shall be made to resolve the problem in a conference between the faculty member and the student. If disruption occurs after these two measures are taken, the instructor may file a complaint with the Office of Student Rights & Responsibilities to initiate university disciplinary action, which may result in the student's permanent exclusion from the course and other disciplinary sanctions. Ordinarily, if a student banned from a course has passing status, the student will be granted a grade of "W"-withdrawal.

In cases where a student exhibits abusive behavior, is physically abusive, or threatens physical abuse, a verbal warning from the faculty member is not necessary. Examples might include directed profanity; physical disruption of the classroom, or threatening behavior. Public Safety may be requested to escort the student from the class, and an interim suspension may be imposed by the president.

Individuals in attendance in a course in which they are not officially enrolled may be excluded from the course by the instructor.