Missing class for an illness should be a valid excuse
Students feeling a little under the weather will have to suck it up. “Nagging illnesses” aren’t considered valid excuses for missing class.
COMMENTARY
Monique Bhamini

If you’re prone to allergies or any other type of illness, you just might be going to the wrong school.

According to the Student Handbook, classes missed for an illness do not qualify as an official absence, but instead only a condition to be verified. However, teachers, Health Center doctors and Campus Life employees don’t seem to read the same policy.

Several weeks ago, I missed a couple of my classes due to a severe cough and a sinus infection, otherwise known as the common cold. My teacher’s policy states that students must get a doctor’s note to excuse an absence due to illness. After visiting the Health Center, I was told the doctors no longer write notes to excuse absences. So then I was directed to try and plead my case to the Campus Life office. Once there an employee told me that a copy of the prescription I received should suffice as proof for my teachers to excuse the absence.

Though I suppose I was fortunate enough to have a prescription, I wonder what would have been the case if I were not given any medicine? This is assuming that not all students that visit the Health Center leave carrying a bottle of pills.

When asked about the current attendance policy, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs William Koehler said the dean of Campus Life is no longer responsible for making excuses for students such as for a bad cold or other “nagging illnesses.” As for an official absence, he defined this as when the university asks a student to attend a school function, such as for band or athletics, therefore excusing the student from class.

On the other hand, there are those who happen to break a bone or two and require hospitalization. This would be considered a “catastrophic accident” and is virtually the only time a doctor’s note would be written. This in turn would eliminate the hassle of going through Campus Life and satisfies professors’ requirements about absences.
Koehler also said examples of critical illnesses to be verified by Campus Life would be something like a “heart attack, a car accident, or other life-threatening situations.” For other “nagging illnesses” Koehler suggests students take this up with their professors.

Sadly not everyone can be this lucky.

Copy editor Monique Bhimani is a sophomore international communications major from San Antonio.