PROCEDURE: Planned & Same-Day Absence
Requests for Students In Clinic
DDS, DT and DH Students
2015-2016
This document explains the procedures students who are in clinic should follow to request planned and
same-day absences, in reference to the School of Dentistry Attendance Policy.
Planned Absence Procedure: Excused Absences, Family Leave, and Personal Sessions
Students who know in advance they will need an excused absence or would like to request personal
session or family leave should complete the following steps:
1.
Submit an “absence request” through myDentApps.
Requests for personal sessions must be submitted at least 10 days in advance or they may not be
approved. Requests for family leave or excused absences should be submitted at least 10 days in
advance when possible (in cases of non-emergency).
Personal session requests will not be approved if a student is scheduled on an Outreach rotation.
2.
DDS and DT students: If you have a patient or rotation scheduled, find a substitute student to
cover your clinic block and submit a Clinic Block Schedule Change Request form to Clinical
Systems (Kathy Hughes, 8-440 Moos Tower).
3.
DH students: Due to the hygiene schedule being booked months in advance, it is recommended
a planned absence request be submitted as early as possible.
4.
For excused absences, meet with course directors regarding anticipated missed lectures, labs,
coursework, exams, etc. prior to departure. Complete and submit any assignments due during
your absence.
Remember, instructors will not offer make-up work (e.g., exams quizzes, practicals, etc.) if an
absence is not excused. Personal sessions may not be used to miss courses. Personal sessions can
only be used for time scheduled in clinic.
Planned Absence Procedure: Student Selectives (DDS only)
1.
Submit a “student selective request” through myDentApps. Students will be required to provide:
a. Dates/Sessions of absence
b. Reason for absence (description of opportunity)
c. Student statement (a short essay to answer the following questions: How does the
experience contribute to your educational experience and goals? Why can't this
experience be accommodated by personal sessions? If applicable, what is your
record of participation and leadership with this student group or in this area?
d. An optional checkbox to indicate if the student is willing to use a personal session
for the absence if the selective is not approved.
2.
The request is routed for approval to the student’s group leader, then to Student Affairs to
confirm the student is in good academic standing, and finally to the review committee.
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3.
If approved, the request is sent through to the clinic scheduler to assign excused leave. If denied,
the student will receive a message. If denied as a selective, but the student opted to use a
personal session, the request will be sent through to the clinic scheduler to assign personal
sessions.
Planned Absence Procedure: Vacation (DDS & DT only)
Vacation requests are not submitted through myDentApps, and must be requested following the
procedure below:
1.
Students are emailed a Vacation Request Form in December for the following year. Forms will
also be available in the Office of Student Affairs.
2.
Students complete the form with their first and second choice dates for vacation. Vacation must
be taken in one-week blocks (Monday through Friday) and during certain times of the year when
didactic courses are not in session (as noted on the form).
3.
Students submit the Vacation Request Form to the clinic scheduler (Kathy Hughes, 8-440 Moos
Tower) one semester prior to the vacation (deadlines are noted on the form). Vacation is not
automatically provided. If a form is not submitted, vacation will not be scheduled.
4.
Vacation is scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. Requests may be denied is students are
needed to meet clinic staffing needs.
Planned Absence Procedure: During Outreach Block/Rotation
Personal sessions, schedule changes, or switches are NOT permitted during any outreach rotation as the
outreach clinics view students’ daily participation as extremely vital to the operation of their clinics.
Students are the dental providers and patients are scheduled based on students’ assignment to these
clinics.
Some excused absences are permitted, per the Board of Regents policy on absences:
1) Illness of the student or his/her dependent;
2) Subpoenas;
3) Jury duty;
4) Military service;
5) Recognized religious holidays;
6) Family emergency; and
7) Death in the family
If a student is unable to fulfill his or her outreach obligation due to any of the excused reasons listed
above, or in the event of a post-graduate interview, the student must provide as much advance notice as
possible, following the process below for Excused Absence During an Outreach Block/Rotation:
1.
Find a substitute to take your assigned block/ day for you. It is preferable that you find a student
who has previously rotated to the off-site clinic. It is your responsibility to find a replacement for
the Outreach clinic.
2.
Submit an Absence Request online through myDentApps.
3.
See Kathy Hughes (8-440 Moos Tower) to obtain a Clinic Block Schedule Change Form to have the
block/day switched or removed.
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4.
Obtain the approval and signature of the Outreach Director, Dr. Paul Schulz, or Meghan Reedy (9426 Moos Tower) and then submit the completed form to Kathy Hughes.
Planned absences for any other reason must be requested prior to the student being scheduled for an
outreach block. This is done by documenting the planned absences on the Student Outreach
Questionnaire during spring semester (prior to starting outreach), or by informing Kathy Hughes of the
planned absence prior to the semester schedule being released.
Same-Day Absence Procedure
Students who wake-up ill or have an unexpected family emergency, MUST report their absence as soon as
possible, following the procedure noted below. Failure to self-report an absence will result in a written
professional behavior report.
1.
Submit a “same-day absence notice” through myDentApps. Note that the same-day absence
notice is found on a different tab than the planned absence request.
2.
Submitting an absence notification through myDentApps will automatically alert the registrar
(Lucy Hartel), the student’s PCC and clinic group leader, Student Affairs staff, the clinic scheduler,
and the outreach office. It is not necessary to separately contact these individuals.
3.
In the event that a doctor’s note is requested, students may deliver the note to Lucy Hartel in 15131 Moos Tower after returning to school.
4.
Students on outreach: In the event of illness or family emergency during your outreach
block/rotation, you must:
 Contact the Outreach Clinic site ASAP after the illness or family emergency is known.
 Submit a “same-day absence notice” through myDentApps.
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