Daily attendance records must be maintained by each instructor for all students. These records must be retained for a period of three years after completion of the semester.

In order to grant financial aid to students, TCC must comply with federal regulations.  Some of the regulations involve documenting student attendance.  Accordingly, faculty are required to participate in a process that will document student attendance at three specified intervals of each semester or session.  "Attendance" in an online class may be documented by participation in class activities and/or completion of assignments.

The process requires that faculty submit the following forms by the specified dates. Strict adherence to the following deadlines is a must for awarding financial aid.  (Dates are based upon a sixteen week semester and will be modified during the summer session.)

1.  Before the census date (the date to drop with a tuition refund), the faculty will mark on their class rosters the names and SIS IDs of students who have not attended a traditional class or not participated in an online class.  Theses rosters are to be submitted to the campus Enrollment Services Office no later than 3:00 pm on the last day to drop with a tuition refund.

2.  During the fourth week of classes, faculty will receive a letter from the provosts through their respective academic deans instructing them to complete Class Discrepancy Reports along with Faculty Withdrawal Grade Reports for students who have either stopped attending a traditional class or ceased participating in an online class.  These students should be withdrawn with a grade of "W".  Faculty must indicate the last day of attendance or participation on the withdrawal form and submit the completed forms to the campus Enrollment Services Office by the deadline specified in the provost's letter.

3.  By the 60% date of the semester or session, the last day to withdraw without an academic penalty, academic deans will direct faculty to identify students who have not been attending a traditional class or participating in an online class.  Faculty will use the Faculty Withdrawal Grade Report to assign a grade of "W" until this date.  After this date, a "W" may be awarded only for mitigating reasons.  Otherwise, after this date, an "F" or "U" should be assigned if a student is withdrawn because his/her absences constitute unsatisfactory progress in the course.