M2 Team-Based Learning Attendance Policy, AY2017-18

Pending approval by the College Committee on Instruction and Appraisal.

Attendance and punctuality are expected of physicians in practice as part of an overall expectation that physicians will fully engage with their professional responsibilities. The MD Program at the University of Illinois College of Medicine maintains firm policies about attendance because your punctuality and participation during medical school instills good habits that you will need in practice.

Attendance at all Team-based Learning (TBL) sessions is required unless a request for an excused absence has been submitted and approved.

​Examples of absence requests that are often approved at the discretion of course coordinator in consultation with the Course Director: (Written documentation of absence may be required.)

  • Illness of student, significant other or immediate family member
  • Funeral of a family member
  • Doctor’s appointment for student
  • Religious holidays *
  • Presentation at a conference
  • Own wedding
  • Jury Duty
  • Court Date
  • Student representative on College of Medicine Committee

* Documentation of attendance is not required.

Examples of absence requests that may be approved at the discretion of the course coordinator in consultation with the Course Director: (Written documentation of absence may be required.)

  • Illness of extended family member or friend
  • Funeral of a friend
  • Wedding of a family member or participation in a wedding of a non-family member
  • Attendance at a medical conference (not presenting)
  • Other circumstances of an extreme, unanticipated, and compelling nature

 Reasons for an Unexcused Absence may include:

  • Employment conflict
  • Missed ride
  • Missed bus/train
  • Overslept
  • Out of town
  • Listed wrong date on personal calendar
  • Time off request not made in advance or disapproved but absent anyway

Failure to obtain prior permission or provide satisfactory written documentation within seven days (or as soon as feasible) following an absence will result in an unexcused absence.

Examples of Proper Written Documentation:

  • Doctor’s Note
  • Death Certificate
  • Police Report
  • Traffic Ticket
  • Jury Duty Summons

For submission of requests:

A request for an excused absence must be communicated in advance by emailing [email protected]. This request for excused absence will be received by the Course Coordinators and OSA Advisors.  If email is not available, the student should call the Office of Curricular Affairs at 312-996-9030, and the call will be directed to the appropriate Coordinator. The Course Coordinator will then facilitate all communications about the absence request and will serve as the point of contact about all decisions and other information. When emailing the Absence listserv, the following format is required:

To:  [email protected]

Subject:  (Course/Block Name) – Absence Request

Within the body of the email, please Include the following:

1)      Full name

2)      UIN

3)      Date for which the request is being made.

4)      Reason for Absence

 

A request for an “excused absence” does not guarantee acceptance.  The student is responsible for following up and confirming whether the absence is excused or unexcused. No expectation of prior notification will apply in the case of an emergency.  As soon as feasible, the student should contact the Course Coordinator. The absence will be deemed excused or unexcused in consultation with the Course Director.

NOTE: Both excused and unexcused absences are tracked across the curriculum. Students with repeated absences may be asked to provide a higher level of documentation.  Such absences may affect the student’s professionalism evaluation and grade (please see the Assessment Policy on Professionalism).

If an absence for a TBL session is considered excused, the student is responsible for making arrangements with the course coordinator to take the Individual Readiness Assurance Test (IRAT). The IRAT must be completed no longer than one week following the TBL session to receive credit. The student’s grade for the TBL will be his/her IRAT score plus the team’s score from the Team Readiness Assurance Test (TRAT). There is no make-up session for the application exercise, and the student is responsible for all material covered in the session.​

If an absence for a TBL session is considered unexcused, the student will not be allowed to make-up the IRAT and will receive a score of 0 (zero) for the IRAT and TRAT for that TBL session. There will be no make-up session, and the student is responsible for all the material covered in the session. As this is also considered a professionalism issue, the student may be required to meet with the Associate Dean for Curriculum and/or the Assistant Dean for Students Affairs.

Leaving Early: Leaving a session prior to the completion of the application exercise is considered an unexcused absence and will result in a score of 0 (zero) for the IRAT and TRAT regardless of points originally earned. As this is also considered a professionalism issue, the student may be required to meet with the Associate Dean for Curriculum and/or the Assistant Dean for Students Affairs.

If a student must leave a session as a result of an emergent issue or if they meet the criteria for excused absence, the student should contact the Course Coordinator as soon as feasible. The Course Coordinator will deem the absence to be excused or unexcused after consultation with the Course Director.

Late Arrival:  Since the ultimate goal of a TBL session is to learn and contribute to the team, students are expected to go to the session even if they will be arriving past the posted start time.

  • Late arrivals will be handled as follows: A student who arrives late for the IRAT may still receive any points gained within the remaining minutes allowed for the IRAT, and participate as usual in the TRAT and Application Exercise.
  • A student who completely misses the IRAT and shows up late for the TRAT may still participate in the remaining minutes of the TRAT and receive the full amount of points gained by the group for the TRAT. The student will receive 0% for the IRAT.

A student who arrives after both the IRAT and TRAT portions have ended will participate in the application exercise.  The student will receive 0% for the IRAT and 0% for the TRAT regardless of points earned by the team for the TRAT. The student should contact the Course Coordinator immediately following the session to explain the reason for the late arrival. The Course Coordinator will deem the late arrival to be excused or unexcused after consultation with the Course Director.