Institute of Skilled Trades (IST) Attendance Procedure

Ref. No.	Executive sponsor	Policy steward	Approval authority	First approved	Last reviewed	Effective date	Next review
24.12	Vice President, Academic	Director, Enrolment and Registrar				May 26, 2026

The purpose of this procedure is to identify the accountabilities and processes associated with 43.11 Academic Performance policy, Section 4.3.d.i - Attendance. 

The NSCC Institute of Skilled Trades (IST) sets clear expectations for mandatory student attendance and attendance tracking across all pre-apprenticeship programs, in alignment with program requirements and any applicable regulatory expectations. This supports student success, persistence, and program completion by mandating regular participation in scheduled learning activities.  

These procedures outline the required steps to implement IST mandatory attendance Policy requirements consistently across all Pre-Employment Apprenticeship Programs. These procedures also outline student accountabilities related to IST mandatory attendance requirements. 

2.1 Attendance Tracking

Step	Action	Responsibility
1	Record hourly attendance starting at the beginning of each class.	Faculty
2	Ensure accurate student attendance, by course, is entered at the end of each class.	Faculty
3	Review attendance records daily and immediately notify Faculty of discrepancies. Corrections will only be considered within the first 24 hours after attendance has been recorded.	Student
4	Attendance records will be maintained for seven years after program completion. Records will be purged thereafter.	Academic Chair or designate

2.2 Managing Absences

In some instances, absences may be excused and not count against the student’s tracked attendance. Excused absences are at the discretion of the Academic Chair and may include:   

• medical appointments or illness requiring medical attention 

• bereavement 

• approved cultural or religious observances 

• other extenuating circumstances approved by the Academic Chair 

Students granted an excused absence remain responsible for all academic requirements associated with the missed class, including the completion of any assignments, tests, or other evaluative activities. An excused absence does not constitute exemption from coursework or evaluation. 

Absenteeism related to approved student accommodations will adhere to NSCC’s Academic Accommodations policy and its procedures. 

Step	Action	Responsibility
1	Students must notify Faculty in writing, via NSCC email address, of anticipated or unplanned absences as soon as possible. To request an absence to be excused, students must submit the request form linked at the bottom of this procedure. Requests must be submitted no later than 24 hours after the absence.	Student
2	Academic Chairs must review excused absence request forms within two working days of submission and respond by email with either an approval or denial.	Academic Chair

2.3 Non-compliance

Students are considered non-compliant with mandatory attendance requirements after accumulating more than 10% of unexcused missed course hours. Students who fall below the mandatory attendance requirements will be withdrawn from their course and given a grade of “F” or “W” as per the academic calendar deadlines. 

Step	Action	Responsibility
1	Notify students when they are approaching and have exceeded 10% of unexcused missed time. Notification should include Faculty and Academic Chairs.	Faculty
2	Using an online form, notify the Assistant Registrar of the non-compliant student.	Academic Chair
3	Inform the student in writing and commence the withdrawal process. Notify the Academic Chair and Faculty.	Assistant Registrar

2.4 Appeals

Step	Action	Responsibility
1	Students may appeal final grades impacted by attendance-related tracking through NSCC’s Student Academic Appeals Policy.	Student

22.01 Evaluation Policy  

24.01 Academic Probation Policy 

24.11 Academic Performance Policy

31.01 Academic Integrity Policy 

32.01 Student Academic Appeals Policy 

34.01 Academic Accommodations Policy 

34.02 Academic Accommodations Procedure