Oak Valley College is a small academic community where your presence contributes significantly to your learning and the learning of others. The College also seeks to model expectations that reflect the world of work, where consistent and timely attendance is essential. Students are therefore expected to demonstrate the same level of responsibility in their courses by attending regularly, arriving on time, and coming prepared to engage. 

Attendance Requirement
Students must attend a minimum number of class sessions to pass each course. Upon your fifth absence from a course, you will be administratively withdrawn from the course, and if it is after the 14th week of the semester, you will receive an “F” in that course.

When a student accrues a fifth absence in a course, the Dean of Academics will notify the student that he/she is no longer eligible to pass the course. The student must respond within 48 hours if he/she believes the attendance record is inaccurate or if additional information should be considered. Failure to respond will be understood as confirmation of the attendance record.

Tardiness and Early Departure
Arriving more than 15 minutes late or leaving more than 15 minutes early will count as an absence for that class session.

Administrative Withdrawal Due to Attendance
A student who is absent from all scheduled classes for two consecutive weeks will be administratively withdrawn from the college.

Exceptions and Appeals
A student who anticipates missing class for an extended period of time due to a documented emergency MUST contact the Dean of Academics immediately. The Dean will provide advice on submitting an appeal to remain in good standing 

Students who believe their attendance record or any resulting academic decision is inaccurate or does not adequately reflect their circumstances may file a formal appeal through the College’s academic appeal process.

Participation
Contact your professor if you have any concerns about the quality of your participation. Your professor will be happy to assist you if you are struggling, have questions regarding the assignment, are experiencing circumstances that impact your ability to complete assignments, or need additional clarification.  Contact your professor at any reasonable hour via phone, text, or email (including weekends) for assistance.  Please be aware that it may be a few days between checking email, therefore your best communication method is to call or text.

You are encouraged to relate concepts to your personal understanding to facilitate your class participation.  Please select concepts or theories from the readings or discussions to integrate with your own personal experience.  Theories and models generally simplify the world around us, and help us relate abstract ideas to relatable concepts. 

Time Management
Each unit of course credit is roughly 40 hours of work (in-class and homework). Therefore, a four unit course may be equivalent to roughly 160 hours of work.  Each hour you are in class will typically be accompanied by several hours of homework.  The amount of time you require to study depends upon the subject matter, your background and experience with the subject matter, and your academic acumen. Please plan your schedule accordingly.

Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to promote focused learning, respectful classroom culture, and effective instruction by establishing clear expectations for the use of personal technology in instructional settings. This policy is intended to support learning, minimize distraction, and foster mutual respect among students and faculty.

Policy Statement
As a general baseline, classrooms at the college are considered technology-restricted learning environments. Students are expected to be fully present and engaged during lectures, discussions, and group activities. Unless explicitly permitted by the instructor, the default expectation during class time is that:

• Personal laptops, tablets, and mobile phones are not used

• Handwritten notes are the standard method for note-taking

• Course slides or digital materials may be made available by the instructor outside of class, when appropriate

Instructor Authority and Discretion
Faculty retain full authority to permit or require technology use when it clearly serves an instructional purpose. This may include, but is not limited to:

• In-class research or information retrieval

• Polling, quizzes, or interactive learning activities

• Discipline-specific software or applications

• Digital textbook usage (limited to when the textbook is actually being referenced)

• Approved accessibility accommodations

Instructors may specify technology expectations in their syllabi and enforce them consistently within their courses.

Prohibited Uses
Even when technology is permitted, the following uses are not allowed during class time:

• Working on assignments for other courses

• Texting, messaging, or social media use unrelated to the class

• Participation in external communication platforms (e.g., Discord or group chats) not authorized for instructional purposes

Student Responsibility
Students are responsible for complying with classroom technology expectations and for maintaining respectful attention toward the instructor and their peers. Failure to comply may be addressed by the instructor as a classroom management issue and handled in accordance with course and Honor Code policies.

Accessibility and Accommodations
Students with documented accommodations through the college’s disability services may use approved technology as outlined in their accommodation plans. The student must discuss their accommodation needs with Dean Graham or Dean Barker.