Hybrid Attendance Policy

Updated: April 22, 2025 

Hybrid Attendance Policy 

Purpose: Bayan Islamic Graduate School believes  physical attendance and participation at all hybrid intensive sessions held at our designated hybrid locations, which include our Chicago campus, is integral to fulfilling Bayan’s academic and pedagogical standards. Intensive sessions  facilitate essential direct interaction, collaborative learning, spiritual formation, community engagement, and rigorous academic inquiry. Therefore, in-person attendance at all intensive sessions is a strict requirement to complete each course and to be eligible to graduate. 

Policy Statement: All Bayan students who are enrolled in any   hybrid-intensive courses are required to attend all in-person sessions on the scheduled dates at our designated hybrid locations, including our Chicago campus. Students who fail to physically attend any in-person intensive session without receiving prior written approval from Bayan’s Dean or Vice President of Operations and Academic Affairs will be subject to academic and financial consequences, including automatic withdrawal from course(s). Any student who is withdrawn from a course due to a failure to attend an intensive session will be responsible for paying 100% of the tuition associated with the course(s) out of pocket. Any scholarship funding associated with the course(s) that a student receives will be retroactively rescinded. Further, the course(s) will need to be retaken at the student’s sole expense. 

If a student fails to attend any intensive course session for any reason - after the add & drop deadline - the following immediate consequences will apply:

• The student will automatically be withdrawn from the course effective immediately and receive a grade of W. No credit will be granted for the course.
• The student will not be granted access to any online recordings or sessions of any  missed course.
• The student will meet with Bayan’s Dean to determine an appropriate future course to fulfill the requirement, at the student’s  own expense
• Any scholarship funding associated with the course(s) will be retroactively rescinded and the student will become responsible for all tuition associated with the course(s).

Emergency Exemptions & Process: Students encountering unforeseen emergencies (serious illness, immediate family emergency, bereavement, or extraordinary circumstances) that prevent in-person attendance in any hybrid intensive course may petition for a one-time exemption through the following process. The granting of any exemptions shall be made on a case-by-case basis and shall be at Bayan’s sole discretion.

Submission of Emergency Exemption Form

1. Students must complete the Emergency Intensive Attendance Exemption Form, which can be requested by contacting the Dean. 
2. Students must attach all appropriate third-party documentation that substantiates the emergency during the intensive session course dates (e.g. a note from a health care provider that indicates the student’s health condition prevents travel and/or in-person course participation, death certificate, or other supporting documentation as requested by Bayan. 
3. Provide a written explanation (approximately 250 words) detailing the nature of the emergency and its impact on attendance.

Decision Notification

1. Students will be notified of Bayan’s decision via email from the Dean.
2. Approved exemptions will include instructions for mandatory class make-up arrangements. Students who fail to abide by these instructions or requirements within the appointed time frames may have any granted exemption rescinded. 
3. Decisions will consider the nature and verifiability of the emergency, supporting documents, and a student's previous attendance history. Bayan reserves the right to request additional supporting documentation at its sole discretion.

Appeals

1. If a student is not satisfied with the decision, a student may appeal their case to the Academic Affairs Committee within five (5) business days. Any appeal request for appeal must be made in writing and sent to the Dean. 
2. All appeal decisions made by the Academic Affairs Committee after a student appeal are final and are non-appealable.

Make-Up Requirements:

1. Students must complete the missed intensive session by attending a subsequent scheduled intensive session, in-person and fulfilling any other appropriate requirement as established by Bayan..
2. Video recordings or asynchronous engagement will not fulfill the requirement.
3. All additional travel and accommodation costs for make-up sessions are the student's sole responsibility.

Retroactive Rescission of Scholarship Award: Any scholarship awards will be retroactively rescinded by Bayan for any course in which a student fails to attend a hybrid intensive session, in-person. In such cases, students will be responsible for paying full tuition for the course(s) they failed to attend. Any outstanding tuition balance must be fully satisfied for any student to register for a subsequent term.

Other Consequences: In the event a student habitually fails to attend attend hybrid intensive sessions, Bayan reserves the right, at its sole discretion to take other action, including but not limited to:

1. Placing the student on Academic Probation or taking other disciplinary actions including suspension, or involuntary withdrawal from Bayan.
2. Suspending or revoking all scholarship or institutional financial aid support.