2.1.26 Student Absences Due to Service as a Volunteer Emergency Worker

Policy

If a student is required to be absent from class because of duties performed as an emergency worker as defined in the Volunteer Emergency Worker Higher Education Protection Act (110 ILCS 122, et seq.) each of the student's instructors will provide reasonable accommodations for completing missed exams, quizzes, and other required work. In courses that allow dropping a low grade or grades, faculty must offer the student reasonable accommodation for making up work missed and may not require that missed work be counted as the low grade to be dropped.

The student will provide appropriate documentation of services as an emergency worker and arrange to complete missed classroom work as soon as possible. Ultimately, students are responsible for material covered in class.

Appeals

If the student is not satisfied with the accommodations provided by the instructor or if the instructor fails to accommodate the student, the student may appeal the decision to the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost.

Definition

"Volunteer Emergency Worker" is defined as: a firefighter who does not receive monetary compensation for his or her services to a fire department or fire protection district and who does not work for any other fire department or fire protection district for monetary compensation.

"Volunteer emergency worker" also means a person who does not receive monetary compensation for his or her services as a volunteer Emergency Medical Technician (licensed as an EMT-B, EMT-I, or EMT-P under the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act, a volunteer ambulance driver or attendant, or a volunteer "First Responder," as defined in Sec. 3.60 of the Emergency Medical Services (EMT) Systems Act), to a fire department, fire protection district, or other governmental entity and who does not work in one of these capacities for any ther fire department, fire protection district, or governmental entity for monetary compensation.

"Volunteer emergency worker" also means a person who is a volunteer member of a county or municipal emergency services and disaster agency pursuant to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act, an auxiliary policeman appointed pursuant to the Municipal Code, or an auxiliary deputy appointed by a county sheriff pursuant to the Counties Code.