Given the small size of this class, once a week class meeting schedule, and the interactive nature of this class given the subject matter, attendance is taken each class period and class participation is a significant portion of your grade. Any requests for an absence to be excused must be made via e-mail to Prof. McNeil either before or immediately after class. Excused absences are at the professor’s sole discretion, and documentation may be required. Excused absences will only be granted in narrow circumstances that include, but are not limited to, Institute sanctioned absences, illness, jury duty, requirement for military service, religious observances, and death of a family member. It is the student’s responsibility to request that an absence be excused either before or immediately after the absence from class. If you have an excused absence, it will not affect your participation grade.

Please do not come to class at all if you are sick, whether it is COVID or something else. Please let me know via e-mail ASAP if you will miss or have missed class due to illness.   

All absences not excused by the professor are unexcused absences, and your absence may affect your participation grade. Note that job interviews, career fair attendance, conflicts with other on-campus commitments (tour guide, students orgs, etc.), trips, etc. are generally unexcused absences. 

Georgia Tech's official attendance policy can be found at https://catalog.gatech.edu/rules/4/ . In addition to the GT rules, it states "All students are responsible for obtaining an understanding of each instructor's policy regarding absences.”  Information about how to notify instructors when you need to miss class and what kind of documentation you should provide is at:  http://www.catalog.gatech.edu/policies/student-absence-regulations/.