The attendance policy at the Cleveland Institute of Art is discriminatory against students with chronic physical and mental illnesses that keep them from attending class due to physical and mental pain. It states that after 3 missed classes students automatically fail after missing a fourth, with no recourse for students with genuine medical or psychological reasons for having to miss in person sessions. We students PAY for these classes and it should be up to us as to whether or not we attend, with the understanding that missing a class means that we may be missing valuable instruction without the threat of further punishment just; BECAUSE. There is no reason for this policy to exist other than to actively punish students who NEED to miss classes due to personal reasons. They shouldn't have to beg their professors for understanding. The professors, who have likely already made their decision about the policy before the student even pleads their case, I've seen students been denied exemption from the policy to attend their religious holidays, for chronic pain issues, and I've personally been denied for my own health issues.

In addition, our classes are primarily based on building our portfolios. CIA is an art school after all, most classes are typically based in developing our portfolios. As such, the first half of class is spent explaining what artistic concept we'll be focusing on in our homework piece and critiquing last week's homework, and the second half of class is spent exclusively working on this piece. We can and are expected to do this outside of class hours as the studio's of CIA and are open until 1 AM most days. The concepts are also typically stated either in the syllabus ahead of time, or in supplementary material the professor has already posted online or could post online for the class. Professors also are required to have office hours where they are on campus, where they are available for student meetings. Critiques of previous work can be made up that way if professors would prefer to avoid doing so over email.

When we the students are willing and capable to do the work we missed, why force us to attend classes in person due to a policy? We're adults, this isn't high school, you don't need to force us to be there. The policy is draconian and active discrimination. It needs to go. 

For those interested in reading the policy itself, here is the link: https://my.cia.edu/ICS/Student_Life/CIA_Student_Handbook/Policy_and_Procedures/Attendance_Policy.jnz