I. Attendance Policy and Excused Absences
Policies regarding evaluation of presence in class are set by professors in all curricula (Grados, CH, CEH). It is essential you find out what they are from each professor directly early on. There is a great deal of emphasis on presence and participation. Indeed, the UC3M has an across the board policy of “zero tolerance” for absences. In practice, this may vary from professor to professor. However, you should take this aspect of your class performance very seriously. It is also important to figure out early on what is the best way to communicate with your professors: whether in-person, by Aula Global, by something like a course Moodle, by email, or by a chat app. It is your responsibility as a student to ensure your professors receive timely communications, for instance about missed classes. Do not assume that firing off an email into the ether is enough: professors at public universities are overwhelmed with messages from many sources.
It is also important to understand the program director’s role with regard to CEH (the program for American students). Even with CEH, we are effectively guests at the UC3M, you are all officially registered students at the university, and we must honor local expectations and rules established by faculty. The CEH language professors always announce at the beginning of the term that absences must be channeled through program directors. This is sometimes misunderstood by students. All this means is they do not want to have to evaluate absences by themselves. It does not mean that we have any authority to excuse students. The UC3M CEH program will only excuse an absence if you (the student) provide evidence that you have gone to the hospital, a doctor or a pharmacy because you’re ill. The program staff have no authority to excuse you from class because you report you are not feeling well.
However, we certainly want you to tell us immediately if you are ill, etc., and need any kind of medical or psychiatric care. Your host families should also be able to help in this regard. The assistant director, Pepa, can let you know which hospitals, clinics, and doctors are near your host families. In addition, as you know, we are available to discuss any kind of issue that might arise. More generally, we are here to support you to ensure your academic success, although this of course is a responsibility you share with us: to ensure you understand professors’ expectations and make every effort to meet them. Except for our objectively defined curving criteria as explained above, we have no direct authority over grading.
Travel (a cheaper ticket, a delayed flight, a family member´s or friend´s decision to drop in on you) is never an acceptable excuse for absences from class, much less from exams. Build in ample margin (certainly a day at least rather than hours) especially during the exam period because university policy is very strict about this. If you have a documented disability and need accommodations, please see the item below about this.
II. Academic Accommodations
Program directors and stuff must follow guidelines provided by on-campus staff responsible for disabilities accommodations and behavioral health issues, especially as they bear on your academic performance. Academic and medical accommodations must be established in writing by the administrator responsible for this on the student’s home campus and through self-registration with our two main host campuses in Spain according to the instructions below. We strongly advise students to self-disclose medical conditions to the program director and assistant director well in advance of the start of the program so we can anticipate ways to assist you. Because of confidentiality, program staff will not otherwise be fully informed unless students choose to share that information.
The protocols and contact persons for the primary consortial partners are as follows:
Vassar: Students must contact the office of Accessibility and Educational Opportunity, to establish disabilities accommodations and/or to communicate official accommodations to the Madrid program staff and the UC3M authorities. The Vassar Accessibility and Educational Opportunity office will normally communicate official Vassar accommodations by email attachment to the Madrid program and UC3M staff. However, this process must be initiated by the student.
Wesleyan: Students must contact Accessibility Services to establish disability accommodations with the Madrid Program staff and the UC3M authorities. The Accessibility Services office will provide the student with accommodation letters that can be shared with the Madrid program. However, this process must be initiated by the student.
Self-Registration of Accommodation Needs at the UC3M and Complutense: Students who require accommodations will need to self-register at the appropriate university website upon receiving their Spanish-student ID. See the links below for self-registration links at UC3M and Complutense. Students should also bring a letter from their home campus documenting their accommodations.
Accessibility services at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M): Register at DISCAPACIDAD Y NEE (Necesidades Educativas Especiales) You might be required to enter two surnames after the Spanish custom to register officially: if so, enter your single (American-style) surname twice and it should work. Please note the deadlines: if the student is attending the Madrid program in the fall, they should register no later than July 15th. If in the spring, they should register no later than December 15th.
Accessibility services at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), our other Madrid campus: Register through the Oficina de Integración para Personas con Diversidad (IOPD) via email directly at oipd@ucm.es, following these instructions.
Most officially authorized academic accommodations will transfer from the U.S. But bear in mind that not all the accommodations a student receives at their home campus can be replicated while abroad. That is why we recommend students contact the program staff as soon as they confirm that they will attend the Madrid program. The key step in this process is the student’s self-registration through the respective portals explained and linked above.
Since the local language is not English, our students take courses from four different curricula (including a second Spanish university), and the accommodations letters are from colleges and universities in the U.S. rather than in Spain, students should therefore not send accommodations requests directly to their professors in Spain.
For the most up-to-date information regarding accommodations check with the current Resident Director of the program.
Vassar-Wesleyan Program in Madrid 