Course Action Notices

Course Action Notices are available for students to submit absence notifications to their instructors when they need to miss class.

Attending class is essential to learning. However, there may be times when a student is unable to attend, including if they are ill or isolating. At the start of the semester, they should also proactively let their instructors know if they anticipate absences for religious observance or athletic obligations. They should check their syllabi for each course's attendance policy.

To communicate absences with their instructors, students will use the Course Action Notice (CAN) in Path@Penn. CANs are designed to provide a way for students to communicate with their instructors when medical issues, family emergencies, or other concerns necessitate missing class. After submitting a CAN, students should make sure to reach out to their instructors to craft a plan for staying on track.

Each instructor sets their class attendance policy which should be on their syllabus. Students who submit CANs should be aware that they do not constitute “excuses.”

NOTE: If a student misses or anticipates missing more than five days of classes, they should contact the College’s CaseNet team as soon as possible.

Course Action Notices also include the ability for instructors to send support notices to their students.

How to submit a CAN