Attendance Policy

To succeed as a physical therapist, you will need to attend and fully engage in your practice activities, such as appointments with patients, professional development, and administrative responsibilities. The same is expected during your time in the MScPT program; you are expected to attend and actively engage in all aspects of the program, just as a physical therapist attends and actively engages in all aspects of their practice. The MScPT program provides you with opportunities to demonstrate the level of professionalism you will need as a practicing clinician.

In accordance with the School of Graduate Studies Personal Time Off Policy, you have several days of vacation (personal time off), scheduled throughout each year of the program, in addition to statutory holidays and days designated as University closures or holidays. This is time for you to recharge and relax and you are not required to engage in any program-related activities during this scheduled time off. Please refer to the curriculum dates stated for your cohort for full details of when each course starts and ends.

Attendance requires you to arrive on time and remain for the duration of all learning activities. Where a session is designated as in-person, you are expected to attend in-person. Virtual participation in in-person sessions will not normally be available but may be considered on a case-by-case basis. Activities which require attendance include, but are not limited to:

• Large group sessions (both in-person and synchronous on-line sessions)
• Case-based and small group learning activities and group work
• Clinical skills labs
• PT Logic sessions
• IPE sessions
• Scheduled evaluations (e.g., knowledge checks, PT Logic, presentations)
• Community visits
• ACE sessions
• All clinical internship hours

To be actively engaged means you consistently and respectfully interact with the content of the program and strive to harmoniously interact with others. Others include, but are not limited to, your student peers, faculty, instructors, teaching assistants, clients and their families, clinicians, guests, mentors, and staff. Demonstrating empathy and compassion towards others and behaving in a conscientious and reliable matter is essential as you engage with others. Effective physical therapists embody these qualities throughout their careers.

Planned absences are short-term absences (i.e., 1-2 days) due to known or anticipated circumstances and require approval from the appropriate Faculty member (outlined below).

Examples of acceptable planned absences may include a:

• Funeral or memorial service
• Health care appointment that cannot be rescheduled
• Religious observance
• Significant event (major celebration or participation in varsity, provincial or national athletic event)

• Planned personal days

Students are permitted 2 planned personal days in each year of the program for reasons that are not listed as acceptable planned absences. The following limitations apply to planned personal days:

• No personal day may be taken during a clinical internship or ACE site visit.
• No personal day may be taken on the day of an in-person or virtual evaluation (e.g., knowledge check, PT Logic, practical skills exam, presentation) or any other evaluation that requires the student to be present in-person or virtually.
• Personal days cannot be taken during group activities which may include group meetings, discussions, or research activities.
• Personal days cannot be combined with any other planned absences.

Planned absences will normally not be approved if the planned absence is more than 2 consecutive days in length or a planned absence requires you to miss an evaluation.

When you request a planned absence, we consider:

• Reason for the absence
• Duration and type of learning activities to be missed
• Your academic record
• Your history of professionalism
• Your attendance record and history of prior absences
• Feasibility to make up lost clinical internship hours (if applicable)

Planned Absences During a Unit

To request a planned absence during a Unit, you must submit the Absence Request and Reporting Form as soon as you are aware of the situation (ideally 2-weeks in advance). For your benefit, we strongly advise that you wait until you have received confirmation of approval before committing to any plans.

If a planned absence is approved during a Unit, you are responsible for informing any other participants who may be impacted by your absence (e.g., your peers for a small group work activities). You are also responsible for all the material and content from missed sessions and, if applicable, completing any deferred/make-up work. Faculty will not be responsible for recreating the learning experience as a result of an absence. In addition, if students miss an evaluation due to a personal day or a planned absence and there are non-extenuating circumstances, faculty will not develop a make-up evaluation, and the student will receive a zero for the missed evaluation. Please see the policy for missed evaluations for details.

Planned Absences During a Clinical Internship

Planned absences during a clinical internship require approval from the Director of Clinical Education (DCE)/Academic Lead of Clinical Education. You must submit the Absence Reporting Form as soon as you are aware of the situation. For your benefit, we strongly advise that you wait until you have received confirmation of approval before committing to any plans or discussing time off from your clinical internship with the site.

Absences from clinical internships to attend conferences or courses outside of the clinical site are normally not approved. If the course or conference is clinically relevant to your internship and you have permission from the CCCE and CI, you may submit an absence request form, and your request will be reviewed.

If a planned absence from clinical internship is approved by a member of the clinical education team, you must inform your CI and the CCCE before your clinical start time so that patients may be re-assigned. You are required to make up all lost time from planned absences during a clinical internship. You must arrange to make up lost time from clinical internships with your CI and CCCE and you need to notify the DCE/Academic Lead for Clinical Education of your plan to make up the time lost. Options to make-up time absent from a clinical internship may include:

• Evening and weekend clinical time
• Extended hours of a significant critical mass of time (i.e., at least one hour duration) at the beginning or end of a regular workday

You may not arrange with your CI to make up time lost outside of designated clinical hours unless this has been approved by the CCCE and DCE/Academic Lead for Clinical Education and this will not be permitted once the next Unit has commenced. Your request to make up time lost due to a planned absence must not cause undue hardship for the CI or the site in trying to accommodate you.

Unplanned absences are those which arise due to unforeseen and often emergent circumstances such as:

• Family emergencies/unplanned caregiving responsibilities
• Funeral/memorial services
• Infectious Illness including respiratory, gastrointestinal, or other contagious symptoms
• Injury/personal crisis
• Self-care
• Travel/transportation emergencies (e.g., accidents, subway breakdowns)
• Disability related reasons as per an accommodation letter from Accessibility Services

When unplanned absences occur, as they inevitably do, you must complete the Absence Request and Reporting Form as soon as possible preferably the morning of the absence and no more than two days after the last day of the unplanned absence.

Depending on the type or duration of the absence, or the number of prior absences, students may be required to submit other supporting documents. For example, if you have missed more than two consecutive days due to a health-related illness (non-contagious illness related), a Verification of Student Illness or Injury Form may be requested.

Unplanned Absences During a Unit

In the event of an unplanned absence during a Unit, you are responsible for informing any other participants who may be impacted by your absence (e.g., your peers for a small group work activities). You are also responsible for all the material and content from missed sessions and, if applicable, completing any deferred/make-up work and evaluations. Faculty will not be responsible for recreating the learning experience as a result of an absence.

Unplanned Absences During a Clinical Internship

If your unplanned absence is during a clinical internship, you must inform a member of the Clinical Education team, your CI and the CCCE before your clinical start time so that patients may be re-assigned. You are required to make up all lost time from unplanned absences during a clinical internship. You must arrange to make up lost time from clinical internships with your CI and CCCE and you need to notify a member of the Clinical Education team of your plan to make up the time lost. Options to make-up time absent from clinical internship may include:

• Evening and weekend clinical time
• Extended hours of a significant critical mass of time (i.e., at least one hour duration) at the beginning or end of a regular workday

You may not arrange with your CI to make up time lost outside of designated clinical hours unless this has been approved by the CCCE and a member of the Clinical Education team and this will not be permitted once the next Unit has commenced. Your request to make up time lost due to an unplanned absence must not cause undue hardship for the CI or the site in trying to accommodate you.

Attendance at evaluations is mandatory for all students. Where an evaluation is designated to be in-person, students must attend in person. Evaluations include but are not limited to:

• Knowledge checks/tests
• PT Logic/small group work
• Practical/oral exams
• Individual or group presentations

Absences will only be excused in the case of extenuating circumstances, which are defined as serious, unforeseen, and unavoidable events beyond the student’s control. These may include, but are not limited to:

• Medical emergencies or acute illness (e.g., hospitalization, contagious illness, or a condition that significantly impairs functioning). Non-contagious emergencies or illness may require supporting documentation from a healthcare provider.
• Serious injury or accident (with supporting documentation from a healthcare provider)
• Death or critical illness of an immediate family member
• Legal obligations (e.g., court appearances)
• Significant mental health crises (e.g., requiring urgent care or intervention)
• Major transit disruptions (e.g., a city-wide transit shutdown or a confirmed TTC subway/Go Transit line closure that prevents timely arrival, supported by official service alerts)
• A varsity athlete on a case-by-case basis

Non-extenuating circumstances—such as travel plans, minor illnesses, or scheduling conflicts—will not be accepted as valid reasons for missing evaluations. If students miss an evaluation for non-extenuating circumstances, faculty will not develop a make-up evaluation, and the student will receive a zero for the missed evaluation.

Students must notify the program of a missed evaluation by submitting the Absence Request and Reporting Form as soon as possible and providing appropriate documentation to support their absence. For advance requests, student must provide 2 weeks' notice. For unforeseen circumstances, student must notify the program within 48 hours. Supporting documentation may include:

• A Verification of Student Illness or Injury Form may be requested for missed absences for injury or other health related issues (e.g., concussion) and must include either the statement “This student was unable to write the test on date(s) for medical reasons” OR "This student was unable to complete the assignment due to an illness”. Please note that a verification of illness form is not required for short-term contagious illness (e.g., cold/flu).
• Original supporting documentation (e.g., a medical certificate, accident report, etc.).

Important details:

• Supporting documentation may be requested for non-health related missed evaluations.
• The University of Toronto respects students’ privacy. The Department will maintain a record of all medical certificates received. At all times this information will be protected in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). For more information, please refer to the University’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Office.

Decisions

The Academic Lead or Graduate Coordinator will communicate the outcome of the request and advise you of next steps. If a make-up evaluation or extended assignment deadline is granted, you must normally complete it within two weeks of the original evaluation date. The Academic Lead will contact you to communicate details of the make-up evaluation. You need to be prepared to complete the evaluation at any point after which a make-up evaluation has been granted although the Department will attempt to provide you with 2-3 days of notice, where possible. If you missed an evaluation and your request for a make-up evaluation was not approved, you will receive a zero on that evaluation.

If an extension on an assignment due date has been granted, the specific timelines will be negotiated between you and the Academic Lead. If you submitted an assignment late and your request for an extension was not approved, you will be subject to academic penalties, such as late penalties, as outlined in the assignment details.

If the extended absence is during a Unit, decisions may include any of the following, or a combination of the following:

• You complete deferred/make-up assignments and evaluations and continue in the Unit
• You are instructed to formally request an extension for the Unit
• Your grade will be deferred until which time you have completed Unit requirements
• You withdraw from the current Unit (which may have academic and/or financial penalty) and complete the Unit in full next time it is offered in the curriculum
• You formally request a leave of absence or temporary stop-out from the program and complete the Unit in full next time it is offered in the curriculum
• You continue in the Unit but will receive a failing grade in the Unit if you do not earn a minimum of a B- or 70%

If the extended absence is during a clinical internship, decisions may include any of the following, or a combination of the following:

• If the extended absence is equivalent to 6 days or 20% of the clinical internship, you will be required to withdraw from the clinical internship (which may have academic and/or financial penalty) and complete the clinical internship in full at a future date, to be arranged by the Department
• If the extended absence is equivalent to 5 days or less, decision may include:
  • You receive a passing grade on the clinical internship in question, but you will have additional hours equal to the time missed, added to a subsequent internship
  • Your grade in the clinical internship will be deferred until which time you complete the missing hours in a similar practice setting, to be arranged by the Department
  • You continue in the clinical internship but will receive a failing grade in the clinical internship if you do not demonstrate competency

A leave of absence is a leave from the program related to serious health or personal problems or parental leave. This is defined as an official, temporary withdrawal from studies. It pauses your time to degree completion. If you anticipate the need for an extended planned absence, or a series of planned absences, a leave of absence may better support your needs. If you encounter personal circumstances or medical issues that make it temporarily impossible for you to continue in the program, you are advised to consult with the Graduate Coordinator.

After discussing your situation with the Graduate Coordinator, if a leave of absence is deemed appropriate, you may apply to the School of Graduate Studies for a leave of absence. During a leave of absence, you are not registered in the program or enrolled in any courses, you do not pay any fees, and you may not make demands on the University. Due to the progressive nature of the program, a leave of absence normally lasts for a full year, until courses are offered again. A leave of absence may also be necessary if you fail or withdraw from a course.

You may alternatively request to temporarily stop-out and re-register within 12 months, with the approval of your graduate unit, without re-applying to the program. Unlike a leave of absence, the stop-out period is included in the time period for completion of your degree.

Upon returning from a leave of absence or temporary stop-out, you will be required to complete remedial activities to ensure your knowledge and skills are current. The Graduate Coordinator and/or the EAC will advise you on remediation requirements for re-enrollment in the program.