What to do in case of absence
During courses, exercises, ...
- You do not have to report a short period of illness that only has an impact on theoretical lessons.
- In the event of a long-term illness, you can apply for a special status for exceptional social or personal circumstances.
During exams, continuous assessments, practicals or exercises with compulsory attendance, internship,…
- In the case of absence based on legitimate reasons you need to register your absence as formulated below. If it concerns a justified absence during any continuous assessments (e.g. practicals or excursions), the lecturer may impose a compensatory activity. In the case of a justified absence during an end-of-term evaluation (exams), a catch-up exam within the same examination period is made in consultation with the lecturer.
- Unjustified absence: you will be registered absent and declared failed for the evaluation involved.
Legitimate reasons for absence
Legitimate reasons to be absent are the following:
- illness or an accident that prevents a student from taking an exam;
- the death, during the examination period, of a relative by blood or marriage in the first degree (i.e. parents or children) or in the second degree (i.e. grandparents, grandchildren, brother, sister) or of a person living with the student;
- judicial reasons (e.g. summons before a court of law);
- an overlap with other examinations, other than deferred examinations, within a personalised learning track or model track with elective course units (including major/minor course units). Overlap means that two or more examinations take place on the same day. The student must give priority to the preceding course unit in order of the model learning track years or the compulsory course unit (in case of a model learning track). I.e. the student must give priority to the course unit from the lowest standard learning track year and compulsory courses are prioritised before electives;
- the student has a written examination, other than a deferred examination, in the evening examination slot of a day and a written exam, other than a deferred examination, in the morning examination slot of the following calendar day. Where appropriate, the student gives priority to the course unit from the lowest model learning track year or the compulsory course unit (in the case of a model learning track);
- other forms of force majeure (i.e. an event which has nothing to do with the student and which could not have been reasonably foreseen, prevented or overcome);
- mandatory quarantine or isolation.
Read more: Education and examination code article 75
Proof of absence
What is a valid medical certificate?
In case of an overlap in your exam schedule, upload your exam schedule as proof.
Please note, certificates are not accepted if they only report the student’s explanation (i.e. dixit notes) or if they were drawn up after the day of the illness or accident (i.e. certificates after the event).
Register your absence
Campus Gent (Coupure and Schoonmeersen)
- Register your absence via the online tool Absent and, in case of justified absence, add a (medical) certificate of proof no later than three working days. You hold on to the original copy.
- Procedure for non UGent courses:
Immediately inform the exam secretariat of your absence via fsa.fbw@ugent.be with the lecturer-in-charge in cc.
In the event of justified absence, submit a (medical) proof of absence, Contact the examiners involved at the latest on the day of the exam/evaluation itself with the question whether a catch-up exam is possible.
Campus Kortrijk
- Send your valid certificate of proof to afwezig.kortrijk@ugent.be no later than three working days.