This is a petition against the School of Social Work's Attendance Policy that is being motioned to pass at the next school council meeting. The Attendance Policy states:

" THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK

August 29, 2017

Draft attendance policy (Revision)

The School considers class attendance and participation to be an essential competent of integrated learning in professional social work education. Therefore, regular attendance is required in all social work courses, Instructors may count late arrivals or early departures as an absence.

The University accommodates students with disabilities who have registered with the Disability Resource Centre (DRC). Students, who will require accommodations due to disability, should contact the DRC preferably not later than the first week of class.

Students, who are unavoidably absent due to varsity athletics, family obligations, religious obligations, or other similar commitments, cannot assume they will be accommodated. They should discuss their commitments with the instructor in advance. This level of communication and accountability reflects expectations for professional social workers in their place of employment.

If students miss three or more classes. They may be considered to have not met the requirements of the course.

If students have valid reasons, they could be withdrawn from the course with approval of the instructor—otherwise, they would fail the course. "

UBC’s School of Social Work teaches it’s students to be inclusive, adaptive, and accepting of a person's individual needs, and to adjust practice to each individual case. However, this Attendance Policy does the opposite.

This attendance policy has the ability to do a lot more harm than good to the students in the UBC social work program. Ultimately, we do not know what is going on in someone's personal life that can cause them to be late or miss a class.