Short Term Absence from Teaching

Whether planned or unplanned, instructors must occasionally make temporary or short term arrangements to ensure that responsibilities for instruction are fulfilled. Please refer to FPP about faculty duties and responsibilities.

Per usual practice, instructors, faculty, staff, and graduate students should notify the chair/director or designee about their planned or unplanned absence. If unplanned (due to sickness/medical issue), the instructor uses sick leave and, if possible, plans coverage for instruction.  If this is a planned absence, the instructor would need approval for the absence and plan coverage for instruction. Faculty and Academic Staff need to complete the Absence From Teaching Form.  Departments should track and keep a record of absence requests and approvals.

Coverage plan for teaching responsibilities

• The UW-Madison is a residential institution, committed to providing high-quality education through substantial student-instructor and student-to-student interaction. For in-person classes, L&S therefore expects in-person instruction to occur for almost all of the scheduled class time.
• Regardless the mode of instruction, there is regular and substantive interaction between student/instructor and student/student.
• Students will have the opportunity to ask questions synchronously, asynchronously or both.
• Opportunities for students to interact with the instructor and other students will be clearly set up and communicated to them.
• The amount of time a student spends learning (lectures, discussion, reading, assignments, studying, etc.) will be parallel and equivalent to the in-person class time.
• Online lectures and course materials will be comparable and appropriately adapted for online teaching. 
• Students are informed and supported in adapting to the structure, schedule expectations, and technologies used.

Contact for additional questions