Attendance Expectations

Regular attendance in the Blindness Empowerment and Independence Center is critical to success both in the Center and in future employment. Students are expected to demonstrate progress in learning the alternative techniques of blindness and to demonstrate a sincere and positive effort to deal with their attitudes about blindness.

Lateness

If you are going to be late at the beginning of the day, you must call the Center’s Director at 515-802-8162 by 7:30 a.m. If you are going to miss or be late for a class, you must let your instructor know as soon as possible. Do not ask another student to make these calls for you. 

Appointments:

Students must calendar any appointments or vacations outside of scheduled Center breaks with the Center’s Director. More than five days absence from training may result in the loss of maintenance for that time. Unauthorized or extended absences from training may lead to suspension in training.

Illness

If you will miss classes due to illness, you need to notify the Center’s Director at 515-802-8162 by 7:30 a.m. Do not ask another student to make this call for you. Students who miss classes due to illness during the day are not permitted to participate in activities in the evening, including eating out or using the gym facilities.

Extended Illness

If your illness lasts longer than three days, you will be asked to visit a medical clinic for a written diagnosis, which you must give to the Center’s Director. Students who are ill for four or more days and/or are experiencing an acute illness will be sent home to receive care from their primary physician. These students may return to the program at the discretion of the Center’s Director and with a written release from their physician. 

Center Schedules

A standard Center Schedule for all students is Monday through Friday 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. with a lunch from 12:30 p.m. - 1:10 p.m. Unless leave has been approved, all students are expected to be in their classes from the designated starting time to the designated end time. On Wednesdays, students are expected to be in their student council meeting from 1:10 p.m. -2:00 p.m. All Center activities, large meals, graduations, and any other special events requested by the Director will be mandatory. 

Unscheduled Absences

Students must follow the rules as outlined in the student handbook for the day of leave and leave requests should be submitted on the day the student returns to classes. If the student is unable to fill out a leave slip, they must meet with an instructor for instruction and/or guidance to complete.

If attendance continues to become a problem, i.e. patterns noticed, etc., participation in the Blindness Empowerment and Independence Center will be reviewed and the student may be suspended from training.

Scheduled Leave

When a student wants time away for vacation, medical appointments, or other reasons, the student is responsible for requesting leave from the Director no less than 24 hours in advance. The Director will approve or deny leave at their discretion. Leave requests might be denied for reasons including activities planned for that time period, or too many instances of uncompleted work.

If you will be missing days due to vacation, each day you are absent, the maintenance amount per day will be deducted.