Student Attendance Guide

Your Daily Checklist

1

Wait for the instructor to start the session

The Check In button will not appear until the instructor opens the session. You will see "Waiting for instructor..." until then.
2

Check in as soon as the session opens

Lab: check in within 10 minutes of the start to be on time. Clinical: check in by 15 minutes after the scheduled start time; one second later you are Absent.
3

Check out before leaving (Lab & Clinical only)

The checkout button opens 5 minutes before the end for Lab and 5 minutes before the end for Clinical. You cannot check out earlier than this unless the instructor ends the session. Clinical: check out before your instructor ends the class — clinical check-out closes when the class ends.

Session Types & Rules

Each session type has different check-in and checkout requirements. Know yours before class starts.

Clinical

Check-in: QR code scan required

Check-out: Required — cannot skip. Same checks as check-in: scan your instructor's code, near the class

After the class ends: Check-out is closed — check out before your instructor ends the class

On time: Check in by 15 minutes after the scheduled start time. One second later you are Absent. Clinical has no Late.

Early checkout: Blocked until 5 min before end

Hours tracked: Yes — check-in to check-out time

Location: Allow it when you scan. It only checks that you are near the class. NMS keeps how far away you were, never where you were.

Location off? The scan does not count: turn location on and scan again. Not near the class? Your check-in or check-out waits for a coordinator to review. The time you scanned is kept. A photo of the QR code sent by someone else does not work.

Important: You cannot check out of a Clinical session early. The checkout button is locked until 5 minutes before the scheduled end time. If you must leave early, notify your instructor — only they or an admin can override this.

Lab

Check-in: QR code scan required

Check-out: Required — cannot skip

Late threshold: 10-minute grace period

Early checkout: Blocked until 5 min before end

Hours tracked: No (Lab hours not calculated)

Location: Allow it when you scan. NMS keeps how far from the class you were, never where you were. Your scan counts either way.

Same rules as Clinical for check-in/out. The checkout button is locked until 5 minutes before the scheduled end time.

Didactic (Classroom)

Check-in: Self-report (no QR)

Check-out: Not required

Late threshold: 10-minute grace period

Early checkout: N/A

Hours tracked: No

GPS: Not collected

Online (Live)

Check-in: Self-report (no QR)

Check-out: Not required

Late threshold: 10-minute grace period

Early checkout: N/A

Hours tracked: Via Engageli separately

GPS: Not collected

Online classes also track your Engageli participation (minutes attended, engagement score) separately — see the Online Classes section below.

How to Check In

QR Code Scan — Lab & Clinical

1 Go to Attendance → My Classes
2 Find your session card — wait for the green OPEN badge to appear
3 Tap Scan QR Code to Check In
4 Allow camera access if prompted
5 Point your camera at the QR code on the instructor's screen. The code changes every 15 seconds — if your first attempt fails, wait for the next code and try again.
6 A confirmation shows your status: Present (on time) or Late (after the grace period). Lab allows 10 minutes. Clinical is only ever Present or Absent — never Late. For clinical and lab, a scan that is not near the class shows waiting for a coordinator instead.

Lab / Clinical Check-In Video

Video coming soon · ID: student-checkin-lab

Self-Report — Online & Didactic

1 Go to Attendance → My Classes
2 Find the open session card
3 Tap Check In (Self-Report) and confirm
4 You are marked Present if within the 10-minute grace window, or Late if beyond it

GPS Location Sharing

On your first visit to your attendance dashboard, a one-time prompt asks whether you want to share GPS location during check-in. GPS is only captured at the exact moment you check in — it is never tracked at any other time.

Allow (Recommended)

Your location is captured only at check-in. Reduces the chance your record is flagged for instructor review on Lab and Clinical sessions.

Decline

Lab: allow location when asked — the scan still counts without it; NMS keeps how far away you were. Clinical: location is required — without it the scan does not count.

Change your preference later:

A banner at the top of your My Classes page shows your current GPS setting. Click Change to update it any time.

Enable location in your browser:

iPhone / iPad (Safari): Settings → Safari → Location → Allow While Using

Android (Chrome): Tap the lock icon in the address bar → Site Settings → Location → Allow

Desktop Chrome: Click the lock icon in the address bar → Location → Allow

Checking Out (Lab & Clinical)

Lab and Clinical sessions require a checkout before you leave. You cannot check out until 5 minutes before the scheduled end (Lab), or 5 minutes before the end (Clinical) — the system enforces this automatically.

1 Go to Attendance → My Classes near the end of class
2 Watch the countdown timer on your session card — it counts down to when checkout opens
3 Once the timer reaches zero, tap Check Out and confirm
4 For Clinical sessions, the confirmation shows your earned clinical hours (check-in to check-out time)

What if I need to leave early? You cannot bypass the early-checkout lock yourself. Notify your instructor — they can note your early departure. If you check out after the instructor ends the session (instead of using the button), your record will show check-in only, with no check-out time. Contact your instructor immediately to resolve this.

What if the instructor ends the session before I check out? The checkout button on your dashboard goes away. Clinical: check-out closes when the class ends, so check out before — your instructor waits for everyone to scan out. Lab: you can still check out by scanning the class QR code for 30 minutes after the session ends. After that your record shows you were present (checked in) with no check-out time — contact your instructor to note it.

Clinical hours: Calculated from your exact check-in time to your check-out time, rounded to two decimal places. These contribute to your program's required clinical hour total.

Flagged Check-Ins

A flag on your check-in record means the system detected something that needs instructor review. A flag does not automatically change your attendance status — your instructor reviews it and decides.

Common flag reasons:

Low GPS confidence — Your GPS coordinates were further than expected from the classroom location. Can happen near building edges or in areas with weak GPS signal.
GPS not provided — You checked in on a Lab or Clinical session but GPS was not shared (declined or unavailable).
Early checkout — You checked out more than 5 minutes before the session ended.

Flagged records show an orange banner on your session card. No action is required from you — your instructor will review it. If you believe the flag is in error, speak with your instructor directly.

Your Attendance Record

1 pt

Present

0.5 pt

Late

0 pts

Absent

—

Excused

Your percentage = (points earned ÷ total sessions) × 100. Excused absences are removed from both sides of the formula.

Risk level badges on your dashboard:

Good
≥ 90%

Medium
80–89%

High
70–79%

Critical
< 70%

How to view your record:

1. Click My Record from your dashboard header
2. Your full history is listed by course — date, status, and check-in time
3. Your risk level badge reflects your current percentage per section

Think there's an error? If you were present but marked Absent, contact your instructor right away. Instructors can correct records within a limited window (usually 7 days). After that, only an admin can make changes.

⚠️ Important: These attendance points are tracked in ATS for program compliance purposes only — they are not connected to your Gradebook in Brightspace.

Submitting an Excuse Request

If you miss a class, lab, or clinical session, you can request an excused absence. Your instructor reviews and approves or denies the request.

When to submit:

Illness (doctor's note required for absences longer than one day)
Family emergency
Court appearance (provide documentation)
Other documented, legitimate reason

How to submit:

1 Go to Attendance in the sidebar
2 Find the session you missed — it will show status: Absent
3 Click Request Excuse next to that session
4 Fill in the reason for your absence
5 Upload supporting documentation if required (PDF, JPG, or PNG, max 10 MB)
6 Click Submit

After submitting:

Pending

Waiting for instructor review (typically 2-3 business days)

Approved

Status changes to Excused — no longer counts against you

Denied

Absent status remains — you may appeal to the program administrator

Deadline: Submit excuse requests within 48 hours of the absence whenever possible. Late submissions may be denied per program policy.

Online Classes (Engageli)

Live Online classes use the Engageli platform. Your participation data syncs automatically into ATS every 2 hours. This is separate from the QR/self-report attendance system.

To view your Engageli data:

1. Click My Online Attendance in the sidebar
2. Use the Semester dropdown at the top to switch between terms — defaults to current semester
3. Sessions are grouped by class; each row is one session
4. Status: Attended (≥75%) · Partial (20–74%) · Absent (<20%)

Engagement score (0–100):

Talk time — up to 30 pts (3+ minutes earns full)
Raise hand — up to 25 pts (3+ raises earns full)
Poll responses — up to 25 pts (if polls ran that session)
Chat messages — up to 15 pts (5+ messages earns full)
Reactions — up to 5 pts (3+ earns full)

⚠️ Important: Your Engageli participation data is tracked in ATS for program compliance purposes only — it is not connected to your Gradebook in Brightspace.