When our students are at college, we assume that being in college is all they have to worry about. We don’t think of anything that could interrupt that like medical emergencies or the death of a loved one, but, we know that these things do happen. If they do, there is a contact person at Missouri State that is able to get in touch with each of the student’s instructors to let them know that something has brought them away from their studies.
Explained absences let a students’ instructors, professors and advisor know that they are going to be out of class due to circumstances that are out of their hands. This does not mean that the absence will be granted as excused because that is up to each instructor or professor as to how they want to handle the situation. It does show however, a level of professionalism from the student that they wanted to their instructor or professors to know that they are in fact out of class for a legitimate reason.
If your student ever does need this service, they or a family member or friend can contact Rebecca Neal, Coordinator of Explained Absences by calling 417-836-5258. She will notify their instructors, professors, and advisor about the incident and how long the student expects to be absent.