Document
Owner
Office of Academic Affairs
Effective Date
October 18, 2026
Last Reviewed
October 18, 2026
Next Review
October 2027
1. Purpose
Neponset is a fully online, asynchronous institution. Traditional attendance does not apply, but meaningful and timely participation in course activities is essential to learner success and accreditation-grade documentation of academic engagement.
2. Definition of Active Participation
In each course, an actively participating learner is one who, within any seven-day period, does at least one of the following:
Submits an assignment or assessment.
Posts a substantive contribution to a graded discussion.
Completes an interactive instructional module within the learning management system.
Participates in a synchronous office hour, group meeting, or scheduled academic activity.
Logging into the course site without engaging in any of the above does not constitute active participation.
3. Inactivity & Outreach
Learners who go fourteen (14) or more consecutive days without active participation are contacted by the Office of Student Success. After twenty-one (21) days of inactivity, the learner may be administratively withdrawn from the course.
4. Excused Absences from Synchronous Sessions
Where a course includes scheduled synchronous sessions, learners are expected to attend or to notify the instructor in advance. Recognized excused absences include illness, caregiving responsibilities, work conflicts, religious observances, military duty, jury duty, and bereavement. Recordings are made available where feasible.
5. Last Date of Attendance
For learners who stop participating without formally withdrawing, the institution will record a Last Date of Attendance based on the most recent academic activity, in compliance with federal financial aid Return of Title IV requirements once Neponset is Title IV certified.