TOR Maximums Max approved absences per academic year
- 6 personal/medical (partial or full days)*
- 1 exam day
- 1 late arrival
The medical/personal cap for the Spring 2026 semester is 3 TOR's .
Students with disabilities or chronic illnesses who require more than 6 personal/medical absences per academic year may submit a formal accommodation request through The Harris Family Center for Disability & Health Policy
TOR Must Know
- TOR must be submitted prior to the start of the missed activity (planned absences 30 days prior).
- Request time off only for the event itself, the required travel time, and a modest buffer
- Documentation must be uploaded to the TOR within 2 working days of the start of absence.
- Do not assume the TOR will be approved.
- If a request is submitted late, contact Office of Student Affairs (Lebanon | Pomona) to discuss before the missed activity.
- Even if an absence is approved, there may be implications (see below).
- It is the student's responsibility to promptly reach out to the appropriate department to arrange any make-up activities.
- Make-up activities must be completed at the scheduled time.
- TORs are very limited on Blackout Dates
- Contact Office of Student Research if you are presenting research
- Clinical students must receive rotation-site approval in addition to submitting a TOR to Student Affairs
- This TOR form does not apply to IPE absences. See IPE syllabus for reporting procedures.
Medical/Personal TORs in “medical/personal” category include:
- When symptoms are too severe to attend curriculum (e.g. vomiting/fever/chills)
- if not too severe – wear an N95 and attend activity
- Wedding ceremony in which you are a member of the wedding party
- Emergency, funeral, or religious ceremony for a loved one will be assessed on a case-by-case basis during blackout dates.
- Essential appointments that cannot be scheduled during non-mandatory curricular time
- may not be approved on Blackout Dates
- Conference in which the student does not have a leadership role
- will not be approved on Blackout Dates
- must meet academic requirements
- Conference in which the student does have a leadership role
- must meet academic requirements
- if on blackout dates, approved for leadership and travel days only
Medical/personal TORs for IPE are counted in the TOR cap but they are not submitted through this college TOR form; See IPE syllabus for reporting procedures.
Absence Implications
Pre-Clinical
- Absence from hands-on coursework such as Anatomy, OPP, and CMR may result in grade deductions and/or being ineligible to take practical exams.
- Absence often requires making up the missed coursework hour-for-hour with a faculty member or fellow. If a make-up session is provided, students must attend at the scheduled time.
- Carefully review course syllabi for specifics.
Clinical
- If a plenary is missed, the corresponding rotation may be cancelled which may put you off track by 4 weeks. The competencies taught, observed, and/or assessed in these plenary experiences are closely tied to patient safety and to maintaining appropriate preceptor relationships and expectations. Contact ISSM5@westernu.edu or ISSM6@westernu.edu if you anticipate missing a plenary to discuss your specific scenario in advance.
- See Clinical Education Manual (CEM) for max # absences for different lengths of rotations.
- Clinical students must receive rotation-site approval in addition to submitting a TOR to Student Affairs.
Absences are considered unexcused if:
- TOR is submitted after start of the activity
- Documentation is not uploaded within 2 working days
- Requested information is not provided within 2 working days
- Forgetting to attend a mandatory session
- Exceeded 6 allowed medical/personal TORs per academic year (3 for Spring 2026)
A pattern of unexcused absences is considered a professionalism concern and may be referred to the Student Performance Committee.
Excused Absences for Extracurricular Activities
Students who meet all of the following criteria may be excused from mandatory curriculum for certain extracurricular activities such as professional conference travel:
- In good academic standing and must not have any course remediations or repeated rotations for the academic year.
- Preclinical students must not have failed more than one barrier exam during the previous three blocks.
- Clinical students must have passed all assessments including but not limited to; COMLEX-USA examinations, COMAT subject examinations, and Clinical Performance Examinations.
- Submitted the TOR Form no less than thirty (30) days prior to absence.
- Activity does not fall on a Blackout Date.
- Students whose overnight travel to an event is paid for (fully or partially) through a WesternU account (e.g. Club, Class, SGA, College) must also submit a Student Travel Notification Form.
Research
If presenting research at a conference or meeting, you must be cleared by the Office of Student Research (OSR) before submitting Time Off Request (TOR). TOR cannot be submitted without this documentation.
Please submit the Reporting Research Activity Form to the Office of Student Research. Once approved, upload the OSR clearance email to the TOR form.
Blackout Dates
Blackout dates include assessment/exam dates, 1st day of rotations, 2nd and 4th Fridays and the dates below. TOR approvals are limited on these dates. Current blackout dates are listed below (List is subject to change):
|
Session
|
Cohort |
Dates
|
| HVLA (FOM 3) |
OMS 1 |
January 6, 2026
January 12, 2026
January 13, 2026
January 20, 2026
January 26, 2026
February 2, 2026
February 3, 2026
|
| CMR (FOM 3) |
OMS 1 |
February 9 & 10- CMR SP Encounter & Competency Exam
March 9 & 10- CMR OSCE
|
| Cranial Week |
OMS 2 |
January 28, 2026
January 29, 2026
March 11, 2026
March 12, 2026
March 16, 2026
April 1, 2026
April 2, 2026
April 17, 2026
|
| PBR |
OMS 2 |
April 24-29, 2026
May 3, 2026
May 8, 2026
May 9, 2026
|
|
CPE 1
|
OMS 2
|
May 4-8, 2026
|
|
Clinical Rotations Prep*
(schedule is subject to change, we will
provide updates)
|
OMS 2 |
May 11-15, 2026 (POM & LEB)
May 18, 2026 (POM)
May 21-22, 2026 (POM)
May 26-29, 2026 (POM)
|
|
CPE 3 (June conference week)
|
OMS 3
|
June 22-26, 2026
|
|
Transition to Osteopathic Medicine (TOCM)
|
OMS 3
|
July 13-17, 2026 (DO 2028)
July 12-16, 2027 (DO 2029)
|
|
December Conference Week
|
OMS 3
|
December 7-18, 2026
|
Single/Multiple Day TORs
Multiple Days: If requesting time off for 2 or more contiguous days, only one TOR is required. However, if the days requested are not contiguous (e.g. a Friday and a Monday) then submit 2 separate TORs.
Partial Day: Submit a separate request for any partial day taken in combination with another partial or full day.
Makeup Work
While make-up work is usually offered for written and practical examinations, some courses have established procedures for missing a class and/or class activity, in which case no make-up is offered even if the absence is excused. In other cases, make-up work is not possible due to the nature of the activity. If you are concerned about whether a make-up will be offered for the assignments or activities you will miss during your approved absence, consult the course syllabus or contact the department for clarity.
The date/time/content of make-up work is determined by the academic departments listed below.
It is the student's responsibility to reach out to the department as soon as they return from their absence to arrange for any eligible make-ups.
Catalog References
Attendance and Absences from Curricular Activities (pgs 32-35)
Quick Links
Cancel a TOR
Review a Past TOR
Reporting Research Activity Form
Federal Holidays