“We have a lot of ill people coming in,” Braunlich said. “In using office time in trying to provide excuses, it would take up time from seeing people who are sick.”

She said university officials sent out e-mails to faculty and staff asking them to be understanding with attendance policies. University spokesman Jason Cody said the university is monitoring the situation.

“The university has worked to inform instructors and faculty to be lenient,” he said. “With the H1N1, there is the chance that many of their students will be out and (we asked them) to work with their students so if they are out that they can complete the work.”

Animal science junior Lauren Stanko said she was sick last week and missed four classes and a lab. She made an appointment at Olin but was not given a doctor’s note for an excused absence, she said.

She said although some of her teachers were understanding of her situation, others would not give her credit for the days she missed without a note.

“I called Olin because I had read on the Web site that they wanted us to not go to class,” Stanko said. “I e-mailed my professor and they said if I didn’t have an excuse, I wouldn’t have credit.”

Faculty and staff received e-mails regarding the larger number of students being sick this fall, but because the university has no overall attendance policy, it is at the discretion of individual professors whether to excuse absences, Cody said. The university will continue to monitor absenteeism, he said.

Spanish professor Anthony Grubbs said he received a notice from the university about attendance, but he said he has not seen a large number of students absent. He said his classes don’t have an attendance policy, but students do receive credit for participation and attending class each day.

Grubbs said excusing absences is a case-by-case scenario.

“If they’re out because of illness, I do what I can,” he said.

Journalism professor Darcy Greene said she hasn’t noticed an influx of students being ill in either of her two classes.

“I’ve had regular attendance,” she said. “Of my two classes, I’ve had basically perfect attendance.”

But Stanko said she is concerned with the university-issued statements telling students to stay home when sick, while some professors still can dock points to students who do.

“The biggest thing is that students need to know what is wanted of them,” she said. “I was reading on the MSU Web site saying, don’t go to class; stay home. And then Olin isn’t giving excuses but the professors need an excuse.”