With the end of the semester looming, many students have begun tightening their academic discipline and reviewing attendance policies that may have an impact on their final grades.
In the student code of conduct, the attendance regulation section is comprised of the University policies pertaining to excused and unexcused class absences. These policies state the attributes of excused and unexcused absences, but allow professors to determine how to implement consequences of missing class.
According to university attendance regulations, an absence is deemed excusable if it pertained to an official school function, a mandatory court appearance, a religious observance, military duty, short-term illness or injury, or a death in the family.
The university policy records all other class absences as unexcused unless otherwise excused by an individual professor.
Following a university-wide determination of what constitutes an excused or unexcused absence, professors use their discretion to establish a class policy on the permissible number of absences and the implications for students who exceed their limit.
The exceptions to the rule, however, fall among 100 and 200-level courses. Because they are classified as introductory classes, the university policy obliges instructors to keep an attendance record for every class period. Beyond the 200-level, professors only have to record class attendance as they see fit.
By means of a required syllabus, professors are obligated to inform students about their specific rules for class attendance and the potential consequences for excessive absences.
While some professors adhere to strictly managed attendance policies, others are more lenient. Communication professor Craig Smith said he encourages students to attend class for their academic benefit, but does not factor specific absences into final grades. He said his reasoning stems from the notion that students should be ultimately responsible for their academic success or failure.
Smith, who teaches 300 and 400-level courses, said he maintains the same policy among all his classes. He said because the courses are higher-level, the students should be able to determine their own dedication and responsibility.
“As classes advance, students have to show that they can advance too,” Smith said.
When instructing students in complex courses, Smith said he compares schoolwork ethic to how someone will fare in the professional world.
“If [students] don’t show up and exceed the expectations, then they won’t go far. And that can be predicative of future success,” Smith said.
When attendance is not a factor of preparedness, Smith said he would prefer a student who showed an understanding of readings and course discussions but missed some class, rather than a student who attended every class without being equipped to participate.
“It doesn’t make my day to lecture a room full of students who are there but not prepared for class,” Smith said.
Because class attendance policies and consequences vary among professors, students have mixed views about the stipulations. Some students consider attendance regulations to be inefficient, but others see them as inevitable.
Alex Goodman, a senior in communications, said she thinks attendance policies should be based on participation and the difficulty of the class. Goodman, who is currently enrolled in 400-level communication classes, said it’s important for her to attend them because they focus on her field of study.
“[Students] should do whatever their professors want them to do. They make the policies for a reason- some factors are more important than others,” Goodman said.
In an effort to succeed academically, many students take attendance policies seriously. Caitlin Cohn, a senior in English, said it’s also about respect for the professor and other students.
Cohn also said she knows that some situations are uncontrollable and there are exceptions to every rule. In cases involving medical or family problems, Cohn said students shouldn’t be penalized for missing class.
“As college students we should have the choice to attend class or miss if it’s necessary. Our money, our education, our choice,” Cohn said.
When medical issues lead to class absences, students said they agree that those absences should not affect final grades. Alex Birmingham, a senior in social work, said she was in a sticky situation after missing classes because of surgery.
“I missed one class because of illness and then I had surgery which put me out of class for two days. And because my professor’s policy allows only two excused absences without consequence, I will have 25 points taken from my final grade. Honestly I think it is totally unfair that I’ll be penalized for my recovery time,” Birmingham said.
In many cases, Birmingham said, a strict attendance policy is fair, but should also account for exceptional students in uncontrollable situations.
