Higher education is preparation for the professional realm. In a job, you have a schedule that tells you when you need to be where. There is no one holding your hand and ensuring you do what you are supposed to. Higher education works the same way. You have a class schedule, and you are in charge of addressing your responsibilities. For that reason, attendance is encouraged, but, ultimately, the onus falls upon you as the student and the higher education consumer.
Attendance is critical to understanding assignment specifications and completing this course maintaining the potential to earn an “A.” Students are encouraged to attend all class sessions unless otherwise noted.
College students are adults and can make their own decisions. However, you are a member of a classroom community, and your behavior has a profound effect on the other members of this community. It is a matter of mutual respect and integrity. Not attending or wandering in and out is a distraction and could be viewed as downright rude.
Students who miss class are responsible for knowing the material covered in class and for completing all assignments and exercises. Being physically/digitally present (sitting in the classroom or simply logging into the LMS) does not mean that you are in attendance. As such, if a student is in attendance, he or she does not violate classroom behavior policies or does not nap or otherwise present an image of inattention. Engagement is key.
Keep in mind, the institution may ask all faculty members to take attendance for retention and other initiatives, so your presence or absence will be noted for each class session.
If a student is more than 5 minutes late to class, he or she will be marked with an unexcused absence. If the student feels the absence was valid and should be excused — a medical or family emergency, such as illness, hospitalization, a death, et cetera, or a school-sponsored event or activity, such as athletics, theatre, field trips, et cetera — proof and a request for an excused absence must be submitted by the student via email within 48 hours of the absence. Since school-related absences are often pre-planned, such requests for excused absences should be submitted by the student via email at least 48 hours prior to the absence.
The request for an excused absence must come from the student. Other email communications are helpful, but the students must take ownership and communicate with the professor as well.
The professor reserves the right to approve or deny any request for an excused absence based on the available information. Under some circumstances, the professor may not mark a person absent. This would be done at the discretion of the professor.
If a student misses more than 5 class periods, he or she will lose all applicable attendance points. If more than 10 class periods are missed, the student may fail the course.
Missing class for any reason does not grant an excuse for gaps in knowledge in this content area. Extra leniency will not be applied to essays, quizzes, tests, or assignments to compensate for missing class.
Student-Athlete Attendance Policy: Student-athletes should not miss class for non-competition related athletic activities such as practices, weights, athletic training appointments, etc. but will be excused from class for athletic competitions if they are on the roster/travel list and leaves or misses class according to the time communicated by the Athletics Department via weekly email. As outlined in the institutional handbooks, students are responsible for communicating with their professors ahead of time, planning makeup work, and meeting regularly established deadlines for class work, tests projects, etc.
Just remember: Any applicable attendance points cannot be made up. You make choices. You live with the consequences.