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A note on attendance and participation, 2022
We are all struggling to adjust to the significant attendance issues that seem to have been caused by the pandemic. The goal is to communicate high and clear expectations for students, while avoiding a situation where you have to argue over points or judge whether the student has a “good excuse” or not. There is no perfect solution here. The best approach is to focus on student learning and agency. For example, if the student misses the class where you explain how to paraphrase and cite, that student is going to have to figure out how to paraphrase and cite. You can ask an open-ended question: “what are you going to do?” Then just go ahead and grade their paper. The consequence for missing class will come out that way, instead of requiring you to do a bunch of math with penalty points. Also, please do not ask students for a doctor’s note. This violates their federal privacy rights and also creates bureaucratic bottlenecks in the wellness center.
A sample of syllabus language along these lines is below:
"In this workshop course, attendance is crucial. I will be presenting new knowledge about writing in each class session, and interaction among students is part of the work of the course. We have gathered data for years in the first-year writing program and found that students who miss more than three class sessions rarely earn higher than a C, and often fail the course. There are reasons why you might have to miss class: illness, family emergency, UMass Lowell athletics (not practice—just competition), or religious holidays. If you miss class, for these or any other reasons, please contact me the same day and let me know your plan for catching up on the material. If you start to get behind, we’ll meet to make a plan."
Other suggested language:
"Athletic attendance: Except for absences resulting from travel to, or participation in regularly-scheduled intercollegiate athletic contests about which the instructor has been properly notified, UML student-athletes have the responsibility of attending class and meeting assignment due dates on the same schedule as other students enrolled in the same course, and may be penalized for absences other than those resulting from such travel or participation."
Religious beliefs:
"If you need to miss class for religious observance, you can do so with no penalty. Please let me know ahead of time so we can make a plan."
