Attendance Policies on the Syllabus
One difficulty I have with planning the syllabus and the policies is the Attendance Policy.
What are the best ways to make it clear on the syllabus that attendance is important? Will assigning additional work to students who are absent help?
Hi John,
Good questions about the attendance policy within the syllabus. I list the attendance policy within the syllabus along with the grade requirements. I give examples of how attendance effects the grade outcome and my stance on makeup work, etc. By having this laid out it gives me a base for working with students when exceptions come up and as you know they always do. My point it to make sure I have the foundation laid for how I grade because as you know you have to set a standard or you will soon be in trouble with inconsistence outcomes.
Gary
Yes, put attendance and participation at the top of your list if you are able. Plus, make it 25% of the grade if your college would allow this sort of grading policy at their academy.
Hi Cheryl,
I am always amazed that students will pay a lot of money to enroll in a college and then not attend. All of us in education have to develop polices that cover this area. In addition to the points for attendance, I would suggest that you also offer professional points for work that is done in class. For example, I may have the students break up into groups and work on a course problem. They then report out on their conclusions, plus I have them hand in their worksheets. This way they not only get attendance points but professional points for their work.
Gary
John,
If part of the grade is based on participation this would include attendance. They cannot get credit for participation if they are not present. Then students are rewarded for attending regularly and extra work is not necessary.
Susan
John,
I wouldn't give them additional work because by not showing up, they're not even fulfilling the basic requirements of the class, and you're making extra work for yourself. They will want "extra credit" when they haven't done the basics.
Of course it depends on the institution, but we need a clear statement of how much each absense costs them in terms of their grade. Then they will try to bargain will us when they show up.
Just remember it's not you. If they're not showing up to your classes, they're probably not showing up to their other classes as well.
I agree that the attendance police should be very clearly stated, and that there should be some sort of grade reduction or extra work given to students who brake the policy.
Participation and short quiz marks for every class and interesting instructional style will help the attendance. Similarly, a minimum of 70 to 80% attendance of the course classes may be put as a requirement.
Hi Mahmoud,
The key point in establishing any requirements is for them to be fair, understandable, and you are comfortable with them. Many instructors set requirements or create rules that cause more problems than they are worth. It looks like you have a format with which you are comfortable and that fits your class setting.
Gary
I have a student who has missed two tests, tells me she is going to take a makeup test and then does not show up for it. This is my first semester teaching but I do not feel I need to chase her down. She will just get a zero for both tests. It seems that if a student is not motivated, the attendance policy on the syllabus does not mean anything to them. Then I wonder why did they decide to come to school in the first place?
Hi Linda,
You have raised one of the long standing issues in education. Why do students pay for a class, only to fail by not attending, taking tests, or completing projects? I generally follow up with a student that misses the first test or assignment, looking for some understanding about where they are coming from. After that they are on their own.
When they complete their training, they have to be responsible enough to show up at work and perform the services required. No one will chase them then, they will be fired. That is a message that many students do not seem to understand.
Gary
Maybe this can help- At our school you are not allowed to miss more than 20% of the class if you do you do not pass. If they do miss a class they are required to do make-up work assigned by their instructor. I have had problems with tardiness so now I ask the students at the first class what they feel is a fair policy for tardiness. I feel it is demoralizing to the students when someone is constantly showing up late. So if they are tardy three times it counts as an absent and so far all my students agree on that policy. I haven't had any tardiness issues since.
Hi Amy,
Thank you for that response to the forum discussion about student follow up. Your use of student input helps to put the ownership of consequences on the students and not just yourself. They are a part of the decision making process, this always helps when it comes to support and enforcement.
Gary
Hi John,
First, I think it's important to consult with your college to find out the attendance policy. At my institution, the policy is left up to the instructor. What I've done in my syllabus is state that attendance is not required, but is necessary to do well in the course (my exams are based mainly on lecture materials). In addition, part of the student's grade is attendance because I give un-announced attendance quizzes. When I see that a lot of students are missing or if it's the day before or after a holiday, I will give a quiz. My quiz is an open-ended answer to whatever relevant topic we've been discussing in clas (thus everyone who makes an honest attempt gets full credit). I like this method because it also allows students to practice their writing, which they normally wouldn't be able to do in this large lecture course.
My opinion on this matter is that the school's attendence policy should be clearly outlined on the course syllabi and discussed during the first class meeting. Students must be clear on policy, then corrective measures can be taken as needed.
I agree with Amber. The school's attendace policies should definitely be printed on the syllabus. They should also be strongly addressed on the first day of class. It is a strong motivator when attendance is part of the grade. In instances where it is not a part of the grade, students make their own schedules. This makes it difficult to cover all of the course material, review, plan group projects or even invite outside speakers. At my school, I like to stress the importance of attendance as it relates to their financial aid. This usually gets the students' attention.
Cliff
Hi Amber,
Right you are. You must inform the students from the very beginning and then reinforce it as the need arises. There can not be any misunderstanding on what the polices are for your course.
Gary
My school has a very strict attendance policy and the students must be aware of it. Including the policy in the syllabus insures that the students have the policy in writing. I include the policy just above my grading system. 20% of my grade is for "Professionalism" which include attendance. In addition, I do not accept late homework. Being absent is not an excuse for late homework (unless of course the student was in the hospital or had an emergency). It forces students to catch up on the work they miss by being absent.
HI Anne-Patricia,
One of things that you are doing with your policy is setting a standard that is reflective of the work world. I do the same as well as I am preparing future workers that must have the discipline to be on the job on time each day.
Gary
At our school the attendance grade itself cannot be more than 10%. What I do is give a seperate lab grade and that way if they are in class they get a 100 but, if they are absent they get a 0. The lab grade is worth 40% of the grade. One thing I have learned over the past 2 years is this. No matter how you grade the student is either motivated to be there or not.
