Are attendance policies really necessary at the college level? Should students be expected to attend class even if there are no consequences for being absent? It seems as time goes on that professors are becoming increasingly strict with attendance policies on college campuses. In almost all of my classes, last semester and this semester, attendance has been a contributor to the overall grade in the class. A lot of professors also have the rule that if you miss more than two or three classes, your overall grade will be dropped down by one letter grade. For instance, if you had an A+ it would drop down to an A then an A- and so on. This is crazy, because a student may not physically be able to make it to class due to certain circumstances. Professors tend to be understanding for the first couple of times, if you send them a quick email on why you were absent; not that this is true for all professors, but it works for some, as long as the same student does not take advantage.
Even in the classes with a relaxed attendance policy, teachers tend to focus on participation grades and it’s hard to participate when you’re not in class. Having a participation grade is just another way to incentivize students to come to class and contribute to the in-class discussions.
I do not think attendance policies are necessary, because the student should decide if they want to go to class. We, as students, are the ones paying to be here and if we do not want to attend class, that is on us. Whether the student attends class or not, the professor is still being paid, so they should not care as much. I wouldn’t say it is harder for professors to teach to half of a room, but it may make them feel like the lecture is not worth teaching if only half the class is there to listen.
At bigger schools, attendance policies are not as popular due to large class sizes and professors not being as invested in their students. Since CNU has super small class sizes, it creates a stronger connection between students and professors when people are in full attendance. I also think professors use attendance policies as a way to create less of a lecture and more of a discussion of course material. It is pretty hard to have a discussion with only a handful of students; no professor wants to stand there awkwardly waiting for someone to offer incites.
I have a class this semester where the teacher will just stand there and look at us until someone raises their hand. It is so weird, uncomfortable and awkward that it makes you want to raise your hand just to help them out and keep the class moving. It almost feels like an obligation, especially if you make eye contact with said professor. This could be one of the reasons students choose to skip certain classes. Having huge gaps of silence takes away class time, makes it hard for students to stay focused and makes them feel uncomfortable. Would you continue attending a class where you felt uncomfortable for the whole 50-minute lecture? I would not.
I do not think that attendance policies are necessary, because not having a student in class is better than them attending and being on their phone the whole time. If a student does not want to come to class, chances are they are going to be disrespectful and create a distracting environment for both students and the professor.
Personally, I do not know why students would choose to skip class. If you don’t go and don’t actually learn anything, you are wasting your money. While I would not choose to skip classes myself, I think it is up to the individual student to decide whether or not they want to go. Professors should do away with making attendance in classes mandatory, because at the end of the day, we the students, are the ones paying to take the course.
