As we settle into the semester, students are considering the implications of attendance policies, or lack thereof, in classrooms. Sports Editor Latif Love and News Editor Emmily Scumaci sat down this week to debate the issue.
Attendance policies are in place for a reason
BY LATIF LOVE
In the past, I’ve hated attendance policies.
Let’s rewind to my freshman year. I took COM 103. After finals concluded, I earned a B, or so I thought. To my dismay, my professor dropped my grade to a C because I missed more than five classes that semester.
I was livid. Why did it matter how much I showed up to class if I did enough work to get a B? Two years later, it clicked.
Attendance policies are annoying, but are a necessary evil. Like many other students, I thought it was okay to go through college by going to class whenever I felt necessary.
That can work for some, but it is detrimental for most students in America. According to a 2010 meta-analysis of 69 studies by the University of New York at Albany, students who attended class frequently earned significantly higher grades than those who skipped.
My personal experience corroborates the finding, as I understand class material better and earn better grades when I attend class more.
Considering this argument from the instructor’s perspective is also essential. Professors tell us their policies on the first day of class so that everything is clear, and they generally understand the circumstances that can cause us to miss class.
Our professors’ job is to prepare us for the workforce, so they must teach us that the consequences of our actions will be far more severe than a drop in our grades. When it’s time for us to graduate and get jobs, few will allow us to miss three to five unexcused days in 16 weeks.
Policies are put into place for a reason. If a majority of students were able to hold themselves accountable in the past, there would be no need for a policy that looks to bolster academic success.
Go to class. Tuition is rising every year, and each missed class wastes money. Get the most out of your education.
Attendance policies prevent independent growth
BY EMMILY SCUMACI
As students transition into adulthood, they assume adult responsibilities including attending classes, keeping grades up and completing assignments on time. Although attendance policies are intended to help students stay motivated to go to class, they take away their accountability.
Accountability is a characteristic that every employer looks for in a candidate. It tells them if a person can be independent in at least getting to work on time and completing their tasks. Attendance policies negatively impact students because they take away an opportunity to develop such a trait.
School, including higher education, is the time to learn these lessons through natural consequences. If a student is truant, their grades will likely suffer and they will waste the money they used to pay for the class. If a student can keep their grades up, turn homework in on time and not attend class, they should not be penalized.
An argument can be made that the attendance policy is used to acclimate students to work after school. This becomes invalid, however, when taking a look at the different scheduling types.
Most colleges, like Bradley, use block schedules, whereas most companies expect employees to work eight-hour days. The vast differences between these two kinds of schedules require considerable adjustment when transitioning from academic to work life.
Attending class is important, but it is a choice to pursue higher education. Students are responsible for their success or failure throughout their academic careers, much like they are in their professional ones.
