There is a policy stating that students must attend 75% of their scheduled classes or they will receive a F in the class. On top of this, teachers are able to use their discretion to make the attendance policy stricter.
This policy, while made with good intentions, is unnecessary and possible even harmful for students. Students, regardless of circumstance, are being penalized for missing class. At this point in our lives, we are all adults who are paying a significant amount of money to attend this university. If we cannot motivate ourselves to go to class and be successful, then our grades are going to suffer regardless of attendance policy. It should not be up to the school to coerce students to take advantage of the education that they are paying for. Additionally, I have had many teachers who make attendance a part of the actual grade, so each time I miss class points are deducted from my grade. This forces students who might be sick or injured to drag themselves to class simply so they do not miss out on attendance points.
While I understand wanting people to attend class, students should not fear punishment if they need a day off. If a student feels they can be successful in a class without attending the lecture every time, then they should have the freedom to do so without punishment enforced by the university. If punishment is necessary, then the student’s grade will drop on its own and they should realize that maybe they do need to go to class. Students who fail to realize they need to go to class will ultimately fail the class, and that is their own fault and they should have the right to make that mistake.
Students who can afford to miss class and still be successful should not be penalized because the school feels like it is necessary for them to police unmotivated students into going to class. Students who really have no motivation will miss class policy or not. Therefore, this policy has little effect on the ones it is intended to motivate, and a big effect on the ones who might need to miss a day of class but cannot for fear of punishment. I believe the attendance policy should be abolished.
Chase Wehsener
Junior
Finance and real estate major
