Engaging with Learners
3. Attendance and Example Syllabus Statement
Attendance matters, and should be encouraged. Attendance can be the strongest predictor of student grades. Does this mean that attendance in class should be mandatory, or that students should lose points for missing class? What is the balance between student autonomy and your role in encouraging student engagement with the class? This can be a tricky balance to find. The article linked here, Attendance Matters, covers many of the considerations you should think about when crafting your attendance policy.
Perhaps the most important part of an effective attendance policy is making sure the policy is transparent and understandable to your students. Attendance policies should be stated clearly and at the opening of the semester, and should be detailed in your syllabus for students to reference. Below is an example of an attendance statement for a syllabus.
Example Attendance Statement
(adapted from UTC draft policy and samples from other institutions)
Attendance:
Over the past few months, we have all learned the need to be flexible and adaptable as we deal with changes in the situation related to COVID-19. This fall semester, we must continue to be flexible. It is possible that we will conduct this course in several different ways — face-to-face, online, some combination of those modalities, etc. — and use technologies that may initially be new and somewhat daunting. In order for us to successfully navigate a changing environment, we will need to work together and to place emphasis on effective and clear communication. We can work together to create a solution to almost any situation if you communicate with me.
It is my expectation that you will attend class, in whatever form that day’s class will take (see below for examples of what “attendance” might look like in a remote situation). However, it is vital that you DO NOT attend class in person if you are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, have been in direct contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19, or if you have been asked to isolate or quarantine. If you are experiencing any symptoms or if you think you may have been exposed, please contact the MHU Student Health Center, located in Nash Hall, immediately at 828-689-1243. Please call first and someone there will perform an initial assessment over the phone. If you are unable to attend class due to illness, please contact me immediately, and we will develop a plan for you to complete your work in this course.
In a remote learning environment (online), I will be conducting this course through Moodle, and all information on how that will work will be provided on Moodle. It is expected that, unless you are ill, you will continue to engage with and participate in the course by accessing course materials, participating in discussion forums, and completing assignments.
If you have technology limitations that negatively impact your class participation, please communicate with me and contact ITS at 828-689-1444 or helpdesk@mhu.edu. ITS has a variety of solutions for students with technology issues.
I will be conducting office hours via Zoom. Please visit my Zoom Room during office hours by following my Zoom Link: https://mhu.zoom.us/my/dr.cain. When you enter the Zoom Room, you will be placed in a waiting room. I will admit you to the Zoom in the order that you arrive in the waiting room. I am also available via Zoom or phone by appointment; if you would like to talk with me or to work on course material, please email me for an appointment.
Example of what constitutes “attendance”
Official course attendance is defined by any of the following activities:- Physically attending a class where there is an opportunity for direct interaction between the instructor and students
- Attending a virtual class via Zoom where there is opportunity for interaction between the instructor and students
- Submitting an academic assignment
- Completing an activity in Moodle
- Taking an exam, an interactive tutorial, or computer-assisted instruction
- Attending a study group that is assigned by the course instructor
- Participating in an online discussion related to course content
- Initiating contact with a faculty member to ask a question about the academic subject studied in the course