Participation & Attendance

Participation and Attendance Policy

Attendance for this course is not required but strong encouraged for student success.  Regular and timely class participation in discussions and completion of work is expected of all students. Students may be dropped if missing two or more assignments without contacting me.

• Attendance improves performance. Although it is not the only factor, research shows that class attendance is positively related to subsequent academic performance. In particular, attendance has been linked to higher performance on exams5 and to final course grades.6

• Impact of attendance can vary by subpopulation. The relationship between attendance and academic performance is strongest for nontraditional and/or underperforming students.9 Often, these students may not have access to information technology, mentorship, and cultural capital. Therefore, consistent class attendance provides opportunities for nontraditional students to access these resources.

• Attendance can shed light on motivation and learning strategies. Attendance is about more than showing up to class or an event—it can provide indications of student motivation, participation, time management, and adherence to program or institutional expectations. Also, it is worth noting that it has a relatively weak relationship with general student characteristics, such as conscientiousness.10 So, while poor attendance may signal broader issues—such as challenges with motivation and self-regulation—it is not necessarily an indicator that any particular student is not contentious.

Bergin & Ferrara (2019). How Student Attendance Can Improve Institutional Outcomes. macmillan learning. https://er.educause.edu/blogs/sponsored/2019/4/how-student-attendance-can-improve-institutional-outcomes#:~:text=In%20fact%2C%20a%20meta%2Danalysis,strongest%20predictor%20of%20college%20grades.