College is supposedly preparing us all for the “real world,” according to most professors and KSU advertisements. That’s what the whole premise of the university system is, right?
I don’t think attendance policies are teaching us anything about the “real world.”
Showing up on time is important — I get that. When we graduate college and finally start working a big-boy or big-girl job, we definitely don’t want to waltz into the office late.
That job, however, is paying me to show up at a certain time and work a set amount of hours. I am paying for my college classes, whether it be with financial aid, student loans or my hard-earned money.
As long as I complete my assignments and do well on my exams, I feel like it shouldn’t matter how many times I was late or absent for class. That is my prerogative as a student who has paid tuition.
And I have had professors who agree with this sentiment. Some instructors tell the class something along the lines of, “It’s your grade and your responsibility.” They do not keep up with your attendance, but they also won’t give you the notes from the day you missed.
Now, to argue the other side of the issue, I understand that it can be a disruption to the class if a student walks in 15-20 minutes late, and I respect the fact that professors may get flustered by it.
The solution? Lock the door after five minutes. Honestly, professors who lock their classroom have given me the most motivation to show up on time.
I have worked internships in offices and newsrooms in the “real world,” and the bosses in my experiences have been understanding. If I am sick, they typically don’t want me to come in. If I have car troubles or a personal matter, they tell me to work from home. If I get stuck on the MARTA in downtown Atlanta, I work late to make up the hours. I’m not expected to bring in proof of the incident or show them a doctor’s note.
I’m not expecting every job and every boss to be the same, but there is typically a general understanding in the workplace, to an extent. Come to work late every day and, yes, you will probably get fired — but, to reiterate, you are getting paid to be there at a certain time.
Again, I agree that excessive tardies can be disruptive, and I think locking the door after a reasonable amount of time is fair. While I don’t think professors should fail students for absences, I do believe that attendance incentives are a wonderful idea. If an instructor genuinely wants to see his students in the classroom and teach them in-person, threaten them with pop quizzes or offer a three-point grade boost for perfect attendance.
These, I think, are reasonable approaches to the issue. Failing a student for being late too many times or not having “excused” absences is unreasonable, especially if they are passing.
The bottom line is that a student should get the grade they earned in a class. If that grade is an F because they didn’t attend class and therefore didn’t get any notes or missed an exam, that makes sense.
But, if a student gets a C or higher without even showing up to the class every day, I think they’ve earned their grade and proven they know the material. Isn’t that what school is supposed to be about?