Attendance

Policy

Come to class, engage, and be rewarded.

Key Point

I recognize that students are engaged in a variety of activities (sports, jobs, etc.) and try to be as flexible as possible. However, discussion and engagement (in whatever way you are able and willing) are important to the type of community I seek to build in my courses. If you don’t come to class often or are disruptive when in class, your grade will reflect this behavior.

I always take attendance. Here’s the highest grade you can earn based upon the attendance scheme:

Miss up to 1-week equivalent: No penalty.
Bonus: If you miss fewer than two classes you will be given some form of bonus, such as a grade boost (from B+ to A-, for example) or waiver from the final exam. This is at my discretion and will be articulated to you via email towards the end of the semester.
Miss 1- to 2-week equivalent: 1 full grade penalty.
Example: if you have a 93%, you get a B
Miss 2- to 3+ week equivalent: 2 grade penalty.
Example: if you have a 93%, you get a C
Miss 5+ week equivalent: Failure.

Note that for students engaged in sports or other university-sanctioned activities, there is no penalty for official absences. However, do note that you forfeit one absence in the scheme above. In other words, you can miss only 2 non-sanctioned classes w/o penalty, 5 before a 1 grade penalty, and so on.

If you need to miss class for a university-sanctioned activity, such as sports activity or religious observance, you must inform me during the first two weeks of the term of the day(s) you will be absent.

If a graded activity conflicts with any university-sanctioned absences, you should notify me two weeks prior to the assignment or exam so that we can come to a reasonable deadline and process for submission. In most cases, you will need to submit your work in advance.

“Snow” days and other cancellations: Sign up for text alerts or call 618.453.5378 when you think there may be campus closure. In the event that the campus might be closed due to weather or other emergency issues, we’ll make up classwork the following class meeting. Any assignments that were scheduled to be due and were to be submitted electronically are still due. Special cancellations, such as your instructor falling ill, are announced via SIU Online.