HOW I SOLVED MY ATTENDANCE PROBLEMS, AND A LOT OF OTHER ISSUES. THIS HAS
WORKED FOR 15 YEARS.
My two intro law classes run 45-50 students each. I have a seating chart for each class so I
can learn their names and keep attendance, note participation et cetera. Knowing their names
seems to motivate attendance in and of itself. When I started having some trouble with
attendance, late assignments (I require each student to do ALL the work to pass the class)
and more, I instituted a new part of my grading. It is called PROFESSIONALISM. Please check
out my typical course points below and how I explain 'professionalism' in my syllabus.
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The work of the course will be structured as follows:
Problems 250 points Essay
Midterm exam 100 points Essay
Briefs 100 points Essay
Professionalism 50 points
Final Exam 100 points Essay
TOTAL 600 points
A. CLASS TIME
Class time will be used for class discussion, lecture, and analysis, including activities
appropriate to the material. Each student is responsible to read and analyze the assigned
material BEFORE class discussion in order to make the use of class time productive. It is the
responsibility of each student to PARTICIPATE IN class discussion.
Professionalism is my evaluation of your class participation, plus your contribution to making
the class a productive learning environment. For example, your timely appearance in class,
your regular attendance and attention, on-time assignments, notices of absences, and your
in-class conduct are all factors in your professionalism grade. My intention in this
professionalism grade is to hold you to the same standards of conduct that will be expected
in the workplace.
(Inappropriate behavior -- private conversations, note passing, use of cell phones or
computers for messaging or games, and like -- disrespects the learning environment and
your classmates. Such behavior is distracting to both me and your peers, disrupts the
productive use of class time, and may lead to my use of the disruptive classroom behavior
policy to remove you from the class.)
The number of points confirmed for professionalism will depend in part upon the quality of
your contributions to the understanding of the material being studied and not merely upon
the quantity of contributions. It is indeed difficult to participate without being present;
therefore class ATTENDANCE is expected of ALL students whenever the class is scheduled to
meet.
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AND FOR THOSE COLLEAGUES WHO DON'T ACCEPT LATE ASSIGNMENTS: I think you may be
cheating the students who don't and the students who do assignments. I think all students
should complete all assignments....so check out my policy on late assignments in the
syllabus below. (Usually students who have university activity absences or illness turn in
assignments on time using email. I do, however, allow them later without penalty when there
is a valid reason.)
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D. LATE WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS
Assignments must be turned in by the due date to warrant full credit. Two points will be
deducted for each class meeting the assignment is late. Failure to complete an assignment
will mean all points for that assignment are lost and a penalty of 20% of the assignment's
value will be subtracted from your points at the end of the course.
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AND A LAGNIAPPE FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH TECHNOLOGY IN THE
CLASSROOM:
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G. USE OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES IN MY CLASSES
Electronic communication devices used for voice, other messaging, or listening are generally
a distraction to students and the instructor in the classroom environment.
1. The use of messaging or music devices interferes with the student’s learning process.
Unless I require them to be used, ipods, cell phones, iphones, Blackberries, and other
messaging devices must be turned off and put away during class periods. Silencing or
vibration mode is not allowed. Students who have such devices may not text or otherwise
use them during a class period. The only exception is for a student who must remain
available to protect the health or safety of the student or others. (Reasons such as work
requirements or personal convenience are not legitimate.)
2. Computers may assist in the teaching and learning process, or they may distract users and
other students away from the focus of the class. Computers may be on (in silent mode) or
used if they are integral to the class, used for taking notes, or otherwise employed to further
the educational focus of the class.
Computers may not be on or used for inappropriate purposes. Examples of inappropriate
computer use during classes include such things as completing assignments for other
classes; instant messaging; playing games; processing email; doing puzzles; purchasing or
selling online; reading political or sports news, beauty tips, etc.; checking the weather
forecast; downloading material; viewing photographs or videos; viewing sexually oriented
material; cheating or plagiarizing; and surfing the web for matter unrelated to the work of
the class at the time.
3. I may use the Disruptive Classroom Behavior Policy, Cheating and Plagiarism Policy or
other appropriate university policy to deal with violations appropriately. Informal
enforcement may include loss of professionalism points.
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Thanks for reading...hope this helps someone out there is BIZLAWLAND. James Highsmith
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ginger, Laura" <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Friday, February 20, 2009 10:07 am
Subject: Re: class attendance policy?
To: [log in to unmask]
> I gave up requiring and taking attendance a while ago, on the
> theory that not coming and/or not staying will catch up with them
> in the form of lower grades. (These are sophomores in a required
> pre-requisite class.) However, I do tell students in the syllabus
> and on the first day of class that I expect them to stay for the
> entire class once they arrive, and I caution them not to leave
> class in the middle or leave early unless they are about to vomit,
> etc. And I do call attention to students who do so.
>
> There is one instance in which I do track people who leave early.
> I give occasional extra credit pop quizzes at the beginning of
> class, and I require in the syllabus (and tell them in my first-day
> rant) that they must stay for the entire class to earn credit for
> the quiz. If someone does take the quiz and leave, then I pass
> around a sign-up sheet, and anyone who is not on it gets no credit
> for the quiz they took before leaving. I tell the students what I
> am doing when I pass around the sign-up sheet. The ones who stayed
> seem happy that I am paying attention to this, and the word travels
> fast to the student(s) who left after taking the quiz. I also
> email the student(s) who left early and explain to them why they
> will receive no credit for the quiz. If I do have a student
> leaving early after a quiz at some point in the semester, it
> usually does not happen again because they all figure out quickly
> that they have to stick around for the entire class to get credit
> for the quizzes.
>
> The sad fact is that this was not a problem for many of the 25
> years I have been at IU. Then one semester about five years ago I
> gave a pop quiz in a classroom that holds 172. Right after I
> collected the quizzes, 20 people vaulted over the back row of seats
> and ran out the back doors. That was the first time I used a sign-
> up sheet to track who was still there.
> Laura
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Academy of Legal Studies in Business (ALSB) Talk
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Christiansen,
> Linda A
> Sent: Friday, February 20, 2009 12:38 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: class attendance policy?
>
> When that becomes a problem in my classes (and it is a growing and
> disruptive problem now), I have them sign in at the beginning and
> the end of class. Then I say that they must meet with me if they
> are not on both sheets to explain why they should continue in the
> course. I make a point to say that we must do this because of
> dishonesty among their fellow students. It is more work to manage,
> but it stops that behavior right away.
>
> ________________________________________
> From: Academy of Legal Studies in Business (ALSB) Talk
> [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of David S. Kistler
> [[log in to unmask]]Sent: Friday, February 20, 2009 11:55 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: class attendance policy?
>
> Lemoine:
>
> My policy is that if you sign the attendance sheet you will be
> there for
> the entire class. If someone leaves shortly after signing I treat
> that as
> an absence (PERIOD!). (They managed to meet the letter of the law but
> certainly not the spirit of the law)! Tell your students what you
> will do
> henceforth and then enforce it.
>
> Hope that helped,
> Dr. David S. Kistler
> State University of New York @ Potsdam
>
>
> > Would appreciate comments/recommendations to deal with a class
> attendance> challenge that I am facing for the very first time.?
> Have taught business
> > law at the grad and undergrad level for the past 15 years and
> have never
> > run into anything this before.? In my current undergrad class,
> there?are> students who sign the attendance sheet at the beginning
> of the hour,
> > and?leave very soon after. I have?noticed that the number of
> students> doing this is increasing.? I consider college students as
> young adults who
> > are capable?of making their own decisions about class
> attendance,?however,> I also consider this type of behavior
> dishonest.??The course syllabus
> > indicates that 10 points are deducted from the final grade for
> more than 3
> > unexcused absences.
> >
> > I?need to?deal with this in class early next week.?
> >
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Lemoine Pierce
> > Robinson Colllege of Business
> > Ga. State University.
> >
>
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