Location: University Annex 104
Phone: 707-826-5752
email: mib1@humboldt.edu
Dear Students,
Let me begin by stating that I am not going to treat you like you are still in high school. You are adults now and whether you come to class is your business – though your attendance has a direct bearing on how I regard you as a student.
The way I see it is this. A responsible adult regularly attends classes she or he is trying to get credit for. That is why I have attendance listed as a requirement – because if you do not attend you effectively are not a participating member of the class. On the other hand, the requirement is not hard and fast. One can still do well and miss some classes. Illness, emergencies, and very pressing matters that must be attended to during class time would be examples of justified absence from class.
This comment is only for a small number of students: if you do not want to attend, then you should not. It is distasteful to have a “student” present with a bad attitude, a disrespectful manner, or who would rather be somewhere else (and is attending just because it is a requirement). If you do not want to attend classes in general, my view is to rethink whether being a student at the university level is really an appropriate personal choice at this time of life. As far as my class is concerned, if you do not want to attend on a regular basis then clearly the most appropriate thing to do would be to drop the class and find another that can fulfill the same requirement.
In light of its complexity, I use attendance in a discretionary fashion, mainly to make grading decisions in borderline cases. If you miss a lot of classes, your exposure to the material will be limited and you will have a difficult time passing or doing well. At the very least, I will not give the benefit of the doubt to students who do not attend regularly. Yes, attendance will affect your grade, but I do not have a strict “miss 3 classes and drop a grade policy.”
Mary I. Bockover
Professor