Attendance and participation are essential. A student’s “Attendance and Participation” grade is assigned at the sole discretion of the instructor at the end of the semester.
Students who consistently attend class, contribute to course-related conversations, ask thoughtful questions and who provide satisfactory responses when called upon can expect a good “Attendance and Participation” grade.
Students that do not do all of the above and/or students who engage in classroom conduct that impedes the learning of others can expect that all or part of their “Attendance and Participation” grade will be lost.
Attendance will be tracked. Any attempt to sign in on behalf of another student will be treated as a case of academic dishonesty and will have serious consequences for both students. See the “Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty” portion of the syllabus for details.
If a student does miss class, it is the student’s responsibility to catch up if class is missed. While every student is encouraged to use office hours to gain a better understanding of class material, office hours are NOT for helping students catch up on material they missed because they were absent.
Finally, please be advised that the instructor may, at his/her discretion, deduct additional points from the attendance/participation grade of a student. A student who consistently fails to contribute to course-related conversation or who engages in classroom conduct that impedes the learning of other student can expect such a point deduction. This deduction will be applied at the sole discretion of the instructor, and without warning. This deduction may be applied to any student, regardless of the student’s documented attendance record.
If this attendance policy presents a hardship due to illness or other dire circumstance, please inform the instructor and provide any requested documentation. Exceptions to the attendance policy are possible, but not likely.