9
The student is held responsible for regular attendance and satisfactory performance in all registered courses. If the adviser or the course instructor believe that the student has not met these obligations, they may refuse to sign the student’s request for a W. Students who desire to withdraw from all classes must obtain a “University Withdrawal� through the Dean of Students Office.
Class Attendance When students enroll in a course, they enter a contractual agreement with you for the duration of the course, and both you and the student are expected to honor the specified terms of that agreement. Absences from classes are handled exclusively within your purview; there is no University policy with respect to excused absences from scheduled classes including University-sponsored events. It is important, therefore, for your students to understand the attendance requirements in your courses. You should communicate these requirements during the first or second class meeting and in writing in the course syllabus. Stress the importance of class attendance. Let students know you require them to attend because you are concerned about them and the quality of their education. Explain that in-class interactions are vital to the learning process and that their performance in the course is closely linked to their participation in classroom activities.
Note: Do not forget to set a clear policy for exam absences, which can either result from scheduling conflicts (especially evening exams) or from simple forgetfulness. Be prepared for the student who calls three days after the exam explaining how she/he forgot the exam and is wondering when the "make-up" is.
Grading It should be noted that, contrary to popular myth, there is no University grading scale (i.e., percent- age scores do not automatically translate into a prescribed grade). There is, however, a University grading policy that instructors inform students of course requirements, standards, objectives, and evaluation procedures at the beginning of each course. Tell your students in writing at the beginning of each semester how you are going to grade them. If you wish to post student grades in a public area (outside your office or in an advising area), you should inform students in advance that you will do so. You also should respect the wishes of students who do not want their grades to be posted. Never post grades by student names, social security numbers, or complete Banner-assigned student ID number. Partial ID numbers (final four digits) or course-specific IDs are acceptable. The best was to post grades for student access is using D2L, which is password protected and allows students to view their grades from anywhere.