Should I Take Attendance?

Some faculty members in the College do not take attendance, especially in large lecture courses. However, you should plan to take attendance, at least initially, for several reasons. First, by taking attendance, you let your students know that you are serious about their being in class and that you expect them to be present. Second, some state and federal financial aid programs now require a student to certify attendance, especially in the event of a poor performance. Finally, one of the first signs that a student may have academic or personal problems will often be irregular or nonexistent attendance in their classes. While there may be a number of legitimate reasons why a student misses several classes, especially at the beginning of the quarter, continuing problems with attendance should usually be checked out. After the first assignment has been handed out, students will generally have gotten these legitimate conflicts resolved. If one of your students continues to have difficulties after this point, it is probably a good idea to call that student's College adviser. The adviser will generally know, or be able to find out, whether the student is ill or is having difficulty in other courses. If the situation needs to be checked out further, you and the adviser can discuss how to go about it most efficiently.