I expect my students to attend class. The classroom experience is intellectually unpredictable; issues arise that a teacher or a student could never have expected or prepared for. This spontaneity often leads to unplanned instruction--and learning. In other words, there is a dynamic in the classroom that cannot be reproduced by a teacher's creating a syllabus or a student's reading a textbook, and this dynamic provides part of the richness of the college experience. Given this statement, I do understand that situations arise in our lives that prevent us from being where we are supposed to be. Therefore, I will expect you to adhere to the attendance policy explained below.

For a class that meets twice a week, you may miss five sessions. Your missing these sessions may jeopardize your progress in the class--as I believe that any absence does--but it will not necessarily prevent you from completing the goals of the course. In no way is this an encouragement for you to stay away from those sessions, but I do understand that you may have family, job, or personal commitments, along with problems with transportation, weather, and health. However, if you miss six sessions, you will not be able to complete the goals of the course successfully. This policy includes absences caused by late registration. Classes begin on August 25, regardless of whether you attend or not.

For a class that meets once a week, I divide each meeting into two sessions. Depending on the time of the course, the first session may begin either at 4:30 p.m. or 7:30 p.m. For a 4:30 beginning, the first session concludes at 5:45 p.m. After a fifteen-minute break, the second sessions begins at 6:00 p.m. For a class that begins at 7:30 p.m., the first sessions concludes at 8:45 p.m. After a fifteen-minute break, we will begin the second session at 9:00 p.m. It will conclude at 10:15 p.m. If for some reason you can't make the first session, then attend the second, or if you can't make the second session, attend the first. Once again, it is possible for you to complete the course successfully if you miss five sessions (that's sessions, as I've defined above, not the entire class time as listed in the schedule of classes); it is not possible for you to meet the goals of the course if you miss six sessions.

If you miss a session, then follow the guidelines of the College Catalog, which states that "the student will be held responsible for making up all work missed during an absence." It would be best for you to ask a fellow student for notes covering that missed session. Following that, you may wish to consult with me. There are no excused absences.

If you miss six sessions of a course within the first sixty per cent of the semester, I will withdraw you from the class. I am compelled to do this because the college is being held financially liable for students who do not attend class; therefore, this policy is essential for the college to relieve its financial responsibility in the state system. For further information about this policy, you should carefully read my link dealing with how to withdraw from a class.