Graduate School Attendance Policy

[AC7179]

I currently work full time, have a young family, and go to grad school in the evening. In my field, the other students are largely in the same boat. Most all of them work and have a family, which they balance with their assignments and tests.

I'm set to graduate soon, but this semester I have this professor I've never had before. He announced on the first day that he takes a letter grade off for each absence in the class, and a half a letter grade off for each tardy. I don't want you to think I don't take school seriously---but this is a more stringent attendance policy than I've ever experienced, even in undergrad. When you add up that we're working full time jobs and are responsible for little people, I just think that sometimes, stuff happens that is out of our control.

Anyway, a stomach bug has made it's way around our house this weekend, starting with my 4 year old, then my husband, and now myself. My older daughter hasn't gotten it yet, thank goodness. Anyway, I never really felt sick to my stomach, but I am having some........other problems. I'd really prefer not to go to class tonight, since obviously I don't feel well and clearly this bug is contagious. I wrote an email asking if this constituted an "emergency" or if I need to come to class anyway---no answer. I'm debating whether or not I should go. I have no doctors note--- I don't usually head to the doctor for a stomach virus.

Anyway, should I go? And is his attendance policy (calling for zero absences over a semester) appropriate?

 

[agnes!]

Go. Make sure you sit reeeaaaaaaal close to the teacher. If you defecate all over the jerk, he'll have no one to blame but himself. If he insists on being unreasonable, then you can be too . Oh, and make sure you tell him you're contagious.

I'm afraid he time to debate the appropriateness of his attendance policy is long-gone (for the record? - I think it is very unreasonable*.)

"Mr. Teacher, if I defecate all over the floor, I'm really sorry, but since you didn't respond to my e-mail earlier today [paper-trail...*smart* girl], I had no choice but to come to class. The doctor says I'm not too contagious as long as you keep clear of my bodily fluids."

Would I do it? Oh YEAH.

agnes!

 

[perla75]

My guess is this will not constitute as an emergency.

In my graduate program we also had a zero tolerance attendance policy. Most of our classes were either weekend classes (met 3 full weekends over the semester) or night classes. The policy was 3 points off your final grade for every HOUR you miss of class. No excuses-period. I definately remember showing up with a fever. Had a friend show up to take an exam with bronchitis. The worst was a friend's father passed away and she had to show up the next day -luckily the professor risked getting into trouble and told the girl to go home & covered for her.

It was a VERY competitive program and due to the schedule, missing one hour of class was like missing a few weeks of class. This was a departmental policy, so there wasn't much you could do about fighting it, except choose a different grad school.

I didn't mind it most of the time. Only thing that made me mad was if we showed up for class to find a substitute teacher because the professor was sick (or had a death in the family, etc...).....sorry, but if we need to be here-no excuses-the professor needed to be there no excuses

Good luck & do what you feel is right. Just be prepared for the consequences. If it's just one professor's rule, you might be able to fight it, but suffering for a few hours might be worth avoiding that hassle.

 

[Corwin12]

I have been taking some of my grad classes online. It is awesome. At first, I thought I would not learn as much, but one thing is for certain - the discussions that get generated seem to be a little more heated and open than in the traditional classroom setting. I think it is because everyone feels more emboldened to speak their mind sitting behind a computer. And the best part is ... if you are not feeling well - you can always run to the bathroom and blame your internet connection.

 

[monkey68]

That is a harsh policy, but I don't think a stomach bug constitutes an emergency. In undergrad, I had a professor who said absolutely no make ups, if you were sick the day of an exam, you had to actually go to her anyway that day and show that you were sick. Well, the day before, I had gotten a concussion, went to the ER, they wrote me a note and all that. I shouldn't have gone, but I went to school anyway just to show the prof. that I was really out of it, had been in the ER, etc. She said since I couldn't prove the concussion, I had to take the exam anyway. I took it, got a 50 on it. Brought my A average down to a B, I ended up with a B+ overall though. This was a biology class too, you would think a bio prof. might at least have a miniscule understanding about concussions.

 

[AC7179]

I'll probably go, barring any additional problems.

I don't particularly care for this professor anyway, so it may have something to do with my attitude. Last week I asked him what I thought was a reasonable question, I just wanted him to clarify something, and he told me to just trust him and I would be using that source for any resource anyway.

This is far from a competitive school. We just had to take the GRE---no score requirement, and although I've learned a TON in my other classes and have no complaints, this professor is an old coach/principal and is really playing the authoritarian card. It's just frustrating because, for most of us, we're already working in professional positions, and have been given professional courtesy for years (excusing yourself to use the restroom, missing a day of clas for illness, etc.). I feel like I'm back in high school again!

 

[perla75]

I'll probably go, barring any additional problems.

I don't particularly care for this professor anyway, so it may have something to do with my attitude. Last week I asked him what I thought was a reasonable question, I just wanted him to clarify something, and he told me to just trust him and I would be using that source for any resource anyway.

This is far from a competitive school. We just had to take the GRE---no score requirement, and although I've learned a TON in my other classes and have no complaints, this professor is an old coach/principal and is really playing the authoritarian card. It's just frustrating because, for most of us, we're already working in professional positions, and have been given professional courtesy for years (excusing yourself to use the restroom, missing a day of clas for illness, etc.). I feel like I'm back in high school again!

I think you are making a wise choice by going, though I'm sorry you are sick Sometimes these things are just not worth the hassle of the aftermath. Just take some medicine & try to be as comfy as possible. If you need to take alot of bathroom breaks, so be it. If your professor questions you, just explain to him that you are sick and give him all the gory details

 

[smartestnumber5]

These stories are crazy. I can't believe that professors/grad schools get away with such crap.

I teach college classes and I'm often shocked at how my students seem to think I don't trust them--they're always showing me notes from the doctor and one once offered to show me a death certificate from her grandmother's funeral.

I guess with other professors having these kinds of policies I can see why. Ridiculous.
.
OP I think just as the end of class you should leave and go to the bathroom. Don't wash your hands. Come back in and as class ends go right up to the prof and apologize for having to leave during class (since apparently that is also against the rules? )--shake his/her hand as you explain that you have a raging stomach virus and say "I have been running to the bathroom every 15 minutes for days now. My hands actually have gotten so chapped from the constant soap and hot water that I've just stopped washing them anymore.....Hope you don't mind." Then let go of his/her hand. (Then please go back to the bathroom and wash your hands and don't touch anything/one on the way!)

 

[Val]

If it is a 1x/week class, in a sense missing 1 day is missing 1 week, or 1/15th of the material. I can understand the professor's position- in general. That being said, I tell my students if they are sick- stay HOME- I don't want or need your illness.

I will allow one miss in a night/1x week class- no real questions asked. After that I do require some kind of documentation (dr's note, etc. for you, your spouse, child, etc.). WHY? Because I have been burned TOO many times, and I get tired of being taken advantage. You (the proverbial you, not the specific you) PAID to take this class and receive 15 weeks or 45 hours of instruction. If you miss 2 weeks, you only received 39 hours of instruction....but then you are likely to whine and complain when you don't get the grade you want....so, I have learned to be mean because I have been taken advantage of one too many times (and I have been teaching for 25 years).

Of course, there are always exceptions... and I am all ears. If you can prove your point and are really trying to catch up- NO problem.

Remember, this prof may have been burned in the past. I know that is not YOUR problem, but we profs get tired of students not doing THEIR part and then blaming US- and it becomes a signal-detection issue. Who is legit vs. who is a whiner/scammer can be very hard to tell.....so the "one size fits all" rules end up being enforced.

I am so sorry you are dealing with this. Try doing a face to face and talking to the prof. Sometimes a chance to tell your side really helps. Then again, I DO work with some really BIG jerks (one in every crowd, academics are NO exception!).

Remember- only 96 days until the end of the semester (at least for me, but who's counting! ).

 

[RitaE]

That's really a decision you're going to have to make for yourself.


I mean, sure I can give you permission to miss your class - but your Professor is really the only one who counts.

 

[SorcererDonald16]

I'm sorry about that! I can understand an absence/tardy policy, but that's ridiculous. I guess that professor has never gotten ill a day in his life?

Almost all of my classes in grad school had strict absence policies, but not nearly as bad as yours. Usually you could miss one with no penalty. In some classes, the 2nd absence would require you to make the time up outside of class. Most of them had the policy of either 3 absences and you drop a letter grade, or three absences and you're kicked out of the class. In that case, you didn't fail the class, you were just kicked out and forced to take it again when it was next offered. We only met once a week per class, so the logic was it was too easy to get behind.

Undergrad for me was worse. Some classes, they never cared if you showed up. I had a few classes though with "No absences allowed" policies. One class still sticks out in my mind. The professor (who was horrible, btw) didn't care if you were on death's door and absent due to being in the ER, you lost a letter grade each day you missed. One girl came back to class the next session with a note and paperwork from the ER, saying she had been admitted the day of that class with a fever of 104 and severe dehyrdation due to pneumonia. The professor said sorry, unexcused. A lot of us lived off-campus, and during a particularly nasty ice storm she also said those absences were unexcused. Eventually someone ratted her out to one of the Deans (telling commuters to come in during an ice storm was a BIG policy no-no), and she changed her tune rather quickly and excused the ER girl and the ice storm folks.

Some professors had students in the past burn them with fake excuses, so they go and have an extreme reaction. Others are just on an old-fashioned power trip, IMO.

 

[delilah]

Not that this helps, but it reminds of the time one of the nurses in my office was pulled over by the police for speeding. She was speeding because she needed to go to the bathroom REAL BAD. She pooped her pants while talking to the policeman, and the policeman had no sympathy for her at all. She got put in jail, poor thing. Bless her soul.

 

[okeydokey]

These stories are crazy. I can't believe that professors/grad schools get away with such crap.

I teach college classes and I'm often shocked at how my students seem to think I don't trust them--they're always showing me notes from the doctor and one once offered to show me a death certificate from her grandmother's funeral.

I guess with other professors having these kinds of policies I can see why. Ridiculous.
.
OP I think just as the end of class you should leave and go to the bathroom. Don't wash your hands. Come back in and as class ends go right up to the prof and apologize for having to leave during class (since apparently that is also against the rules? )--shake his/her hand as you explain that you have a raging stomach virus and say "I have been running to the bathroom every 15 minutes for days now. My hands actually have gotten so chapped from the constant soap and hot water that I've just stopped washing them anymore.....Hope you don't mind." Then let go of his/her hand. (Then please go back to the bathroom and wash your hands and don't touch anything/one on the way!)

Well this seems rather extreme and vindictive. I don't think I would intentionally pass on a bag stomach virus to someone else. Do you really think she should do this?

 

[MushyMushy]

In my graduate classes, the professors always came up with these ridiculously strict attendance policies, but it never failed that if you explained to them in private what was going on, they were completely understanding. I think they do that to prevent the hangover absences and the "just don't feel like going" absences.

 

[englishteacha]

I'm so glad I'm taking my classes online! I start Feb. 28. It will require discipline on my part, but if I'm sick, the only one I need to make nice to is myself!

I hope you feel better soon, OP, and that you make it through class OK. For future, Immodium is a helpful medicine!

 

[Kimberly]

I had a similar professor when I went to school for my MS/MBA degrees. Just a complete unreasonable jerk that didn't want to hear any excuses whatsoever. I get the point that he doesn't want people taking advantage of him, but most of the people I went to school with balanced work, school, and family.

I would have a long talk with this teacher, as it cannot hurt. If you aren't paying for the class, I would try to arrange a way to drop the class.

 

[matthew&haleysmom]

I was finishing grad school when I was pregnant with DD. One professor pulled me aside in the beginning of the semester to reiterate his attendance policy. We were allowed to miss only one class. If you were tardy or left early, it counted as an absence. He was trying to convince me to drop his class. I told him, "I understand."

With DD, I was overdue. One night, I just stood in the back of the class. I could not get comfortable. The professor told me I could leave early. I just replied, "No thank you!" He dismissed the class early.

The next week, I did miss my one class. I was having DD that night. It was the only class I missed. The professor later told me he previously had a lot of difficulty with pregnant women not showing up and then wanting to pass the class. It all worked out in the end. He ended up recommended me to do some work with the Dept of Ed in my state.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[Pumbaa_]

wear you rjammies, hair in a scrunchy and bring a pot or bucket or grab the trash can. moan every so often too

 

[npmommie]

These stories are crazy. I can't believe that professors/grad schools get away with such crap.

I teach college classes and I'm often shocked at how my students seem to think I don't trust them--they're always showing me notes from the doctor and one once offered to show me a death certificate from her grandmother's funeral.

I guess with other professors having these kinds of policies I can see why. Ridiculous.
.
OP I think just as the end of class you should leave and go to the bathroom. Don't wash your hands. Come back in and as class ends go right up to the prof and apologize for having to leave during class (since apparently that is also against the rules? )--shake his/her hand as you explain that you have a raging stomach virus and say "I have been running to the bathroom every 15 minutes for days now. My hands actually have gotten so chapped from the constant soap and hot water that I've just stopped washing them anymore.....Hope you don't mind." Then let go of his/her hand. (Then please go back to the bathroom and wash your hands and don't touch anything/one on the way!)

Not that this helps, but it reminds of the time one of the nurses in my office was pulled over by the police for speeding. She was speeding because she needed to go to the bathroom REAL BAD. She pooped her pants while talking to the policeman, and the policeman had no sympathy for her at all. She got put in jail, poor thing. Bless her soul.

OMG!!!!! how awful! why did she get put in jail? for speeding???

Well this seems rather extreme and vindictive. I don't think I would intentionally pass on a bag stomach virus to someone else. Do you really think she should do this?

I think it was a joke