The four most important things to remember about attendance are as follows:
1. Your second unexcused absence will affect your participation grade.
2. More than two unexcused absences from F2F meetings can result in a WU.
3. Every 3 tardies counts as an unexcused absent.
4. If you are tardy, you must AFTER CLASS make sure you’ve been marked tardy.
Attendance
Absences: According to Baruch College Attendance Policy, students who miss more than twice the amount of hours the course meets in a week may receive a WU. This is a hybrid course. After the first couple of weeks, we will only meet once a week for a 100 minutes (1 hours 40 minutes), which means if you miss 200 minutes (3 hours 20 minutes) or 2 classes, you may receive a WU for the course.
If you are a freshman or a sophomore, I am obligated to give you a WU if you miss more than two classes. This is Baruch Policy; it is not mine, and I cannot negotiate with you. While I have some lead way with juniors and seniors, I tend to stick to this rule and even where I make exceptions, having more than 4 unexcused absences will affect your grade.
Please know that while technically you can miss two F2F meeting classes, missing 2 classes is like missing 2 weeks of F2F meeting time, thus two unexcused absences will affect your in-class participation grade.
An excused absence is absence as a result of a documented medical emergency (for you or your dependent) or death in your immediate family; participation in approved Baruch athletics event; and observation of religious holy days. Absences due to athletic or religious participation are not surprises; you should have made arrangements with your professor well before the due date or class time. All other absences are unexcused.
Tardiness
While emergencies happen, we do not have time for you to be seriously late all the time. Every three times you are tardy, it counts as an unexcused absence. If you get one unexcused absence this way, it will affect your grade but will not necessarily put you over the line for a WU. If you receive two unexcused absences from tardiness (meaning you’ve been tardy six times), it may result in a WU.
You are tardy if you not there when I do attendance (which could be anywhere between the first 2-15 minutes); no it is not consistent, but it is not unfair as technically if you’re not there when class starts, you are late. If you are late, you must make sure I mark you as Tardy at the end of class. It is not my responsibility to remember that you came in later. If I miss you, I will mark you absent.
Class discussion
I expect you to both read the readings AND have questions and ideas for discussion. Inevitably some people will be quieter than others, but you should know the difference between an active and prepared listener and someone who is hiding because they have not done the work. If by midterm, I suspect you are in this latter category, I will email you about my concern. I expect then for you to improve your class participation and/or meet with me to discuss your relevant concerns. Failure to do so will affect your grade.