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In the middle of spring semester, fewer students seem to be showing up for lectures
ay, March 5, 2001
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utive Vice Pre
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mal Student K s springtime, and along with the change in weather. Aggies may start to
'ard comes« ics a change in class attendance. Look around a class of 20Q and see how
lip and is the nyieats are filled. Either everybody is sick, or those who aren’t going to
/ed on a cur ss know it everything already and don’t need to hear lecture. Right?
dent. Dr. William J. Leonhirth, visiting assistant professor in the journalism
ernationalstu oartment, said he sees a pattern in student attendance,
anding Inter “As the weather gets warmer, attendance tends to drag,” Leon
hard present: ft said.
„ Leonhirth said a lack of motivation also plays a part in
a Ramasv,c vnlim5ers _
on andajr sernes j; er drags on, some students get dis-
aresident o- uraged and stop comin g” he said -
ssociation ^’nhirth said he has never considered rewarding
iduate sti )se p udents who do attend his classes because it is
250 schoie # es P onsibilit y to he there. While'he does not
duct points for not attending, Leonhirth said stu
nts] will suffer by not getting information that
riwhelp them.
orrectior Dr Claude Gibson, associate professor and di-
iy's article dor (if undergraduates in the English department,
; say love professors should do their part to maintain
\pry| R e j c gh attendance by making lectures interesting.
Natiom ^ want m y stud ents to attend, then it is up to
e to make lectures engaging,” Gibson said.
L]( f . Gibson said because students and professors
no April e f rom different generations, professors need to
■dent of ^knowledge they learn in different ways and adapt
? directoro!: students’ learning styles to keep them engaged in
eir classes.
“Young people change, and the best professors change
ith them,” Gibson said.
Gibson said students also benefit from attending his lectures
icause a percentage of his test questions are taken from the lecture,
ie said students who buy their notes from a note-taking service instead
f attending class miss out on the interaction taking place during lecture.
Aguirre, ar “A person at lecture heard everything; a person just reading notes does-
da Gammaai’t,’^ Gibson said.
r, was runiM Some professors follow strict attendance policies. Evan Palomeque, assis-
and receivo. int lecturer in the Spanish department, said students in his Spanish 101 and 102
iecond runiic. .
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20
RUBEN DELUNAAThe Battalion
classes are only allowed to have four unexcused absences before losing points.
Palomeque said lectures in language classes are especially important to
students.
“The student gets exposure to the language they can’t get from a book,”
Palomeque said.
“The main thing they can get from lecture is the language, hearing it, com
prehension, and just being able to practice.”
The University only excuses absences that fall under certain condi-
.-i*. dons in its attendance policies. A death in the family, a UniversityT
approved activity or an illness would be excused.
If a student is sick, they must provide written documentation
from a physician saying the student is too ill to attend classes'.
University Student Rules states professors do not have
to make accommodations for students who do not have
an excuse.
“The instructor is under no obligation to provide
an opportunity for the student to make up work
missed because of an unexcused absence,” states
rule 7.6 of TAMU Student Rules.
Michael McElroy, a senior journalism major,
said he learned the hard way about the conse
quences of not attending classes.
“If you don’t go to lectures you won’t pass,”
McElroy said.
“I don’t think you have to take a lot of notes, but
if you read (assignments) and pay attention during
lecture you have a better chance of doing well.”
Vanessa Spencer, a freshman physics major, said
because most of her classes are small math classes and
some professors take points off for missing class, she
makes it a point not to skip.
Tn a lot of my classes, attendance counts, and we have
sign in,” Spencer said.
Spencer also has an additional reason for going to class.
“I’m paying to be there, so I might as well be,” she said.
Gibson said there are numerous distinguished professors on cam-
, and students should take advantage of learning from them. He sug-
doing a little research about a professor before registering for a class.
“Who wants to graduate from A&M and never have learned from a dis
tinguished professor?” Gibson said. “I would have rather been in [Albert]
Einstein’s classroom than any other teacher’s.”
ILLANUEVA/Ih!
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