By Scott Spjut
The alarm clock goes off. You stop the incessant beeping and glare at nothing in particular.
Then comes the dilemma. Do you lie back in bed and skip that lecture you feel you never gain anything from? Or do you bite the bullet and get out of your warm bed?
Turns out, this isn”t just any dilemma. This is a moral dilemma – your honor is on the line.
The BYU class attendance policy states, “You are expected to attend classes for which you are registered,” and one of the policies of the Honor Code is “Obey … all campus policies.”
Therefore, it could be construed that if students are not attending classes for which they are registered, they are not following campus policy. If they are not following campus policy, then they are breaking the Honor Code.
Most students and professors aren”t aware of this policy and its connection with the Honor Code.
“Everybody is supposed to be living up to the university policies,” said Steven Baker, director of the Honor Code Office.
Usually, the Honor Code Office deals with issues involving the Honor Code, but “the way it”s been set up is [attendance] is handled by the … professor,” Baker said.
Many instructors think it is unnecessary to report students to the Honor Code Office for skipping class.
One hundred BYU instructors were asked several different questions in a simple survey.
Of the 30 instructors who responded, 44 percent said they include attendance as part of the final grade. Thirteen percent of classes that don”t include attendance as part of the final grade have daily or almost daily quizzes.
Instructors were also asked, “Would you ever report a student to the Honor Code Office for skipping class?”
None of the instructors who responded said they would ever do that.
Specific responses via e-mail explaining why they would not report a student included, “No, this is college, not high school,” “You”re all grown-ups now, and should be able to take responsibility,” and “[Students] are paying for the course and need to take responsibility for their own learning.”
The instructor, as defined by university policies, “may determine the relationship of class attendance to the final grade for the course” and “should tell [students] what relationship attendance has to [their] final grade for the course.” Instructors” involvement with attendance is strictly academic.
Many instructors say attendance in their class is not mandatory, but they do include attendance as part of their students” grades. And while some instructors don”t directly include attendance as part of the grade, they have other ways of giving students incentives to come to class.
“I don”t require attendance, but I give almost daily quizzes in class,” said Bart J. Kowallis, professor of geology. “It”s a lot easier to just take a quiz.”
Some instructors use other motivators to get students to come to class, like the knowledge that could be gained in lecture, the likelihood of failing by skipping class, or the instructor”s sparkling personality.
“I think attendance is important,” said Lance Erickson, assistant professor of sociology. “But personally it doesn”t hurt my feelings if students don”t come. Students are adults. Most want to be treated as adults. I think attendance should be the discretion of the student who is paying to be here.”
But he said it is frustrating when students who don”t attend class approach him with questions about the material.
“It”s really hard as a professor going over with students what you went over in class,” Erickson said.
Traditionally, students often decide for themselves whether a lecture would be beneficial to them.
Cherie Dustin, from Idaho Falls, Idaho, majoring in geography, said she is sometimes frustrated with instructors who just repeat what is in the text or discuss things that have nothing to do with the class. She said she finds herself thinking, “I can”t believe I”m paying money to listen to this.”
Even though students do pay some of their tuition, the church pays a “significant portion,” according to Carri Jenkins, university spokeswoman.
“A student knows if they”re learning or not, “Dustin said. “That”s part of growing up and being an adult.”
