Jim – Thx for the funny M*A*S*H clips! Lol!

Jennifer – My method is not perfect, I think, but here it is:

I have many assignments during the semester. When a student is absent and misses a hw due date or an in-class exercise, he/she can get credit by writing a note.

Excerpt from (Phys 204) syllabus:

·         Missing work: Credit for missed assignments, quizzes, and exams will be possible only if requested by the student and if the student promptly submits a signed written statement (signed by the student) giving a legitimate reason for missing the work. There will be no make-up assignments. The written statement must include the student’s name, the date the note is submitted, the course and section number, the assignment missed and its date, the reason for the absence, and a sentence stating how many absences the student has had thus far in the semester. The written statement must be received within 48 hours of the absence, or as soon as possible (at the beginning of the class following the absence, at the latest). Otherwise the missed work will receive at most half credit. It is considered excessive to miss more than two classes during the semester.  Legitimate reasons for missing a quiz or exam include 1) absence for religious reasons, 2) illness, 3) college-sponsored athletic trips, 4) field trips for college courses, and 5) verifiable “circumstances beyond the student’s control.” If all conditions are met, the student will receive his/her semester average for the missed work (For example, your average exercise grade will be substituted for your missing exercise grade, provided your note satisfies the requirements above.).

This requires a bit of bookkeeping on my part. Here are the most common outcomes (in my estimation):

1)      Student doesn’t read syllabus. I tell student to read syllabus. Student submits late and/or incomplete note. Result: zero or half credit.

2)      Student has read syllabus and complies with the rules (this happens <20% of the time), and gets the credit. Maybe the student has lied, but the conscience is usually activated, thus deterring further lying about their parents passing away and/or getting pregnant.

I never check up on the story nor ask for a “Doctor’s note” or anything like that. I believe that I am encouraging students to stand by their stories and to believe that I trust them (only their signatures are required for the notes). I feel that I can live with the few students who “get away with” tricking me into giving them undue credit. Habitual tricksters tend to bomb the exams, especially the final exam, I think.

I think I heard a few years ago that a Math colleague of ours just substitutes the student’s final exam grade for any missing assignment grade. This is a cleaner way to handle it, but I’ve never had the guts to try it out.

What do you do about these slacker students, Jennifer?

Paul