Something that most college students quickly learn is that there are some classes that they can skip. This does not go for all college students nor is it true for all classes, but in general there are some college classes where students fail to show up and still pass. And while this flexibility may be something that many students value, in reality, it is counterproductive when considering the purpose of college.
To start, I’ll describe two personal experiences that I have had. At the University of Connecticut, there are classes that I could miss without a large downside. For this reason, there have been classes that I missed. However, during my time in a study abroad program, they had a very strict attendance policy. If you missed class, the dramatic drop in your grade was extremely difficult to ignore. During my time in that program, I never missed a class. In essence, educational institutions have the power to shift students’ priorities through attendance incentives.
What makes the ability of college students to miss class perplexing is that in no other phase of life can someone simply miss something. From elementary school through high school, attendance is not optional. Many high schools have attendance policies that inhibit students from passing should they miss a certain number of days of school. Both through that policy and the culture, it is much harder to be considered as “absent” from a college classroom. Fast forward to when people get a full-time jobs: The same principle applies. You can’t miss work without reasoning, and when you do there is a system you have to go through such as calling out or taking a sick day. Throughout most of life, the incentive system makes attendance the bare minimum. You don’t graduate from high school if you don’t show up and you get fired if you don’t go to work. That begs the question, why does college not have this same alignment of incentives, especially given the purpose of college is to educate students and prepare them for the real world?
One may argue that college wants students to build independence, and to do this they need to learn to make the correct decision without force, such as attending class. This argument has its merits, but is simply not how the real world works. Attendance in every other facet of life, as was previously discussed, is set as an expectation because of the alignment of incentives, such as keeping a job and getting paid. Without such consequences and incentives, a lot of people probably wouldn’t show up for work every day.
Some classes can get students to show up. Some of them grade on participation and others have in-class mini-quizzes that count toward a student’s grade. However, while such measures help, they do not solve the issue of attendance on an institutional level. There are several ways that UConn could institute policies to shift its culture and make attendance the expectation. One is by creating significant consequences in terms of a student’s grade if they have so many absences. For example, for every two unexcused absences, a student’s grade may drop a letter grade. While this seems harsh, it would establish the expectation of attendance, which not only prepares students for the real world but ensures they are getting the education that they paid for. Such a system would be easy to institute, especially with today’s technological capabilities. It would need include a way for absences to be excused for legitimate reasons such as illness.
Another advantage of tracking absences is that it gives the university the chance to support students who may be struggling. If someone is missing a lot of classes, they might be facing some sort of extenuating circumstance. Tracking absences allows UConn to support students and reach out with resources if they are concerned. This is just another way for the university to support its students and ensure they have the best college experience.
Overall, there is a dramatic misalignment of incentives when it comes to college attendance in comparison to the general expectation of attendance in the real world. But, it would be extremely easy for UConn to raise the bar for its students and create a system where every student can get the most out of college.