I used to have a simple attendance policy, but I have now added an attention component (significantly, attendance and attention share the same etymological roots). This is because too often students showed up to class while their attention was directed (generally through smart phones) elsewhere. In order to make the classroom a place where we can best learn, I promise that I will give you and our subject my full attention, and I ask that you do the same. This entails, at a minimum, no laptops or phones unless we determine they are needed for our discussion that day (research consistently shows that you’ll learn better without a laptop). Further, I ask that you treat our texts and your fellow students with respect and that you participate thoughtfully in our conversations.
All students begin the semester with 20 points in this area. Students who have more than three unexcused absences will lose up to five points per additional absence. Other actions that will result in a reduction of points include cell phone visible/used in class, inappropriate use of computers in class, inappropriate or uncivil behavior toward classmates/professor, habitual tardiness, refusal to engage in class discussions, evidence of detachment from the classroom environment (i.e., working on other projects during class, habitual sleeping, etc.), and/or failure to complete assigned non-graded work. The severity of the offense will determine the number of points deducted. If warranted, more than 20 points may be deducted from the total score for the semester.