I had a class that I really enjoyed last semester. I completed the assignments early, got great grades on them and legitimately enjoyed the lectures – a rare and beautiful occurrence.
But at the end of the semester, my score was dropped half a letter grade, and my cumulative GPA dropped two tenths because I missed one class too many. I was told that I was let off easy and not dropped a whole letter grade because I showed interest in the material and did well on my assignments.
Think about that. My absence was made up for by the fact that I studied for every test and turned in my assignments on time – because I did the core of what the class asked me to do.
This semester three of my syllabi say that if I miss more than the days we are so graciously allotted then my grade will suffer.
What exactly are we measuring here?
I can do well on my tests, study, show that I have learned the material and still be represented by a lesser grade because I had a family emergency, an illness or some other reason I wasn’t able to come to class. The grade that I use to apply to scholarships, grants and graduate school will not reflect my intelligence, my dedication to the material or the work I put into my class – it will reflect whether or not I had a serious illness that semester.
I think this is so widely accepted by professors and students because there is a misconception about why we come to college. I came here to learn – whether in the classroom or in a study room. If I am learning the material, I am accomplishing my goal. If your goal is to reprimand students for not attending class, base the test off of what is covered there and not in the notes. You will have the same result – those who do not attend will have a lesser grade – but for an acceptable reason. Don’t take liberties with what I have earned because you felt your lecture deserved more attention.
Fast-forward one month.
Last Friday, there were multiple reports of overturned cars, wrecks and ice-related injuries. Yet, class was not canceled; absences ticked away at students’ chances for decent grades all across campus for those intelligent enough not to risk the ice.
Monday, UM Today Express sent out a mass email, which, if you took the time to click through, said, “Please check weather conditions and use judgment before traveling from your location. Employees should use personal leave if they deem it unsafe to travel from their area or location.”
What they didn’t say was that this would come with the possible detriment to your grade. Any student who dared ‘use judgment’ would be rewarded with a reduced chance to, you know, receive the score he or she actually makes in the class.
As for those who risked the weather and went to class, maybe you’ll actually get the grade you deserve. Make sure no one dies in your family, though; we’d hate you to risk the “attendance policy.”
If I don’t go to class, my grade suffers arbitrarily; if I go to class and wreck on the way, my well-being and financial situation suffers.
If I may ask, without risking the unwarranted drop in my chances to get into graduate school, what do you expect me to do?
Ole Miss, if you’re going to allow someone to manipulate my GPA to fit his or her whims, fine. At least do so with some regard to my safety.
Clara Turnage is a sophomore journalism major from New Hebron.
