The new standardized attendance policy is overly cumbersome. A system that makes students register absences on myUM at the start of the semester complicates a simple process.
What is wrong with students asking their teachers on a personal basis if they can miss class? Why does it have to involve an appeal process to either the student government affairs committee or its counterpart in the faculty senate?
While it is slightly annoying that some teachers take attendance and others do not, that is the teacher’s prerogative. Professors teach in different subjects in varying styles. Their opinion on the importance of attendance will probably be affected by these factors. If they do not think the reason a student is missing class is reasonable then that is their decision. It is insulting that a teacher’s assessment in their own classroom could be overturned by students or by their colleagues.
Further complicating this process is the large lecture class scenario. If students are continuously telling the teacher or teaching assistant that they will be missing classes, this will be a large burden. Some teachers cannot even return e-mails in a timely fashion much less check every student’s absence excuses.
Even if this system does pass the faculty senate then it should be an optional system. If a teacher cares to have this information through a standardized process it is their choice. It does provide a convenient way to store this information.
On the other side of the argument are students. If a teacher is not making their class worthwhile, students should not have to attend it. If they are missing enough class to make it detrimental to their grade, a student should have enough sense to talk to the teacher.
It is because of reasons that the faculty senate should not pass the proposed bill by student government.
Editorials represent the majority view of The Miami Hurricane editorial staff.