Mandatory class attendance policies undermine college student autonomy

¶ … Mandatory Class Attendance

Mandatory attendance policies are understandably necessary in elementary, middle, and secondary school, mainly because school attendance itself is mandatory, at least through the age of 16. Adolescents, in particular, are not usually capable of making responsible decisions where responsibilities and obligations conflict with short-term desires. The consequences of allowing high school students to decide for themselves whether or not to attend class would be disastrous for many if not most students. However, by the time students enter college, mandatory attendance policies are unnecessary. In principle, mandatory attendance policy conflicts with self responsibility; it conflicts with contemporary learning theory; and there are better alternatives to encourage students to attend class if it is beneficial to them than mandatory attendance policies that discriminate against students who do not need or benefit from attending class more than they want to.

Mandatory Attendance Policy Conflicts with Self Responsibility

College attendance (unlike high school) is entirely voluntary in the first place. Therefore, it would seem unnecessary and inappropriate to require class attendance in programs that are purely voluntary. By the time students enter college, they are either already fully capable of making adult decisions or they are at an age where they must learn from their mistakes on their own. In that sense, mandatory class attendance policies conflict with individual autonomy as well as with one of the main purposes of the college experience: to develop and mature partly based on learning how to deal with problems independently. Part of the learning process is learning how one learns best and mandatory class attendance policies deny students that opportunity to a great degree.

There are Better Alternatives to Mandatory Attendance Policy

Certainly, many students benefit from attending classes regularly and some of them might also benefit from attending classes more than they might want to. However, it is not necessary to choose between mandatory class attendance policies and complete autonomy in that regard. For example, class attendance could be strongly encouraged in the same manner as class participation is sometimes encouraged by some professors. Specifically, regular class attendance could be presented as an option that would correspond to a half-grade benefit to the student's overall course grade. That system would encourage students who might benefit the most from regular class attendance even if they find it inconvenient without unnecessarily requiring other students to attend classes regularly or risk the administrative consequences of violating mandatory attendance policies. Another viable option would be to allow students who attend class regularly the option of exemption from one of the assignments in the course.

In fact, it is the best and most responsible students who are most unfairly inconvenienced by mandatory attendance policies. At many institutions, the penalty for exceeding the maximum allowable missed classes is loss of credit for the course. That penalty is most inappropriate for the students who are self-directed learners and fully capable of deciding for themselves how often they need to attend class in each course.

Conclusion

Mandatory class attendance has long been a traditional part of formal education. In the case of elementary, middle school, and secondary education, it is entirely appropriate. However, in the case of college-age students, mandatory attendance policies may be more counterproductive than beneficial, especially to the best and most responsible students. At some institutions, rigid class attendance policies could jeopardize the grades and standing of students who simply do not need to attend class regularly to achieve their educational goals. By the time students are in college, they are either already capable of making responsible decisions or they should have the opportunity to develop that ability on their own. Mandatory attendance policies conflict with the learning styles and preferences of many learners as well. Finally, mandatory attendance policies are entirely unnecessary, mainly because their purposes and benefits can be achieved in other less restrictive means. In particular, professors could encourage regular class attendance by rewarding it with grade bonuses or eligibility for excused assignments required otherwise.