Office for Faculty Excellence

Instructor Strategy 6: Respond to Absences Effectively

Class attendance is desirable, but absences are inevitable. Implement strategies that both inspire attendance and help students who are absent.

This week’s “Be a Strong Student” message to students asks them to “Deal with Absences Effectively.” The corresponding instructor strategy has two parts: one is to make attendance count; the other is to have a system in place to respond to absences.

Make Attendance Count

The University attendance policy notes, “[s]tudents are expected to fulfill all course requirements, and although attendance is not always mandatory, it is desirable.” It is up to instructors to further define attendance policies. Making attendance “desirable” includes:

  • Incentivizing attendance (giving credit for it or for a form of engaged and meaningful participation that can be demonstrated during a live class session or in a manner defined for the online asynchronous environment).
  • Creating a policy that includes consequences for absences over a small number; often an incremental approach works, with half grades deducted for absences over the equivalent of two weeks of class.
  • Making class explicitly meaningful by designing class for “doing”:
  • Ensuring that class does not simply rehash assigned readings or other materials available outside of class.
  • Taking attendance, even if you don’t grade it, to convey your expectation of presence.
  • Reinforcing the strategies to foster engaged attendance from earlier in the campaign

Respond to Absences

  • Establish a clear attendance/participation policy that defines your requirements and any penalties. Because there is no uniform University attendance policy, students may find that different courses have different attendance policies and expectations. Consider what is appropriate for your course and modality, and communicate that in your syllabus.
  • Establish a system for a missed class. Should students contact you or a classmate for notes or assignments? Should students reach out to ask for an extension? What types of in-class assignments can be made up? What types cannot (such as time-sensitive work like peer review)?
  • Reach out to students who have missed a large number of classes/work based on your course attendance policy. Use an empathy sandwich to remind them of that policy and express concern.
  • Invite students to meet with you during student/office hours to discuss missed work.
  • Post select in-class materials on Canvas.

Find a more extensive list of tips on OFE’s Attendance: Considerations and Options.

Connect students to campus resources

See academic support partners for a detailed list; these resources are also listed in the Montclair Syllabus. Remind students that there is no extra cost for these services.

  • Require students to consult with a University tutor at CAST if their attendance becomes a concern. CAST academic coaches can help students figure out what they need to do to keep up. They can assist students in reading your syllabus, notes, and expectations. To require tutoring, go to the Navigate platform via NEST and “Issue an alert.” Select “Tutoring needed.” This will effectively create a case that a tutor will handle directly, ensuring that you receive an update from the tutor by scrolling down your Navigate homepage to see status updates on the cases you’ve opened.
  • Use Navigate to raise alerts about attendance concerns. Navigate alerts can be raised during the official warning periods and also ad hoc, any time.

For extended absences, reach out to the CARE Team. Complete a CARE report for students who may need to be connected to services to address academic, social, and/or physical/mental health concerns.