George Mason University

Attendance Policies & Class Participation

The George Mason University 2009 - 2010 University Catalog states:

Students are expected to attend the class periods of the courses for which they register. In-class participation is important not only to the individual student, but also to the class as a whole. Because class participation may be a factor in grading, instructors may use absence, tardiness, or early departure as de facto evidence of nonparticipation. Students who miss an exam with an acceptable excuse may be penalized according to the individual instructor’s grading policy, as stated in the course syllabus. (http://catalog.gmu.edu/content.php?catoid=5&navoid=104#Registration_attendance)

As you develop your course, be sure in your attendance policy to equate a lack of attendance to a lack of participation. The policy should be explicitly stated in the syllabus.