The Vent Thread

[TomServo]

Re: The Vent Thread

Okay.

[Siggie]

Re: The Vent Thread

Actually I don't think the relaxing properties of tobacco (nicotine) are disputed. They aren't completely understood though because it's a paradoxical effect. Nicotine produces autonomic arousal (increased blood pressure, heart rate, cortisol, epinephrine) like other stimulants, but people report decreases in tension. It's been linked to decreases in muscle tone, so that's one possible explanation. Doesn't sound so nice anymore huh? Muscle tone tends to be something people would rather hold on to.


Tom...remember that PM that you had posted? Try to think about it more often.

[TomServo]

Re: The Vent Thread

Tom...remember that PM that you had posted? Try to think about it more often.

Okay.

[One-Way]

Re: The Vent Thread

Missing college classes should not affect your grade. College classes shouldn't have attendence points. We're paying for the class, so we're basically a "customer". If we want to miss it, that's up to us. As long as we do the work and pass the class, right? And what's with the "miss four classes and you're dropped or you received an F." During a four month period, I might get sick and have a few emergencies. Stupid!

[TomServo]

Re: The Vent Thread

Missing college classes should not affect your grade. College classes shouldn't have attendence points. We're paying for the class, so we're basically a "customer". If we want to miss it, that's up to us. As long as we do the work and pass the class, right? And what's with the "miss four classes and you're dropped or you received an F." During a four month period, I might get sick and have a few emergencies. Stupid!

Quoted for truth!

[Anonymouse]

Re: The Vent Thread

Quoted for truth!

Quoted for support!

[karoaper]

Re: The Vent Thread

I hate time. I hate how little there is of it. I hate how fast it goes. If time were suddenly to materialize as a human, I would turn into a homicidal maniac proceeding to gouge time's eyes out and chopping off its limbs one by one. I would laugh in a maniacal way and then I would proceed to cannibalize time. Thank you.

[Anonymouse]

Re: The Vent Thread

I hate time. I hate how little there is of it. I hate how fast it goes. If time were suddenly to materialize as a human, I would turn into a homicidal maniac proceeding to gouge time's eyes out and chopping off its limbs one by one. I would laugh in a maniacal way and then I would proceed to cannibalize time. Thank you.

Quoted for truth.

[One-Way]

Re: The Vent Thread

Quoted for truth.

Quoted for support.

[Siggie]

Re: The Vent Thread

Missing college classes should not affect your grade. College classes shouldn't have attendence points. We're paying for the class, so we're basically a "customer". If we want to miss it, that's up to us. As long as we do the work and pass the class, right? And what's with the "miss four classes and you're dropped or you received an F." During a four month period, I might get sick and have a few emergencies. Stupid!

I see your point and while that's true for most responsible students, if you don't keep track of attendance, a lot of the less responsible ones don't show up and then they do really poorly. If that happens in a lot of classes and they're receiving financial aid, they get put on academic probation and they owe that money back if they don't pass. So, then they take more units and it's too much and they don't do well again. They then owe a bunch of money, lose their aid, and have to drop out.

Which you could definitely say they deserve, but from the point of view of the instructor, we want to do whatever we can to help our students and to encourage attendance.

I've never made attendance mandatory, but I have passed around a sign in sheet randomly (and when attendance was low). I had nothing in my syllabus about attendance, but as soon as I started doing it, attendance increased.
I did have a student ask about in class and I simply said that should anyone be between grades, for example 79.4... if they had attended class regularly I would be much more likely to bump them up to the higher grade.

Our job is to teach and we need students there to try to teach them. We can't just teach the ones who care and say to hell with the rest. We have to do what we can to reach everyone. I know that sounds really cliche, but it's true. How can I spark an interest in someone, when I can't even get them in class?

All of that said -- 4 allowed absences is a lot, but I can't imagine that if you were a good student and discussed the problem with the instructor that they'd fail you anyway.