Laurent D’Almeida, contributor

This week, while in one of my political science courses, a student brought up the idea of a harsher attendance rule. I was immediately reminded of an article I wrote years ago in response to the same proposal and was heated inside, to say the least. I was strongly opposed to stricter attendance policies then, and after time away from Augsburg on medical leave, I feel even more strongly now. Since my return to Augsburg, I’ve noticed I’ve been struggling with teachers’ existing policies on attendance and the emphasis placed on being in the classroom. There needs to be more compassion and understanding, and professors need to have an open mind about students’ situations.

I am arguing that there can —and should— be a loosening of rules by teachers. All kinds of students have so much they’re dealing with, and they don’t know how to go to their professors. All the time, we hear professors stress that they “care,” or that they “want to know what’s going on” in students’ lives, but actions speak louder than words. While many will point out that teachers often offer an “open-door policy,” I say there’s a difference between having an open-door policy and having students actually feel comfortable enough to come talk with you. During my first week returning after over five years, the teacher for one of my new courses —that I ultimately ended up dropping— verbally attacked me for not being there on that Wednesday and Friday. That teacher’s exact words were “I expected you to be there during those days.”

The argument that I responded to years ago said that teachers need stricter attendance requirements to keep certain students from only showing up on the first day of class, never to be seen again unless there’s a test or presentation. The student back then said other students’ lack of participation contributed to peers losing motivation to get out of bed and go to class themselves, especially when it’s minus 10 degrees outside. I think I can safely say that I, more than anyone, understand what it’s like to have little motivation when I have so many factors standing in the way of going to school, not to mention even getting out of bed. I deal with chronic migraines, shoulder, foot and especially knee pain, which all hinders me greatly. My recent increasing physical health struggles have led to increased emotional struggle too. I also personally know someone who showed up only on the first and last days of class because they were fighting cancer.

Since that first week of the fall semester in the course I dropped, I haven’t had to miss any class due to my health struggles. But I will soon be having an operation on my knees that could keep me out of school anywhere from a day to a week. I don’t like to have to miss class, but I need to have the option to do so. And I need to be able to do it no questions asked – I’m the type of person where I need to have a close bond with you or trust you before I come to you. So my worsening struggles with health and how that intersects with attendance all bubbled to the surface when that classmate triggered me recently, making me want to increase awareness and point to true struggles of students that teachers need to be aware of.