This could be a long response, but the short answer
is: for the same reason that tests and papers are part of your grade. A
philosophy class teaches both written and
oral consideration of concepts and issues. Discussion is a core part of
philosophical inquiry, and the success of the class depends on it. You cannot
learn how to listen and contribute to a discussion without attending classes.
Furthermore, as a practical matter, in the “real world” (e.g., most careers),
the ability to engage in focused, clear, and rational oral discussion is just as important as written communication. A university teaches
both.
Not
at all. The University Faculty Senate (the University’s highest legislative
body) takes attendance. The ethics committees on which I serve at the
Your course grade is calculated by changing letters
to numbers with A+ a 12, A 11, A- 10 down to 0 for an E. When each grade is
weighed as indicated in the syllabus (e.g., a certain percentage of your course
grade for test 1, test 2, etc.) you need .5 or better for the next grade. So
for an A, which is 11, you need 10.5 or better. (Only exception is you need 1.0
for a D-, not just 0.5.) You will eventually be able calculate all this
yourself in a resource provided on the course web page.
After
your grade is calculated, attendance is considered. For every absence after
3, your course grade will be reduced by 0.3 (almost 1/3) Every
three absences (after the first 3) lowers your grade by almost one full
course grade. (Of course if you just made an A with 10.5 or 10.6, then
even one absence would lower your course grade to an A-.)
For
every absence fewer than 3, your course grade will be raised by .3. This
means that if you have perfect attendance, your course grade will be raised by
almost a full grade from what it would have been (.9, which is 9/10 of a full
grade).
A few understood ground rules:
1. The allowed 3 absences are
meant to take care of circumstances like minor illness, car problems, traffic
jams, funerals, court dates, family problems, early trips to Florida, flights
delayed by security checks, hockey games and other extracurricular activities,
alarms not going off, etc., so please do not offer these with the aim of
getting credit for attending when you were absent. However, I do want to
hear about major problems (hospitalization, death of close family member) that
cause you to miss class for an extended period of time. Every rule has its fair
exceptions, and we will work something out.
1. This all starts after the
first week so no one adding late is hurt.
2. Attending a class session
means attending all of it. Coming late (other than a very few minutes) or
leaving early does not count as attending.
3. If I take attendance and you
come after I’ve done so, let me know after class and you will get half the
credit of full attendance. (Trust my reasonableness: if your last name is AAAArons and you come 30 seconds late, I won’t mark you
late.) If you leave early after I’ve taken attendance, email me. (On your honor,
but see the syllabus about cheating.)
4. You may opt for an alternative attendance policy, but you
must email me to request before the end of the second week of classes. (See
next paragraph.) With the alternative attendance policy, your grade will not be
lowered until you miss more than 6 classes instead of 3, but you also will have
no chance to have your grade raised for fewer than 3 absences. This is designed
for students who know in advance they will need to miss many classes but still
wish to take the course. I think anyone who knows in advance that she or he
will miss more than six classes (more than 3 weeks of class) should not take
the course.
5. To opt for the alternative
attendance policy, email me with the subject “Alternative Attendance” within
the first two weeks of class. You will receive a confirmation.