At WSU Vancouver, the standard attendance policy for lectures asks students to show up to class in-person and on time. According to the WSU student handbook, attendance policies are at the professor’s discretion. During the COVID-19 pandemic, all professors were required to take attendance through Zoom, resulting in many professors reconsidering their policies for lecture attendance and Zoom options.
Edward Hagan, an anthropology professor at WSU Vancouver, does not take attendance for any of his classes – this has been his practice for years before the pandemic began. When classes were made in-person again, Hagan kept his exams online for a more convenient testing method. The professor also streams and records his lectures through Zoom and makes them available after class, encouraging students to attend class on their own time.
“My philosophy is that by the time we get to college, we’re all adults. It’s not for me to decide the best use of my student’s time. …It’s completely my students’ decision whether to attend or not,” Hagan said. “I make it very clear that the material on tests covers material that I go over in lecture, which is not necessarily covered in the textbooks, or the readings…it’s going to be up to them to figure out how they’re going to deal with that.”
Kavon Balbarais-Phal, a DTC senior, said that while he does his best to attend classes in person, Zoom options are helpful for students that struggle to make it to campus. According to Balbarais-Phal, lax attendance policies have led to a reduction in attendance in some instances, and he encourages his peers to attend their classes live when reasonable.
“I think there’s definitely a duality when it comes to [Zoom]. I’m obviously a big fan just because anything could arise. I’m an individual who thinks that your personal life should always come first, and if something’s hindering you, those Zoom options are always great. …But there’s some caveats when it comes to that…I’ve noticed with one of my classes, there’s been a decline in attendance,” Balbarais-Phal said.
Christopher Pien, a DTC professor, believes Zoom options are a great accommodation for students struggling to attend class for different reasons. Pien claims that, despite some instances of attendance decline in previous classes, adding Zoom options to in-person classes have been a net-positive for students. According to Pien, communicating with students can help mitigate a lack of in-class engagement.
“Last term there was one student in particular who was working a job, and…[life circumstances] made it quite difficult for him to attend the lectures consistently and on time,” Pien said. “At the start of the term, he had to try making different arrangements, and ended up finding that the Zoom option was just far easier. It just helped his life situation overall and made it a lot more palatable.”
For students struggling to attend class, Pien encourages communication with their professors and checking with the accessibility center for accommodations. Flexible attendance accommodations might be available to students with disabilities or chronic conditions.
“My philosophy is that by the time we get to college, we’re all adults. It’s not for me to decide the best use of my student’s time. …It’s completely my students’ decision whether to attend or not.” – Edward Hagan
The accessibility center is located in room 110 in the VCLS building, and is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays. They can be contacted by emailing van.access.center@wsu.edu or by calling (360) 546-9739. More information about the WSU attendance policy can be found in the student handbook, available online at https://studentaffairs.vancouver.wsu.edu/student-affairs/student-handbook.
Norman is a senior majoring in Integrated Strategic Communications and Digital Technology & Culture.