This Q&A was adapted with permission from the book Chalk Talk: E-advice from Jonas Chalk, Legendary College Teacher, edited by Donna M. Qualters and Miriam Rosalyn Diamond –
Question
Dear Jonas,
Yesterday, one of my students came to me and said that he wanted to make-up a quiz that he missed. He claims that he had to take his roommate to the hospital. Last week, another student missed a quiz, and said that he had to go home for a family emergency. Early in the quarter, a student turned in a computer lab assignment late, saying that his thumbdrive was damaged, so that he couldn’t print it out.
What am I supposed to do? Should I demand notes from hospitals or parents? And, what do I do about a damaged thumbdrive? Should I let them make-up the work without even attempting to verify that they’ve told the truth? I don’t think that students are lying all the time, but I’m sure that some of their excuses aren’t true. What do you suggest?
Signed: Skeptical Instructor
Answer
Dear Skeptical Instructor,
I’m afraid that this is a common problem that will probably always exist. All that I can recommend is that you have a firm policy in place from the start In the future, make sure that your policy on making-up work is clear; putting it on the syllabus would be a good idea. I think that a reasonable policy to put on your syllabus, or to tell students on an individual basis, is that a note from a doctor or nurse is expected for medical problems, and that a note or e-mail message from an academic advisor is expected for personal issues which affect class attendance. Having an advisor approve an absence means that students don’t have to tell their personal problems to individual instructors, and it also means that students can’t use the same fake excuse repeatedly.
As for the thumbdrive problems, you should tell your students that such excuses are not acceptable, as computer-related excuses are just too common, and students should know that these types of problems can easily occur. They simply should not wait until the last minute to produce a printed copy of work that is to be turned in.
A firm policy on missed work is beneficial to both you and your classes; students who have taken a test, or turned in an assignment, on-time do not like it when instructors accept late work from others with little, or no, penalty. If you explain such a policy at the beginning of the quarter, no one will think that you’re being unfair later.
Jonas
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This content was adapted with permission from the book Chalk Talk: E-advice from Jonas Chalk, Legendary College Teacher, edited by Donna M. Qualters and Miriam Rosalyn Diamond.
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