How to Handle No-shows

1. The SRJC Policy Manual mandates specific attendance requirements for students.

2. As of April 2012, Section 8.1.5P includes the following policies:

  • a. Students who fail to attend the first class meeting MAY be dropped by the instructor. For classes that meet online, students who fail to log on and initiate participation by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time of the first day of the class may be dropped by the instructor. The start date for full semester online classes is the official first day of the semester; for short-term classes, the first day will be specified in the schedule of classes. Note: Per the Director, Academic Records & International Admissions, this policy applies to students who add the class on the first day of classes, as well as students previously on the roster.

     

  • b. Instructors are REQUIRED to drop all No-Show students immediately following the second class meeting. For classes that meet online, a No-Show is an enrolled student who has not logged on and initiated active participation by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time of the second day of the class. Note: Per the Director, Academic Records & International Admissions, this policy applies to students who add the class on the first day or second day of classes, as well as students previously on the roster.

3. The phrase "log on and initiate active participation" has been clarified by the Director, Academic Records & International Admissions, as follows:

For classes utilizing the CATE system
The act of going through the CATE check-in process qualifies as logging in and initiating active participation, even if the student undertakes no further active participation in the class.
For classes utilizing the Moodle system
Moodle does not have an equivalent of the CATE check-in process. Furthermore, students can log in to the generic Moodle system at any time, rather than logging in to a specific Moodle-based class. Therefore, the only way to accurately determine logging in and active participation for a specific class is for the instructor to consult the activity log for each student in that class. UPDATE: Moodle has changed this system, and the Moodle roster for each classroom now clearly shows for each student the most recent access to that classroom, but that does not necessarily demonstrate any active participation.

4. The Director, Academic Records & International Admissions, has also issued the following clarifications:

 

  • For a student who adds the class on the first day of classes:
    • Item a (optional drop of No Show at the end of first day) still applies.

       

    • Item b (mandatory drop of No Show at end of second day) still applies. "The instructor is required to drop the student; however, if the instructor knows that the student is having difficulty, the instructor can accommodate the student by not dropping until the first census."

     

  • For a student who adds the class on the second day of classes:
    • Item a (optional drop of No Show at the end of first day) no longer applies.

       

    • Item b (mandatory drop of No Show at end of second day) still applies. "The instructor is required to drop the student; however, if the instructor knows that the student is having difficulty, the instructor can accommodate the student by not dropping until the first census."

     

  • For a student who adds the class after the second day of classes:
    • Item a (optional drop of No Show at the end of first day) and item b (mandatory drop of No Show at end of second day) no longer apply. "But if the student is still a No-Show by the first census, then the instructor must drop that student."

     

5. Regarding the optional drop date and mandatory drop date (especially for students who add the class on the first or second day of classes), instructors using the Moodle system should keep in mind that they are responsible for ensuring students are added to the appropriate Moodle roster in a timely manner. Failure to do so can prevent a student from logging in and initiating active participation by the deadline.

6. Instructors are required to report their No-Shows to A&R via the Faculty Portal immediately following the second class meeting or by First Census at the very latest.

7. Although instructors have the technological tools to manually flag dropped students on their CATE and Moodle rosters, the only actual policy requirement is to report No-Shows via the Faculty Portal. Instructors are advised to use the appropriate CATE and Moodle automated tools to keep their CATE and Moodle rosters up to date and in synch with A&R rosters.

8. These SRJC policies mean instructors and students are under some time pressure. Instructors must ensure their online classes are ready on time, correctly configured, opened for student access as soon as the semester begins, and students can check in (CATE system) or are on the roster (Moodle system) as soon as the semester begins. Instructors using Moodle must also ensure late adds appear on the Moodle roster as soon as possible. Students must take steps to go through the check-in process (CATE) or begin active participation (Moodle) without delay in order to avoid being unceremoniously dropped from the class as a No-Show. However, students who add the class after the second day of classes are exempt from these two policies.

9. Finally, all students (no matter when they added the class) who remain No-Shows on the first census date (and have not already been dropped) must be reported to A&R via the Faculty Portal on that date.

10. Instructions are strongly encouraged NOT to delete dropped students from CATE or Moodle rosters, because doing so can permanently destroy all records of student participation in the class (or lack thereof), which might be needed in case of questions/challenges at a later date.

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