Mandatory Attendance Policies: Are they necessary in college?

Cherish Weiler
From the beginning of elementary school to the last year of high school, students are forced to follow a strict school attendance policy. For our entire school careers, teachers and school administrators drill into our heads the importance of eliminating absences and tardiness. However, that time of our lives is gone. As newly initiated college students, we no longer need to worry about parents forcing us to go to school or teachers punishing us for missing a class. As responsible young adults, are we not capable of making our own decisions, such as whether or not to attend our classes?

Most college students are paying to attend college and are expected to act as responsible, mature adults. Yet, why do some professors still demand our attendance and threaten missing classes with a deduction in our final grade? According to the Atlantic Economic Journal, nearly all professors stated that their undergraduate students cut classes. In 1993, Romer presented evidence that suggested poor attendance directly accounts for poor grades. As a result, Romer suggests professors require students to attend class in order to improve their performance in school. In 1994, Stephenson stated that professors should not “mandate attendance” because students miss the “least productive classes” and are not primed to learn when they are forced to attend class. Additionally, he remarks that there is no concrete evidence supporting the relationship between mandatory attendance and increased academic performance. However, recent evidence suggests that attendance does in fact correlate to higher academic performance, supporting Romer’s claims.

While there appears to be a positive relationship between class attendance and higher grades, attendance should not be mandatory. If students are willing to skip class, they should understand the potential risks of doing so, including a decrease in their final grade. Just because mandatory attendance accounts for higher grades does not mean college professors should be implementing mandatory attendance for a group of adults paying their way through college. It is up to the student to responsibly attend classes understanding the risks of not doing so.