The University of Mississippi Says ‘Go to Class!’

The Lyceum. Photo by Kevin Bain/Ole Miss Communications

Last night, the University of Mississippi posted this video on its Facebook page announcing that students who skip classes may be dropped.

[mfb_pe url=”https://www.facebook.com/olemiss/videos/10153228653208285/” mbottom= “50”]

Beginning this fall, the university will observe federal guidelines on verifying the students’ attendances in lecture courses and participation in online courses. The attendance roll will be taken either by roll call or the ID scanning station at any time during the first two weeks of the fall and spring semesters.

Students who are reported as absent during those days will be warned via email that they will be dropped from the class. If the students’ attendance have not been verified in a class by end of third week, they will be dropped.

Go to Class logo courtesy of olemiss.edu/info/gotoclass/

Those who happen to be out during attendance days must notify their professors. Whether the students were in the class prior to attendance day may or may not affect whether the professors will update the attendance record.

Those who will be ill or out on university-related travel during the first two weeks of class may notify their professors who can mark them as a special circumstance. Once this student’s attendance is verified, even before the illness or travel, then they can be in good standing.

As for online courses, the instructors will have participation requirements such as commenting in a classroom discussion thread. Merely logging in to the Blackboard will not count as participation.

However, these new attendance rules for the first two weeks of classes are not replacements for the professors’ own attendance rules for the rest of the semester.

Callie Daniels Bryant is the managing editor at HottyToddy.com. She can be reached via email at callie.daniels@hottytoddy.com.