SMU English Department - First-Year Writing

Class Attendance and Office Visits

First-Year Writing classes are workshop classes; therefore, attendance, preparation, and participation are both expected and required. However, since illnesses and crises do occur, you may need to miss a class or two. You may also need to miss class to observe a religious holiday per University Policy 1.9 or to participate in a legitimate University function. Inform your instructor—in advance whenever possible—if you must be absent. Be prepared to provide documentation for absences you believe excusable, and be aware that it is your responsibility to ascertain that the instructor will, in fact, excuse the absence. Whether your absence is excused or unexcused, you are nevertheless responsible for all work that is due and for all material covered or assigned in the class or classes you miss.

Attendance Policy

If you have more than three unexcused absences in a MWF section or two in a TTH section, your grade will suffer a penalty of up to a full letter grade. And if you have more than six unexcused MWF absences or four in a TTH class, you should expect to fail the course. If you have more than one absence during a summer session, expect your grade to be lowered; if you have more than three absences, you risk failing the course. Because the University’s General Education policies mandate that students be enrolled in the First-Year Writing sequence each semester until they satisfactorily complete the Written Fundamentals requirement, students may not drop First-Year Writing.

If you have a special problem with attendance, confer with your instructor. Do not just stop attending your classes. Your teachers will announce their office hours at the beginning of each semester; you can visit their offices during these hours or request an appointment for a conference. If you experience difficulties with any phase of the course, see your teacher immediately. Do not wait until these problems become insurmountable.