You may not be aware, collegiettes, but every time you choose a class because “the professor never takes attendance,” your financial aid is being negatively impacted.
In one of its routine—yet non-specific—visits to the university last spring, the Department of Education found 50 to 60 percent of WPU professors were not returning students’ academic attendance records to the university.
“[Last spring] implemented problems,” said Kristin Cohen, Vice President for Enrollment Management.
Cohen explained that student’s academic attendance records are directly correlated to their financial aid because it is the university’s duty to demonstrate to the government that students are taking the courses they say they are enrolled in. According to the federal government’s standard, the university is required to take attendance for “100 percent of students.”
The academic attendance rosters are sent out once the Add/Drop Course date is over, and the faculty is asked to return it. Cohen said hopefully by late September, most—if not all— of the rosters will be in. The federal government requests a timely submission of attendance at the beginning of the semester, and the recorded grades submitted at the end of the semester are proof a student is enrolled.
Cohen noted the DOE regarding this issue made no official report.
“I don’t want students to think their professors don’t care,” said Cohen. “I think professors didn’t know the importance of those academic attendance records.”
Last spring administrators became aware of this problem when students’ grades were submitted late. Since then, the importance of these academic attendance records has been reinforced to the faculty.
“We as an university are trying to change the culture of the institution,” said Cohen. “We’ve gone from one-third to half of faculty members returning records… It’s vital the faculty returns rosters because it messes with a student’s schedule, academic record and financial aid. The student loses money, time and is hassled.”
Cohen added that if a student fails to attend a class and informally leaves it, and professors do not let the university know, both the student and university are held responsible for paying back the student’s financial aid to the government.
Last semester the Pioneer Times reported WPU’s school’s rate of attrition was a big area of concern at the Faculty Senate meetings, but Cohen assured us that the survey of students who said they left the university due to financial issues is not paralleled to the DOE’s findings.
She did, however, say that last year’s attrition rate and this year’s academic attendance records created a “positive intervention.” By examining these concerns, administrators and faculty have the “best of both worlds”: keeping an eye on the students to help them become successful by attending and completing classes, according to Cohen.
“For WPU, students attending and completing class is a problem,” said Cohen. “We have work to do… I have every confidence that our faculty wants what’s best for our students.”
So, keep this in mind when you choose your classes for next semester. You might not want to go to class every week, but lax attendance policies come at a cost.