By Victoria Durgin
Co-Editor-in-Chief
There is no way to avoid getting sick, no matter how hard you try; eventually you will have some kind of sinus problem, or a head cold, or a stomach bug. However, we are all prone to getting something eventually.That is why I do not understand why so many Susquehanna students feel as though they cannot miss class for any reason. We all have at least one professor that claims their class is the most important thing in the world and therefore should never be missed. When a student has four or five professors within one semester who all prescribe to this vein of thought, the student is left feeling that missing any class, ever, would jeopardize their academic success and any professional relationship with the professor they could hope to develop. This then leads to many students on this campus going to class even when they are clearly sick and potentially contagious. The risk of any illness spreading is my main concern with the attendance policies some Susquehanna professors abide by. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) sneezing and coughing can “spray” germs up to six feet away from the person, meaning anyone within that vicinity would be potentially susceptible to that same illness. This is why schools often tell parents to keep their children home if they develop symptoms or a fever; that student puts every other student at harm, and so the school asks that child to remain at home until they have recovered. In the spirit of fairness, I will say that I know most professors allow two or three “unexcused absences” per semester. But beyond those two absences, students are typically penalized for any time they are not physically present in class. Realistically speaking, how many people go to the health center for a head cold? I don’t need the health center to tell me I have a cold and should drink plenty of water; I already know that. So why would I need to go to them for permission to not attend class? We should really think more about whether the attendance policies on this campus help or hurt students. I understand that professors want students to be engaged with them and the material, but everyone needs a break every once in a while, and two absences a semester does not allow students to remain their healthiest selves. This piece has not even touched on the mental health of students who feel a constant pressure to attend every class of the semester and cannot justify taking a break. I hope we can think a little more about how professors’ strict attendance policies may be more of a hindrance to student success than they believe.
