Why are There No Excused Absences in ENG Composition Classes?

College Reading & Writing is a workshop course, where progress is made through frequent practice and a sequence of activities that build on one another. Therefore, any absence limits the student’s growth.

Accordingly, English Department policy is that instructors do not distinguish between excused and unexcused absences.

To acknowledge that life circumstances sometimes makes it impossible for students to attend all classes, it allows up to two class weeks of absences. More than two weeks of absences means that a student has missed sufficient growth opportunities to warrant failing the course.

In short, it doesn’t make a difference in a student’s performance why they miss a class, just that they missed enough classes to undermine their learning.

Students with continuing absences due to illness or extended family obligations often withdraw from the course and take it when their health and circumstances allow them to give it their full attention.