Fall 2021

Frequently Asked Questions—Memorandum #5, Attendance, Withdrawals and Grade Reporting

Please see the below information regarding our updated policy around Attendance, Withdrawals and Grade Reporting.

Does the College require that I take daily attendance? 

No. Community College of Philadelphia does not require faculty to take attendance. 

Can I still require daily attendance in my course? 

Yes. It is the responsibility of the instructor to determine the attendance guidelines that best promote learning in each course. Faculty must clearly state any faculty-mandated attendance requirements in their class syllabus. Instructors should exercise fair and consistent standards in determining when to excuse an absence and/or when to provide accommodations for missed assignments. 

Do I still have to complete the 20% report? 

Yes. The 20% report documents whether or not a student began attendance in your course. 

What are the reporting options on the 20% report? 

At the 20% mark in a course, faculty must enter into Banner that a student has either “Attended”/“A” or “Never Attended”/“NA.” The “Unsatisfactory” option has been removed.

What if a student fails to meet my attendance requirements for the course? Can I initiate a withdrawal? 

No. The instructor-initiated withdrawal has been eliminated. If attendance requirements are part of your course objectives, you may award this student an "F."

Why are there more students on my 20% report than are enrolled in my class? 

The 20% report includes students who dropped your course before the 20% mark.

Why do I have to complete a 20% report for students who drop my course before the 20% mark? 

The College still needs to determine if the student began attendance before dropping the course.  So, for those students, you must enter into Banner that a student has “Attended”/“A” or “Never Attended”/“NA.”

Do I have to report attendance at the 50% mark? 

No. At the 50% mark, faculty must verify academic progress and mark each student as “Satisfactory/S” or “Unsatisfactory/U.”  The purpose here is to provide earlier feedback to students regarding their academic progress. The 50% mark is NOT an attendance-taking measure.  

What is the difference between an "F" grade and an "FS" grade? 

In general, the “FS/Failure-Stopped Attending” grade is designed to differentiate between a student who has completed the course, but failed to make a passing grade ("F"), and one who has ceased participation in the course ("FS"). "FS" grades require a last date of participation to be entered at the time of grade entry. Please note: Failure to take the final or hand in a final paper earns an "F," not an "FS."

Do I have discretion over who receives an "FS" and who receives an "F?"

No. Instructors must award the F only to students who completed the course, but who failed to achieve the course objectives. Instructors must award the FS grade only to students who failed to complete the course (typically due to stopping attendance). 

What about a student who withdraws from the course? Do they receive a "W" or an "FS" grade? 

It depends. 

• If a student withdraws from the course before the eleventh (11th) week and files an official withdrawal form with the Office of Student Records and Registration before the 11th week, then that student’s grade report will show a "W."
• If a student withdraws from the course before the eleventh (11th) week but fails to file an official withdrawal form with the Office of Student Records and Registration by the 11th week, then that student must receive an "FS" grade.
• If a student files an official withdrawal form with the Office of Student Records and Registration after the eleventh (11th) week, then that student must receive an "FS" grade.

Why do I have to enter a Last Date of Participation for both "FS" grades and "F" grades? 

The College needs to determine whether a student has “unofficially withdrawn,” which is a Title IV (federal financial aid) concept. The Last Date of Participation allows the College to determine whether an unofficial withdrawal has occurred and whether a return of Title IV federal funds is necessary.

What is meant by Last Date of Participation? 

This refers to the date of the last academically-related activity in which the student participated relative to your course. This includes, but is not limited to: physically attending a class where there is an opportunity for direct interaction between the instructor and students; submitting an academic assignment; taking an exam, completing an interactive tutorial, or participating in computer-assisted instruction; attending a study group that is assigned by the school; participating in an online discussion about academic matters; or initiating contact with a faculty member to ask a question about the academic subject(s) studied in the course. 

What is "Attended"/"A" for the 20% Attendance/Enrollment Verification Reports for distance education asynchronous courses?

Enrollment Verification – 20% Attendance Reports for distance education asynchronous courses should follow similar guidelines to those used for students taking a class on campus or a synchronous online class. For example, to verify that a student commenced academic participation or engagement in a class and received an “A” for “Attended,” they must have attended a required meeting, participated in a group discussion, turned in an assignment or taken an exam. If a student has not attended any required class meetings, and has not turned in any assignments or participated in any online discussions or taken an exam, you must report this student as never-attended “NA.”  Simply logging into a CANVAS course is not sufficient to count a student as “A” Attended.

Active participation/engagement by a student includes, but is not limited to:

• Attending a synchronous class, lecture, recitation, or field or laboratory activity, physically or online, where there is an opportunity for interaction between the instructor and students; 
• Submitting an academic assignment; 
• Taking an assessment or an exam; 
• Participating in an interactive tutorial, webinar, or other interactive computer-assisted instruction; 
• Participating in a study group, group project, or an online discussion that is assigned by the institution; or 
• Interacting with an instructor about academic matters. 

The complete Attendance, Withdrawals and Grade Reporting policy can be accessed here.