Case 4: Car Failure

Class Absence Excuse Discussion, ECE400, Spring 2012

A student misses class because, according to his claims, his car would not start that day. He lives half an hour drive from campus where there is no bus service. He is really sorry but there was really nothing he could do about it.

• Shicheng Guo, Response
  • Do not count it unless he brings a service/maintenance slip from the mechanic. This excuse is just too common and easy to come up with otherwise.

• Artyom Melanich, Response
  • Shouldn't be acceptable unless there is a proof of the mechanical report. I would hardly accept it because it is a student's responsibility to come to class and provide transportation, there is a bus option. Car should be checked in advance.

• Cody Cusic, Response
  • If the student provides proof that there was actually something wrong with their car then it is an acceptable excuse. This could include a receipt from the store that they went to in order to buy the part to fix the car with a appropriate date, or a copy of the receipt from the auto-shop that they went to in order to get their car fixed to solve the problem. There is always a cab service that can be called if they really wanted to make it to class on time, however this can be costly.

• Seth Strege, Response
  • In this case, I would not accept this excuse as a valid reason to miss class. There are other actions that the student could have taken in order to make the class, such as ask a friend for a ride or call a taxi. I feel that car failure would only happen once in a great while.

• Zhanibek Bekmurat, Response
  • This is an unacceptable excuse in my opinion. Even if a person lives far away, there are buses going almost in every direction in the interval of 30 minutes. At least, calling a taxi is a way to get to the class as well.

• Upsham Dawra, Response
  • Since I live a bit far away from campus myself, I can relate to this scenario. I feel that the attendence point should be given if :
    • The student emails the professor before the class starts
    • He is able to provide a maintenance report/auto parts and installation receipt after class
  • If both these conditions are satisfied, I would give him the attendance point. Otherwise, I would not give him the point back.

• Keegan McGraw, Response
  • This is very inconvenient but is something that cannot be excused except by professor discretion. The student could have left for class with enough time to ride the bus or find another ride in case. A non-starting car would be on the same level as hitting traffic on the way to an exam. The student should have been more prepared.

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