How to Promote Attendance in the Post-Pandemic Classroom

The broader hypothesis behind this paper is that universities made genuine progress in encouraging more accommodating teaching practices during the pandemic. These practices should be maintained, but we also need to be aware of the potential risks or downsides of overcorrecting pre-pandemic teaching practices. Too much flexibility can increase burdens on students, teaching assistants, and instructors, and it can undermine a productive teaching environment. In this short paper, I focus on my concerns regarding classroom attendance, specifically how accommodating class policies can undermine class attendance and participation. I describe my attempts and initial success at balancing the options of pressuring students to attend class or giving them the freedom and flexibility to manage their schedules as best fits with their life circumstances