Contact: Maridith Geuder
Having kept class attendance records for more than a dozen years, Mississippi State University biology professor Walter Diehl speaks with authority: Students who skip class tend to pay a price in lowered grades.
"I've noticed that on average students penalize themselves about one and a half points on their final grade for every time they miss class," he said. Missing an average of four classes can mean lowering a grade by a letter-say, from a B to a C.
Data collected in an on-going MSU project supports Diehl's observation that being in class is one way students, particularly freshmen, can gain an academic advantage.
"Our data show that freshmen who get into academic trouble do so early in the semester," said David McMillen, research scientist and professor of psychology.
He and assistants Ty Abernathy and Jonathan Edwards coordinate the Freshman Academic Success Project, which is designed to assist freshmen with academic problems. In data collected in 1996, the three have validated repeatedly that high incidences of class absences correlate with decreased academic performance.
"Our project tries to intervene and turn that around," McMillen said.
The effort begins with a letter from President Malcolm Portera to parents of all incoming freshmen stressing the importance of attending class. Packets of information provided by the Office of Enrollment Services also highlight class attendance, as do personal contacts made by student orientation leaders.
"Many professors help reinforce the message by talking about class attendance as well," McMillen said. When absences are reported, they are entered in a database.
"We look for patterns, especially those missing a lot of classes," Abernathy said. Working with residence hall assistants, he and Edwards then arrange personal meetings with students who seem to be missing too many.
"We don't hassle, but we explain the importance of class attendance and provide information about academic support available at Mississippi State," Abernathy said.
Their message: 1) Go to class. 2) If you can't be in class, let the instructor know.
3) Always find out what is expected of you in terms of classwork. 4) If you don't understand course material, discuss the problem with the instructor. 5) If you need additional academic support, use the many resources available on campus.
With its emphasis on fulfilling academic potential, the project is consistent with Portera's stated goal of establishing MSU as a premier undergraduate public university, McMillen said.
Based on more than 300 contacts made with students during the 1998 fall semester, the approach seems to be working.
"Our review of fall data shows a 39 percent reduction in students with poor attendance and a 16 percent reduction in students on probation," McMillen said. "There also was a 22 percent reduction in students not returning for spring semester."
While the improvements may be related to factors other than the academic success project, MSU students seem to be responding to the personal contact.
"Several have called back to say, 'Thanks for helping me out,'" Abernathy said.