Attendance/Participation Reporting FAQ

Why are instructors asked to report attendance?

CCCOnline's attendance reporting requirement helps to identify students who do not intend to actively participate in courses. The requirement meets federal guidelines for student attendance/participation in online courses. Students who do not demonstrate attendance during the term may be administratively unregistered from that course.  When instructors do not report attendance, students can inadvertently be dropped from the class.

What is considered “attendance” for CCCOnline?

Students who participate in one of the following ways during the first 15% of each enrolled course are considered in attendance. Instructors validate that a student is in attendance. Attendance must be an “an academically-related activity.” Examples include:

• Posting a response to a discussion board
• Submission of a critical thinking assignment
• Submission of an academic assignment, examination, interactive tutorial, or computer-assisted instruction
• Participation in on-line discussion about academic matters
• Introductory post (typically for grading) where the student describes academic goals (what he or she hopes to learn in the class)
• Other …

What if an assignment is due on the day of Census?

• Instructors should check off the names of the students who have not received points for any graded activity, by 11:59pm, the day BEFORE census. 
• Introductory discussion posts that are academic in nature (including Extra Credit points) and count toward a student’s total points DO count as a graded assignment.
  • If a graded assignment is due on this deadline listed above, please allow students the opportunity to fulfill the deadline requirements and report AFTER the assignment due date.
    • Please consider adjusting due dates in the future to being one day earlier.
    • If there are not any academic assignments due before census, please adjust the due dates as needed – or contact your Program Chair for guidance with necessary revisions.
    • If a student has not submitted at least one graded assignment, and the student has contacted you and you believe that the student will be active in the course, you do not need to record anything. These students will not be dropped.

What is changing on September 19, 2019?

•  Starting September 19th, 2019, if a student in your course appeals a drop or requests re-enrollment, the appeal/request form will be forwarded (with a copy to your Department chair and AD) to you for your decision.
• You will need to communicate that decision to the student and copy your Department Chair, and Student Affairs (studentsuccess@cccs.edu).
• You can use the attached templates to communicate your approval or denial to the student.
• If you approve the request, Student Affairs will contact the student’s home college to request re-enrollment.
  • Please note that the home college may deny the request based on the student’s academic or financial standing at that college. If the college denies the request, Student Affairs will contact you and the student.
• If you deny the appeal/request, email the student and no further action is needed.

What do instructors need to do?

• Please check your emails, as always, every day just in case you receive a re-enrollment request.
• Once received, be sure to reply to the student and copy your Chair and studentsuccess@cccs.edu with your decision.
• Please work with your Chair if you have any questions.
• Know that you may not receive any requests. Based on past experience, we believe that about one third of the instructors teaching in a given term might receive one request.

For instructions on how to submit students for non-participation, see this KB article.