Attendance requirements for students are usually built right into the class syllabus.

But instructors have the luxury of canceling class for various reasons, without having to worry about how it will affect their grade.

Or do they?

“If a faculty member has to be away from campus to go to a conference or workshop, we expect them to cover their class in a responsible way,” said Dean of Arts and Sciences Don Nieman.

Students may welcome a cancellation once in awhile, but multiple cancellations can be costly, both academically and financially.

“I truly believe that students deserve the classes they are scheduled for, and I think most staff members consider those classes very valuable,” Nieman said.

There is no set attendance requirement for professors, Nieman explained, but if multiple cancellations are brought to the attention of the departments, irresponsibly canceling may be reprimanded.

“I definitely don’t mind when classes are canceled, but if they cancel class more than they allow us in the syllabus to skip, then we should put that in the evaluation and the department should take notice,” said John Bises, junior.

If the amount of class cancellations a professor is making is something that needs to be immediately addressed, students can contact the academic department of that faculty member.

“If students feel they are being shortchanged in any way, they can talk to the faculty member’s department chair or inquire [in] the department of the faculty in question,” Nieman said.

And in this instance, shortchanged can be meant literally, in the form of dollars and cents.

“If we’re paying for the class, then that’s not fair to the students when an instructor has multiple cancellations,” Rachel Gluko, junior, said.

Not only do class cancellations take away time set aside for learning, it wastes hard earned and very valuable tuition money.

The cost for one credit hour at the University for an Ohio resident is $444, making a three credit hour course cost $1,332.

That means every time a professor makes a class cancellation, $41 of tuition fees go down the drain.