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[gbrown]

I've had students tell me that their advisers tell me that they don't to come to the first day of class because "we don't do anything" on that day. Now I've actually overheard a security staff member telling a student not to worry about missing the first day because, "They just take roll and let everyone go."

Grrr! It's a 3-hour class with only 14 class sessions. Not only do I take roll and review the syllabus and class policies, but I also do three short mini-lectures, give two open note quizzes and have students choose teams for team work in the first class session--and give out handouts to bring back completed on the second class meeting.

And most people think it's faculty who treat the first class session like a blow off. It sounds like the free world believes it's a blow off and some of us are the only ones who don't treat it like it is worthless!

Signed,
De-valued by staff at my campus

[barred_owl]

At my school, if a student misses the first day of class (for whatever reason), the student will be dropped from the class and must re-enroll the following week.  Blowing off that first day is a bad decision, in other words.

[duchess_of_malfi]

Along those lines, advisers, please do not tell first-year students that courses in my department are "easy."  If you could only hear students wail, "They told me this would be my easiest course, but it's my hardest!"  This has happened at more than one school where I've taught. 

[neutralname]

Don't these people have bosses you can talk to, or get your Dean to talk to?  I'd be quick to complain if I heard of staff doing it, and I've done so.

[melba_frilkins]

Argh! That is frustrating. It's one thing to deal with students coming in with that belief, but so much worse when advisors/staff activity perpetuate it!

Do you have access to student emails prior to the start of class? You could start sending out a welcome email with a comment indicating the importance of first day attendance.

More formally, many institutions have a policy that students who miss the first day of class may be dropped by the instructor. This policy is printed all over our course schedule, so we get excellent attendance on the first day.  (Too excellent, in fact. You get all your enrolled students, plus a bunch of wanna-be's).

[prytania3]

When I was in college, the first day was a blow-off. I always went because you got an overview of the class, but we *always* got out way early.

Alas. The good old days.

[mountainguy]

Now I've actually overheard a security staff member telling a student not to worry about missing the first day because, "They just take roll and let everyone go."

Time out. Students reporting this secondhand is one thing, but if I actually heard a staff member say this with my own ears, I would waste no time in confronting them about it.

[chaosbydesign]

Personally I have *never* been to a first class that lasted more than half an hour, or consisted of anything more than an explanation of what was already given to us in the syllabus.

[notaprof]

I tell students that the first day of class is very important.

Staff member, n of 1.

[thathardprofessor]

I have started sending my students an email a few days before the first day of class as a reminder and I also try to attach the syllabus (when I have it done that far in advance) so they can see there will be work coming out of the first day.  It has helped improved my attendance rate on the first day by 20-30%.  I teach hybrid classes and there was a period where half my class was skipping the first day because they didn't realize we still had a classroom component.

On preview - Chaos, my first day barely fits into one hour after we cover how to use the CMS.  Since I teach freshpeeps a lot I can't assume they have used it before.

[neutralname]

I don't go over much actual material from the course on the first day -- I tend to go over the syllabus.  It is important for students to come so they:
- work out where the classroom is.
- make sure they have the (right) textbook.
- see if they can stand to have me as a professor for the next 14 weeks.
- get their heads in the right space so they are ready for the subsequent work.

Normally I will allow students to miss one class in the semester without penalty.  If they want to make it the first class and they can read the syllabus on their own and orient themselves to the course, I don't care if they miss the first class.  But for 3 hour classes, we will do work the first class.

[chaosbydesign]

Nobody ever taught us how to use our CMS. Actually at my first U there were instructions on how to use the CMS on the CMS.

[thathardprofessor]

Nobody ever taught us how to use our CMS. Actually at my first U there were instructions on how to use the CMS on the CMS.

I agree but when I didn't spend much time covering it the chances of people understanding the dropbox in particular were dismal.  I didn't spend quite as much time in class going over each of the features this time, instead I created youtube videos of how to use each of the basic features (dropbox, threaded discussions, journals, gradebook, etc) and emailed those out to the students.  The first weeks assignments are due online tonight but things are going well so far from what I have looked at.

[polly_mer]

Oh, Gbrown, I hear you.  Sing it!  Preach it!

Due to interesting scheduling this semester, I have two classes that meet once a week that will meet for the first time during the second week of class after the close of business day for the free add/drop period.  Why anyone thought it was a good idea to offer once-a-week Tuesday night classes when school begins on a Wednesday, I don't know, but they did.

Anyway, while I always do a lot on the first day of classes, since my once-a-week meetings only have 13 possible meetings, there's no way that we're blowing off that first one.

I've already emailed the classes that start next week with the notice of Blackboard being up so that they should look through it and bring their books to class on Monday because we will start right in the first day.

Later this week, when I get my email list for the classes that start the following week (the calendars are mismatched because I'm teaching at two schools), I'll do the same for those students.  I hope that my students at the new school know to check their email regularly or it's going to be a rough first class for them since they have homework due when they come to that first class meeting and they will not be turning it in late.

[spork]

I usually lecture for an hour or so on the first day.