Attendance:

The university community has often reiterated the need to encourage students toward regular attendance.  The German Department, as indeed most foreign language departments, has long recognized that attendance is an issue of utmost importance with regard to making good progress, not only for individual students but the classroom community - which is interdependent for practice opportunities - as a whole. We therefore  feel obliged to set quite strict standards regarding attendance.   Please know that this is by no means intended to make your life harder but rather to allow the teacher to be able to count on everybody being in attendance when planning lessons and to allow your peers to be fairly certain that they will have someone for communicative practice and feedback and that pair or group work begun in a previous class meeting can be continued or finished in the next.  Also, unfortunately, our testing practices are not comprehensive and probably never will be.  It is thus simply not true that if you take all the tests and do well, it shows you are learning everything there is to learn in the course.  You need to be there and participate.

Our policy is to allow four absences per semester without further penalty.  The four absences may, for example, be incurred because of illnesses or personal business.  Each additional absence will result in a one percent (1%) deduction from the final grade percentage. Religious holidays are exempt from this policy, i.e., absences due to religious holidays will not be counted BUT you must make arrangements for your absence with your instructor ahead of time.

Please do not use the absences deliberately, early in the semester, expecting to stay healthy later on.  Although very regrettable, absences for medical reasons are no different than other absences, in the sense that your work does not get done and participation cannot be made up.  IN THE EVENT OF A MAJOR ILLNESS (PHYISCAL OR MENTAL) OR OTHER CRISIS WHICH TRIGGERS ABSENCES, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR INSTRUCTOR TO EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITY OF DROPPING THE CLASS IN TIME TO PREVENT A LOW GRADE ON YOUR TRANSCRIPT. DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE COURSE, THERE ARE NO GRADES OF "INCOMPLETE".

IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS AND WOULD LIKE ASSISTANCE FROM THE UNIVERSITY, PLEASE CONTACT THE McBurney Center: http://jumpgate.acadsvcs.wisc.edu/~mcburney/  OR
http://www.mcburney.wisc.edu/information/requesting/rights.php OR
the Dean of Students: http://www.wisc.edu/students/. 
PLEASE DO KNOW THAT LETTERS FROM THE MCBURNEY CENTER OR THE DEAN OF STUDENTS DO NO ABSOLVE YOU OF YOUR OBLIGATIONS TOWARD THE COURSE, INCLUDING ATTENDANCE.

Inform your instructor of your absence in advance, whenever possible.  This greatly helps with conveying assignments, lesson planning, and saving handouts.  Telling your instructor about an absence helps you stay on track, or - at least -get back on it.  However, telling does not mean the absence does not count.  Also, any extra help your instructor gives you is at the instructor's discretion.  Instructors do not teach -as has been requested (although not explicitly) in extreme cases - independent studies or internet/email courses. 

Absence from class does not absolve you from turning in due assignments or becoming aware of any new assignment due dates. Quizzes or exams (other than during religious holidays) can only be made up with the instructor's consent and at the instructor's discretion.