See Matt Make A Real Life Persuasive Argument

My Bio 171 GSI is attempting to penalize me for not attending class before I had added the class. Unfortunately, they forgot to tell her that I'm in Brett Griffiths' Academic Argumentation class and therefore the carefully supported hurt with lots of evidence will be coming. Thus, I thought it would be relevant to post my calculated response to this draconian policy...

<<>,

I wanted to clarify a few things with you about your discussion attendance/make-up policy. I realize that, by adding Bio 171 late, I am responsible for all material I have missed in the class periods (5 lectures, 1 discussion) before I added the class. In taking the first exam I have been held responsible for that material. I do not, however, understand why I am being penalized for missing a class period that, at the time, I did not realize I was missing because I was not enrolled in the class. Additionally, I fail to see the educational value in writing 2 pages and 5 questions on a topic for which I have already been held responsible. I assumed, albeit incorrectly, that, in terms of class attendance/participation grades, I would neither be punished nor rewarded for adding the class a week and a half late. Simply put, I thought my discussion grade would be taken out of 98 points instead of 100, so those 2 points would count neither for nor against me. It is in advocacy of this logical grading strategy that I write you today.

In your discussion syllabus you state, “Unexcused absences will result in a loss of attendance points for that week.” My absence was not unexcused. In fact, my absence was excused by the drop/add policies of the University of Michigan. Since I added Bio 171 within the drop/add period, I should not be penalized for using a procedure that the University openly endorses. Your syllabus also asserts, “No discussions can be made up after the week of the discussion has elapsed.” Had I known that I was going to be enrolled in Bio 171 and missing your discussion I certainly would have emailed you to “make alternate arrangements,” as your syllabus suggests I should. Given that I had no idea that I would be enrolling in Bio 171 or missing your discussion, it is unreasonable for you to penalize me for not attending a discussion I did not know I was supposed to be attending.

This brings me to my next point. Had I known I was missing class, and had contacted you in advance, I would understand your having me write a 2-page paper and 5 questions so that I could better understand the material. However, for you to give me such an assignment now, after I have already been held responsible for the material of that discussion, is, quite simply, ridiculous. I learned the material for the exam and was held responsible for it. To have me revisit that material now strikes me as being nothing but busywork.

You may be wondering why I did not contact you about this missed discussion section sooner. It is because I viewed this as a non-issue until grades were posted after the 1^st exam. I added the class late, but still within University policy. The material for that week’s discussion section is on CTools. I am a responsible student, so I learned the material for the exam. I had no idea adding a class within the drop/add period would have negative repercussions on my grade.

You may also be wondering why I am writing you a 2-page email instead of a 2-page summary of our discussion material for that week. If this was about getting my points back, I would have written the summary. However, I do not want the points. My absence the first week should be a non-event grade-wise. I was neither present nor absent. I was neither participating nor sleeping. I was not enrolled in the class, so it is not my responsibility to be a positive contributor to a class I did not know I was supposed to be attending.

Thank you for your consideration of my concerns. I look forward to hearing from you.

Matt