The Optimist
  • Home
  • About
    • Advertise
    • Policies
    • Staff Contacts
    • Jobs
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Editorials
  • Multimedia
    • Photo Galleries
    • Videos
  • Features
  • Print Edition
    • The Pessimist
    • Special Projects
  • Police Log
  • Classifieds
You are here: Home / Opinion / Editorials / Absence policy should become more relaxed

Absence policy should become more relaxed

April 11, 2003 by Optimist Editorial Board

The Chapel Task Force released four Chapel attendance policy options to which students are asked to respond before the committee brings a final recommendation to Dr. Royce Money, president of the university.

Of the four options, the Optimist supports No. 3. It includes the ability to make up Chapel absences, something all the plans include, and a more relaxed suspension policy.

Part of each plan this year, the ability to make up Chapel absences by attending forums would show which students need to be shown grace and which students truly don’t care. If students are willing to attend any of the six to seven forums offered to negate a Chapel absence, they aren’t the offenders at which the policy is aimed. The forums, or presentations, would be similar to the war forum offered last month. The Optimist supports this plan, because the policy would sift out the students who don’t bother to make up absences without punishing those who are trying their best to juggle college life.

The policy unique to No. 3 is not suspending students until their second semester of probation. This is a more relaxed policy than our current one, which suspends students with two additional absences while on their first semester of probation.

Students should be able to miss Chapel when they need to without the constant worry of being kicked out of school. Students who have jobs, attend classes and work on homework, projects and speeches, all the while maintaining a social life, are going to miss Chapel sometimes. These are the students of which the university is most proud, the ones who serve others, work hard, make good grades and minister to people. These compose a large number of the students who have more Chapel absences, and these aren’t the students who need to be on probation.

Other options include No. 1, which is our current policy with the addition of being able to make up absences; No. 2, which provides a Chapel grade that is factored into a student’s GPA; and No. 4, which allows students to be suspended without refund or academic credit if enough Chapel days aren’t left in a semester to meet the minimum attendance.

The merit of option No. 3 is its provision for discipline when students make a pattern of missing Chapel and its grace for students who prove they are trying.

Filed Under: Editorials Tagged With: Chapel

Other Opinion:

  • Tariffs are the last thing struggling students need

  • Gen Z won the election for Donald Trump

  • A Swift rebuke: When it comes to politics, celebrities just do not get it

About Optimist Editorial Board

You are here: Home / Opinion / Editorials / Absence policy should become more relaxed

Other Opinion:

  • Tariffs are the last thing struggling students need

  • Gen Z won the election for Donald Trump

  • A Swift rebuke: When it comes to politics, celebrities just do not get it

Follow us online

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Optimist on Twitter

acuoptimist The Optimist @acuoptimist ·
30 Mar

Sing Song 2025 Awards Women’s Division:

Vocals:
1. Ko Jo Kai
2. Sigma Theta Chi
3. Delta Theta

Entertainment:
1. Sigma Theta Chi
2. Ko Jo Kai
3. Delta Theta

Note: An earlier post included a spelling error, so we have since updated it for accuracy.

Reply on Twitter 1906348770293317827 Retweet on Twitter 1906348770293317827 Like on Twitter 1906348770293317827 Twitter 1906348770293317827
acuoptimist The Optimist @acuoptimist ·
30 Mar

Sing Song 2025 Awards Class Division:

Overall Award:
1. Freshman Purple
2. Freshman White
3. Seniors

Reply on Twitter 1906188185371034000 Retweet on Twitter 1906188185371034000 Like on Twitter 1906188185371034000 3 Twitter 1906188185371034000

Optimist on Facebook

The Optimist

11 months ago

The Optimist

Video

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

The Optimist

1 years ago

The Optimist
"Ending my college education early was always the plan for me, but the things that I have been able to see, experience and examine about ACU’s community were not. I have found immense growth in ACU over the past three and a half years, but ACU still has a long road to climb if it wants to keep catering to students as the world changes around them." To read more of this article visit acuoptimist ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Videos

Optimist Newscast Feb. 28, 2024

Our top stories today include a recap of The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940, the ... [Read More…]

  • Optimist Newscast Feb. 21, 2024
  • Optimist Newscast Feb. 14, 2024
  • Optimist Newscast Jan. 24, 2024

Latest Photos

1
2
3
4
5
PrevNext
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
    • Subscribe
    • Policies
    • Advertising Policy
    • Letters to the Editor and Reader Comments
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Editorials
  • Multimedia
    • Videos
    • Photo Galleries
  • Features
  • Advertise
    • Paid Advertisement
  • Police Log

© 2025 ACU Optimist · All Rights Reserved