MiraCosta's AP 4105 includes the following:

Instructor-initiated interaction will create an environment of academic integrity that discourages fraud in the form of student misrepresentation and constitutes a means for the following:

a. Monitoring satisfactory progress, defined as earning grades consistent with a final course grade of a “C” or “Pass”

b. Tracking student attendance

c. Determining the last day of attendance for students who drop the course via the following methods:

(1) Prior to the first census date, the instructor will initiate an activity that requires student participation

(2) The instructor will include various robust assessments and assignments on a frequent basis throughout the semester.

Let's unpack this a bit. This is an attempt to synthesize several attendance and student progress-related regulations and local practices specifically for online classes.

Online Class "Attendance"

Some of this derives from federal financial aid regulations, which in brief dictates a couple things related to attendance:

Faculty need to be able to report a student's "last date of attendance" should they drop the class
"Attendance" for online classes is not simply about logging in - to be considered as "attending" students must engage in an "academically related activity"

Further, faculty are encouraged to clear rosters of inactive students early in the semester, and online faculty often require an activity within the first couple days of class such as a syllabus quiz or an icebreaker discussion board to establish who is truly "attending" the online class.

View the MiraCosta DE Handbook page on Tracking Attendance for more details about the above.

Setting an Attendance Policy for an Online Class

There is no requirement to have an attendance policy, but it is recommended that you provide in you syllabi a clear policy about this. Policies should be crafted keeping in mind the relevant regulations about what constitutes attendance, regular effective contact requirements, and equity-mindedness (e.g., positive and personal rather than cold and punitive language).

By engaging in this section, participants will be able to:

Develop an attendance policy for their online class syllabus which reflects MiraCosta's expectations for online classes, as well as equity-mindedness.
Consider methods for monitoring student progress and proactively engaging with students to keep them on track for success