Study|Haaga-Helia’s principal admits that the new policy is not perfect, as the policies related to long-term illnesses, for example, are unclear. They will be specified later.
The summary is made by artificial intelligence and checked by a human.
At Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, course attendance requirements were tightened at the beginning of the fall semester.
Students’ grades decrease by one if there are more than 25% absences.
Students have criticized the new practice, especially in the anonymous messaging service Jodel.
Principal Teemu Kokko admits that the practice will be refined, for example, with regard to long-term illnesses.
Fall semester At the beginning of the year, Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences implemented a policy according to which the attendance requirements for courses became stricter.
The change has caused controversy among students, especially in the anonymous messaging service Jodel.
According to the new policy, students’ grades will always decrease by one grade if they are absent for more than a quarter of the hours. So you can miss classes an average of two times before your grade drops. Absence of more than 50 percent will result in failure of the course.
The new policy is justified by improving community spirit.
In the past, Haaga-Helia’s absence requirements have been course-specific, meaning that the teachers themselves have been able to define how many classes the students were allowed to miss.
Today who started his studies in Haaga-Helia in the fall Sampo Ruuth says he believes none of the students are happy with the new policy.
He tells an example of his own student friend, who has had to miss several course meetings because of his autoimmune disease. According to Ruuth, the student’s grades have been calculated as a result of these absences.
When the student has tried to explain the reason for his absences, according to Ruuthi, the teachers have said that nothing can be done. The student has sent a picture of his medical certificate, but the teachers, citing general data protection regulations, have advised him not to send messages with sensitive information.
“Many have said that they would have gone to Laurea or some other university if they had known about this,” says Ruuth.
Haaga-Helia headmaster Teemu Kokko confirms that the new absence practice aims to improve the community spirit of the University of Applied Sciences. After the corona pandemic, it has been noticed that students have not returned to school as before.
“Behind this change is a concern for the well-being of the students,” says Kokko.
According to Koko, the new practice has revitalized the campuses. He says that he has received a lot of thanks from the employers of the companies cooperating with the school and also from the students. He hasn’t received much negative feedback directly, but says he noticed it on social media.
The principal admits that the new policy is not perfect: for example, the policies related to long-term illnesses are unclear. They will be refined during the fall or at the latest at the beginning of spring, and the students will be informed about it.
“This is a good decision, but we will still clarify some points. Nothing is set in stone,” says Kokko.
At Haaga-Helia, studies can be completed as multi-format and full-time studies.
Multidisciplinary studies focus on evenings and weekends, while full-time studies take place during the day.
The size acceptable reasons for absences from courses are, for example, reasons arising from other school activities, student association activities and long-term illnesses. These are not included in the 25% absence policy. Fall flu is not a strong enough reason for accepting an absence.
Kokko says that he understands that students at Haaga-Helia can be burdened by, for example, combining studies and work. However, he feels that the student has a responsibility in what kind of workload he takes on.
“I really wish that studying wouldn’t be a burden, but where you would have those aha experiences and learn new things,” says Kokko.
“Having to be in class isn’t a punishment, is it?”
Haaga-Helia the practice seems exceptional.
HS asked four universities in the capital region what kind of policies they have regarding attendance.
Laurea University of Applied Sciences student council expert Riku Simola says that Laurea has not implemented a practice corresponding to Haaga-Helia’s decision. The issue has been discussed, but it has been decided that it will not be used at Laurea.
According to Simola, the absence requirements at Laurea are course-specific and depend on the course lecturer. He has not heard that anyone’s grade has dropped as a result of sick leave.
The chairman of the student union board of the Metropolia University of Applied Sciences Juuso Jaakkolan also in Metropolia, the attendance requirement varies between different courses and degrees. Attendance is compulsory for some individual courses, but then the opportunity to complete substitute assignments is always offered.
“Here, too, we have thought about how to create a sense of community on campus, but compulsory attendance is not the way to do it,” says Jaakkola.
Helsinki the university’s director of development Anu Haapala says that the University of Helsinki does not have general policies similar to Haaga-Helia. The different disciplines decide themselves what kind of absence practices the courses have. Haapala has not heard of cases where a student’s course was abandoned due to illness.
Absence policies also vary at Aalto University. Aalto University student union board member Carl-Victor Schauman says that, for example, language courses and courses requiring workshop work may be absent twice before it affects the grade.
“Some courses have also assigned points to attendance so that attendance in lectures and math practice groups affects the grade,” says Schauman.
#Studying #Students #criticize #HaagaHelias #stricter #attendance #requirements #Principal #punishment #class
