This petition is to eliminate the new attendance rules starting in the Fall of 2016 at Grant MacEwan University for Design Students.

Note: **All points have been taken from multiple students and aren't formed only by one student.

Design Students have concerns regarding the new attendance policies implemented for the design studies department. We would like to state first and foremost we understand what the department is attempting to accomplish while implement such strict policies, as attendance expresses a certain level of professionalism and respect toward the teachers. One in which you want to teach us before reaching the real world, and we respect that and I assure you, we would like to extend these respects to you and the teachers. However, this petition is intended to shed some light on views that may have been overlooked. And an understanding that these new expectations on the students begets a responsibility on the school to see higher value from our courses then we have been afforded thus far.

Many of us feel like:

1. As a university, we should be trusted as adults to make our own decision on how to spend our time and complete our projects that work best for us.

2. Getting a doctors note can cost up to $40, which maybe some of us can afford, but others can't

3. Some have mentioned that if something were to be going on in their lives that they were to be missing classes that worrying about failing a class (even though they are handing in projects in time) would cause additional stress

4. Many friends from other universities don't need to be "monitored like they are in junior high" if they miss a class, why should we? Everyone in the design program are adults. We understand that in a career setting we would need to be on time, but being in school is not viewed the same to us as having a career. However, saying this, we still think education is very important for our future careers, we just all learn differently and may not feel the need to stay in class when nothing else is being taught.

5. Weather. Some of us live out of town, and sometimes can't make it to school on time or at all.

6. Some students need to get on work at a certain time and need to leave 30 minutes early.

7. I know that for many of us, when the teacher has shown us respect and treats us as equals we feel more inclined in staying in the class. A great example (as I have heard from students who were in motion graphics, that Joe Raffa was an excellent instructor)

8. Quote from fellow design student "Whatever the reasons, be it work for some, transportation, time management/ prioritizing, doing whatever you need to to make ends meet - because as important as university is, everyone leads different lives and does what they need to do to make it all work simultaneously. And university is hard for everyone in terms of organization, time management/ juggling jobs and school, and financially, of course. Everyone lives in different parts or even on the outskirts of edmonton and in other cities. Of course there is already understandable and realistic expectations to be to class on time/ hand in projects on time, but the pressure of knowing missing attendance twice or 3 times may result in an F grade? that is pretty ridiculous and extreme."

9. As adults we are capable to assess when we are well enough to attend a class, and do not need to waste time or money to feel justified in that decision. If the class is missed, we understand that it would then be the students responsibility to catch up on class material and notify the instructor of our absence.

10. We realize that you are trying to get us to recognize that being on time and participating in work is essential to our careers. But you also have to recognize that the majority of us have part-time to full time jobs that we are expected to behave properly and arrive on time, and we are successful in doing so.