We have created a system for this class which we hope encourages you to come to the lectures and your tutorial every week. Not only are our lectures genuinely interesting, you get points for attending lecture. Our tutors also want to get to know each of you and help everyone understand anthropology better, and develop their own ideas about anthropology. We want you to feel like every time you come to class, you are getting something out of it.

We also expect you to come to class, and we will remind you to come when we see that you are not attending classes regularly. The reason is because we care about you, and we want to know how each student is doing over the whole semester. We want every student to develop the habit of "just showing up" even when they are busy and stressed out.

The Faculty has asked us to include this reminder:

The Faculty requires satisfactory attendance at classes as a minimum condition of completion of a Unit of Study. Attendance below 90% of tutorials/seminars without written evidence of illness or misadventure may be penalised with loss of marks.

Attendance at less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons for absences, will automatically result in the student’s case being referred to a Department examiners’ meeting for a determination as to whether the student should pass or fail the unit, or, if a pass is awarded, the level of penalty that should be applied.

What this means in real terms is that you lose points toward your final grade if you miss more than one tutorial. There are 13 tutorials in this semester. It is reasonable that you may miss one or two without documentation, but anything more than this may be penalised. It is a good idea to show documentation (such as a medical certificate) if you have to miss a tutorial and you have a valid excuse.

If you are currently scheduled for a tutorial you cannot attend, you have a limited amount of time to change it. You can use MyUni to block off times in your schedule when you are not available up until the end of Friday of Week 1. This can force a change in your tutorial, if your schedule otherwise permits it. However, just because there is a tutorial that fits your schedule, this does not mean you will be allowed to go to that tutorial. It is worth using the web site to request a change several times during this period while other students are settling their schedules and making their own changes, so if you are not reassigned to a tutorial the first time, try again later to see if a spot has opened up. After the end of Week 1, no further changes are possible. Ryan and the tutors are not involved in assigning students to tutorial and will not be able to help you change your schedule.