VCU Teaching Engaging Students in Large Classrooms Maintaining order in large lecture classes I teach the only section of a sophomore course required for all Communication Arts and Design majors. This semester 191 students are taking the course. Because VCU has very low admissions standards, but our Department has a strong reputation that attracts very good students, enrollees in this course range from the undergraduate who had the highest SAT score in VCU's history, to students who can not comprehend the reading assignments. As a consequence, I teach to the middle and lose the top and bottom. Several policies and procedures help keep order, in contrast to the chaos that exists in many other large lecture courses.
Attendance is tallied via attendance slips which are signed and turned in at the end of class.
Departure before the class is dismissed count as an absence. This reduces disruptions caused by students leaving in the middle of the lecture. Students requesting an exception to the attendance policy due to illness must submit written documentation from the attending physician. Three course rules are distributed and enforced. Students who talk while the professor is lecturing will be asked to leave the course.