Professors disagree with Election Day class cancellations
Some teachers offer extra credit for voting.
Published Oct. 27, 2008
For the past 20 months, political commentators and news anchors have reported on every aspect of the upcoming presidential election, a main one being the youth vote. Across college campuses a "get out the vote" effort has encouraged a record number of youth voters to register.
With Election Day on a weekday, though, college students have to find the time amid classes to go and vote. But some colleges are canceling classes to allow their students to head to the polls and cast their ballots. Liberty University doesn't hold classes on Election Day, and in Hawaii, it's a state holiday.
The theory behind this is colleges and universities should do their best to encourage students to vote. While MU is not canceling classes, some professors are offering extra incentives to the students that are able to prove they voted.
"Faculty certainly have the right to do such things," said Lex Akers, College of Engineering associate dean. "I think it is in all our best interest to go out and vote. If you do not vote, you are allowing other people to make decisions for you."
But others said that letting students off class to vote the wrong thing to do.
"Voting is something you do because you're a good citizen, not something you get rewarded for," said Bob Youngquist, College of Veterinary Sciences associate dean.
Some believe it is up to the students to find the time to go vote, and shouldn't do it for extra credit.
"I do not think that's appropriate," statistics professor Larry Ries said. "To me, voting is a civic duty. It is like giving people extra credit for being polite. It is sort of ridiculous. If people can not exercise their own civic responsibility and vote, I do not think giving them extra credit would turn them into the kind of people I want voting."
Many professors do not feel that the election is a valid reason to cancel classes.
"I would never, ever consider it and I am surprised anyone would," Ries said. "Unless you were teaching political science and had the whole class working the polls, I would never do it. People with full-time jobs have the chance to vote. I would think that students would have even more time. Maybe I live on a different planet, but it does not seem like a big issue."
The faculty feel students have a responsibility to balance their classes with their civic duties.
"Education is awfully important and every class hour is important," Akers said. "I believe the polls open at 6 a.m. and stay open late. Hopefully, there is time during the day that they could go and vote and still get to class."
Although many professors do not feel an election is an acceptable excuse to cancel classes, most still believe in urging their students to go out and vote.
"Political involvement is very important," Akers said. "I would strongly encourage faculty to encourage students to develop interest in such activities."
