William Demastes is used to teaching in a large classroom with some students looking at Facebook, doing crossword puzzles or just sleeping.The English professor said some of his students complain to him about a low grade, feeling they deserve higher marks for attending class.”Attendance itself shouldn’t be a guarantee of a passing grade,” Demastes said.  “Attendance is a good thing, but has to be more than that.”Demastes is not alone in experiencing the attitude from students who think doing minimal work should result in a good grade, according a recent study by researchers at the University of California, Irvine.The study, “Self-Entitled College Students: Contributions of Personality, Parenting, and Motivational Factors,” suggests more students in recent years expect high grades after putting little effort into the work.Ellen Greenberger, lead author of the study, said she was no longer commenting on her work when contacted by The Daily Reveille. But in a Feb. 17 report in The New York Times, she said the study found one-third of students surveyed said they expected B’s just for attending lectures, and 40 percent said they deserved a B for completing the required reading.Students who expected the higher grades were more likely to have parents pressuring them in their performance, the study said.Emily Elliott, psychology professor, suggested students develop the mindset from high school where the students don’t have the option of skipping class.The level of responsibility changes from high school to college, Elliott said. Some students may think learning occurs like a sponge, and if they are just in the room they can absorb the information, she said.Demastes said in the English Department most teachers have a certain expectation for a paper, and students sometimes think a high grade will automatically result if they ask for help during office hours.”[Sometimes] the effort is there … but if the product isn’t up to par then the grade results,” Demastes said.In Demastes’ English 2148 class of more than 200 students, about 60 percent come to class every day, he said. Usually the students in class will receive higher grades then those who skip, Demastes said.But the good students aren’t as concerned with attending for a high grade, he said. Those students want to learn, and the good grades follow.Megan Miclette, secondary English junior, said she has learned what classes can be skipped to keep her grade consistent. Miclette said she doesn’t expect a high grade from attending class, but she scores higher on a test when she takes her own notes.  Maribel Dietz, history professor, said she has panicked students who say, ‘I was hear everyday but made a C!'”Dietz said after talking to the shocked student, she discovers they usually didn’t read outside books or take adequate notes in class. Dietz teaches a freshman and a senior-level class, and she said the freshman class has the tendency to have the attitude.”A component of the class is engaging in the material, not just physically being present,” Dietz said.
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