Course coordinator Yusuf, lecturer Rana, and student representative Sami distinguish attendance from learning as they design workshop alternatives and a fair exception process.
01Read the Arabic conversation
مُنَاقَشَةُ شُرُوطِ الْحُضُورِ
يُوسُفُ: وَصَلَتْنِي طَلَبَاتٌ لِإِلْغَاءِ نِسْبَةِ الْحُضُورِ الْإِلْزَامِيِّ فِي مُقَرَّرِنَا. قَبْلَ الرَّدِّ، أُرِيدُ أَنْ نُحَدِّدَ مَا نَحْمِيهِ بِهَذَا الشَّرْطِ، وَمَا إِذَا كَانَ يَخْدِمُ جَمِيعَ الْأَنْشِطَةِ بِالدَّرَجَةِ نَفْسِهَا.
رَنَا: أُدَرِّسُ الْمُحَاضَرَةَ وَالْوَرْشَةَ، وَأَرَى فَرْقًا بَيْنَهُمَا. فِي الْوَرْشَةِ يَبْنِي الطُّلَّابُ عَلَى مُلَاحَظَاتِ زُمَلَائِهِمْ فَوْرًا؛ وَلِذَلِكَ لَا تُعَوِّضُ قِرَاءَةُ الْمُلَخَّصِ وَحْدَهَا مَا يَحْدُثُ أَثْنَاءَ التَّفَاعُلِ.
سَامِي: أَتَفَهَّمُ ذَلِكَ، لَكِنَّ تَوْقِيعَ الْحُضُورِ لَا يُثْبِتُ الْمُشَارَكَةَ. وَقَدْ يَغِيبُ طَالِبٌ يَتَحَمَّلُ مَسْؤُولِيَّةَ رِعَايَةٍ، مَعَ أَنَّهُ قَادِرٌ عَلَى إِظْهَارِ مَا تَعَلَّمَهُ بِعَمَلٍ جَادٍّ.
يُوسُفُ: إِذَنْ نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ الْوُجُودِ فِي الْقَاعَةِ وَالْمُشَارَكَةِ وَالدَّلِيلِ عَلَى التَّعَلُّمِ. لَا نُرِيدُ أَنْ نُكَافِئَ الْحُضُورَ الشَّكْلِيَّ، وَلَا أَنْ نُسْقِطَ قِيمَةَ اللِّقَاءِ الَّذِي يَتَطَلَّبُ عَمَلًا مُشْتَرَكًا.
رَنَا: أَقْتَرِحُ أَنْ نُحَدِّدَ اللِّقَاءَاتِ الَّتِي يَكُونُ الْحُضُورُ فِيهَا جُزْءًا مِنْ تَحْقِيقِ الْهَدَفِ، مِثْلَ وَرْشَةِ تَبَادُلِ التَّعْلِيقَاتِ، وَأَنْ نَشْرَحَ سَبَبَ الْإِلْزَامِ فِي وَصْفِ كُلِّ نَشَاطٍ.
سَامِي: وَمَاذَا عَنِ الْمُحَاضَرَةِ الَّتِي تُتَاحُ مَوَادُّهَا مُسْبَقًا؟ لِمَاذَا يُحْرَمُ الطَّالِبُ مِنْ دَرَجَاتٍ إِذَا أَنْجَزَ التَّحْلِيلَ الْمَطْلُوبَ، لَكِنَّهُ لَمْ يَتَمَكَّنْ مِنَ الْوُصُولِ فِي الْمَوْعِدِ الْمُحَدَّدِ؟
يُوسُفُ: فِي هَذِهِ الْحَالَةِ نُقَيِّمُ التَّحْلِيلَ وَفْقَ مَعَايِيرِهِ، وَلَا نَجْعَلُ الْمَقْعَدَ الْمَشْغُولَ بَدِيلًا عَنْهُ. وَلَكِنْ يَجِبُ أَنْ تَكُونَ الْمَوَادُّ كَافِيَةً لِإِنْجَازِ الْمَهَمَّةِ، وَالتَّعْلِيمَاتُ مُتَاحَةً لِلْجَمِيعِ.
رَنَا: أُوَافِقُ، شَرْطَ أَلَّا نُضِيفَ اخْتِبَارًا بَعْدَ كُلِّ مُحَاضَرَةٍ لِمُجَرَّدِ مُرَاقَبَةِ الْغَائِبِينَ. نَسْتَخْدِمُ الْمَهَمَّاتِ الْمُقَرَّرَةَ أَصْلًا، وَنَتَحَقَّقُ مِنْ أَنَّهَا تُظْهِرُ الْفَهْمَ الَّذِي نُرِيدُ تَقْيِيمَهُ.
سَامِي: هَذَا يُعَالِجُ الْمُحَاضَرَاتِ، لَكِنَّهُ يَتْرُكُ حَالَةَ مَنْ تَفُوتُهُ وَرْشَةٌ إِلْزَامِيَّةٌ. أَخْشَى أَنْ نَعِدَ بِالْمُرُونَةِ، ثُمَّ نَضَعَ بَدِيلًا يَتَطَلَّبُ وَقْتًا أَطْوَلَ كَثِيرًا مِنَ النَّشَاطِ الْأَصْلِيِّ.
يُوسُفُ: لَا يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَكُونَ الْبَدِيلُ عُقُوبَةً مُقَنَّعَةً. نَحْتَاجُ إِلَى نَشَاطٍ يُحَقِّقُ الْهَدَفَ نَفْسَهُ بِجُهْدٍ مُتَقَارِبٍ، وَلَوِ اخْتَلَفَ شَكْلُهُ، مَعَ إِعْلَانِ شُرُوطِهِ قَبْلَ بِدَايَةِ الْفَصْلِ.
رَنَا: يُمْكِنُ تَنْظِيمُ لِقَاءٍ تَعْوِيضِيٍّ قَصِيرٍ تَتَبَادَلُ فِيهِ مَجْمُوعَةٌ صَغِيرَةٌ التَّعْلِيقَاتِ. أَمَّا تَقْرِيرٌ فَرْدِيٌّ عَنِ الْوَرْشَةِ فَلَا يَكْفِي، لِأَنَّ الْهَدَفَ يَشْمَلُ الرَّدَّ عَلَى مُلَاحَظَاتِ شَخْصٍ آخَرَ.
سَامِي: مَقْبُولٌ، إِذَا كَانَ لِلِّقَاءِ مَوْعِدٌ يُمْكِنُ حُضُورُهُ فِعْلًا. لِنُتِحْ مَوْعِدَيْنِ عِنْدَ الْحَاجَةِ، أَوْ مُشَارَكَةً عَنْ بُعْدٍ إِذَا أَمْكَنَ تَحْقِيقُ التَّفَاعُلِ نَفْسِهِ دُونَ تَجْهِيزَاتٍ خَاصَّةٍ.
يُوسُفُ: لَا أَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ أَعِدَ بِمَوَاعِيدَ غَيْرِ مَحْدُودَةٍ. سَأَتَحَقَّقُ مِنْ قُدْرَتِنَا عَلَى تَوْفِيرِ مَوْعِدَيْنِ، وَنُبَيِّنُ مَسَارَ طَلَبِ تَرْتِيبٍ آخَرَ لِمَنْ تَمْنَعُهُ ظُرُوفُهُ مِنْ كِلَيْهِمَا.
رَنَا: وَكَيْفَ نُعَالِجُ أَثَرَ الْغِيَابِ فِي الْفَرِيقِ؟ إِذَا تَوَقَّفَ عَمَلُ الزُّمَلَاءِ عَلَى مَادَّةٍ لَمْ يَصِلْهُمْ شَيْءٌ مِنْهَا، فَالْمُشْكِلَةُ لَيْسَتْ خَاصَّةً بِالطَّالِبِ الْغَائِبِ وَحْدَهُ.
سَامِي: نَتَّفِقُ عَلَى تَسْلِيمِ الْمَادَّةِ وَإِبْلَاغِ الْفَرِيقِ مُسْبَقًا مَتَى أَمْكَنَ. لَكِنَّ الطَّارِئَ قَدْ يَمْنَعُ حَتَّى الْإِبْلَاغَ؛ لِذَلِكَ نَحْتَاجُ إِلَى خُطَّةٍ لِتَوْزِيعِ الْعَمَلِ دُونَ افْتِرَاضِ سُوءِ النِّيَّةِ.
يُوسُفُ: نَضَعُ نُقْطَةَ مُرَاجَعَةٍ قَبْلَ الْوَرْشَةِ لِمَعْرِفَةِ مَا أُعِدَّ، وَنُتَابِعُ الْحَالَةَ الطَّارِئَةَ لَاحِقًا. وَنُقَيِّمُ إِسْهَامَ الطَّالِبِ بِأَدِلَّتِهِ، لَا بِانْطِبَاعٍ يُكَوِّنُهُ غِيَابٌ وَاحِدٌ عَنْ شَخْصِيَّتِهِ.
رَنَا: أُرِيدُ أَيْضًا أَنْ نُوَضِّحَ مَعْنَى الْمُشَارَكَةِ. لَا أَرَى أَنَّ عَدَدَ الْمَرَّاتِ الَّتِي يَتَكَلَّمُ فِيهَا الطَّالِبُ مِقْيَاسٌ كَافٍ؛ قَدْ يُقَدِّمُ تَعْلِيقًا مَكْتُوبًا يُغَيِّرُ اتِّجَاهَ الْعَمَلِ.
سَامِي: لِنَسْمَحْ بِالتَّعْلِيقِ الْمَكْتُوبِ وَالرَّدِّ الشَّفَهِيِّ، مَعَ مِعْيَارٍ مُشْتَرَكٍ لِجَوْدَةِ الْمُلَاحَظَةِ وَصِلَتِهَا بِالْمَهَمَّةِ. هَكَذَا لَا يَضْطَرُّ الطَّالِبُ إِلَى الْمُقَاطَعَةِ لِكَيْ يُثْبِتَ أَنَّهُ كَانَ مُشَارِكًا.
يُوسُفُ: أَمَّا طَلَبَاتُ الِاسْتِثْنَاءِ فَتُقَدَّمُ عَبْرَ قَنَاةٍ خَاصَّةٍ، وَتُرَاجَعُ وَفْقَ مَعَايِيرَ مُعْلَنَةٍ. لَا نَطْلُبُ مِنَ الطَّالِبِ سَرْدَ ظُرُوفِهِ أَمَامَ زُمَلَائِهِ لِإِقْنَاعِهِمْ بِأَنَّهُ يَسْتَحِقُّ التَّرْتِيبَ الْبَدِيلَ.
رَنَا: وَمَنْ يُرَاجِعُ قَرَارًا يَرَاهُ الطَّالِبُ غَيْرَ مُنْصِفٍ؟ تَوْحِيدُ النَّمُوذَجِ لَا يَضْمَنُ تَوْحِيدَ الْمُعَامَلَةِ، إِذَا اخْتَلَفَ تَفْسِيرُ الشُّرُوطِ بَيْنَ مُدَرِّسٍ وَآخَرَ دُونَ مَرْجِعٍ مُشْتَرَكٍ.
سَامِي: أَقْتَرِحُ مُرَاجَعَةً لَدَى مُنَسِّقٍ لَمْ يُصْدِرِ الْقَرَارَ الْأَوَّلَ، وَرَدًّا يُوَضِّحُ سَبَبَ النَّتِيجَةِ. الْعَدَالَةُ لَا تَعْنِي تَطَابُقَ التَّرْتِيبَاتِ، بَلْ تَبْرِيرَ الْفُرُوقِ بِمَعَايِيرَ يُمْكِنُ فَهْمُهَا وَمُرَاجَعَتُهَا.
يُوسُفُ: مُتَّفِقُونَ، وَسَنَذْكُرُ مَوْعِدَ الرَّدِّ فِي الْإِجْرَاءِ. أَمَّا تَكَرُّرُ الْغِيَابِ فَيَسْتَدْعِي التَّوَاصُلَ لِفَهْمِ الْعَائِقِ، قَبْلَ أَنْ نَفْتَرِضَ أَنَّ الطَّالِبَ غَيْرُ مُهْتَمٍّ أَوْ نَقْتَرِحَ حَلًّا لَا يُنَاسِبُهُ.
رَنَا: وَإِذَا أَظْهَرَتِ الْمَهَمَّاتُ ضَعْفًا فِي الْفَهْمِ، فَسَنَقْتَرِحُ دَعْمًا مُحَدَّدًا وَنُرَاجِعُ أَثَرَهُ. قَدْ يَحْتَاجُ الطَّالِبُ إِلَى شَرْحٍ إِضَافِيٍّ، لَا إِلَى تَذْكِيرٍ آخَرَ بِعَدَدِ غِيَابَاتِهِ فَقَطْ.
سَامِي: هَلْ سَتُطَبَّقُ هَذِهِ التَّرْتِيبَاتُ عَلَى الْفَصْلِ الْجَارِي؟ أَرَى أَنَّ تَغْيِيرَ شُرُوطِ الدَّرَجَاتِ بَعْدَ بَدْءِ الْمُقَرَّرِ قَدْ يَضُرُّ بِمَنْ رَتَّبَ وَقْتَهُ عَلَى أَسَاسِ الشُّرُوطِ الْمُعْلَنَةِ.
يُوسُفُ: نُعْلِنُ السِّيَاسَةَ قَبْلَ الْفَصْلِ الْقَادِمِ، وَلَا نُغَيِّرُ دَرَجَاتِ الْفَصْلِ الْجَارِي بِأَثَرٍ رَجْعِيٍّ. وَنُجْرِي مُرَاجَعَةً بَعْدَ سِتَّةِ أَسَابِيعَ مِنَ التَّطْبِيقِ لِفَحْصِ الْعَوَائِقِ وَعِبْءِ الْبَدَائِلِ.
رَنَا: وَأُضِيفُ إِلَى الْمُرَاجَعَةِ جَوْدَةَ التَّعْلِيقَاتِ وَاسْتِمْرَارَ الْعَمَلِ الْجَمَاعِيِّ. إِذَا انْخَفَضَ الْحُضُورُ وَبَقِيَ التَّعَلُّمُ جَيِّدًا، فَلَا يَكْفِي عَدَدُ الْمَقَاعِدِ الْفَارِغَةِ لِلْحُكْمِ بِفَشَلِ السِّيَاسَةِ الْجَدِيدَةِ.
سَامِي: أُوَافِقُ عَلَى هَذَا الْإِطَارِ. نَحْمِي الْأَنْشِطَةَ الَّتِي تَحْتَاجُ إِلَى لِقَاءٍ، وَنُتِيحُ بَدَائِلَ مُنْصِفَةً، وَنُحَاسِبُ عَلَى تَعَلُّمٍ وَإِسْهَامٍ يُمْكِنُ إِثْبَاتُهُمَا، مَعَ الْحِفَاظِ عَلَى خُصُوصِيَّةِ الطَّالِبِ وَحَقِّهِ فِي الْمُرَاجَعَةِ.
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Yusuf — course coordinator: I have received requests to abolish the compulsory attendance percentage in our course. Before responding, I want us to identify what the requirement protects and whether it serves every activity equally.
Rana — lecturer: I teach the lecture and the workshop, and I see a difference between them. In the workshop students immediately build on their peers’ feedback, so reading the summary alone does not replace what happens during interaction.
Sami — student representative: I understand that, but signing an attendance sheet does not prove participation. A student with care responsibilities may miss a session while still being able to demonstrate learning through serious work.
Yusuf — course coordinator: Then we should distinguish physical presence, participation, and evidence of learning. We want neither to reward merely formal attendance nor to dismiss the value of a session requiring shared work.
Rana — lecturer: I suggest identifying the sessions in which attendance helps fulfil the objective, such as a peer feedback workshop, and explaining the reason for requiring it in each activity’s description.
Sami — student representative: What about a lecture whose materials are available beforehand? Why should a student lose marks after completing the required analysis simply because they could not arrive at the scheduled time?
Yusuf — course coordinator: In that case, we assess the analysis against its criteria rather than using an occupied seat as a substitute. However, the materials must be sufficient to complete the task, and instructions must be available to everyone.
Rana — lecturer: I agree, provided we do not add a test after every lecture merely to monitor absentees. We can use the tasks already assigned and check that they reveal the understanding we want to assess.
Sami — student representative: That addresses lectures, but leaves the case of someone who misses a compulsory workshop. I worry we will promise flexibility, then offer an alternative requiring much more time than the original activity.
Yusuf — course coordinator: The alternative should not be a disguised punishment. We need an activity that fulfils the same objective with comparable effort, even if its format differs, and we should announce its conditions before the term starts.
Rana — lecturer: We could arrange a short make-up session in which a small group exchanges feedback. An individual report about the workshop would not suffice, because the objective includes responding to someone else’s comments.
Sami — student representative: Agreed, if the session is scheduled at a genuinely accessible time. Let us offer two times when needed, or remote participation if the same interaction is possible without special equipment.
Yusuf — course coordinator: I cannot promise unlimited sessions. I will check whether we can provide two times, and we will explain how students prevented by their circumstances from attending either can request another arrangement.
Rana — lecturer: How do we address absence’s effect on the team? If peers’ work depends on material they have not received at all, the problem does not concern only the absent student.
Sami — student representative: We should agree to submit material and inform the team beforehand whenever possible. But an emergency may prevent even notification, so we need a plan for reallocating work without assuming bad faith.
Yusuf — course coordinator: We will set a checkpoint before the workshop to see what has been prepared and follow up an emergency later. We will assess a student’s contribution through evidence, not through an impression of character formed from one absence.
Rana — lecturer: I also want us to clarify participation. I do not think the number of times a student speaks is a sufficient measure; a written comment might change the direction of the work.
Sami — student representative: Let us allow written comments and spoken responses, with a shared criterion for feedback quality and relevance to the task. Students will then not have to interrupt just to prove they participated.
Yusuf — course coordinator: Exception requests will be submitted through a private channel and reviewed against published criteria. We will not ask students to recount their circumstances to their classmates to convince them they deserve an alternative arrangement.
Rana — lecturer: Who reviews a decision a student considers unfair? Standardising the form does not guarantee consistent treatment if teachers interpret its conditions differently without a shared reference.
Sami — student representative: I suggest review by a coordinator who did not make the original decision, with a response explaining the outcome. Fairness does not mean identical arrangements; it means justifying differences through criteria that can be understood and reviewed.
Yusuf — course coordinator: Agreed, and we will specify a response timeframe in the procedure. Repeated absence should prompt contact to understand the obstacle before we assume the student is uninterested or propose an unsuitable solution.
Rana — lecturer: If the tasks reveal weak understanding, we will suggest specific support and review its effect. A student may need additional explanation, not merely another reminder of their number of absences.
Sami — student representative: Will these arrangements apply to the current term? I think changing grading conditions after the course has begun could disadvantage those who organised their time around the announced conditions.
Yusuf — course coordinator: We will announce the policy before next term and not change the current term’s marks retrospectively. We will review it after six weeks of implementation to examine obstacles and the workload of alternatives.
Rana — lecturer: I would add feedback quality and continuity of group work to the review. If attendance falls while learning remains good, the number of empty seats alone is not enough to judge the new policy a failure.
Sami — student representative: I agree with this framework. We protect activities requiring a meeting, offer fair alternatives, and assess demonstrable learning and contribution while preserving student privacy and the right to review.
02Useful words and expressions
| Arabic in the conversation | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| الْحُضُورِ الْإِلْزَامِيِّ | compulsory attendance |
| الْحُضُورَ الشَّكْلِيَّ | merely formal attendance |
| الْمَقْعَدَ الْمَشْغُولَ | an occupied seat |
| عُقُوبَةً مُقَنَّعَةً | a disguised punishment |
| لِقَاءٍ تَعْوِيضِيٍّ | a make-up session |
| سُوءِ النِّيَّةِ | bad faith |
| نُقْطَةَ مُرَاجَعَةٍ | a checkpoint |
| جَوْدَةِ الْمُلَاحَظَةِ | the quality of feedback |
| قَنَاةٍ خَاصَّةٍ | a private channel |
| تَبْرِيرَ الْفُرُوقِ | justifying differences |
| بِأَثَرٍ رَجْعِيٍّ | retrospectively |
| عِبْءِ الْبَدَائِلِ | the workload of alternatives |
03Check your understanding
Choose one answer for each question. Look back at the Arabic conversation for evidence. Open the English question support or a hint when you need help.
What to remember
- Link attendance requirements to specific learning activities and evaluate alternatives against the same objective.
- Explain justified differences, privacy, and review procedures while preserving responsibilities to classmates.
Explore the Arabic in this conversation
Related grammar and vocabularyOpen Araqick guides connected to this conversation.
Lakinna and Lakin in Arabic: Two Patterns for But
لَكِنَّ الطَّارِئَ قَدْ يَمْنَعُ حَتَّى الْإِبْلَاغَ
Use lakinna with an accusative noun to concede that an emergency can limit what advance notice is possible.
Because in Arabic: Give a Reason with Lianna
لِأَنَّ الْهَدَفَ يَشْمَلُ الرَّدَّ عَلَى مُلَاحَظَاتِ شَخْصٍ آخَرَ
Explain why a report alone is insufficient with lianna and its accusative noun al-hadafa.
Fa in Arabic Conditional Sentences: When the Result Needs Fa
إِذَا أَظْهَرَتِ الْمَهَمَّاتُ ضَعْفًا فِي الْفَهْمِ، فَسَنَقْتَرِحُ دَعْمًا مُحَدَّدًا وَنُرَاجِعُ أَثَرَهُ
Introduce a future response to an idha condition with fa followed by sa-.
