Recording Attendance in Banner: Guidance and Frequently Asked Questions
Purpose. As part of Buffalo State's Academic Momentum and broader student-success efforts, instructors are expected to maintain accurate and timely attendance records in Banner. Attendance information can help us recognize changes in student engagement early and connect students with support while there is still time to intervene.
Attendance should be updated in Banner on a regular basis. Instructors do not need to take attendance directly in Banner during class. Faculty may use a reasonable method appropriate to the size, modality, and instructional design of the course and then update the attendance record in Banner. Attendance should be entered into Banner, ideally, within two days. And it should take no longer than a week between when a class meets, or an assignment is due, and when attendance at the class or submission of the assignment is recorded in Banner.
Why Attendance Matters
Attendance is more than a record of who was present on a particular day. Changes in attendance and engagement can be among the earliest indications that a student is beginning to struggle or disengage. Timely attendance information helps faculty, advisers, and student-support professionals identify concerns earlier, connect with students, and provide support while there is still an opportunity to influence a student's academic trajectory.
Ways to Track Attendance
There is no single method that will work for every course. Faculty should select a reasonable approach that fits the course size, modality, and instructional design. Whenever possible, consider a method that both documents attendance and contributes to student learning or engagement.
| Course Setting | Possible Approaches |
| Small/medium in-person | Instructor checklist or roll; seating chart; entry or exit ticket; brief written activity; low-stakes quiz. |
| Large lecture | Polling or response activity; brief course-related quiz; entry/exit activity; Brightspace activity; individual or group work. |
| Lab/studio/performance | Instructor record; participation in the scheduled activity; completion of lab, studio, or performance work. |
| Synchronous online | Participation in the class session; course-related activity; poll; discussion; assessment. |
| Asynchronous online | Assignment or assessment submission; assigned academic discussion; interactive course activity; other documented academic engagement. |
| Hybrid | An appropriate method based on whether that day's instructional activity is in person or online. |
These are examples, not prescribed methods. Faculty should use a reasonable approach that works for their course. Entry and exit tickets, polls, quizzes, and other course-related activities can be particularly useful because they can document attendance while also supporting student engagement and providing information about learning.
What Has Not Changed
Faculty continue to establish and communicate the attendance requirements for their individual courses. Recording attendance in Banner provides a consistent institutional record; it does not prescribe how attendance must affect a student's course grade.
- Your course attendance policy remains yours.
- Your method for determining attendance can fit your course.
- Recording attendance in Banner is our shared institutional expectation.
When an Attendance Pattern Raises Concern
Do not simply record the absence. Reach out to the student and, when appropriate, use Navigate to submit an alert or connect the student with additional support. Recording attendance is one part of a larger student success process.