Abstract
Attendance is an enduring educational problem; the pandemic appears to have exacerbated it. Solutions remain elusive. Why does such a central issue to teaching and learning prove so difficult to resolve? In this panel, we argue that a central hurdle to improving attendance is that the concept currently covers too wide a variety of student behaviors. This makes it impossible to develop fitting solutions. Before we promote answers and revise policies, we must first redefine what attendance — or lack thereof — means.