That’s awful that you’re in a position where you feel like you have to retake it. (And for the record, if I was in your shoes, I’d absolutely suffer through it to scrub the old grade off my transcript.) Any chance it’s a smaller class taught by a different prof over the summer?

The philosophy course is roughly 99% attendance-optional. The professor takes 2 totally random attendance surveys. At the end of two lectures he’ll tell you to sign your name on a piece of paper and turn it in, which the TAs will note in the grade book. If your final grade for the semester is a few points away from the next-highest letter grade and you were present for the two random surveys, he may decide to bump you up a notch.

Most professors I’ve had have used this sort of tactic. Others will make attendance 10-20% of your final grade, and still others couldn’t give a shit less if you go to their class or not.

As long as the lectures are interesting I attend. Like my social theory course, for example. The professor makes me laugh at least several times through his lecture, properly utilizes powerpoint (for us visual/-auditory learners), and takes time to pose challenging questions to us and actually expects/listens to/engages in responses.

You can buy class notes going back to 2001 for this philosophy course, if that further elucidates my irritation.