School rumors can fly faster than updates on Facebook accounts.

Ever heard the rumor that if your professor is 15 minutes late you can leave? Well, don’t believe it. This is not a school policy, and in fact many FAU departments haven’t even heard of it.
“I’ve heard about it and always thought it was true,” explains Cassie Shashaty, a freshman social science major. “My teachers have never been more than 15 minutes late, but if they were, I would definitely leave because they can’t expect us to wait around all day. … They are late, and everyone else is on time.”

The UP called five different colleges and the only response we received was: “I’ve never heard of such a policy.” The Office of the Registrar, which organizes the University Catalog, and the Office of the Provost, which organizes university affairs, were the only two offices that could definitively say that the policy “never existed.”

Senior Ryan Smith thinks it’s wrong for students to leave class if a teacher is late.
“It’s an unwritten rule that people follow. I know about it and I think the people who do it are stupid,” says the communications major. “It’s irresponsible to leave after 15 minutes. If someone does that, it’s an excuse for them not to go to class.”

Follow FAU’s advice: If your professor is late to class, the students are expected to stay unless the professor informs them of a class cancellation. Students are still responsible for their absences and work missed if they leave early.