I have a student who... Fall 2008

Did you accidentally delete a message you wished you would have saved?

Scroll down to read the Fall 2008 series.
Click on the names of past semesters at the left to see archived "student who" messages.

I have a student who...
08-27-08...Introduction
09-03-08...needs information about Learning Support Services
09-10-08...has a disability (I think).
09-24-08...needs feedback!
10-08-08...might cheat or plagiarize.
10-29-08...needs to drop my class.
11-19-08...is stressed about finals.
12-10-08...would be a great Peer Tutor.

Introduction

Back by popular demand!  The Early Alert committee and Learning Support Services are once again continuing the "I have a student who..." email series. In a continuing effort to increase retention and to share helpful tips and tricks, we plan to send ways you can help your students succeed throughout the semester, both in and out of the classroom. Many of these emails will be geared more towards the classroom setting, but if you have work study students or see students on a daily basis, some suggestions could come in handy!   Examples of past messages can be found online at http://lss.edgewood.edu/faculty_staff. 

If you are interested in receiving these weekly emails, please respond to this message and I will put you on the weekly distribution list. 

If you have anything you would like to know or discuss or have useful information you would like to share with other faculty and staff members, pass it along to Sara Anderson in Learning Support Services.  Remember, some topics that some of us take for granted might be completely new to other staff or faculty members—if you have an idea, Please pass it along!

Thanks!  I look forward to hearing from you!

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I need information regarding Learning Support Services.
Where should I go? 

Visit the LSS website!
http://lss.edgewood.edu

The Learning Support Services website is your resource for helping students AND yourself. 

Student Assistance
Are you meeting with students who are confused about resources available to them?  Direct them to the LSS website. 

• LSS services explained; direct students to “Tutoring Services,” “Math Lab,” “Writing Center,” or “Disabilities Services” 
• By going to “on-line forms,” students are able to request tutoring or schedule accommodations through disabilities services without needing to visit the Student Resource Center
• Math Lab and Writing Center hours are always available at the click of a mouse
• LSS staff information (with pictures) is also available.  Sometimes it is less stressful for a student to meet with a member of LSS if they know what we look like in advance.

Study Tips and Resources
If you have a student, advisee, or student worker who is struggling with the start to the semester, studying for tests, or any other study related issue, direct them to the website.  Students are able to access all LSS handouts on study skills or visit the vast number of internet resources for study skills, mathematics, or science.  If you know of great internet resources you would like to add, contact Sara Anderson.  New this year—we also have access to the weekly tips sent via email AND the LSS Podcast. 

 Do you need information for yourself?  From the home page, click on “Faculty/Staff Resources.”  This web page is specifically designed to assist you in dealing with students in and out of the classroom.

Academic Alert Notices
As you recall, you can submit an Academic Alert Notice (AAN) for a variety of reasons.  The LSS website will give you an overview of Academic Alert Notices, and also links to the on-line form.  By going through the LSS website, you can inform students what concerns you have about their academic progress and the steps you believe they need to take to remedy their less than satisfactory performance--wherever you have an internet connection.  Bookmark this page! 

Early Alert
Do you have questions about Early Alert?  The Early Alert page gives answers to frequently asked questions.  It also has links to all publications distributed by the committee; if you are unable to find the Early Alert booklet given to you at the beginning of the semester, you can print a copy here. 

I have a student who…
All “student who” messages are saved to the LSS site.  You can browse all messages sent from Fall 2002 to present.  

Disability Services
Do you have a question about students with disabilities in your classroom?  “Disability Services Explained” gives you an overview of Edgewood policy, as well as classroom tips for different types of disabilities. 

Writing Center
The Writing Center website has a section devoted entirely to instructors.  There are articles discussing writing and it’s assessment, how to incorporate the Writing Center into your class, and much more.  If you have other resources that you would like to make available for your colleagues, contact Angela Woodward. 

Tutoring Services
Would you like to recommend a student to become a peer tutor?  Click “Recommend a tutor” and your recommendation will be immediately forwarded to Sara Anderson. 

What are you waiting for?  Take a tour today!
http://lss.edgewood.edu

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I have a student with a disability (I think).
What can I do?

There are typically three situations in which this statement arises:

• The student self identifies him or herself and presents documentation

• The student tells me he or she has a disability and wants to work with me, but does not have documentation

• The student does not seem to be "getting it" or is not following the class

The student self identifies him or herself and presents documentation. Students with documented disabilities have self identified themselves to Edgewood College and are receiving coordinated services through Learning Support Services. Typical services provided to students include: paid peer note taking, alternative testing (i.e. extended time, quiet testing environment, materials in alternate formats), interpreters, Real Time Captioning, books on tape, and materials in other formats. The Disabilities Services Coordinator, Deb Tobin, may or may not provide additional information to the faculty and staff that would be beneficial to the student’s academic welfare.

Please remember any documentation or information provided to you from the student or LSS is confidential, and cannot be shared with other faculty, staff, or students.

A student requests accommodations, but does not have Edgewood documentation. Please refer any students to Deb Tobin  in Learning Support Services. She can clarify Edgewood policies and procedures to the student and start the process of an accommodation request.

I have a student who does not seem to "get it," and I think there might be a learning disability. Please talk with the student and inquire if the student has received academic supports in the past. If the student is not comfortable with the discussion, encourage him or her to schedule an appointment with Deb Tobin. This may be done by calling the Student Resource Center at 663-2281. Edgewood College cannot require any student to participate with LSS.

You are free to contact Deb Tobin at anytime to discuss a student. However, it is important for you to understand that there is a limit on the information that can be shared. Disability documentation is confidential and can only be shared with other faculty or staff members if the student has signed a release form. If you wish to know more about how a student best learns or the disability itself, your best venue for information is the student. He or she is generally the expert on what works best (or worst) for him or herself.

We can discuss any requested accommodation by a student, how to best work with students with disabilities, and how to integrate alternative teaching strategies for students into your lessons.

If you have any more questions, please contact Deb Tobin in Learning Support Services at 663-2281.  You can also refer to the Learning Support Services website for more information at http://lss.edgewood.edu. 

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I have a student who needs to drop my class.

The deadline is
Wednesday, November 5th! 

If there is no chance the student will be able to pass your course at this point, you may wish to gently recommend withdrawal.  Refer your student to his or her advisor to discuss repercussions with financial aid, residence halls, etc.  Remember, students may not realize how poorly they are doing in your classes or may still believe that success is possible—even if they received a failing grade at midterm!  Unless you bring the situation to their attention, you cannot assume that they understand.  

If you are hesitant about speaking directly with the student, send an Academic Alert Notice.  Remember, these notices can be used for any issue occurring in the classroom (poor exams, attendance issues, late homework, etc), and are also sent to the student’s advisor and the academic dean’s office.  You can fill them out online by going to http://edgenet.edgewood.edu/LSS/form/academic_alert_notice.htm.  The process only takes a few minutes.  Reminding a student of their progress (or lack thereof) in your class BEFORE the drop date can mean the difference between that student being in good academic standing or on academic probation at the end of the semester.

Advisors
If you have advisees who still need to drop classes OR students who have no chance of passing a class, you may want to remind them of the drop date.  Students occasionally put off dropping a class for a variety of reasons (wanting to stay at full time status as long as possible for insurance or financial aid reasons, etc) but sometimes they just forget to do it.  Your advisees also may not realize that in some cases it is in their best interest to drop a class, or may not understand Academic Probation (visit http://edgenet.edgewood.edu/LSS/Faculty_Resources/Probation.htm for more information). 

The drop date (November 5) also gives advisors a great reason to stay in contact with students—an email to advisees reminding them of the drop date also reminds them that you exist and are here to help them with academic concerns that may arise.

Tutoring
November 5 is also the last day to request a peer tutor for classes.   If you have a student who is still struggling in your course and could benefit from tutoring, please send them to Sara Anderson for tutoring information as soon as possible.  Students can also request assistance on-line through the LSS website.  The Math Lab and Writing Center will be open until the end of the semester.  Go to http://lss.edgewood.edu for more information.

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 I have a student who needs feedback.

What can I do?

If you have freshmen in your class, you have received an "Early Alert" roster in your Edgewood email inbox.  On these rosters, we have listed all freshmen enrolled in each of your classes--it does not mean that these students are "at-risk."   This feedback process is a retention tool designed by the Early Alert Committee to track the success of our first year students. (No freshmen?  See below!)

It is very important that we receive these rosters back in a timely manner, whether or not you have negative feedback on a student.  Positive feedback is just as valuable as negative feedback in determining a student's status.  Even if you have been giving frequent feedback (positive or negative to a student), this allows us to compile the BIG picture of a student. 

What is the “big picture”?  It’s the connections made between the feedback given in every class.  It isn’t enough to see what happened in one class for a student—we have to see what happens in every class that student is taking!  If students aren’t acting on the feedback you have given, they may be ignoring other instructors as well.

Your feedback could mean the difference between retaining a student and losing a student!

Even if you don't have any absences or late work to report, please return your electronic rosters by
Friday, September 26
Having trouble with your roster, an alternate email address that you prefer, OR you are a MAC user?   Email Slanderson@edgewood.edu.  

Upperclassmen
It is important to remember that students with sophomore, junior, or senior standing will NOT appear on these rosters.  Since feedback early and often is important for ALL students regardless of standing, try one of these other methods for upperclassmen.

Academic Alert Notices.  Is attendance becoming a problem?  Did the first exam not go well for a student?  Fill out an Academic Alert Notice (AAN) online.  A copy of the AAN is sent to the student, the Academic Dean's office, and the student's advisor, alerting them to the student's performance.  You can find online AANs at http://lss.edgewood.edu/faculty_staff.  Bookmark this link!  It is a useful feedback tool.

Communicate with the student.  Talk with the student directly, make a note on a returned assignment, or send an email.  All of these things can communicate your concern with the student directly, allowing him or her to take action.  Feedback is crucial to the development of all learners, and should be delivered frequently.

Remember, feedback does not have to be negative, or occur only when something "bad" has happened.  Feedback can (and should) exist when things are going well.  Do you see marked improvement in student work?  Has classroom participation been particularly valuable?  Let them know!  This is especially important with our “Millennial” generation!

Returning assignments.  While we all know that a grade is not the final measure of a student's learning or understanding, it is a way to let students know how they are doing in a course.  By handing back assignments in a reasonable amount of time, revisions can be made, allowing the student to learn more from the experience and seek help before it's too late.  Remember, students will often not seek help until they are told (or shown) they need it! 

Early Alert Committee.  If you are having concerns about a student, contact someone on the Early Alert Committee to point you in the right direction.  For more information about the Early Alert Committee, review the booklet you received at the beginning of the semester, or go to http://lss.edgewood.edu/faculty_staff. 

For advisors:  The Early Alert Committee has devised a way to help us “close the loop” and better serve our students.  After meeting with your advisees about any concerns (i.e. information you receive from the Early Alert Committee), we ask that you visit http://edgenet.edgewood.edu/LSS/faculty_staff/ea_post_form.htm  to fill out our follow-up form.  By doing so, it gives the committee a better idea of how and where our students are connected, and also lets us identify which students are in need of more attention.  This essential piece of “closing the loop” allows us to focus our attention on the students who are in great need of additional outreach. 

Work-study supervisors.  Worried about a student?  Send the Early Alert Committee an email.  We can help you brainstorm, or find someone to help you contact your student.  It’s very possible that you could be the only person noticing your workers’ problems!

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I have a student who might cheat or plagiarize.
What can I do to prevent it? 

When given the opportunity, students will cheat. 

Although this perspective sounds harsh, it has been proven time and time again.  Cheating is not limited to class, socioeconomic group, higher achievers or lower achievers—cheating happens.  Everywhere.  There are specific measures you can take, however, to prevent cheating or plagiarism in your classroom.  We also know that students whose instructors are frank about honesty and plagiarism and who know that their instructors will not tolerate cheating are less likely to cheat. 

Talk to the students.  Talk to your classes about honesty and ways to document appropriately when writing.  When assigning homework, be specific.  State your specific guidelines (group work?), designating what students can and can’t do, and resources they can and cannot use (i.e. other students, faculty members, math lab, or writing center).  If you are assigning a take home portion to an exam, send the writing center or math lab an electronic copy so they know not to assist students.  Without seeing a copy of a take home quiz or exam, math lab workers may not know the difference between problems copied off of a take home exam paper and problems the student is working on for further enrichment…

Plagiarism.  How do you know if a paper has been plagiarized?  While there are a number of places to buy papers online (check out http://schoolsucks.com/ or http://www.ezwrite.com/), most students who plagiarize cut and paste from one or more websites (regardless of whether those websites are accurate or even legitimate sources).  Most instructors have a good nose for plagiarism:  they can recognize passages that don’t “sound” like the student’s writing or are inconsistent with the rest of the paper.  A paper that has odd or no documentation of sources should also arouse suspicion.  As always, if you have questions, contact the Academic Dean’s office. 

Assign smaller deadlines for papers.  By looking at proposals, outlines, bibliographies, and drafts of students’ papers before the final copy, you can make sure students are on the right track and check their progress throughout the semester.  This prevents some plagiarism, as the papers are broken into manageable pieces and more opportunities are afforded for the instructor to catch suspicious passages.  Also, by assigning papers specific to the course, students are not as able to use papers from a “paper mill.”  Example:  Instead of assigning an 8 page paper on the Civil War, specifically state on which aspect of the Civil War you would like them to focus purposely structured to the themes of the class. 

Collaborative work.  Be specific about how you want students to complete the assignment (is working in a group ok?) and what you expect students to learn by doing the assignment.  Remind students that submitting someone else’s work as their own constitutes cheating, and both students (copier and copied) can be sanctioned. The Millennial generation students we are beginning to see are more accustomed to working in group and team environments, and may not understand why collaborating with other students is unacceptable.  Clear expectations up front can resolve misunderstandings and may stop some cheating before it begins.

As always, the Academic Dean’s office is available to assist with any suspected cheating or plagiarism cases. 

Interested in learning more?  Check out http://edgenet.edgewood.edu/LSS/faculty_staff/cheating.htm, an article on cheating on the LSS website.

It’s not too late to give feedback!  If you have a student missing classes or work, send them an Academic Alert Notice TODAY before it’s too late to help your student.  You can send them online at http://edgenet.edgewood.edu/LSS/form/academic_alert_notice.htm. 

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I have a student who seems stressed about finals (or isn’t stressed enough!).
What can I do?

Time is running down…we only have 4 weeks until the end of the semester!  This is the perfect time to remind your students to begin reviewing (if they haven’t already) and to finish those final projects.  This is also the first “final’s week” experienced by our first year students, and some may not know what to expect.  Also, students are anticipating Thanksgiving break and may already be in vacation mode. The following tips can help you ease anxiety and make their first exam week more bearable. 

Give them concrete information. How would you suggest studying for your final? What is the format? How long will they have to complete it? Is it cumulative or a final chapter exam? If it is a final paper, can they utilize the writing center?  The more information you can give them on the format and content of the final, the better prepared they will be to study for it.  Also, try to be positive when talking about the final—students have already put themselves under an extreme amount of stress.  If you refer to your final as incredibly difficult or impossible to pass, some students may give up and not even attempt to study.

Study tips. On which portions of their notes/books should they concentrate? Refer students to the syllabus to examine course goals, if you do not want to tell them directly what to study.  If you did not hand back exams, is there a time where they can come to your office to examine what went right (or what didn’t) on past exams?

Group Work. Remind students the value of group work! Reviewing material in groups has been shown to be a very useful way to study for final exams. 

General Health. Getting the right amount of sleep, eating regular meals, and not pumping their bodies full of caffeine will be better for them during test time than pulling all-nighters in an effort to cram. Refer students to Jan Zimmerman, our campus Nurse Practitioner, with any questions.

Cramming. If students have not yet begun studying and are now in "cramming" mode, there are some general tips to aid them. For a cumulative final, have them start finding principle themes, sub-topics and other major illustrations of material. Then, they need to decide on which supporting information to concentrate. They will have an easier time remembering a narrow range of material in depth rather than a smattering of random facts. Skimming text (not rereading) or going through notes is much more effective and a better use of time than rereading every chapter.

Refer students to resources. Send students to the SRC to make an appointment with someone from Learning Support Services or Personal Counseling.  They may also find useful handouts on the LSS Bulletin Board or through the LSS website.  http://lss.edgewood.edu   The Math Lab and Writing Center will also be open to assist students. 

Plan for it. If you've noticed times in the semester when you know students will not be very motivated (before winter or Thanksgiving break for example), plan for it. It is much easier to teach students who are willing to learn! If you begin cramming things into the last few weeks because the class fell behind in the syllabus, it will create more stress for the student (and you!) and contribute to the lack of motivation. Ask fellow instructors how they combat this particular issue.

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I have a student who would be a great Peer Tutor.
How can I let Learning Support Services know?

Edgewood College has a Peer Tutoring program to assist students who would like assistance above and beyond what their faculty member provides.  Some students request tutors because they are struggling with course material.  Others need extra confidence, or would like extra practice with course material.  Either way, we have Peer Tutors to assist them and help them to become better independent learners.   

The catch? 
Learning Support Services needs students to become Peer Tutors.  Occasionally, interested students will approach us on their own, recognizing that assisting their fellow students will help them in other classes, look great on a resume, and is a great thing to do!  For the rest of our Peer Tutors, we rely on faculty and staff recommendations.   

What we are looking for:
We are looking for students who received a “B” or better in the courses they wish to tutor and have a firm understanding of course content.  We need students with great communication skills who can work with students with a variety of different needs.  It is important that our Peer Tutors are sensitive to the needs of all students and have confidence in their abilities.  Patience is essential. 

A Peer Tutor is a work study position, so students are paid the current work study rate.  Training is also included.  Being a Peer Tutor looks great on a resume, and also helps students develop and refine their leadership and communication skills. 

How can you recommend a student?
If you have students whom you believe would excel in one of these positions, please contact Sara Anderson in Learning Support Services (663-3210). Writing recommendations can go to Angela Woodward.  You may also make your recommendations on-line through the Learning Support Services website at http://edgenet.edgewood.edu/LSS/faculty_staff/recommend.htm. 

Even if you don’t think there isn’t a need for tutoring in your subject, recommend your students anyway!  Some students are multi-talented, and may be capable of tutoring in another area as well.  Also, sometimes students don’t request a tutor because they don’t think one will be available.  If we advertise availability, the students will come!

Types of tutoring positions:  Find out more about tutoring at http://lss.edgewood.edu/tutoring. 

 Please contact Sara Anderson (slanderson@edgewood.edu) with any questions!

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