I have a student who...Spring 2003

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I have a student who...
01/22/03...needs study skills assistance.
01/29/03...may not understand my classroom rules.
02/05/03...is isolated in the classroom.
02/12/03...is not completing assignments as assigned.
02/19/03...whose name appears on Early Alert rosters.
02/26/03...seems depressed.
03/05/03...needs an academic alert.
03/12/03...would benefit from academic assistance after Spring Break.
03/26/03...is a poor writer.
04/02/03...needs an APE or needs to drop my course.
04/09/03...needs to prepare for the semester's end.
04/16/03...is registering for Fall classes.
04/23/03...wants to list me as a reference.
04/30/03...has no chance of passing my class.

I have a student who needs study skills assistance.

Any ideas?

Learning Support Services is proud to announce their workshop series for Spring 2003!

If you have students in need of specific assistance, please refer them to one (or more) of the following workshops.

More will be available from the Student Resource Center as the semester progresses.

If you have any questions about these workshops or any other service provided by Learning Support Services, contact us today at 663-2281.

Get Organized Using Your Syllabus:
Interpreting What Your Instructor Expects
Wednesday, January 29
4:30 - 5:30
Library 2

Diet for a Short Semester:
So Much Information, So Little Time (Social Sciences)
Wednesday, February 12
4:30 - 5:30
Library 2

Test Taking Tools and Tips
Wednesday, February 26
4:30 - 5:30
Predolin 214

Feel Cool and Calm During Tests:
Keys to Relaxation
Wednesday, March 5
4:00 - 5:00
Predolin 214

Conquer Math Anxiety
Wednesday, March 26
4:30 - 5:30
Library 2

Get Back on the Academic Wagon:
You Really Do Still Have Class
Wednesday, April 2
4:30 - 5:30
Library 2

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I have a student who may not understand my classroom rules.
What can I do?

Although we would assume these to be "common sense," if we don't specifically state our classroom expectations we cannot expect students to follow them! If you haven't already done so, now is an excellent time to clarify what your classroom etiquette entails.

Stop problems before they start with a quick and easy classroom discussion!

Is this information in your syllabus? It could be that your students don't know how to read a syllabus (or never bothered to...). Send them to the LSS workshop,

"Get Organized Using Your Syllabus:
Interpreting What Your Instructor Expects"

Today, 4:30-5:30 in L2.

Some things to discuss:

Behavioral expectations

• Tardiness
• Attendance policy
• Are cell phones allowed?
• Discussion rules: is hand raising required, or may students "blurt out" answers?
• Is food allowed in the classroom?
• May students leave the classroom at will (restroom breaks, etc)?
• Can students "pack up" before the end of class?
• What are your participation requirements? How do you want students in your class to treat one another?
• When are you free to answer questions about grading--only in office hours, or before and after class as well?

Academic expectations

• Do you accept hand-written assignments, or do you want them typed?
• For written assignments, what are your standards? Will you take off points for misspelled words? Incomplete sentences?
• Do you have a late assignment policy?
• Academic Honesty--what collaboration is accepted? Is group work allowed on assignments? Will you have take-home exams or quizzes, and if so, what are the requirements?

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I have a student who is very isolated in my classroom.

How can I include him or her?

Students may isolate themselves for a variety of reasons. Some folks are merely more introverted than others, so large classroom discussion and debate won't suit their learning style!

Things to watch:

• When students break into small groups, is the student still isolated?
• Does the student insist on sitting towards the back of the classroom, when everyone else sits in the front?

What to do?

• Talk with the student. Mention that it seems like he or she does not want to become involved in the classroom, and ask what you can do to help. Is there a specific person that the student would like to work with? Does someone in the class make the student uncomfortable? The next time you create small groups, you can form them so the student is more comfortable.
• Is one student dominating discussion? Could that cause others to retreat?
• Discuss with the student the importance of classroom discussion, and the value he or she brings to the classroom.
• What is your classroom format? Is your class entirely lecture? Is there a way to integrate the more introverted students? Talk with your colleagues for more ideas.
• Perhaps there is something in the student's personal life that is affecting work. If the student is willing to share, you can mention the resources that Edgewood provides.
• Some students may never be able to participate in a meaningful way in class discussion (for reasons other than a bad attitude, extreme shyness or cultural barriers). For these students, to the extent that they can be distinguished from the ones with a bad attitude, maybe some other way to verify engagement with the material can be negotiated and established. For example, personal journal entries or other essay assignments or a brief conversation with the instructor once per week. Or, smaller in-class steps that demonstrate engagement can be agreed upon, such as head nodding or a simple “ I agree” from the student might suffice.

Remember, the student may or may not decide to really "open up" to you. But, in many cases it only takes one concerned instructor to turn a student's life around!

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I have students who aren’t completing assignments as assigned.
What can I do?

Sometimes I don’t grade or assign points to assignments because I want students to learn by doing; i.e., the assignment is for students’ learning, not for my evaluation of student progress. But if there’s no grade assigned, students don’t take these assignments seriously.

• Formulate these skill-building assignments so that students understand that it’s the process, not the product, that’s important.
• Explain the learning value of the assignment and why you are asking a student to “practice,” assuming that students will be tested on that skill eventually. If students choose not to do to the assignment, it’s their loss, but you should point out the “cause and effect” sequence.

Often when I give these assignments, student do them together focusing only on the getting the right answer instead working to learn something (a mild form of academic dishonesty); or worse, they just copy another student’s assignment and hand it in as their own (an obvious form of dishonesty).

• Be specific about how you want students to complete an assignment (is working in a group okay?) and also about what you expect students to learn by doing the assignment (the process is important--not the product).
• Remind students that submitting someone else’s work as their own constitutes cheating, for which students can be sanctioned. You may need to check assignments to be sure students understand this.
• The bottom line: if teachers let students get away with cheating, students will cheat.

If you suspect cheating and don't know how to handle the situation, contact the Academic Dean's office.

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I have a student whose name appears on the Early Alert rosters. 

If you have freshmen in your class, you have received an "Early Alert" roster.  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.

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.  A view of the whole program for each student is the most helpful. 
 

Even if you don't have any absences or late work to report, please return your  completed  rosters as soon as possible to the Student Resource Center (Der 206) or Laurie Laz's mailbox.   Thank you to those faculty who have returned your rosters.  We currently have about half of them returned.  We are at our deadline for compiling the Early Alert data, and are hopeful that the remaining rosters will be submitted this week so we can begin to act on contacting students regarding their academic progress.

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I have a student who seems depressed.

What can I do?

This time of year depression can result from a variety of sources.  

Homesickness

After an extended winter break, some students are reluctant to return to school.  Students spent extra time with families and friends and were able to reestablish bonds with loved ones at home.  Residence Life staff reports more homesickness in February than in August or September!

Academic Stress

We are now in the sixth week of the semester.  Midterms are starting and we are currently in an academic transition period.   Academic expectations are increasing and students are managing a variety of projects, tests, and papers in their course work.  They can feel overwhelmed, and serious stress can result.  

Spring Fever

Residence Life staff report that with Spring Break approaching, students may begin to dream of vacations and warmer places.  As a result, school work may lack focus.  In addition, with the warm weather and vacation approaching, some students become increasingly concerned about body image and succumb to unhealthy lifestyles.  Alternating unseasonable warm spells and bitter cold can also dramatically affect mood swings.  
 

What can I do?

Pay close attention to behavioral and emotional as well as academic changes in student performance.  At six weeks, we are at a very critical point; it is still early enough to make this a successful semester.  If you notice the quality of student work dropping, talk to the student today, and make the necessary referrals. Those referrals could be Academic Alert Notices, Early Alert contacts, Counseling and Health Services referrals, or tutoring requests. The best thing to do is to provide the student with valuable feedback.  

If a student seems depressed, consult your Counseling Services Faculty & Staff Referral Guide, provided by personal counseling at Edgewood College.  It lists warning signs of distressed students and also gives tips on handling various situations that may arise.  You can also call the Student Resource Center at 663-2281 for assistance.

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I have a student who needs an academic alert.

What can I do?

There are many ways to give a student a much needed "reality check."  You can:

• Talk with the student directly.  Does he or she know there are problems?  If the student won't stay after class and won't set up an appointment, try giving feedback via a returned assignment. 
• Contact the Early Alert committee.  Someone there may have a way to contact the student.
• Send an Academic Alert Notice.

The Academic Dean's Office and Learning Support Services has devised a new way to complete Academic Alert Notices.  As you already know, Academic Alert Notices (AAN) are available in the Academic Dean's Office and are used to inform students of academic issues in your classroom (poor test scores, low grades, attendance issues, etc).  In the past, you were required to fill out the form, send it to the Academic Dean's office, and wait for a paper confirmation to appear in your campus mailbox.

We now have a new way to file these notices.  Go to https://edgenet.edgewood.edu/lss/form/academic_alert_notice.htm  (make this a link in your "favorites" folder).  You will be prompted to enter your user name and password.  Complete the form on-line and click Submit.  That's all!  Within a few days you will be emailed a copy of the information for your own records.  Students will be notified with a paper copy (as before) and an email copy (new!).  This link is also available by going to "Faculty Information" from the LSS website on EdgeNet (https://edgenet.edgewood.edu/lss/ ).

Why are we doing this?  Convenience.  You can now file an AAN at any time of the day or night, as long as you have access to the internet.  You need not travel to the dean's office to pick up any forms.  Hopefully, this process will be faster and easier for you, and will provide much needed feedback to students faster (which is our main goal). 

What about confidentiality?  Confidentiality is not violated through this new system.  In fact, it may be improved!  Since the form is electronic and filed directly with the academic dean's office, there are fewer people to come in contact with an AAN when it moves through campus mail. 

Paper versions of the Academic Alert Notice are available in the Academic Dean's Office.

Special thanks to Rich Path and everyone in CIS for making this possible!

Questions?  Contact:

Sara Anderson

Learning Support Services

663-3210

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I have a student who would benefit from academic assistance after Spring Break.
What could I suggest?

By the time students return from spring break, only seven weeks of class remain.  This is the last opportunity you will have to encourage students to get back on track, and to let them know that the need to do so is immediate!  Midterm grades will be submitted by April 1st, when just 6 weeks of class remain.  The last day to drop a class or to request an academic peer educator is April 8.  Remind your students of the following options for academic assistance.  Please encourage individual students to use these services, if you believe they will help. 

Form Study Groups

Encourage the creation of study groups among classmates.  Study groups are an extremely valuable learning tool.  If you have questions about how to organize study groups, please contact Learning Support Service.

Office Hours

Students may not think of office hours as a place to go when they need assistance.  A quick reminder of your office hours and location could spark attendance.

Writing Walk-in Hours

Writing walk-in hours are available for students who need assistance with their writing--for any class.  No appointments are needed, and the service is free to all Edgewood College students.  Peer tutors in the writing lab will help with any stage of the writing process.  Tutors are available Monday through Thursday from 9:30-4:00 in Der 206 (Student Resource Center), Monday and Wednesday from 4-6 and Thursday 4:00-5:30 in the Library (Group Study Room 4).  For more information, contact Kathleen Rinear (krinear@edgewood.edu or 663-3293).

Math Walk-in Hours

Similar to the writing walk-in hours, Math walk-in hours are free to the student and can help students with their math quandaries.  Located in Sonderegger 408, peer educators are staffed Monday and Wednesday from 8:30-11:00, Tuesday 12:00-2:00, Thursday 2:00-4:00 and Friday 8:30-9:30.  For more information, contact Sara Anderson (slanderson@edgewood.edu or 663-3210). 

Learning Support Services 

Students can make an appointment to meet 1-1 with someone in Learning Support Services to go over learning strategies.   Students can also visit the Learning Support Services website, which has study skills tips and an on-line tutor request form.  The LSS website is linked from EdgeNet or can be visited directly by https://edgenet.edgewood.edu/LSS/default.htm.  Encourage students who could benefit from it to meet with someone regarding:

• Study Skill information  
• Test taking assistance
• Time Management
• Tutoring Services 

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I have a student who is a poor writer.
How can I help?

 No doubt, you’ve all read student papers that make you cringe—the ones with sloppy syntax, muddled organization, and atrocious grammar.  If you’re not a composition teacher, you’re not expected to teach writing.  However, you can help your students write better.  Try these ideas.

Students write better when they understand the assignment
Do your students understand exactly what you want them to do?  To help them, (1) give the assignment in writing and (2) make sure that your assignment spells out answers to the following questions:

• What is the nature of the assignment?  (Is it a think piece, research project, summary/response, or case study?   Is the paper to be argumentative, expository, narrative or some combination?)
• If the students are to use sources, which citation style should they use?  (There are sources on-line, in the library, and in the Writing Center that students can consult if they know which style to use.)
• If the students are to use sources, which kinds of sources are most appropriate?  The text?  Other books?  Journals?  The Internet?  Interviews?  How many sources?    Will you take off points for errors in grammar and punctuation?  How much do these errors count?  

Students write better when they understand the material and the mode
Students make more errors in syntax and grammar when they are writing about an unfamiliar topic or in an unfamiliar mode.  If you are teaching an upper level course, it is reasonable to expect your students to be familiar both with the language and substance of the discipline and with standard rhetorical modes.  However, if you are teaching a lower level course, your students may not have the requisite knowledge of the discipline or sufficient experience with writing.  For these students, you may want to take class time to go over a sample paper, pointing out features that are specific to your discipline.

Some students need extra assistance
No matter how carefully you structure your writing assignments, some students will need extra assistance to perform well.  For these students, the Edgewood College Writing Center is an excellent resource.  Tutors are available to help students identify and correct their writing weaknesses.  You might consider including information on the writing center in your instructions for the assignment.

Tutors are available on a walk-in basis MTWR 9:30 – 4:00 in DER 206, as well as MW 4:00-6:00 and R 4:00-5:30 in the library, Group Study Room 4.  Call Kathleen Rinear at 663-3293 or e-mail her at krinear@edgewood.edu for further information.

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I have a student who needs an academic peer educator (tutor) or needs to drop my class.

When is the deadline to act on these requests?

April 8

Next Wednesday!

If you have a student who is still struggling in your course, please send them to Sara Anderson for tutoring information as soon as possible!  Students can also request assistance on-line through the LSS website.
https://edgenet.edgewood.edu/lss/default.htm

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.

If you have students who are lagging this semester, seem disorganized, grades are slipping, or just need a boost of enthusiasm for the semester send them our way...

Get  Back on the Academic Wagon:

You Really Do Still Have Classes

When: Today! Wednesday 4-2, from 4:30-5:30

Where: L2

What to Bring: Syllabi and Planners

Sponsored by: Learning Support Services

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I have a student who needs to prepare for the semester's end. 

How can I help?

Give your students a clear expectation of the last five weeks of the semester.  Knowing exactly what is involved may help motivate them to continue working and can also ease stress levels.

Remind students to check their syllabi.  What assignments are remaining?  When are they due?  When are exams?  How much of the grade has yet to be determined?

Topics.  What topics will you cover in the remaining weeks of classes?  Did the syllabus need to be adjusted during the semester, or is the class on track?  If there are specific study strategies that you have found to be useful with remaining material, share them with the class. 

Check progress.  Students are no longer able to drop classes.  Are there students in your class who are in danger of failing?  Do they know?

Finals.  Final Exams are 4.5 weeks away.  Remind students of the format of the final exam.  Is it cumulative?  Is it a final paper?  If it is a paper, when will you give them topics?  Remind students to begin studying NOW.  Share any study tips you may have.

Resources.  Remind your students of the resources available for your class.  You may want to announce your office hours, for those who have forgotten (or haven't checked the syllabus).  Remind students of any materials on reserve in the library, websites, on-campus assistance (the Writing Center), etc.

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I have a student who will be registering for Fall classes.

How can I assist?

Even if you are not a student's advisor, you can help him or her with the registration process. 

• Be available to students who have questions about your course.
• Have copies of your syllabi available to students.
• If your class closes, some students may ask you to accept an overload in the class.  If you are willing, an instructor's signature is required on a drop/add form. 
• Leave your current office hours and your plans for the summer on your voice mail.  Remember, a lot of new students register during the summer and may have questions about your class.
• Only a student's current advisor should release the advisor hold in the AS400.  If a student is concerned about reaching their advisor help them explore alternative ways of doing so.
• Encourage students to look into study abroad options early in their academic careers, in order to plan appropriately.
• If you don't have the student's advising file as reference, be careful with the type of information you are giving a student in relation to their academic plan (students should meet with their advisors to complete a 4-5 year Major Academic Plan--this is best done outside of registration time).  
• Let students know what courses they can take after your course.  If you teach a course in a series (ex. Eng 101, Eng 102), let students know what they can expect in the next semester.  If you are teaching a foundation course, let students know about similar courses that will be offered in the fall (ex. If you taught Modern art history this semester, you may want to mention the Ancient to Medieval course in the fall).

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I have a student who wants to list me as a reference.

What can I do?

1. Be Honest with the student.  Discuss the type of reference that you will provide.  If you cannot provide a good reference, be honest with the individual. 
2. Relate references to the specific position for which the person applied and to the work that the applicant will perform.
3. Direct the response to the particular person who requested the information.  Respond to the specific inquiry about the student or job applicant.
4. There is no such thing as "off the record."  Informal lunch discussions or "off the record" telephone conversations should be avoided.
5. Information given should be factual, based upon personal knowledge/observation of the person through direct contact or obtained from the student's record.
6. Avoid giving personal opinions or feelings. If you make subjective statements or give opinions because they are requested, clearly identify them as opinions and not as fact.  If you give an opinion, explain the incident or circumstances on which you base the opinion.
7. Don't guess or speculate-if someone asks you questions regarding personal characteristics about which you have no knowledge, state that you have no knowledge.
8. State in a reference letter, "This information is confidential, should be treated as such, and is provided at the request of (name of student or applicant), who has asked me to serve as a reference." Statements such as these give justification for the communication and leave no doubt that the information was not given to hurt a person's reputation.
9. Do not include information that might indicate an individual's race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, citizenship status, sex (unless by the individual's name it is obvious), or marital status.  Do not base an opinion of performance on stereotypes about an individual: for instance, "for a woman, she excels in math."  Document all information that you release.
10. If you are unaware that a student has named you as a reference, ask the prospective employer for verification that the individual has given consent for the reference.  Such verification could include a copy of the student's signed application listing you as a reference, your name listed as a reference on the student's resume, or verbal confirmation by the student to you.  If you are asked to be a reference for a student, obtain consent from the student to speak to prospective employers. 

For more information or a sample reference letter, see Jennifer Bublitz in the Student Resource Center.

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I have a student who has no chance of passing my class. 

What can I do?

There are times when it is mathematically impossible for a student to pass your course. 
In these cases, meet with the student and let him know the situation.  If receiving 100% on the final and any other remaining assignments will still result in the student failing the course, it would be in the student's best interest to concentrate on doing well in other classes instead of trying to salvage a grade that cannot be salvaged.  Clarify this fact with the student.  Do you expect attendance for the remainder of the class?  Is he still required to take the final?  

Is this a required course for the student's major? 
If so, the student will need to retake the course.  If you will be teaching the student again, meet with her early in the semester and create a plan to help the student succeed.  Make sure the student understands where the difficulty lay in the previous semester, so mistakes are not repeated.  Is the student aware of resources?  Will tutoring be available?  If she has not already done so, prompt the student to find answers to these questions.  Feel free to refer her to the SRC for assistance.

If your student is borderline, or needs to prepare well for the final to pass the course, refer to the December 4^th, 2002  “I have a student who…”  https://edgenet.edgewood.edu/LSS/student_who_F2002.htm#mail%20fail

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