I have a student who...

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

Scroll down to read the Fall 2006 series.
Click on the names of past semesters at the left to see archived "student who" messages.

I have a student who...
09-19-06...Introduction
09-20-06...may not understand my classroom rules.
09-27-06...is isolated in the classroom.
10-04-06...name is on your Early Alert roster.
10-11-06...may have cheated or plagiarized.
10-18-06...won't be receiving midterm grades.
10-25-06...may be showing signs of alcohol dependency.
11-08-06...has been ill.
11-15-06...has a family member in Iraq.
12-06-06...would be a great peer tutor.

Greetings!

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 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 https://edgenet.edgewood.edu/lss/Faculty_Resources/student_who.htm.  

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.

Thanks!  I look forward to hearing from you!

Sara Anderson
Learning Support Services
Early Alert
http://edgenet.edgewood.edu/lss

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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.  A similar discussion is also incredibly helpful for your work study students, and can help build a productive relationship.

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

Some things to discuss:

Behavioral expectations

• Tardiness
• Attendance policy
• Are cell phones allowed?
• Mp3 players…are they allowed in your classroom?  Will you tolerate “ear buds” when a student is in your classroom or working for you?
• 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?

When it doubt, talk with your fellow instructors.  Many classroom (and supervisor) policies evolve after much practice...  Feel free to reply to this email with things that have worked in the past.  If we have a substantial response, ideas and suggestions may be placed on the LSS website.

We also have a discussion board available on the LSS my.edgewood site.  http://my.edgewood.edu/sites/services/src/lss/facstaff/default.aspx  Feel free to check it out and leave comments.

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I have a student who is isolated in my classroom.

How can I help to 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 styles.  Also, since many of our classes at Edgewood College are relatively small, a student can become very isolated very quickly if steps are not taken to make him or her feel more comfortable. 

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?

·         Are there cultural or physical barriers that seem to prevent the student from fully participating in the class?

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 FREE 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 could be substituted. 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 a student whose name appears on my Early Alert Rosters.

If you have freshmen in your class, you have received an "Early Alert" roster in your mailbox.  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 entire 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 by Wednesday, October 4 to the Student Resource Center (DeRicci 206). 

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 https://edgenet.edgewood.edu/LSS/Faculty_Resources/EA_post.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. 

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 behavior.  You can find online AANs at https://edgenet.edgewood.edu/lss/Faculty_Resources/academic_alert_notices.htm.  Bookmark this link!  You never know when it is going to be handy!!!

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 these learners; foster the process as much as possible.

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!  

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://edgenet.edgewood.edu/LSS/Faculty_Resources/early_alert.htm.   

Student Feedback Requests.  These forms originate from the student.   Occasionally, a student will not feel comfortable directly talking with an instructor, and may need assistance in doing so.  This is a perfect time to suggest meeting with the student to go over your responses and his/her current progress in the course.  If you do receive one, please complete it promptly.  For more information, check out http://edgenet.edgewood.edu/LSS/Faculty_Resources/student_feedback_request.htm.  

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I have a student who may have cheated (or plagiarized).
What should I do?

 Go directly to Carol Cohen, Associate Academic Dean.  (Do not pass Go; do not collect 200 dollars)

Why?
You and Carol can discus instances of cheating or plagiarism that were similar in other classes, and she can make suggestions about how other faculty have addressed those incidents in the past.  You can also talk to your chair about how the department has handled cases in the past.  Carol still must be notified of the end result.  She is on the lookout for students who are caught cheating or plagiarizing more than once.  She is also the most informed of Edgewood’s policies and procedures relating to cheating and plagiarism and can discuss what “proof” is necessary or sufficient.

Are there circumstances where instructors can deal with cheating or plagiarism on their own?
Faculty are free to deal with incidents on their own, if they choose.  However, you do need to inform Carol about the disposition of the case.  For fairness and consistency it is best if you consult with Carol and/or department chair as things are happening. 

What is Cheating or Plagiarism?
See your college handbook for the Academic Honesty Policy for the college. 

What are the specific sanctions for cheating or plagiarism?
Good question.  It depends on the situation.  Contact your department chair and Carol Cohen to discuss what has been done in the past, and what options you have available.  Since every situation is different, we cannot give one answer to cover all of them. 

What are faculty responsibilities (or rights) when cheating or plagiarism is suspected?
It’s not a pleasant duty, but faculty are expected to confront students whose papers have suspicious elements and do not conform to the kind of work they have previously produced.  Faculty are expected to be able to articulate why academic integrity is essential to the learning process and why cheating is such a violation of academic values.  To confront a student does not necessarily mean an accusation of cheating, but does imply that instructors are responsible for upholding standards of academic rigor in writing and documentation of sources.  The truth is 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. 

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I have students who won’t be receiving midterm grades.
How can I make them aware of their progress?

For those students who receive midterm grades (freshmen and first semester sophomores), it is incredibly important to turn grades in on time.  The deadline is This WEDNESDAY, October 25!  These grades give students an idea of how their classes are going in the middle of the semester, still allowing them time to bring up their performance before it is too late.  Remember, a student might not necessarily make the connection between receiving C’s or D’s on papers and exams and a C or D for a final grade.  Many are under the assumption that they can easily raise their grade, and feel they don’t need to worry.  Midterm grades can make the situation much more concrete. 

Midterm grades are also crucial to the Early Alert committee, helping them to connect students with resources--before he or she is on probation.  If midterm grades are not submitted for a student, they receive an “NR” on their grade sheets for that class.  It is then up to the student to contact the faculty member and see what the grade actually is.  “Non-reported” grades also give the Early Alert committee a very incomplete picture of a student’s progress in his/her first year.

Academic Alert Notices.  Send an Academic Alert Notice if you have a student who has been missing class, hasn’t turned in assignments, did poorly on an exam, etc.  Read more about them at http://edgenet.edgewood.edu/LSS/Faculty_Resources/aan.htm. You can send an Academic Alert Notice by going to the above website; anywhere you have an internet connection, you can send an Academic Alert Notice.  These should not be thought of as punitive; they are another source of communication available to you as instructors.  Students will not get “in trouble” for receiving one.  They will instead be alerted to possible issues in the classroom, and are given a chance to grow and improve.  

Written Assignments or Exams
Students also receive feedback when exams, quizzes, and homework or problem sets are returned.  This immediate feedback allows students to gauge progress in their courses and should help them to decide how to proceed.  Some instructors write short notes on returned work (or on post-it notes stuck to returned work) giving additional information or concerns.  Returning work promptly is a very important component of this feedback, as students are not able to properly act on advice if it comes too late.

Talk with the Student
Never underestimate the value of talking with students.  Students who stay at Edgewood often mention a specific staff or faculty member who made the difference for them.  You could be that person!  When you are speaking with a student regarding academics or other issues and you are not sure how to help, direct the student to the appropriate on-campus services.  Campus support services include: The Writing Center, Math Lab, Tutoring Services, Career Counseling, Personal Counseling, Disability Services, Residences Life, Campus Ministry, Health Services, and more! Remember, you may be the only person to recognize a struggling student.

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I have a student who may show some signs of alcohol abuse or dependency.
What do I do?

(Plus!  Halloween safety tips for the college student below!)

Students drinking in risky ways are neither new nor uncommon. About half of Edgewood students binge drank in the previous two weeks. Within the last year, more than a quarter of students have had some kind of legal problem related to their drinking (underage, public intoxication or DUI), and more than a third have experienced some kind of significant personal problem related to their drinking:  resulting in fights, sexual assaults, serious injury and even death, not to mention lowered academic performance and missed opportunity for other extra-curricular activity.

On the positive side (the mug half empty side), it’s important to keep in mind that about half of Edgewood students did not binge drink in the past two weeks and about 68% drink five drinks per week or less (a relatively low risk amount).

 Common sense signs of possible alcohol abuse that you may observe in class:
--Inadequate coursework
--Spotty attendance (especially morning classes)
--Hangover symptoms: red eyes, disheveled, tiredness
--Reveling in drinking stories with friends  

What to do if you suspect problem drinking:
If you have reason to believe a student may be drinking in a risky way, some response from you as a faculty member can be very important. Studies show that faculty have significant influence on the attitudes of students on many issues, including risky drinking.

You might consider pulling an individual student aside after class to describe what you have seen and ask if drinking plays some role in the poor performance or classroom behavior. Whether the student confirms or denies the notion that drinking is a concern, it can be useful to follow up with your beliefs about drinking in your own words. Sharing what you have seen happen to other students as a result of risky drinking or sharing something of your personal experience of how drinking may have effected your life can be a helpful way to start the conversation. You can encourage students to moderate their drinking by suggesting that most can get what they want from alcohol by consuming low amounts (Blood Alcohol Contents of less than .05; about three or four drinks for most males, 2 to 3 for most females). If you know about their academic or vocational goals, you can suggest that even very periodic risky drinking has significant costs against those goals. No matter what you say or how you say it, the most important thing is that you raise the issue.

If you believe a student’s drinking is a more serious than periodic risky drinking (from reports of a friend or the smell of alcohol in class, for example), some intervention on your part is even more critical. Again, a non-judgmental description of the behavior you have observed or learned about with the added suggestion that the student take some action (like seeing a counselor) couched in an expression of your genuine concern can be very influential in getting the student to make an adjustment. Research has shown that even brief interventions by faculty can have positive impacts on subsequent serious drinking behavior.

What can I do if I have a group of students in one of my classes that likes to highlight and relive their drinking exploits somehow in class?
Silence on the topic condones the drinking behavior. It is important to raise concern about the risks related to risky drinking behavior when students bring it up in a public way in your classroom. It is not your job to launch into an alcohol prevention presentation (although that would be great), but simply raising the possibility of a connection between students’ work in your class and their drinking patterns can be enough to eliminate the assumption that you condone excess drinking. Or, some other message offered in the mode of a gentle chiding could help avoid alienating the student from your class or from your concerns about alcohol.

Also, remember that approximately 1/2 to 2/3’s of your students are low risk drinkers or abstainers already. Those students are alienated by silence around risky drinking and they need our support to maintain their “lower-risk ways.”

If you have a concern about a particular student, please feel free to call John Boyne, Edgewood’s Alcohol and Drug Counselor to discuss ways to address the issue or refer the student for a consultation (x3383; jboyne@edgewood.edu).

Finally, as we approach one of the riskiest party weekends of the year, there are a few related announcements for your students suggested below:

1.      Students can get confidential feedback about the risk level of their drinking by taking an online survey called eChug (Electronic Check-Up to Go) on Edgenet under Student Resource Center: https://edgenet.edgewood.edu/studentcenter/Personal-Counseling/aodaresources.htm

2.      Halloween Safety Tips
Encourage students to consider some of the alcohol free events to do that night (All-Campus Halloween bash - see  below)
If students go downtown, encourage them to:
   --Keep their drinking to a minimum or abstain (Blood Alcohol Contents of less than .05; about three or four drinks for most males, 2 to 3 for most females).
   --Come home early or leave downtown before trouble may start (like 12:30 or so—riots have occurred after 1am in recent past).
   --Go with friends and stay with friends
   --Stay in well lit areas
   --Use police resources if needed 

3.      All Campus Halloween Bash—as posted on my.edgewood:  Don't want to pay money and buy a ticket to have fun on October 28th? Then come join the fun at the All-Campus Halloween Bash! There will be music and dancing in the Wingra Cafe, a fire pit and ghost stories on the Regina patio, and a haunted house in Marshall Hall. Not to mention free food and awesome raffle prizes all night! There will also be a costume contest so be sure to dress to impress! And if you like scary movies, we will be showing a true classic, The Shining, in the Anderson Auditorium all night long! So come check it out!

 Finally, if you are looking for something else to give you your students, consider the flier giving college student safety tips for Halloween available through the LSS website (https://edgenet.edgewood.edu/lss/Faculty_Resources/halloween_notice_2005.pdf). This would also be a great thing to post on your door, so any students coming to see you this week can see it! 

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I have a student who has been ill.
Is there anything I can do?

We all know that it is very easy to fall ill this time of year.  The weather is getting colder, flu season is upon us, and with only five weeks left in the semester students are under MUCH more stress. 

What can you do to help your students?

Remind them to eat well and sleep.  Sometimes, common sense is not so common.  A quick reminder to the class about enough sleep, decent meals, and bundling up before going outside can go a long way.  What is a decent meal?  Edgewood College has a Dietary Consultant available to all students, faculty and staff.  Appointments can be made through the Health Center (x8334). 

Flu shots.  Edgewood's flu clinic may be over, but flu shots are still available off-campus--go to the Health Center (Predolin 208) for the list of other locations.  Why get a flu shot?  Resident students live in very close quarters.  With shared living, bathroom, and kitchen spaces, germs are very quickly and easily spread.  It is much easier to prevent falling ill than it is to recover.

Medical Treatment.  If you have a student who has seemed frequently ill or run down in class, talk with him or her.  Our Nurse Practitioner, Jan Zimmerman, sees students free of charge, and is able to prescribe medicine for standard illnesses (ear or sinus infections, strep throat, etc) or help the student develop a plan to heal.  She is also able to determine if the condition is one where the student needs to seek further treatment. 

Be Flexible.  Everyone falls ill at some point.  Please be flexible when dealing with student concerns over illness.  Each faculty member has his or her own policy for dealing with absences due to illness. 

Is the student routinely missing classes due to this illness?  Communicate your concern to the student in person, via email, or by using an Academic Alert Notice.  Are these absences causing a problem in the student's grade?  Will the student be able to pass the class at this point?  Is an incomplete an option?  These are all things to discuss with the student. 

"Math Test"-itis.  Do you suspect that the illness is not severe enough to warrant missing class?  You can require a note from the student's doctor, stating that the student was indeed too ill to attend class.  Many instructors do this if students miss exams.  If you have specific health related concerns about a student, contact Jan Zimmerman. 

If the student is going to be absent for an extended period of time, direct him or her to the Academic Dean's Office.  They will assist the student in making the appropriate arrangements. 

As with any situation, try to approach the student early with your concerns, and treat him or her with respect and compassion.

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I have a student who has a family member in Iraq.
What can I do to help support him or her?

Many reports are surfacing of students with some relative in the Armed Services in Iraq or Afghanistan or may be faced with serving themselves as a part of a National Guard or Reserve unit. The list below offers some suggestions for raising awareness of the possible needs of these students.  

·         Their primary need is to not be alone with the issue.  Talk with them, and check in with them about their loved ones. 

·         Some students with a parent or spouse in Iraq may have extra family responsibilities (caring for younger siblings, maintaining household bills, etc.) that distract them from their academic work.  This may call for added flexibility or extensions for due dates.  It may be appropriate to ask the student if such consideration would be helpful, since they may not think to ask for it themselves. 

·         Since the war is extremely politicized it is important to set politics aside in addressing their concerns; the focus should be on the student’s loss/worries etc.  Of course, this does not mean to squelch opposition to the war, but rather to separate it from the student’s concerns—students will easily be further isolated in the face of strident, anti-war passion when it is directed to their situation or their loved one. 

·         If worry is interfering with academic work and other responsibilities, encourage the student to seek support.  Some options include Campus Ministry, Personal Counseling (free to Edgewood College students—go to the student resource center for more information), home clergy, family, and friends. Remind them that there are good ways to cope with these worries and taking action to develop a plan for this will help them through this situation. 

·         Some students may not fully understand the conflict—setting the context, in as objective fashion as possible, can be helpful to them in developing their way to cope. 

·         If your student is falling behind in classes due to their concerns, direct them to Learning Support Services.  Someone there can help your student develop a plan to get academics back on track. 

·         You may recommend that a student take advantage of various resources that offer support to family members: Wisconsin National Guard-Truax Field, The American Red Cross, or local or regional recognition ceremonies.

It is also important to support our students who are being called to service overseas.  Many students in the National Guard or Army Reserves are now going to (or coming from) Iraq and Afghanistan.  If you have students in this situation, make sure they go to the Academic Dean’s office.  There, they can get the information they need about term withdrawal and how it would affect their academic status.  Students coming home from service may also need a reminder of services available to them on campus; both to help them assimilate back to an academic setting, and to help process their experiences.

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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_Resources/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://edgenet.edgewood.edu/LSS/tutoring.htm.  

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

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