UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS
Division of Student Services
514 Gruening Building
PO Box 756340, Fairbanks, AK 99775-6340
(907) 474-7317 (t) (907) 474-7900 (f)
fyses@uaf.edu www.uaf.edu
WORKING WITH “CHALLENGING” STUDENTS
August 26, 2011
DON FOLEY
Dean of Students
Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Life
x7317
djfoley@alaska.edu
514 Gruening Building
UAF POLICE
x7721
911 (EMERGENCY)
MARY MATTHEWS
Director of Disability Services
mkmatthews@alaska.edu
x5655
TYPICAL ISSUES TODAY
- Electronics in classroom
- Distance delivery
- Visitors in classroom
- Freedom of speech 1 constructive dialogue (written or verbal)
- Bullying (faculty or other students)
General student conduct – BOR policies: https://www.alaska.edu/bor/policy/09-02.doc
ON YOUR SIDE
- Syllabus
- You have responsibility and authority to control the classroom
- Working with behaviors, not personalities or opinions
- Providing options
- Luxury of time
- Variety of resources, particularly colleagues / supervisor
Disruption vs. dialogue (freedom of speech, balance between rights of others versus individual rights)
APPROACH TO DISRUPTION
- C: calm, cool, collected approach, control situation
- A: ascertain situation (“peel the onion”), assertive, not aggressive
- L: look, limit, luxury of time
- M: mediate, manage, minimize
- CONFIDENTIALITY / LIABILITY
DOCUMENT DOCUMENT DOCUMENT incidents and events (ex. save communications such as email)
Faculty initiated withdrawal: SHOULD NOT BE USED AS A WAY TO DEAL WITH PLAGIARISM
https://www.uaf.edu/catalog/current/admissions/registration.html
Class instructors have the right to drop students who do not meet courseprerequisites, did not obtain a grade of “C” or better in all prerequisite courses or who have not participated substantially in a course. Faculty-initiated drops submitted through the third Friday after theftrst day of instruction will be treated as a dropped class and will not appear on any student transcript. The faculty-initiated withdrawal may occur after the third Friday but before the ninth Friday after the first day of instruction. A grade of W will appear on a student’s academic record for faculty-initiated withdrawals.
- Administrative withdrawal (typically for behavior problems or health issues)
- Also have option of some type of behavioral contract through this office
- Students have right to due process!
GRADE APPEAL PROCESS:
https://www.uaf.edu/reg/forms/grade_appeal_policy.pdf
- SYLLABUS – take the time now and save time later! (some have gone to signature page stating that student understands)
- Talk with instructor
- Talk with department head
- Talk with dean
- Bring before grade appeal committee (“arbitrary and capricious”)
- Informal versus formal hearing (two part process)
PLAGIARISM (old-fashioned and new technology)–(speak with Composition Director)
- Fail on assignment
- Fail in course
- Fail on assignment, course and additional judicial action
- Student has right to a grade appeal for final grade, not individual assignment
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT AS AMENDED (ADAAA)
- need to make “reasonable effort” to accommodate
- RESOURCE: https://www.hhrconsulting.com/resources/adaa.html
INAPPROPRIATE CONDUCT
- Sexual misconduct (typically harassment) – WHERE TO REPORT
- “Erratic” student behavior – Dean of Students office (x7317)
- may not be able to respond back as to exactly what happened
- students on (or off) medication
SAFETY ALWAYS THE PRIORITY (both you and others)