Working with challenging students

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)

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)

The original document as a PDF.