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Basic Script for Sharing Concerns

After asking the student to meet privately and asking a few starter questions (where are they from, why did they pick Chapman, etc.) we recommend the following 5 step conversations:


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1. Describe your Observations:

Objectively describe the behaviors that you’ve noticed that lead you to be concerned: “I could be wrong. But, I’ve noticed that… [describe what you’ve noticed; E.g.: you’re not participating in some of the group discussions; you’ve missed a lot of class lately; you seem really tired; some of your classwork seems less organized than prior assignments; you’re getting angry with some of your classmates; you smelled of alcohol during class today, etc.]

2. Share That You Are Concerned:

Express openly that you are concerned and why: “I’m a bit concerned because… [keep it broad; examples: this seems like a shift from what I’m used to; I know that you’re a capable person and want to do well in this class; I don’t want to see you burn any bridges with your classmates].” 

3. Ask For the Student’s Perspective:

Ask the student to provide context for your observations.  The assumption here is that you (as professor or staff) don’t have enough information to fully understand your observations and you’re looking to the student to provide the missing context.  You want to help, but you need more:  “What can you tell me about this?”, “Help me understand a bit about what’s going on.”, “Does this sound familiar to you?”.

4. Encourage Appropriate Connections:

Ask the student what they are already doing for support.  Encourage other connections: “What are you doing to take care of yourself right now?“, “Are you connecting with some support here on campus?”, “What can we be doing to help here?”, “Where do we go from here?” , “What steps have you taken so far and how can I help?”

5. We Are Also A Resource:

“If it’s okay with you, I’d like to connect you with one of my friends over in the Dean of Students Office.  They are great at working with students who are dealing with some extra difficulties and have a lot of connections to work with.  Can I connect you over email or share your information with them to get things started?”

6. Important Note:

It’s helpful if you are aware of certain basic resources – Academic Advising Center, Tutoring and Learning Center (TLC) Student Psychological and Counseling Services (SPCS), Disability Services, Residence Life, Case Management, Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) .

7. Establish a Follow-up Plan:

In almost all cases, please plan to meet again with the student, simply to check in.  This does two things: it emphasizes that you really do care and it creates a subtle hint of accountability for some of the planning steps suggested:  “I’d like to get back together with you in a few days to see where things are.”

Balancing Student Support and Responsibility

Faculty are often stuck between supporting students and holding them accountable to basic classroom fairness standards.  While the initial response from most faculty is to ensure a student is getting proper support, they are often left with several lingering questions:

  • How much leeway should be given for a student’s illness-related absences (if any)? 
  • When is it reasonable to deny a student an opportunity to make up work? 
  • Is it okay to suggest that a student consider a medical leave or other course withdrawal? 
  • How do I support a students well-being while not enabling unhealthy classroom habits? 

Below, we present three important ideas toward creating and maintaining a balanced approach toward student support and responsibility:


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1. Create Syllabus Policies That Are Well-Defined And That Encourage Pro-Active Communication

Faculty are encouraged to develop classroom policies that encourage pro-active communication.  These can be policies that impact student grades based on late assignments, missed classes, or simply poor performance.  Below, we included some sample syllabus policies that strongly encourage communication (but ultimately the decision is at your discretion): 

  • Missed Classes: “Any student who needs to miss a class for unavoidable, extraordinary circumstances must notify me prior to the start of class.  Any absence regardless of reason or excuse (but with an exception for incapacitation) that occurs without prior notification is considered unexcused and will result in a X-point deduction from the student’s final grade.“ 
  • Missed Quizzes and Tests: “Any student who will miss a quiz or test for unavoidable, extraordinary circumstances must notify me prior to the start of class in order to schedule a make-up opportunity.  All missed quizzes or tests must be made up within X class periods of the student’s absence in order to obtain full credit. Failure to schedule or make up a missed quiz or exam within X class periods will result in a zero for that quiz or test.   
  • Late Coursework: All assignments are due by the start of class on the date indicated in the syllabus.  No late assignment will be accepted without an email from the student before the start of class sharing that the assignment will be turned in after the deadline.  Grading for late assignments: assignments turned in after the start of class will immediately have X% of the total points available deducted from the grade for that assignment. 

2. Maintain Empathy And Support While Referencing Course Policies And University Guidelines

We encourage faculty to respond to student needs by expressing empathy while maintaining equity between the student’s needs and those of the other classmates. What seems reasonable may change based on the circumstances, but faculty should always be guided by their syllabus policies and university policies. 

3.  Keep Any Exceptions Transparent And Applicable To Everyone

Basic fairness demands that faculty make any exceptions to their classroom policies transparent and applicable to all students. 

Managing Classroom Disruptions

Separating Classroom Disruptions from Concerning Behaviors 

While some classroom disruptions can be signs of a student in distress, many are simply acts of ignorance or disrespect that do not indicate a higher level of concern. Common examples include arriving late to class, inappropriate comments, or questions, and interrupting the lecture or discussion. By sharing your concerns with the student in a private setting, you’ll have an opportunity to assess whether the student would benefit from additional support. 

A Basic Agenda for Confronting Disruptive Behavior: 

In most cases, disruptive classroom behavior can be addressed through a simple conversation with the student involved. We recommend the following this 4-step approach to resolving most issues.


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Ask The Student To Speak With You Privately:

This can occur during or after class but it is best to do so at a time when it will be least disruptive to the rest of the class (during a break, during group work time, following class).  In most cases, we recommend speaking with the student during or immediately following the same class in which the behavior occurred. This should happen in a private location – one where others will not overhear you. This is done to prevent embarrassment or the perception that you are belittling the individual involved.  In extreme cases, ask the student to step outside for a minute while you provide the class with something to think about or work on. 

Objectively Inform The Student Of The Problem Behavior:

It is best to express concern without judgment. An example might include: “I wanted to speak with you because I noticed during class that you [describe behavior].” For those that prefer a more blunt approach, try, “I need to give you some quick feedback about your performance in class.”  It’s important to focus on the behaviors and to avoid anything that might sound like a judgment of the student themselves – after all, we don’t know what is causing these behaviors. You might also use this time as an opportunity to share the impact of their behavior. An example, you might include, “When I see you [describe behavior], I find it very distracting. I think other students might be distracted as well and find it hard to focus on what is being shared.” 

Inform The Student Of Your Expectations For Their Behavior Going Forward :

This can be done simply by reiterating that the behavior described cannot happen going forward. In most cases, however, it is best to frame this part of the conversation in terms of what you WANT the student to do.  

Ask The Student If They Can Abide By Your Expectations Going Forward:

Often neglected, this last step is used to ensure that the student received the message and understands that you plan to hold the student accountable. It also offers the student an opportunity to object and share his or her own concerns. 

 

Questions to Ask Yourself After Interacting with the Student

If the below steps do not address the situation, you believe the student is engaging in threatening or disruptive behavior in the classroom that has not been remediated, is behaving in a way that interferes with the learning of other students or is refusing to fulfill the academic requirements of the course, the faculty member has the right to have the student removed on an interim basis. You should immediately report the matter to the appropriate dean and department chair or academic unit head. The faculty member may also request the assistance of the Dean of Students to provide advice or to mediate the dispute. 

If the faculty member believes the student should be removed from the class for the remainder of the term, the faculty member should file a report with the Dean of Students and an expedited investigation will be conducted to determine whether the student’s behavior has violated the Disruption policy or other policy contained in the Student Conduct Code. If the student is charged with a violation, the hearing process will be expedited as well. The student may not return to class until the disciplinary process outlined in the Student Conduct Code is complete. In some instances, arrangements can be made for the student to complete the course requirements in absentia. A student may submit an appeal as outlined in the Student Conduct Code. Appeals will receive an expedited review and decision.

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How Did The Student React To The Feedback?  

Was the student accepting and understanding or were they defiant and irrational?  In most cases (nearly all), students will react by accepting the observations raised and providing an apology.  If not, it may indicate a larger issue that is likely impacting other aspects of the student’s experience. In these cases, we would recommend sharing your concerns with our office to a) see if there have been other instances, b) brainstorm methods for reinforcing your expectations.

Did The Student Overreact To Your Feedback By Becoming Overly-Emotional?

If so, the student might be struggling personally and need additional guidance or support to manage their stress. Examples of “over-reacting” might include crying outbursts, deep physical reactions, panic attacks, etc.

Did The Student Share A Personal Issue/Problem As A Way To Explain The Issues Involved?

If so, then the student’s behavior might be a sign that the student is struggling to cope with the problem by themself. Often the stress of a personal issue may impact a student’s ability to focus or might cause the student to act out in some way.

Were The Student’s Thoughts Logical And Connected Or Were They Disjointed Or Confused?

 If the student had trouble keeping their thoughts together, seemed unfocused or distracted or if the student appeared confused, these might be signs of a greater issue for which additional support might be necessary.

Make a Referral?

Depending on the type of situation involved, you might want to share your conversation with our staff.  This helps us to connect issues across different faculty/staff and to connect issues across semesters. Submit a referral.  

Make a Referral?

Depending on the type of situation involved, you might want to share your conversation with our staff.  This helps us to connect issues across different faculty/staff and to connect issues across semesters.