We asked the Student Collaborators from the Student Faculty Teaching Collaboration Program

Based on your experience in the program and your own student experiences what message would you have for all faculty?

Here is what they said.

➡️ Nothing can be too explicit for students when it comes to communication. Over communicate through multiple mediums. Say it in class, post it on D2L, and email it.

➡️ Don’t be afraid of a bad day or having something go wrong. It is a normal aspect of being human and operating in the world. Take it in stride, move on from it, and don’t let it define the class period.

➡️ Students are not just taking courses, but have a life outside of the course with lots of things going on. Some students are taking classes to escape a reality that has set them up to fail. Understand that things happen outside of class that impact the students’ ability to get things done. Show compassion and flexibility. At the end of the day, we are all human beings.

➡️ Targeted feedback is appreciated. Students appreciate in-depth professor feedback. I am here for the faculty’s expertise. Let students know where they were getting things right and where to focus on improving. Don’t set students up to fail.

➡️ Give grace to students. You never know what is going on outside of the course.

➡️ Don’t question why a student needs an accommodation. Don’t argue the accommodation letter.

➡️ Be responsive to student questions and configure your student consultation hours to provide support at times that students need based on how your course deadlines work. If you assign something on Tuesday and have it due on Friday, but your office hours are Monday and Tuesday, how are students supposed to get help?

➡️ Do what you say you are going to do.

➡️ Remember that students have other classes too. Be mindful of the work you are assigning.

➡️ Apply universal design for learning principles for information delivery. Does the key information have a written, visual, and auditory version?

➡️ Don’t force students to over explain or over disclose about life situations.

➡️ Understand that people go through things. Check in on your students.