Engaging Students at UM-St. Louis:
A Quiz

There are three weeks remaining in class and a student approaches you and informs you that she recently received orders to report for military active duty. This student has been consistent in class, having a B average going into the last few weeks and would like to finish the course. You:

Review the course attendance policy with her that is printed in the syllabus.
Arrange for the student to take an alternate form of the final test ahead of schedule at the assessment center.
Advise the student to drop the class because attendance is an important commitment.
Express your appreciation for the notice and promise to give the student a delayed grade.

A student of a different race or gender than you, who is having a personal problem, asks if s/he can schedule a private appointment with you. You:

Say that your other responsibilities do not allow you time to meet individually with students.
Say that you would be glad to discuss course content only, not personal problems.
See this as an opportunity to develop a more personal relationship and offer to meet the student after class, perhaps over a cup of coffee.
Meet with the student to learn the nature of the concerns, but indicate that you think s/he would be better served by talking to a student services staff member, such as a counselor in Counseling Services. You offer information about the service and how to access it.

A colleague in the department complained to you about a student with a disability who was very difficult to deal with during the previous semester. This semester, you receive a letter from Disability Access Services indicating that the student is in your class. In the first week of class this student was disruptive. He called out without being acknowledged, brought up irrelevant topics, and frequently left his seat. You:

Correct his behavior in class and remind him to be civil.
Speak with him after class and ask him what his disability is.
Send your colleague an e-mail message to learn how she handled &ldquoJohn Doe&rdquo last semester.
Decide to consult with someone in Disability Access Services.

Your course has a writing component and you wish to use it to improve the writing skills of your students. You:

Include inyour syllabusa detailed assignmentfor the one major term paper due as the semester ends.
Assign a lengthy term paper with a mid-term draft due.You routinely comment on the draft,return itfor revision, and refer students, as necessary, to the Writing Lab.
Assign in detail papers of increasing length and complexity over the course of the semester. You encourage peer editing,distribute theWriting Lab Brochure, and invite a Writing Lab staffmember to talk tothe class.
Assign one or two papers that will be revised three or four times in response to your comments and peer editing.You provide samples of what you consider good student writing, andyou encouragestudents tousethe Writing Lab.

In the middle of a fine lecture on a topic you have personally researched, a cell phone rings out from the center of the classroom. A student climbs over those in his/her row of chairs and leaves the room. You:

Continue your presentation without skipping a beat
Make a note to yourself to speak to this rude student.
Remind the class that professional behaviors include turning off ringers and beepers during class.
Stop the class to remind the exiting student that he/she will be considered absent if he/she leaves.

You notice a tense and unpleasant exchange between two students in the rear of your class. One student, who uses crutches, is standing and the other student, a large individual, is seated at the only table and chair. The seated student gets up abruptly, angrily moves, stands in the back near the door, and within a few minutes, leaves the room. This person returns after class to explain to you that the desks are too small for a large person, he/she has paid for the course, and wants to sit at the table on a chair. You:

Tell the large student to go on a diet.
Suggest that this person arrive earlier to class next time and not move when the student using the crutches requests the table and chair.
Remind the person that the class is only 50 minutes and suggest that he/she squeeze into one of the desks for that short time period.
Recommend the person contact Disability Access Services and inquire about making arrangements for special accessible furniture.

An African-American freshman female student, who sits in the front row of class, seems to be distraught after class lectures. Her unhappiness is so apparent that you inquire about her well-being. She shares that she understands the information, but is having trouble adjusting to the size and the "unfriendliness" of UMSL. What could you suggest to this young woman?

That she should be patient because she will adjust to UMSL with time.
You use the Student Planner as a guide and suggest that she visit campus support services and Student Life and build some campus connections.
That she should frequently visit her old high school to maintain those contacts.
That she consider going to Multicultural Relations where she can become involved in cultural activities and be assigned an upper-class student mentor.

On more than one occasion a student has expressed racial views of an extreme nature. Five students of one racial group appear to be offended when such comments are made and a couple of heated arguments have occurred. You:

Allow the free flow of ideas and thoughts to maintain active class participation.
Restate or lay ground rules for discussions.
Meet with the student with the racial views.
Consult with the racial group that appears to be offended and reassure them.

You receive a message from an absent student asking you to call him after class so that he can learn what he missed and find out about the assignment for the next class. You:

Don't return the call, assuming that it is his responsibility to call back or to get the information from another student.
Return the call and provide him with the requested information.
Return the call and explain the class procedure for getting information on missed assignments.
Use this as an opportunity to invite him to meet with you face to face.

You notice that a student never volunteers an answer in class and never asks a question. Your attribution is that: