Weekly Briefing: Student demands are out of control. Where is the line?

Instructors across the country are noticing that students want to turn in late work, or misbehave in class. ADVERTISEMENT [Weekly Briefing Logo]( You can also [read this newsletter on the web](. Or, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, [unsubscribe](. When student demands are out of control Many instructors have weathered student discontent, especially after the pandemic. Lately, things have been different. It’s not exactly disconnect; instead, it’s aggressive demands from students, inappropriate classroom behaviors, and increasing requests for more flexibility. Then there’s the added worry that if faculty members resist students’ new neediness, they will be accused of being unreasonable. This change isn’t caused by a single factor. Rather, it’s an unlikely combination, including the rise in mental-health challenges and a lack of social interaction during the pandemic, which left many students unprepared for the social norms of college, said Jody Greene, associate campus provost for academic success at the University of California at Santa Cruz. Add to those factors students’ increased use of social media, along with national political divides, and you have a warped view of appropriate classroom behaviors. At UC Santa Cruz, students will say phrases to instructors like, “You need to be flexible, and you need to be more caring,” Greene said. They’ve learned that language from an institutional discourse that the institution is flexible and caring, she said. “And we are,” Greene said. “But people like me have warned for a long time that the discourse of flexibility will eventually come back to bite us.” Our Beth McMurtrie heard varying anecdotes from administrators around the country about student conduct in and outside the classroom (including in residence halls). In one case, a faculty member reported being approached by a student demanding help with an assignment due the following day, who added that they were paying a lot in tuition. Experts say two factors could be influencing student behavior: The return to in-person learning after the pandemic, when students’ online interactions had shaped their social lives, and how their high-school experience may have failed to prepare them for college. At California State University-Dominguez Hills, where behavioral problems run the gamut — like students who wear AirPods in the classroom, show up 30 minutes late to class carrying food, and don’t turn in assignments but expect professors to “bend over backward” to help them pass — one administrator told Beth how he’s tackling the problem. Matthew Smith, senior associate vice president for student life, is meeting with students in residence halls. Later he’ll convene staff members from housing and student psychological services, as well as first-year course instructors, to figure out solutions. He wants students to understand that even if they are going through tough moments, they still have responsibilities, and that the university won’t lower its standards for them. More openness, especially in course design, may help both faculty members and students navigate their feelings of being overwhelmed. A course with clear expectations can help reduce the odds of a misunderstanding or a surprise. Such clarity includes documenting in the syllabus details on deadlines, late work policies, and ground rules for classroom conduct. [Read Beth’s full story here](. ADVERTISEMENT NEWSLETTER [Sign Up for the Teaching Newsletter]( Find insights to improve teaching and learning across your campus. Delivered on Thursdays. To read this newsletter as soon as it sends, [sign up]( to receive it in your email inbox. Lagniappe Happy early Thanksgiving! I will be off next week, along with this newsletter, to celebrate the holiday. We’ll be back in your inbox on Saturday, December 2. - Read. What are you wearing? Worn: A People’s History of Clothing will tell you by explaining [the history of clothing]( through five fabrics. In the book, the author Sofi Thanhauser weaves (pun intended) modern-day reporting with history study. (The Guardian) - Listen. 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