A STUDENT'S GUIDE
TO ACADEMIC ETIQUETTE A STUDENT'S GUIDE
TO ACADEMIC ETIQUETTE
Students are accountable for timely submission of all academic work ("The dog ate my homework" or "The computer crashed" won't work). Students missing beginning-of-class quizzes because they arrived late should neither ask for nor expect "make-up" accommodations. Students who do not bother reading the course requirements and policies cannot suddenly feign ignorance of elements affecting their course grade at the end of the semester.
ADDRESSING
INSTRUCTORS
Students should avoid calling their instructors by first names (and should avoid asking permission to do so). Using the title "professor" is always appropriate and preferable to "Mr.," "Ms.," or "Mrs." If a syllabus indicates the instructor has earned a Ph.D., using the title "doctor" is equally appropriate.
ANNOYING QUESTIONS
and ASSERTIONS
Students should consider the appropriateness of the following questions or of assertions:
"I missed class the other day. Did I miss anything? Oh. Well, can you go over everything I may have missed?"
"Do you have a stapler or paper clip for my paper?"
"I have to have an 'A' in this course. You're the only professor who is hurting my GPA."
"I have to work over forty hours a week. You cannot expect me to spend much time on assignments."
"Why don't you grade me on my effort even though I failed the test?"
ASSIGNMENTS
Instructors expect students to consider all assignments as serious extensions of in-class instruction rather than as punitive "busy work." Students should allow a minimum of two or three hours of study and assignments for every one hour of a course's credit hour. In other words, students should expect to spend roughly six to nine hours a week for each three-hour credit course they take. Stapled homework or essays are preferable to "dog-eared" papers. All submissions should include the course and section number.
ATTENDANCE
In the workplace, employers expect and rely upon regular work hours. Similarly, unless students are enrolled in non-traditional courses not requiring regular classroom attendance, instructors expect regular attendance and timeliness to be crucial components of positive outcomes. Moreover, students may suffer serious penalties for excessive absenteeism and tardiness. Notifying instructors of an anticipated absence is always appropriate.
ATTENTIVENESS
The following behaviors during class time are inappropriate: Talking (or whispering) to others while the instructor is speaking; doing assignments for other courses; chewing on pencils or smacking on gum; programming cell phones; calculating checkbook balances; checking messages; sleeping or resting a head on the desk; constantly checking watches and wall clocks (including any other visible or audible signs of restlessness); and zipping up backpacks or performing similar activities in readiness for departing the classroom before the instructor signals dismissal from class. Stopping all non-course related activities once an instructor starts class is courteous. Raising a hand before speaking or asking a question is courteous.
ATTITUDE
Students who adopt positive attitudes even when tackling difficult subject matter will find better academic success than will those who prefer setting up classroom "gripe" sessions. Wise time management and concerted effort, not whining, produce completed assignments. Learning for the joy of learning is a quality all instructors appreciate finding in their students.
AUTHORITY
At times, some students may want to challenge an instructor's policy, grade, or assignment. First, they should consider the time, manner, and place. The instructor's office, not the classroom during a lecture, is always an appropriate setting--just as a non-argumentative tone is an appropriate one.
CELL PHONES AND OTHER
ELECTRONIC DEVICES
Before entering the classroom, students should turn off all electronic devices and remove headphones. Students should also remind their friends and families not to call them during class times.
CHATTING
Once an instructor addresses the class, whether to instruct or to respond to a question, students should cease all chatter. Students not participating in discourteous chatting or other distracting behavior have every right if not obligation to ask for a cessation of disruptive behaviors. In addition, when instructors assign group work, they do not expect students to use the time to chat about extracurricular activities.
CHILDREN
Children are not permitted to
attend class; parents should refer to Section 7 of the Student
Handbook.
CIVILITY
Civility is the underpinning of all the enumerated subject headings of this guide. To enhance the quality of education by avoiding behaviors obstructing learning opportunities, students must recognize that increasing diversity in the classroom demands increasing efforts to maintain mutual respect, tolerance of differences, and reasoned discourse. A healthy debate can energize and enrich the understanding of a subject. Still, it can also lead to emotional volatility, including hostility. Respect for another's viewpoints is fundamental, regardless of the depth of the division of core beliefs. Passionately opposing another's viewpoints is appropriate in a classroom debate; using offensive, intimidating, or inflammatory language toward the person holding opposing viewpoints is, by contrast, always inappropriate. "Shouting down" another's viewpoints, dominating class discussions, and engaging in sideline discussions are equally inappropriate.
CONSEQUENCES
Instructors have the right and option to warn students that an instructor-filed report about persistent misconduct may be necessary. Persistent misconduct can include habitual tardiness and inattentiveness, to name but two discourtesies.
DISRUPTIVE CONDUCT
The Student Handbook covers serious violations.
EATING AND DRINKING
These functions belong outside the classroom, both as a courtesy to all others in the classroom and as a respect for the facilities and the maintenance staff. Because some instructors do not even permit water bottles in the classroom, students should inquire first before assuming drinking water during lectures is acceptable.
ELECTRONIC MAIL
Students should check their electronic mail daily. Students should not expect instant replies to their mail, nor should they expect instructors to reply to messages on weekends and holidays. Students should avoid chat-room style of grammatically incorrect sentences, using lower-case "i" for the pronoun "I," shouting" a message through the use of capital letters, and disrespectful discourse. Students should inquire first whether attaching assignments to an e-mail is an acceptable alternative to handing them in during a class period.
ENTERING and EXITING
Students entering the classroom late should take a seat close to the door instead of walking in front of the instructor to take a seat. If a seat near the door is unavailable, they should at the least walk behind the instructor to get to a desk. They should not expect a reiteration of missed instruction (students who arrive late should instead wait until class is over to ask their peers about missed instruction). Students who know in advance they must leave class early should arrive to class early enough to take a seat near the door as well as to inform the instructor. Students who unexpectedly leave class should avoid walking in front of their instructors.
EXTRA CREDIT
Students who cannot perform regular assignments in the course of a semester will find performing extra work all the more difficult. Most instructors therefore do not offer "extra-credit" assignments.
GOLDEN RULE
Whether opening a door for someone else or turning in a lost item, everyone can benefit by adhering to the rule of "doing unto others as you would have them do unto you."
ILLNESS
By electronic mail or a telephone call, students should inform their instructors about their illness and anticipated absences. Because of possible contagion, ill students should stay home. More particularly, students who are ill with uncontrollable coughs should stay home, for persistent coughing not only has the potential of spreading germs but also disrupts others trying to listen to instruction.
INTERRUPTING OTHERS
See "Conflicting Viewpoints" above. In addition, students must avoid interrupting a lecture to ask an instructor whether a certain piece of instruction "will be on the test" (or something akin to this question). The same applies to going "in front of the line" to say something when clearly another student's hand has been in a raised position to speak first.
LANGUAGE
Students should avoid any communication that can be construed as harassing, intimidating, confrontational, and offensive.
NEGOTIATIONS
Most attempts at negotiating an alternate assignment or a reduced paper length are discourteous. Students with extenuating circumstances should address their deficiencies in the instructor's office, not in the classroom.
NOTE TAKING and TAPE
RECORDERS
All instructors assume their students have developed good note-taking skills. (Students whose note-taking skills are weak should consider taking a note-taking skills seminar.) Arriving to class without a notepad and pen is irresponsible conduct. Assuming that everything an instructor says is noteworthy should prevent students from asking whether or not to take notes. Equally if not more important is developing a daily habit of reviewing class notes. Finally, students should gain their instructor's permission before recording a lecture.
OFFICE HOURS
All full-time faculty post office hours in their syllabuses and on their office doors. If students cannot visit their instructors during regular office hours, they should make arrangements to meet at other mutually convenient times. The office, not the classroom, is the appropriate place to discuss personal issues, such as upcoming surgical dates, requests for reference letters, and assignment difficulties. Further, students who have missed class should not expect a reiteration of instruction during office hours. They should also respect their instructor's time by not chatting at the desk just as the instructor is starting to address the class (or when class is over instead of letting the instructor continue out of the classroom to other duties).
PARTICIPATION
Participation in class discussions, in group work, and in field work is a vital part of a college education. Students should engage fully in class discussions and collaborative assignments. They should also not rely on others to do the work, then claim credit for doing the work. Finally, students should avoid pretending to have read an assignment; an admission of failure to do an assignment is better than attempts at bluffing with made-up responses.
PATIENCE
Not all students perform at the same level. Students should exercise patience during a class in which some students require additional instruction to understand a point or when some anxious students are forgetting parts of their oral reports or speeches.
PERSONAL QUESTIONS
At times, students may wish to know about their instructors' personal lives. If instructors do not volunteer private information, however, students should assume personal intrusions are unwelcome.
PLANNING &
ORGANIZING
Students should use the calendar in the free Student Handbook (or invest in another calendar) as an invaluable aid to staying organized and producing timely assignments.
PREPARATION
(See "Assignments" above.) Students should arrive in class with all their textbooks, notebooks, test materials, and completed assignments. "My books are in my locker (or car)" speaks poorly of a student's preparatory attitude.
PROFANITY
Because many students and instructors find profanity highly offensive and inappropriate, students should avoid its use either in the classrooms or in the hallways.
PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF
AFFECTION
As a courtesy to others who may find such behavior offensive, students should avoid engaging in inappropriate displays of affection in any area of the college.
PUNCTUALITY
Students should develop the habit of being at their desks at least five minutes before class starts. Habitual tardiness, unlike the occasional traffic-related tardiness, not only disrupts learning but also reflects poorly on the student. Moreover, as previously noted, habitual tardiness may result in a filed misconduct report. (The section on “Consequences” and "Entering and Exiting" above offer additional information along with rules of etiquette.)
RESPECT FOR
FACILITIES
Students should demonstrate their respect for their instructors, the maintenance staff, and all others enjoying college facilities by keeping their feet off desks, by sitting in chairs, not on tables, by leaving their classroom areas clean, by disposing of their recyclables in the college's designated containers, by picking up their dropped items, and by keeping their trash in their automobiles instead of dumping it in the parking lots. In study areas, students should be mindful of those studying nearby and modulate their voices accordingly.
RESPONSIBILITY
Students who miss class should not expect the instructor to supply the missed instruction. Instead, students should get necessary information from other students willing to expend their time. Should students have to miss class on a day an assignment is due, they are responsible for getting their assignments turned in on time by another means. By the same measure, students are responsible for doing their part in creating a harmonious and productive environment.
SCHOLASTIC INTEGRITY
Please refer to the Student
Handbook.
SLEEPING
Students should manage their time wisely to avoid sleeping during class. Not only is classroom napping discourteous, but also it results in a loss of learning.
STUDENT HANDBOOK
For issues such as academic honesty and
serious classroom disruptions, please refer to the Student Handbook.
SYLLABUS
A syllabus isn't window dressing for the course; rather, it's a serious document covering basic college policies and course requirements. Once students review it, they may certainly ask for clarification of policies and requirements.
TUTORIAL ASSISTANCE
Students requiring assistance
should refer to Michele Boverie in the ACCESS Office for accommodations.
Students should not expect
"Please."
"Thank you." "You
are welcome." These everyday
expressions along with countless others form a universal language of
civility,
a language based on the three core principles of respect, integrity,
and truthfulness. What’s more, these core
principles make the
practice of civility possible in a wide range of settings.
The college experience in general and the
classroom in particular provide two settings germane to this etiquette
guide,
for in either setting, civil language allows students, staff, and
faculty alike
to sustain an informal and voluntary contract of reasonable
expectations,
mutually beneficial good manners, authentic sensitivity, and common
sense.
Because
For these and
other commonsense reasons, a classroom or
hallway full of students demands more than ever the imposition of
certain
guidelines. By maintaining standards of
conduct appropriate to membership in the college community, college
students
can study and learn in an environment free of undue difficulty and
distraction. Genuine respect for one
another as well as for tradition, after all, advances genuine
communication. To this end, if an
environment fostering a commitment to academic pursuits and the free
expression
of divergent principles is to flourish,
Students are
accountable for
timely submission of all academic work ("The dog ate my homework" or
"The computer crashed" won't work). Students missing
beginning-of-class quizzes because they arrived late should neither ask
for nor
expect "make-up" accommodations. Students who do not bother
reading the course requirements and policies cannot suddenly feign
ignorance of
elements affecting their course grade at the end of the semester.
ADDRESSING
INSTRUCTORS
Students should avoid
calling
their instructors by first names (and should avoid asking permission to
do
so). Using the title "professor" is always appropriate and
preferable to "Mr.," "Ms.," or "Mrs." If a
syllabus indicates the instructor has earned a Ph.D., using the title
"Doctor"
is equally appropriate.
ASSIGNMENTS
Instructors expect
students to
consider all assignments as serious extensions of in-class instruction
rather
than as punitive "busy work." Students should allow a minimum
of two or three hours of study and assignments for every one hour of a
course's
credit hour. In other words, students should expect to spend
roughly six
to nine hours a week for each three-hour credit course they take.
Stapled
homework or essays are preferable to "dog-eared" papers. All
submissions should include the course and section number.
ATTENDANCE
In the workplace,
employers expect
and rely upon regular work hours. Similarly, unless students are
enrolled
in non-traditional courses not requiring regular classroom attendance,
instructors expect regular attendance and timeliness to be crucial
components
of positive outcomes. Moreover, students may suffer serious
penalties for
excessive absenteeism and tardiness. Notifying instructors of an
anticipated absence is always appropriate.
ATTENTIVENESS
The following
behaviors during
class time are inappropriate: Talking (or whispering) to others while
the
instructor is speaking; doing assignments for other courses; chewing on
pencils
or smacking on gum; programming cell phones; calculating checkbook
balances;
checking messages; sleeping or resting a head on the desk; constantly
checking
watches and wall clocks (including any other visible or audible signs
of
restlessness); and zipping up backpacks or performing similar
activities in
readiness for departing the classroom before the instructor signals
dismissal
from class. Stopping all non-course related activities once an
instructor
starts class is courteous. Raising a hand before speaking or
asking a
question is courteous.
ATTITUDE
Students who adopt
positive
attitudes even when tackling difficult subject matter will find better
academic
success than will those who prefer setting up classroom "gripe"
sessions. Wise time management and concerted effort, not whining,
produce
completed assignments. Learning for the joy of learning is a
quality all
instructors appreciate finding in their students.
AUTHORITY
At times, some
students may want
to challenge an instructor's policy, grade, or assignment. First,
they
should consider the time, manner, and place. The instructor's
office, not
the classroom during a lecture, is always an appropriate setting–just
as a
non-argumentative tone is an appropriate one.
CELL
PHONES AND OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICES
Before entering the
classroom,
students should turn off all electronic devices and remove
headphones.
Students should also remind their friends and families not to call them
during
class times.
CHATTING
Once an instructor
addresses the
class, whether to instruct or to respond to a question, students should
cease
all chatter. Students not participating in discourteous chatting
or other
distracting behavior have every right if not obligation to ask for a
cessation
of disruptive behaviors. In addition, when instructors
assign group
work, they do not expect students to use the time to chat about
extracurricular
activities.
CHILDREN
Children are not
permitted to
attend class; parents should refer to Section 7 of the Collin
Student Handbook.
CIVILITY
Civility is the
underpinning of
all the enumerated subject headings of this guide. To enhance the
quality
of education by avoiding behaviors obstructing learning opportunities,
students
must recognize that increasing diversity in the classroom demands
increasing
efforts to maintain mutual respect, tolerance of differences, and
reasoned
discourse. A healthy debate can energize and enrich the
understanding of a subject. Still, it can also lead to emotional
volatility, including hostility. Respect for another's viewpoints
is
fundamental, regardless of the depth of the division of core
beliefs.
Passionately opposing another's viewpoints is appropriate in a
classroom
debate; using offensive, intimidating or inflammatory language toward
the
person holding opposing viewpoints is, by contrast, always
inappropriate.
"Shouting down" another's viewpoints, dominating class discussions
and engaging in sideline discussions are equally inappropriate.
CONSEQUENCES
Instructors have the right and option to warn students that an
instructor-filed
report about persistent misconduct may be necessary. Persistent
misconduct can include habitual tardiness and inattentiveness, to name
but two
discourtesies.
DISRUPTIVE
CONDUCT
Section 7 of the Collin Student Handbook covers serious
violations.
EATING
AND DRINKING
These functions belong
outside the
classroom, both as a courtesy to all others in the classroom and as a
respect
for the facilities and the maintenance staff. Because some
instructors do
not even permit water bottles in the classroom, students should inquire
first
before assuming drinking water during lectures is acceptable.
ELECTRONIC
MAIL
Students should check
their
electronic mail daily. Students should not expect instant replies
to
their mail, nor should they expect instructors to reply to messages on
weekends
and holidays. Students should avoid chat-room style of
grammatically
incorrect sentences, using lower-case "i" for the pronoun
"I," shouting" a message through the use of capital letters, and
disrespectful discourse. Students should inquire first whether
attaching
assignments to an e-mail is an acceptable alternative to handing them
in during
a class period.
ENTERING AND
EXITING
Students entering the
classroom
late should take a seat close to the door instead of walking in front
of the
instructor to take a seat. If a seat near the door is
unavailable, they
should at the least walk behind the instructor to get to a desk.
They
should not expect a reiteration of missed instruction (students who
arrive late
should instead wait until class is over to ask their peers about missed
instruction). Students who know in advance they must leave class
early
should arrive to class early enough to take a seat near the door as
well as to
inform the instructor. Students who unexpectedly leave class
should avoid
walking in front of their instructors.
EXTRA
CREDIT
Students who cannot
perform
regular assignments in the course of a semester will find performing
extra work
all the more difficult. Most instructors therefore do not offer
"extra-credit" assignments.
GOLDEN
RULE
Whether opening a door
for someone
else or turning in a lost item, everyone can benefit by adhering to the
rule of
"doing unto others as you would have them do unto you."
ILLNESS
By electronic mail or
a telephone
call, students should inform their instructors about their illness and
anticipated absences. Because of possible contagion, ill students
should
stay home. More particularly, students who are ill with
uncontrollable
coughs should stay home, for persistent coughing not only has the
potential of
spreading germs but also of disrupting others trying to
listen to
instruction.
INAPPROPRIATE QUESTIONS AND ASSERTIONS
Students should
consider the
appropriateness of the following questions or of assertions:
"I missed class the other day. Did I miss
anything? Oh. Well, can you go over everything I may have missed?"
"Do
you have a stapler or paper clip for my paper?"
"I
have to have an 'A' in this course. You're the only professor who
is
hurting my GPA."
"I
have to work over forty hours a week. You cannot expect me to
spend much
time on assignments."
"Why
don't you grade me on my effort even though I failed the test?"
INTERRUPTING OTHERS
See "Civility"
above. In addition, students must avoid interrupting a lecture to
ask an
instructor whether a certain piece of instruction "will be on the
test" (or something akin to this question). The same applies to
going "in front of the line" to say something when clearly another
student's hand has been in a raised position to speak first.
LANGUAGE
Students should avoid
any
communication that can be construed as harassing, intimidating,
confrontational,
and offensive.
NEGOTIATIONS
Most attempts at
negotiating an
alternate assignment or a reduced paper length are discourteous.
Students
with extenuating circumstances should address their deficiencies in the
instructor's office, not in the classroom.
NOTE
TAKING AND TAPE RECORDERS
All instructors assume
their
students have developed good note-taking skills. (Students whose
note-taking skills are weak should consider taking a note-taking skills
seminar.) Arriving in the classroom without a notepad and pen is
irresponsible conduct. Assuming that everything an instructor
says is noteworthy
should prevent students from asking whether or not to take notes.
Equally
if not more important is developing a daily habit of reviewing class
notes. Finally, students should gain their instructor's
permission before
recording a lecture.
OFFICE
HOURS
All full-time faculty
post office
hours in their syllabi and on their office doors. If students
cannot
visit their instructors during regular office hours, they should make
arrangements to meet at other mutually convenient times. The
office, not
the classroom, is the appropriate place to discuss personal issues,
such as
upcoming surgical dates, requests for reference letters, and assignment
difficulties. Further, students who have missed class should not
expect a
reiteration of instruction during office hours. They should also
respect
their instructor's time by not chatting at the desk just as the
instructor is
starting to address the class (or when class is over instead of letting
the
instructor continue out of the classroom to other duties).
PARTICIPATION
Participation in class
discussions, in group work, and in field work is a vital part of a
college
education. Students should engage fully in class discussions and
collaborative assignments. They should also not rely on others to
do the
work, then claim credit for doing the work. Finally, students
should
avoid pretending to have read an assignment; an admission of failure to
do an
assignment is better than attempts at bluffing with made-up responses.
PATIENCE
Not all students
perform at the
same level. Students should exercise patience during a class in
which
some students require additional instruction to understand a point or
when some
anxious students are forgetting parts of their oral reports or speeches.
PERSONAL
QUESTIONS
At times, students may
wish to
know about their instructors' personal lives. If instructors do
not
volunteer private information, however, students should assume personal
intrusions are unwelcome.
PLANNING AND
ORGANIZING
Students should use
the calendar
in the free Collin Student Handbook
(or invest in another calendar) as an invaluable aid to staying
organized and
producing timely assignments.
PREPARATION
(See "Assignments"
above.) Students should arrive in class with all their textbooks,
notebooks, test materials, and completed assignments. "My books
are
in my locker (or car)" speaks poorly of a student's preparatory
attitude.
PROFANITY
Because many students
and
instructors find profanity highly offensive and inappropriate, students
should
avoid its use either in the classrooms or in the hallways.
PUBLIC
DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION
As a courtesy to
others who may
find such behavior offensive, students should avoid engaging in
inappropriate
displays of affection in any area of the college.
PUNCTUALITY
Students should
develop the habit
of being at their desks at least five minutes before class
starts.
Habitual tardiness, unlike the occasional traffic-related tardiness,
not only
disrupts learning but also reflects poorly on the student.
Moreover, as
previously noted, habitual tardiness may result in a filed misconduct
report.
(The section on “Consequences” and "Entering and Exiting" above offer
additional information along with rules of etiquette.)
RESPECT
FOR FACILITIES
Students should
demonstrate their
respect for their instructors, the maintenance staff, and all others
enjoying
college facilities by keeping their feet off desks, by sitting in
chairs, not
on tables, by leaving their classroom areas clean, by disposing of
their
recyclables in the college's designated containers, by picking up their
dropped
items, and by keeping their trash in their automobiles instead of
dumping it in
the parking lots. In study areas, students should be mindful of
those
studying nearby and modulate their voices accordingly.
RESPONSIBILITY
Students who miss
class should not
expect the instructor to supply the missed instruction. Instead,
students
should get necessary information from other students willing to expend
their
time. Should students have to miss class on a day an assignment
is due, they
are responsible for getting their assignments turned in on time by
another
means. By the same measure, students are responsible for doing
their part
in creating a harmonious and productive environment.
SCHOLASTIC
INTEGRITY
Please refer to
Section 7 of the Collin Student Handbook.
SLEEPING
Students should manage
their time
wisely to avoid sleeping during class. Not only is classroom
napping
discourteous, but also it results in a loss of learning.
COLLIN STUDENT HANDBOOK
For issues such as
academic honesty
and serious classroom disruptions, please refer to the Collin
Student Handbook.
SYLLABUS
A syllabus isn't
window dressing
for the course; rather, it's a serious document covering basic college
policies
and course requirements. Once students review it, they may
certainly ask
for clarification of policies and requirements.
TUTORIAL
ASSISTANCE
Students requiring
assistance
should refer to Michele Boverie in the ACCESS Office for accommodations.
WRITING
CENTERS
Students should not
expect
A
Student's Guide to Academic Etiquette©, is reprinted by permission of
Joyce Marie Miller, English Faculty
Collin County Community College District Faculty Council
February 10, 2006