SoCTL

Conduct Becoming a College Student
A new semester means a new start with new students. But as this year begins, you may be concerned with the prospect of again encountering certain rude students, or of finding ways to prevent and deal with incivility. Students can be uncivil in small ways and in bold ones; they can affront their instructors and their fellow students. They can disrupt a class session or challenge the success of an entire term. It’s not hard to find anecdotal evidence that the incidence of incivility is on the rise—but then, it never has been hard to find.

Faculty have been concerned about, and insulted and appalled by, the behavior of college students for hundreds of years. One of the frequently cited reports in the history of student incivility is the Yale Bread and Butter Rebellion of 1828, in which students refused to attend classes until their complaints about the dining commons were addressed. In a 1998 Chronicle of Higher Education article, Kathy Franklin from the University of Arkansas claimed that the rise of teaching guilds in the 13 th century at the University of Bologna was (at least in part) a protective response by professors whose students “beat them up if they didn't like their grades.”

But taking the long-view is not particularly consoling for most faculty, because incivility, no matter how historically continuous, is a pressing and immediate issue for someone with students “in your face,” and because the particular forms of incivility are ever-changing and seemingly ever-worsening.

Research on student misbehavior is scant. Robert Boice reviewed the empirical literature on incivility in 1996 and not much more has appeared in the decade since. Indiana University, however, conducted a survey in 2000 obtaining answers from more than 1,000 faculty about what behaviors constituted incivility and how often they were encountered. The College of Saint Benedict-Saint John’s University held a recent forum to review that survey and to discuss how university policies and procedures could prevent or correct incivility, and what faculty might do in their classes. The forum’s notes, like many other online and published resources suggest that establishing civility as a standard requires a variety of approaches. Here’s a summary:

Policies, procedures, and services are needed at the college or university level. Student conduct codes, small class sizes wherever feasible, clear procedures for conciliation and mediation, student services for students with emotional or mental instabilities—all help to create a civil campus culture.

Course policies and procedures should include: stating clear expectations about conduct, and the consequences for their not being met, in the syllabus; allowing students to customize a ‘class code of conduct’; setting an early tone of mutual respect and responsibility; and responding openly, quickly, and at an appropriate level to misbehavior.

-Lynda Milne

In addition to the links found in the text above, here are some useful practices for preventing and responding to incivility.

Boice, B. (1996). Classroom incivilities. Research in Higher Education, 37, 453-486.
Reducing Incivility in the University/College Classroom
University of Iowa tutorial citing Boice’s research 1996 and many other great resources
Resources for Classroom Civility

Dates to Remember

MAR 1-3: REALIZING STUDENT POTENTIAL/ITEACH 2007 CONFERENCE FULL PROGRAM!
Minneapolis Community and Technical College/Metropolitan State University (Minneapolis Campus)
Conference Information and Program Information

MAR 16-17: ENGLISH COMPOSITION: CROSSING LINES, FORGING CONNECTIONS & EXTENDING OPPORTUNITIES
Century College
Discipline Workshop Information

MAR 25-26: CHINA SYMPOSIUM 2007
St. Cloud State University.
Discipline Workshop Information
Submit Your Paper Proposal Hurry: Due January 15!

APR 2: PROMOTING HEALTHY BEHAVIORS
Inver Hills Community College.
Discipline Workshop Information

APR 21: WHAT NEW SIGN LANGUAGES CAN TEACH US ABOUT ASL
Location: North Star Academy, St. Paul.
Discipline Workshop Information

APR 27-28: MATHEMATICS: SHARPEN THE FOCUS
Duluth Entertainment Convention Center.
Discipline Workshop Information

MAY 1: LIBRARY REFERENCE AND INFORMATION LITERACY SERVICES IN THE DIGITAL AGE
North Hennepin Community College.
Discipline Workshop Information

Featured Event

The Chinese New Year starts soon, so let’s celebrate! Join your system colleagues on March 25-27 at the China Symposium 2007 to learn more about the culture of the world’s largest population and fourth-largest economy. The demand for Chinese language instruction is rising; are we ready? The goal of this symposium is to provide a catalyst for motivating faculty to pursue further knowledge and understanding of China and to seek strategies for incorporating this knowledge into college courses.

Don’t wait! Register today to attend the China Symposium 2007 at St. Cloud State University

Why not celebrate the Chinese New Year as a presenter? If you have a background in Chinese political, economic, educational or social/cultural systems, this is a great time to share your global wealth with others by being a presenter. Submit your paper proposal by January 15.

-Yvonne Shafer

CTL Announcement

CTL Instructional Development Grants: 2007-2008
Faculty Collaborations to Expand College Readiness

The Center for Teaching and Learning is seeking proposals for the enhancement of teaching and learning at Minnesota State Colleges and Universities campuses. Proposals are due by February 23, 2007 . Notification of awards is planned for April 2007. Projects may begin upon award and are to be completed during the 2007-08 academic year. Center for Teaching and Learning grant programs are supported by funds from the Office of the Chancellor.

Eligibility
All full- and part-time faculty members, administrators, and staff at Minnesota State Colleges and Universities are eligible. Individual faculty members pursuing projects on their own should work with at least one other faculty or staff member in some capacity, for example as an outside evaluator for the project, a consultant on instructional design, or an administrative partner to overcome barriers to student access or learning.

Funding
Amount of award: up to $10,000
Grant activities should foster change within smaller programs or courses or pilot larger projects. Budgets should not exceed $10,000. If the grant is intended or expected to be supplemented by other grantors, these potential supplements should be identified in the application. At least $100,000 is available for this grants program.