Policy and Students’ Rights

Please remember that our students are adults and just like us they have full rights as adults—and they are paying to be in our classes. We are here to serve their educational needs and we don’t have the power to enforce arbitrary behavioral rules because we claim it in our syllabi. For instance,

• We can’t confiscate students’ property, such as cell phones.
• We can’t ask students to leave class for texting or any other behavior—unless it is seriously disruptive, such as that which rises to the level of a violation of the Student Code of Conduct.
• We can’t count students absent if they are present. So, for instance, we can’t count them absent for texting.
• Grades are assessments of performance according to the goals and assignments of a class: they cannot be used as a means of penalizing students for classroom behaviors that we consider undesirable.
• We can’t forbid students from turning in a required assignment because they have not turned in a previous assignment.
• We can't use the withholding of a grade or a response as a penalty. Whenever students turn in work, it is our responsibility to assess it and respond to it as quickly as we are able. Even if a student doesn’t have a chance at passing, as long as they are enrolled in our classes we owe them responses to their work. That is an important part of our jobs and our service to our students as their writing teachers.
• If we accuse a student of plagiarism and seek to impose some consequence, we must follow the procedure outlined at the academic integrity office: http://academicintegrity.syr.edu

Teaching is hard and sometimes we all encounter issues with social dynamics or student behaviors in our classes. If you are having trouble with classroom management issues and would like to talk through strategies, please feel free to talk with the Assistant Director.

last revised August 17, 2019