Classroom Concerns

Classroom Concerns and resources for both students and classroom instructors.

An empty classroom with desks

Responding to Classroom Challenges

Classroom instructors face many challenges teaching in a vibrant campus community, and it is expected that students at a university will experience a wide variety of emotions in and outside of the classroom. While many students will be attentive and engaged in classroom activities, others may be day-dreaming, bored, distracted, or pre-occupied. Many instructors have their own effective techniques for working with these students.

Students may present a greater challenge when they come to class:

  • experiencing significant stress in their academic or personal lives.
  • under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
  • and engage in ways that are inconsistent with our classroom discourse expectations.

University Expectations

Our Community Standards in the Code of Student Conduct affirm that we prioritize student and University activities, events, teaching, research, administration, and other authorized non-University activities that are essential to supporting learning and discourse.

Students are encouraged to share their concerns in ways that are aligned with the on-campus demonstrations policy, university speakers’ policy, our Jesuit values, and in the spirit of robust academic discourse. Our faculty and staff are similarly called into this discussion as we explore our learning communities together. See Policies for more information.

Disruption or obstruction of these activities may include, but is not limited to:

  • behaviors inconsistent with stated learning community norms in individual classes.
  • posted guidelines in campus facilities.
  • intentional use of bias language (link to bias harassment policy), or
  • actions that prevent students, staff, faculty, and/or visitors from engaging in University business including the exchange of ideas in academic discourse.

Faculty, staff, and students can establish these norms during the first day of class as part of the review of the syllabus or during the first meetings of a group. This conversation can include specific information about a given course (i.e. literature classes where the discussion includes books with bias terms or talking about legal theories rooted in oppression). Community members can either start from a basic set of guidelines (listed below) and/or facilitate a discussion with a class or group using the following norms as a starting point:

  • Rooted in Jesuit and Catholic values, as well as the Redhawk Commitment.
  • Spirit of inquiry — being curious about each other.
  • Spirit of humility — our students are learning how to engage in discourse, will make mistakes, and need to be supported in their growth and learning.
  • Assuming best intentions  — folx come from various places in their own journeys.
  • Willingness to call in — when folx make a mistake/misstep, calling them into the discussion to learn.
  • Thinking about personal identities and how we show up in spaces — folx with majority identities might inadvertently impact minoritized students by being unaware or unconscious about how they show up in discussions. We should encourage students to engage in this reflection and be aware of how much discourse space they take up, the language that they use, etc.
  • Staying on topic — when discussion strays, being open to being called back to the topic or asked to make the connection between the discussion topic and the other content explicit
  • Creating a “brave” space for discourse — no one can guarantee emotional “safety” but we can commit to a space where discourse can occur.
  • Normalize self-care and appropriate disclosure — if someone is having difficulty with content, the discussion, or are triggered in some way, faculty can normalize the importance of self-care and taking time to reflect and reset before reengaging in the discussion.
  • Setting clear next steps when the norms are breached.

It can be tough to start from nothing. Here's a set of sample learning community expectations as a starting point for your class discussion:

  • “I” statements — “I think/feel/believe…” and “When I heard you say X, I felt Y”.
  • Base assertions in data or reading — “I understood when the author said “X” that it meant “Y”.
  • Discourse is rooted in inclusion, meaning we refrain from using terms which dehumanize minoritized individuals. So we refrain from using biased terms for individuals based on race, ethnicity, gender identity, sex, national origin, etc.. If you aren’t sure if a term would be a bias term, please ask your faculty or look online before using it.
  • Spirit of inquiry — “I heard you say “Y” and I’d appreciate if you could say more.”
  • We are learning how to engage in discourse, will make mistakes, and need to be supported in our growth and learning — “I noticed that you said X. That is often a hurtful term for individuals who identify as Y.”
  • Honor both impact and intention  — “I heard you say X and because I identify as Y, that hurt my feelings. I am guessing you didn’t mean to hurt my feelings, but wanted to share the impact.”
  • Willingness to call in — “When you said Z, I felt like you were making an assumption about all people who identify as X. Could you say more about what you meant so we can talk about it?” We are working towards engagement, rather than embracing “cancel culture.”
  • Working to “notice” things about our learning spaces - “I’ve noticed that “X” folx are participating, could we make space for others to engage for a moment” or “I notice that there are some other perspectives missing from the discussion, what else are folx thinking about?”
  • Thinking about personal identities and how we show up in spaces — step up and step back in discussions. “I notice that many of the folx who identify as X have spoken up. Could we also hear from others to get their perspectives?”
  • Staying on topic — “I think we might have gotten off topic. Could you please share where you see a connection between what you shared and X?”
  • Creating a “brave” space for discourse — When we disagree, we can say that without putting value on the other person.
  • We are a work in progress — harm can and does happen in robust discourse, and we are all working to increase awareness and respond with humility.
  • Normalize self-care and appropriate disclosure — if you’re having difficulty with topics and content, the discussion, or are triggered in some way, please take care of yourself (i.e. stepping away from class, saying “I’m feeling triggered by this because of X,” or engaging in a private conversation with the faculty member after class to talk about it.

The Center for Faculty Development has additional resources.

What gets in the way of productive academic discourse?

  • Use of bias language (when not related to class context).
  • Personal attacks.
  • Interpersonal conflicts not related to class (i.e. folx who have conflict that might be part of a cohort, club, or other group outside of a given course).
  • Not staying engaged — if you aren’t able to be fully part of the discussion, consider presence in the class and whether it would be more productive to take the time off to reset.
  • Any kind of physical interaction (invading personal space, any form of assault).
  • Verbal interactions that breach learning community expectations (yelling, insults).

There are a lot of different strategies. Below are some initial guidelines for how to respond if a student does not comply with learning community expectations:

  • In the moment, name the harm as you notice it - “I want to recognize that the use of this word/concept/phrase can have a negative impact on a specific group. I want us to pause and address this before we move on.”
  • Take their concern or comments seriously, since there’s usually more context for why a student might choose to breach the learning community expectations
  • Ask to speak with them outside of the classroom or during a class period break — “Let’s take a five minute break, [student] let’s speak for a moment in private”
  • Highlight specific impacts — “when you said/did X, this is how I/others experienced this”
  • Listen to their feedback — “Help me understand what’s going on for you. Where were you coming from when you made this comment/engaged in this activity?”
  • Thank them for sharing — “I really appreciate you telling me what’s going on.”
  • Ask for change — “Moving forward, I would appreciate if you would do Y.”
  • If students continue to breach these norms, ask them to leave the class session and invite them for a one on one conversation.
  • Contact DPS (206-296-5911) if the behavior escalates to any form of violence.
  • Debrief with the class to make sure there’s follow up if the issue was significant.

If you would like to consult about possible strategies or have a situation you're not sure how to approach, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at deanofstudents@seattleu.edu.

Frequently Asked Questions

On occasion a faculty member may recognize that a student is experiencing significant stress and this is impacting them and how they show up in the classroom setting. This can include situations where students express that this stress is happening, come to class under the influence of alcohol or other drugs, or behave differently than they previously had in class.

We ask that students handle these situations with care for the student and their learning environment. Faculty should consider referring the student to the Office of the Dean of Students in these circumstances. Our team will respond to the student and their behavior with a combination of resources and support. If the behavior is inconsistent with our Community Standards, we will also speak with the student through the Integrity Formation process.

Faculty members may encounter students who present as angry or distressed in class. This emotion might derive from differences among classmates, discussion of a controversial topic, or a disputed grade on a paper or test. This is normal for our students as they learn and grow, and we want to respond with care and clear expectations. Anger in a student is not a violation of the Student Code of Conduct nor is it necessarily a threat to classroom order. When a student's anger manifests itself into disregard for the learning community, faculty or other students, or prevents the class from continuing, the faculty member retains the same right to report that student to the Office of the Dean of Students.

Peer support is essential for minimizing social isolation and preventing distress. Peers provide a natural source of support that is important to a healthy community. Peer support includes a wide range of activities from

  • simply being there and listening to a colleague
  • actively planning and intervention aimed at helping the person in need
  • helping to address their problem
  • make a referral (campus resources, talk to a professor, submit a CARE Team referral)
  • follow up or check in 

You can follow these steps by utilizing the BASIC approach:

  • B - Being there
  • A - Awareness
  • S - Shared planning
  • I - Initiating the plan
  • C - Continuity of prevention
  1. Determine if it's a personal conflict. Take a deep breath and try to figure out the basis for your frustration with this particular professor. Do they have a teaching style you just don't like? Or do they not explain the material in a way that people can understand? Knowing the difference can help you figure out how best to approach the situation. Is this class one you can deal with, knowing it's going to be boring but manageable? Or are you concerned about your ability to learn the content of the course in a meaningful, productive way? 
  2. Know what your options are for changing classes. Sometimes, changing a class can be remarkably easy. In other situations, however, changing classes can be a challenge. It's important to look into changing classes as soon as possible, since there are add/drop deadlines to consider. Consult with your academic adviser as soon as you can and make sure you know your options. If you want to switch classes, are there openings in the class you'd like to join? What will you need to do to catch up? How will the change have an impact on your course load? And will any change have an impact on what you're able to take next semester, or when you'll graduate?
  3. Seek out your peers. If you're really struggling, chances are that other students are, too. Talk with other people in your class to see if a group study session will help everyone better understand the material. Additionally, either on your own or in your new study group, talk to someone at a tutoring center on campus or your academic advisor.
  4. Talk to your professor. While it might sound intimidating and frustrating at first, consider talking with your professor. You don't need to mention your opinions on their teaching style, but you can use the opportunity to become clearer on their expectations. What will you need to know over the next few weeks? What kinds of concepts, theories, skills, etc., does this professor consider most important? How will they be grading the major assignments or exams? How would they advise you to prepare for the midterm and final?

Student Resources

Faculty and Staff Resources

Center for Change and Transition Services

  • Asynchronous Online Training Materials
  • Upcoming and past webinars 
  • Presentations
  • Writing effective transition plans

For more information, see Center for Change and Transition Services.

Center for Faculty Development

  • Class design
  • Responding to classroom planning concerns
  • Ongoing development opportunities for faculty

For more information, see Center for Faculty Development.