CELT Presentation March 1, 2013

1. The Disruptive College Student- Faculty Perspectives and Campus Resources CELT Presentation March 1, 2013 Dr. Eileen Daniel, Associate Vice Provost, Academic Affairs Dr. Karen Logsdon, Assistant to the Vice President, Behavioral Team Chair & Case Manager Ms. Darlene Schmitt, Associate Director, Counseling Center

2. Presentation Overview • Background- Faculty Perspectives: Disruptive Students • Case Studies • De-identified cases for confidentiality (major, characteristics, age) • Team Responses • Campus Resources • Summary

3. Student Behavioral Consultant Team (SBCT) • Case management model (student affairs) • Meet weekly, referral based, protocols, interventions • Outreach, presentations, Web page, etc. • Do not have a Threat Assessment Team • Team membership: • Student Conduct Coordinators • Student Health Services and Counseling; Director & Associate Director • University Police, Chief & Assistant Chief • Academics, Associate Vice-Provost • Chair & Case Manager - Enrollment Management & Student Affairs, Asst. to VP • Webpage: www.brockport.edu/sbct

4. Introduction • Disruptive, disrespectful, disorderly college students disturb, annoy, negatively impact faculty members, other students, and administrators. • While it is often expected that by the time students reach college they will know how to behave in a classroom, unfortunately, college instructors experience disruptions that impact other students’ learning, often on a daily basis. Instructors, using only the authority of their position, are often not able to maintain decorum in their classrooms or a sense of personal safety. • Tactics that were effective when they were students don’t work when modeled today. In addition, disruptive behaviors occur during campus events, i.e. lectures and workshops.

5. Faculty Perspectives • Many classes are taught in large lecture halls • Pressures: tenure, student evaluations, governance obligations • Grade challenges • Lack of classroom management training • Inconsistent peer review of teaching • No systematic follow-up to faculty orientation • Inconsistent department leadership

6. Definitions of Disruptive Behaviors • All behaviors that, in the judgment of the instructor, interfere with the teaching/learning process may be considered disruptive. • Students are expected to treat each other and the instructor or person in charge with common courtesy, decency and respect. They will refrain from behaviors that interfere with the teaching/learning process. • Students will recognize that the instructor of the course is the leader of the class and is in charge of instruction. Students must respect the instructor’s authority to lead and to direct the classroom activities. Attempts to dispute the instructor’ authority to lead may be considered disruptive.

7. Examples of classroom disruptive behaviors: A student- • continually walks in late; walks in and out • carries on side conversations; texts; sleeps • comes to class intoxicated/under the influence and engages in inappropriate behavior • Is angry and the situation escalates to a disruptive level of confrontation • Distracts by talking out of turn, repeatedly monopolizes the classroom, repeatedly challenges the instructor’s authority to lead the class, or repeatedly refuses to observe normal expectations for classroom etiquette. • Others?

8. Outside of class: • Campus-sponsored events including guest lectures, workshops, athletic events, clubs

9. Team experiences: • Veterans returning to classroom (PTSD) • Mental health challenges • Anger management issues • Societal changes, i.e. texting • Instructors lack of training, preparation to deal with/prevent disruptions • Others?

10. Case Study#1 Student: • Male over age 50-returning student • Poor academic performance • Anger management issues over grades • Violent episode- altercation with instructor in front of class. Turned over chairs, physically assaulted instructor with his cane. • Many students in the class witnessed the event.

11. Team’s Response • SBCT members meet with: faculty member, faculty member’s department, students for counseling session • De-briefing with class on two occasions • Student Referred to Counseling Center • Not cooperative in sessions • Referral to Student Conduct • Conduct probation/conduct dismissal

12. Case Study #2 • Faculty member reported multiple disruptions in large lecture class • Claimed 4 or 5 male students were harassing female-instructor didn’t know any of their names • Male students were throwing paper airplanes during class; Side conversations; harassed female after class • Faculty member requested suspensions for all responsible parties; Felt female student was being victimized

13. What not to do… • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuLaQoQP9oo

14. Team’s Response • SBCT met with the faculty member and department chair • Reached out to female student • Males couldn’t be identified.

15. Case Management Challenges working with faculty experiencing classroom disruptions: • Lack of training • Unwillingness to follow up, i.e. confrontation, documentation • Uncomfortable with confrontation; often ignoring situation until escalation; fear of escalation; retaliation • Don’t believe it’s their role • Inconsistent leadership at department level

16. Collaborative case study #3

17. Case Study #3 • Loner and not connecting with peers • Negative attitude towards women • Low impulse control; lack of self-awareness • Flat affect, odd appearance • Believed and accused student of talking about him in several situations • Other students felt uncomfortable and some even threatened; very confrontational towards female students

18. Teams Response: • SBCT director met with student and department chair to address students behavior and violated dept. conduct • Student dismissed from academic program • Worked to transition student to second major; worked with chair of that department • Referred to conduct system; incident report to University Police; placed on Conduct Probation; mandated to counseling. • Student withdrew from classes for that semester

19. Campus Resources: Disruptive Students • Faculty trainings, workshops • Support to faculty and students-direct interventions • Diligent follow up; open communication • Prevention: syllabus, classroom standards, addressing concerns when they first occur.

20. Summary & Questions • Instructors using only the authority of their position may not always be able to maintain decorum in their classrooms or a sense of personal safety for their students and/or themselves. • Faculty need support from campus resources (SBT, UP, CC, chair, dean) to help prevent and address disruptive behaviors and to avoid escalation whenever possible.

21. References • Alberts, H.C., Hazen, H.D. & Theobald, R.B. (2010). Classroom Incivilities: The Challenge of Interactions between College Students and Instructors in the US. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 34, 439-462. • Manning, K. (2008). Helping faculty members with disruptive students. Student Affairs Leader, 36, 6. • Murphy, K. (2010). Strategies for addressing disruptive behaviors in the college classroom. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 81, 33-44. • Nordstrom, C.R., Bartels, L.K., Bucy, J. (2009). Predicting and curbing classroom incivility in higher education. College Student Journal, 43, 74-85. • Seidman, A. (2005). The learning killer: Disruptive student behavior in the classroom. Reading Improvement, 42, 40-46.

22. Resources • NaBITA www.nabita.org • NCHERM National Center for Higher Education Risk Management www.ncherm.org • ACCA-American College Counseling Associationwww.collegecounseling.org/

23. Questions??????????