Category: Effective Classroom Management

Relational Communication Theory in Action: Enhancing Learning and Competence – Faculty Focus

Interpersonal communication theories not only help students navigate personal and professional relationships but also strengthen teacher-student connections. Drawing on Orón (2018) and Orón Semper & Blasco (2018), we encourage instructors to use this one-day activity to shift from a “student-centered” to an “interpersonal relationship-centered” pedagogy. This approach views instructor-student relationships as essential to learning and as a space for students to apply theory with relational intent. The activity promotes self-reflexivity, theory analysis, and collaborative dialogue, resulting in improved theory comprehension, stronger rapport, and communication practices that respect classroom diversity.

Student and instructor diversity in higher education has grown significantly in recent years (Li & Koedel, 2017), with over a million international students enrolled in U.S. universities (Urban, 2016). This diversity—across culture, gender, race, ability, and socioeconomic status—shapes classroom dynamics and presents unique challenges related to language, identity, and cultural differences (Jones et al., 2021). Instructors must respond by creating inclusive learning environments that support all students (Downing & Billotte Verhoff, 2023). Diversity also presents an opportunity to apply communication theories to foster intercultural empathy and improve collaboration. Students may initially struggle to understand and respect differing perspectives, affecting group work and engagement (Gray et al., 2020), but these challenges can become learning opportunities that deepen classroom inclusivity.

Communication scholars often apply interpersonal communication theories in the classroom to strengthen student–teacher relationships (Xie & Derakhshan, 2021). This single class activity integrates uncertainty management, self-disclosure, and communication accommodation theory (CAT) for undergraduate students to (a) to understand and (b) apply these theories to facilitate an inclusive and self-reflexive classroom. Teachers are the leading actors during everyday interaction and play a significant role in shaping communication and enhancing the teaching and learning process (Almas Rizkika Nabila, 2020). This activity encourages students to actively co-create a meaningful learning experience, highlighting the reciprocal nature of classroom interaction (Anyichie & Butler, 2023; Kong, 2021).

Self-disclosure: Communication Privacy Management

Self-disclosure is “any conversation about the self that a person communicates to others” (Ampong et al., 2018). Communication Privacy Management (CPM) theory helps students understand how they set and manage privacy boundaries with peers and instructors (Petronio et al., 2021).  The intersection of privacy boundaries and the learning space is complicated as students and instructors navigate privacy. Instructors deliver the lecture and explain the course content, but they also intentionally and willingly share their personal stories (Liu & Zhu, 2021). For instance, the first author, an international graduate assistant, connects class discussions to experiences from his home country, helping students relate and engage. Such instructor self-disclosure encourages student participation and fosters more meaningful classroom communication (Goldstein, 1994) (Liu & Zhu, 2021). 

However, instructors and students rarely critically examine the disclosure norms in the classroom and their role in learning and relationship building. For example, disclosure boundaries (i.e., how far instructors can go to share their experiences) (Cayanus, 2004). Additionally, while students may attend to how much information they share in the classroom, this activity challenges them to apply CPM theory to examine their disclosure practices, expectations, and privacy boundary negotiations. 

Communication Accommodation Theory

Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT) explains how individuals adjust their communication such as speech, tone, pace, gestures, or body language—to interact effectively with others. Instructors can use CAT to enhance student understanding during lectures (Howard Giles, 2023). The theory outlines two key strategies: convergence, where a speaker adapts to another’s communication style (e.g., simplifying vocabulary, repeating phrases, pausing, smiling, nodding), and divergence, where a speaker maintains differences by avoiding shared cues (e.g., using complex words, changing topics, or not adjusting speaking pace) (Marko Dragojevic, 2016) (Pardo et al., 2022).

Drawing on this research, the goal of this activity is 1) to understand the theories and analyze how they facilitate the teaching process, 2) to explore the perceptions of students about these theories and their inclusion in the classroom, 3) to determine the expectations of students related to characteristics of these theories. 

The Activity

This single-class activity applies to various undergraduate courses, such as public speaking, communication among cultures, communication in interpersonal relationships, argument analysis and advocacy, and persuasion. Instructors can do this activity during introduction week as they begin navigating disclosures about themselves and student expectations. Moreover, planning this activity at the beginning will challenge students to examine their positionalities, norms, and expectations critically.

Step 1: Personal Reflection

Before implementing the activity, instructors should familiarize themselves with relevant communication theories and reflect on how their own identities shape their teaching assumptions (Nabila, 2020, Downing & Billotte Verhoff, 2023). We recommend engaging in self-reflexive questions, such as: What disclosure boundaries do I set and why? What uncertainties do I face around privacy or accommodation in teaching? What expectations exist between me and my students regarding communication and flexibility? Instructors should identify what personal information they’re willing to share, why they’re sharing it, and how it might impact classroom relationships. For example, the first author reflected on cultural and linguistic differences and adjusted his teaching by using simpler language, acknowledging English is not his first language, and setting shared guidelines to support mutual understanding and accommodation. This reflective process helps align instructional practices with inclusive, theory-informed pedagogy.

Step 2: Students’ Perceptions About Components of Theories

This activity takes approximately 30 to 40 minutes and is best suited for a full class session. Instructors should introduce the key theories with examples and explain the activity’s purpose and timing. For advanced courses, assigning theory readings beforehand can deepen analysis, making it more effective to conduct the activity later in the semester rather than at the start. During the session, students should be divided into groups of four and asked to write their expectations for the course and the instructor. To guide discussion, instructors can pose prompts such as:

What expectations do you have for your instructor when it comes to using different communication accommodation strategies?

How do you manage your own self-disclosure in the classroom? Where do you draw the line on what you choose to share?

What are your thoughts on instructors’ self-disclosure? What types of disclosures have a positive or negative impact on your learning experience?

How comfortable are you with classroom communication? What strategies could reduce uncertainty or discomfort?

How do you plan to engage with and accommodate diversity in terms of culture, race, gender identity, and sexual orientation in your classroom interactions?

Can you connect your responses to the core ideas of the communication theories we’ve discussed? How do these theories help explain disclosure and accommodation in the classroom context?

These questions will provide space for students to reflect on their experiences. Moreover, during that time, the instructor will also answer these questions from the instructor’s perspective and enlist the convergence techniques they perceive to accommodate. Instructors can give 15 to 20 minutes to answer the provided questions briefly. 

Step 3: Describing the Theories and Their Impact

Instructors will invite each group to share their responses, followed by the instructor’s own disclosure of planned strategies—such as accommodation, anticipated uncertainties, and boundaries around self-disclosure. A comparison table with two columns (students vs. instructor) can be used to visually display both perspectives. Instructors then lead a discussion with prompts like: Why do these expectations exist? What differences or overlaps emerge? How do these perspectives interact? This activity encourages students to (a) practice perspective-taking shaped by diverse identities, (b) apply key concepts like co-creating privacy boundaries (CPM), and (c) see how theory fosters a supportive learning environment. Since student familiarity with these theories may vary, instructors should first assess their basic understanding.

Debriefing

At the end of the activity on the same day. Instructors can initiate the debriefing by including the Q&A sessions such as: 

How did this activity impact, how you view self-disclosure and accommodation?

What do you understand about embedding these theories in the classroom?

How can this activity help to build a good student-teacher relationship and create an inclusive environment in the classroom?

Appraisal

In the second week, I (the first author) compiled all responses into a table and presented it to the class. I briefly discussed both student and instructor perspectives, then posted reflection prompts on Blackboard for feedback. Students responded positively, noting that the activity was enjoyable and helped them get to know one another. Many emphasized the importance of communication accommodation, agreeing that in a diverse classroom, convergence strategies are essential for fostering inclusion and mutual respect. One student highlighted that accommodation is key to ensuring understanding and promoting respectful interaction (see Table 1).

Table 1: Responses of Students and Instructor

	Communication Accommodation	Self-disclosure	Uncertainty
Students	-Speaking slower during a speech even when anxious -Staying away from slang words to avoid language barriers -Clear annunciation -Respectful of each other’s speaking language -Appropriate tone/voice -In class participation -Speaking clearly and loudly**** -Visual cue images if doing a speech. -Articulation -Be patient -Stay engaged -Ask him to repeat	-Disclose how comfortable you are speaking in front of a group, so the professor understands your anxiety or emotion towards speech presentation -Disclosing where you are from, what languages you, speak, and how much you understand a topic will be very important to critiquing your peers on their speeches -Safe space -No personal information** -No social media -Should disclose important and relevant events that could affect quality -Establish boundaries	-Topics that peers choose to speak about throughout the semester may be understood less or more by others -How to write a speech -How we will be graded -How heavy the workload will be -Fear of asking questions -Ask for help when needed -Talking in front of people preparation -Speech topics (Range of issues) -Comfort -What is expected of us from the professor -Memorizing speeches -Deadlines -Clear instructions for assignments -Reminders of important dates -Remember to submit assignments -Nervous
Instructor	-Speak slowly -Use clear words -Allow students to ask questions -Repeat my words without asking -Take a break during lecture and ask students if they have any concern or not -Making good eye contact -Listen everyone carefully -Give everyone chance to speak	-If you are comfortable to share your personal information you can, we can make a rule that whatever you share in this class will stay in this class	-How do you feel when I show attendance sheet on BB -How do you feel about forgetting your name -What do you think when it takes time to respond to your email -How you think when you meet me outside of class at court street on weekends

One limitation of this activity is the time required to develop and implement it during the first week of the semester, making early planning essential. Second, the activity is best suited for small classes; in larger classrooms, it may be difficult to follow all steps without modification. Lastly, delayed feedback or response-sharing may reduce the activity’s impact, as students may forget key details over time.

Athar Memon, MBBS, MSPH, is a graduate student in the PhD program in the Scripps School of Communication Studies at Ohio University. Athar Memon research interest is related to health communication specifically health care access, behaviors to access healthcare services among marginalized population, barriers related to patient-provider interpersonal communication, health literacy and its relationship with health outcomes and healthy behaviors. His work has been published in various journals including Professional Medical Journal, Journal of Pakistan Medical Association, Pakistan Journal of Public Health, PEC Innovation, and Eastern Mediterranean Journal.

China C. Billotte Verhoff, PhD, (Purdue University) is an Assistant Professor in the School of Communication Studies at Ohio University. Dr. Billotte Verhoff’s research agenda lies at the intersections of interpersonal and organizational communication. Specifically, she explores how individuals with marginalized and stigmatized identities navigate self-disclosure and social support processes to identify the associated relational, career, and health outcomes. Dr. Billotte Verhoff’s work has been published in peer-reviewed journals such as Communication Monographs, the Journal of Language and Social Psychology, Communication Studies, Sex Roles, Women and Language, and Health Communication.

References

Almas Rizkika Nabila, A. M., Syafi’ul Anam. 2020. “TEACHER’S MOTIVES IN APPLYING COMMUNICATION ACCOMMODATION STRATEGIES IN SECONDARY ELT CLASS. Linguistic, English Education and Art (LEEA) Journal, 3(2), 373-384.”

Ampong, G. O. A., Mensah, A., Adu, A. S. Y, Addae, J. A., Omoregie, O. K., & Ofori, K. S. 2018. “Examining Self-Disclosure on Social Networking Sites: A Flow Theory and Privacy Perspective. Behav Sci (Basel), 8(6).”

Anyichie, A. C., & Butler, D. L.. 2023. Examining culturally diverse learners’ motivation and engagement processes as situated in the context of a complex task. Frontiers in Education,

Cayanus, J. L.. 2004. “Effective Instructional Practice: Using Teacher Self-Disclosure as an Instructional Tool. Communication Teacher, 18(1), 6-9.”

Downing, S. S., & Billotte Verhoff, C. C. 2023. “Incorporating mini lessons on the hidden curriculum in communication classrooms. Communication Teacher, 37(3), 246-253.”

Ewa Urban, L. B. P.. 2016. “International Students’ Perceptions of the Value of U.S. Higher Education Journal of International Students, 6(1), 153-174.”

Gray, D. L., McElveen, T. L., Green, B. P., & Bryant, L. H.. 2020. Engaging Black and Latinx students through communal learning opportunities: A relevance intervention for middle schoolers in STEM elective classrooms. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 60, 101833.

Howard Giles, A. L. E., Joseph B. Walther. 2023. Communication accommodation theory: Past accomplishments, current trends, and future prospects.

Jones, B. D., Krost, K., & Jones, M. W.. 2021. Relationships between students’ course perceptions, effort, and achievement in an online course. Computers and Education Open, 2, 100051.

Kong, Y. 2021. The Role of Experiential Learning on Students’ Motivation and Classroom Engagement. Front Psychol, 12, 771272.

Li, D., & Koedel, C. 2017. “Representation and salary gaps by race-ethnicity and gender at selective public universities. Educational researcher, 46(7), 343-354.”

Liu, X., & Zhu, L. 2021. The Role of EFL Teachers’ Self-Disclosure as Predictors of Student’s Willingness to Communicate and Their Engagement. Front Psychol, 12, 748744.

Marko Dragojevic, J. G., Howard Giles. 2016. Accommodative Strategies as Core of the Theory. Communication Accommodation Theory: Negotiating Personal Relationships and Social Identities across Contexts, 36-59.

Pardo, J. S., Pellegrino, E., Dellwo, V., & Möbius, B. 2022. Special issue: Vocal accommodation in speech communication. Journal of Phonetics, 95, 101196.

Petronio, S., Child, J. T., & Hall, R. D. 2021. Communication privacy management theory: Significance for interpersonal communication. In Engaging theories in interpersonal communication (pp. 314-327). Routledge.

Xie, F., & Derakhshan, A. 2021. A Conceptual Review of Positive Teacher Interpersonal Communication Behaviors in the Instructional Context. Front Psychol, 12, 708490.

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October 31, 2025

A Student’s Guide to Success: Six Strategies to Reduce Team Conflict – Faculty Focus
Working as a successful team member remains one of the most important skills that employers report that they want when hiring college graduates. This means that when professors create well-executed and high-quality team projects, they can help their students succeed in a challenging job market. However, there are times when professors fail to help students to develop the necessary teamwork skills that our students will need, such as helping them learn how to manage team conflict.

We surveyed college professors a few years ago to better understand the problems they face when running team projects, even learning about why some choose to avoid team projects altogether. Many reported that they struggle because of the issues that students face when working in a team, such as one student taking over the project, figuring out how to grade a team project, motivating social loafers, and including dealing with team conflict.

The reality is that conflict will inevitably occur during team projects. We can help our students work better in teams by teaching them how to manage the conflict that they will face.

Many students think that there is something wrong when conflict occurs on their team. However, conflict can be a positive force for team decision-making when it’s focused on the task, provides new perspectives on the issues, and shows how the team can improve. On the other hand, there are types of conflict that can be destructive, such as when it gets emotional and focuses on people and personal grievances, rather than the work that the team is doing.

In this article, we recommend six easy strategies to help your students try to avoid the destructive emotional conflict and better manage the substantive conflict in their team when it does occur.

1. Focus on Team Goals

It’s important to start your team project by emphasizing the importance of the team project to their work in your class. This requires more than discussing how the project paper or presentation relates to their grade. Instead, help your teams to understand the skills that they will gain from working on the project you’ve assigned. When team members see the value in your team project, they are more likely to work together on it.

2. Create a Team Charter

Start your teams off right by having them create a team charter. This should include at least three components: when and how long they will meet each week, how to contact one another, and a list of behavioral and attitudinal obligations that they have to one another. These obligations may include things like how soon to respond to messages, how responsibilities are assigned, and even how they will resolve disagreements as they work together.

3. Use Frequent Check-ins

Monitoring how well your teams are working together can help you to identify a minor conflict before it becomes a major problem. These check-ins can be accomplished through ongoing peer evaluations, when you attend their team meetings, and/or through team updates they can provide, often as an assignment on your LMS. Once you learn about a potential conflict, you can make some suggestions for how they might move forward. We have often made Google Drive folders for each team with instructor access, and we require students to write their contributions to the instructor each week as one way to keep an eye on potential issues that might derail their projects. We’ve even had these project updates impact a small portion of the final grade of the project.

4. Focus the Team on Their Task

Keep your teams focused on the team task. You can help them to accomplish this by breaking down your project into components and setting intermediary deadlines. Scaffolding a team project this way can help keep your teams moving forward rather than spiraling or stalling. You can also regularly remind them about the main goal of the assignment. Finally, make sure to explain how any conflict that occurs needs to focus on issues with substance (e.g., how to collect data, what recommendations should we give, etc.) because these are important parts of the discussions that will help their team to create a better project. Similarly, remind them that they should not be spending time hurling angry accusations at each other or talking to team members behind others’ backs. We like to use the following quote to help our students with this:

Conflict is inevitable. Anger is a choice. And almost always the wrong choice. — Seth R. Silver

This way, they begin to understand that their conflict is not a problem until it starts to boil over into frustration, anger, and even resentment that derails them.

5. Address Conflict Resolution Strategies in Class

There are many great conflict resolution strategies that you can use to help your students recover when they do in fact face some conflict. One of our favorites is a team-based Start-Stop-Continue exercise. In it, the team discusses what they should start doing (e.g., setting deadlines for completing action items), stop doing (e.g. showing up late to team meetings), and continue doing (e.g. keeping the other team members informed about their work) in order to be successful. Remind students that this is a team discussion, which means that they should use team talk (“we can start setting deadlines”) and it should not include any ‘naming or shaming’ that calls out any one team member by name.

6. Get Involved When Necessary

If you’re following the first five steps, your teams will usually work through most conflicts. But, there are times where you might need to get involved – this should be a last resort and often only when you are asked to intervene. When you get such a request, you should meet with the team outside of class time. Your main role will be listening to their issues and asking open-ended questions. This will help them to find (or maybe even gently guide them towards) a solution on their own, because your students will be more committed to a solution that they help to create. You want to avoid dictating a solution unless the team is ready to self-destruct and it is truly the only way forward.

By incorporating these six strategies into your team project, your students will be more likely to:
- Have a better team experience in your class;
- Learn important skills that will help them in future teams;
- Be more likely to successfully work in teams in other classes; and
- Have a compelling story that they can share with potential employers about how well they worked in a team.
In addition, it will improve your own experience with team projects (and make them easier for you to grade, too)!

Tim Franz is Professor of Psychology and Lauren Vicker is Communications Professor Emeritus, both at St. John Fisher University. We started working together to team-teach a course in group dynamics beginning in 2004, coming from the fields of psychology and communications. We have presented, written, and published on teamwork and team projects, with our latest effort being Making Team Projects Work: A College Instructor’s Guide to Successful Student Groupwork, published by Routledge/Taylor & Francis, 2025. Approaching the issue from two different perspectives and teaching beyond our own home disciplines in business, pharmacy, criminology, etc. has given us a broad perspective into the issue.
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October 1, 2025
Bringing C.H.A.O.S to Chaos: Syllabi with an AI Usage Policy – Faculty Focus

It is no secret that Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology is transforming college classrooms. AI tools can easily and quickly assist students in various tasks such as essay writing, literature reviews, analyzing data, formulating code, solving equations, image generation, music composition, and so much more. With minimal or no effort, within minutes, students have most assignments, test questions, or discussion problems figured out and done…enter the chaos!

As educators, this means everything that we experienced in our own education and have worked years to develop is changing. We need to rethink our role, assignments, as well as formative and summative assessments of student learning all while AI capabilities change daily.

Through all this, we feel educators can take one concrete step to control the chaos by Communicating How AI Operates in the Syllabus (C.H.A.O.S). This article highlights the significance of AI usage policies and what elements should be considered in the policy. It also provides a few useful tips to implement AI policies.

Is there a need to specify the AI usage policy in the class syllabus?

Including an AI usage policy offers clarity to students regarding acceptable usage of AI tools. Although educators are making attempts to develop campus-wide consensus about AI tools, different sections of the same course may have different AI usage policies and practices depending on the instructor and their comfort level. When an explicit AI usage policy is stated in the syllabus, students (and faculty members) can be held accountable for upholding that policy. Any incidents of inappropriate AI usage or cheating can be dealt with within the framework of the policy mentioned.

What are the elements of an AI policy?

A clear AI usage policy needs to have at least three elements – acceptable use, citations necessary, and consequences of non-adherence to the policy. The first element, a well-formulated AI usage policy, specifies acceptable AI usage in learning processes, e.g. brainstorming and creating outlines. In the policy, it is beneficial to provide examples of unacceptable usage, e.g. using whole paragraphs of AI text or writing the whole essay. To develop the acceptable use portion, faculty need to take time and honestly reflect on how they see AI tools being integrated into classroom learning, career fields, and life in general. This can range from absolutely no AI usage to intentional integration of the tools in the classroom space. Your level of familiarity, acceptance of, and perceived value in AI will help shape what is allowed.

The second element is to determine how AI usage needs to be acknowledged and cited appropriately. Again, it is helpful to provide a sample citation as students may be unfamiliar with the norms of citations while taking initial undergraduate courses.

Furthermore, AI tools often include biases, inaccuracies, or sometimes hallucinations. Humans using AI tools, in this case students, need to be aware of these shortcomings and understand that even with proper citations they will be held accountable for not reviewing and verifying the accuracy of their work before submitting. So, the citation element in the syllabus must explain that the ultimate responsibility of academic rigor for the assignment submitted lies with the student.

The last element should outline information about how the instructor will deal with non-adherence to the policy. As an instructor, will you provide a chance for students to resubmit the work? Will the usage result in a loss of points, a zero for the assignment, or a failing grade in the course? How will AI usage be checked? How will you communicate it to students? What is the process and who is involved? These are a few questions that can help an educator shape their usage policy.

Implementing AI usage policy

A few additional steps can be taken when implementing an AI usage policy to make the process smoother. Given the varied nature of AI use policy in various courses, it would be helpful to have a classroom discussion early on (day 1) and throughout the semester with each assignment and exam. Researchers have suggested using a stoplight framework e.g., Red – No AI is allowed in this course; Green – AI tools are allowed and encouraged; and Yellow- AI is permitted for following activities only (Urbaczewski, 2025).

Regularly talking about AI usage may remove some of the pressure from students who want to express themselves through their essays or art and feel seen/heard but may be afraid that their grades will be poorer if they don’t use AI tools. Sharing stories of how past students have effectively, or ineffectively, utilized AI in their work can be helpful in mitigating inappropriate usage.

Another possible step is to introduce scaffolding in high stakes summative assignments such as end of the semester projects. Instead of a one-time submission worth 100 points, students could submit intermediate steps and include the prompts they may have used to get a response from AI tools such as ChatGPT or Perplexity. Some instructors may offer extra credit for such intermediate steps.

Unlike grading or attendance policies in the syllabus, AI usage policies will be dynamic. As AI technology advances, the definition of academic integrity may need to be revisited. Faculty members may need to revise this policy each semester and update it to ensure that students are meeting learning outcomes. As the educational landscape continues to evolve, remember you can get a handle on the chaos by introducing C.H.A.O.S to keep your syllabi in alignment with the current times.

AI Disclosure: AI tools such as Editor in MS Word were used for checking grammar and spelling. No AI tools were used for brainstorming or writing this article.

Simantini Karve, PhD, is a professor of biology and professional development co-coordinator at Skyline College, San Bruno, CA.

Jessica Hurless was a professor of Communication Studies and currently serves as the Dean STEM division at Skyline College, San Bruno, CA.

Reference

Urbaczewski, Andrew, “Developing a syllabus for is course usage in the ai era” (2025). Proceedings of 2024 AIS SIGED International Conference on Information Systems Education and Research. 16. https://aisel.aisnet.org/siged2024/16

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August 25, 2025
Bringing C.H.A.O.S to Chaos: Syllabi with an AI Usage Policy – Faculty Focus

It is no secret that Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology is transforming college classrooms. AI tools can easily and quickly assist students in various tasks such as essay writing, literature reviews, analyzing data, formulating code, solving equations, image generation, music composition, and so much more. With minimal or no effort, within minutes, students have most assignments, test questions, or discussion problems figured out and done…enter the chaos!

As educators, this means everything that we experienced in our own education and have worked years to develop is changing. We need to rethink our role, assignments, as well as formative and summative assessments of student learning all while AI capabilities change daily.

Through all this, we feel educators can take one concrete step to control the chaos by Communicating How AI Operates in the Syllabus (C.H.A.O.S). This article highlights the significance of AI usage policies and what elements should be considered in the policy. It also provides a few useful tips to implement AI policies.

Is there a need to specify the AI usage policy in the class syllabus?

Including an AI usage policy offers clarity to students regarding acceptable usage of AI tools. Although educators are making attempts to develop campus-wide consensus about AI tools, different sections of the same course may have different AI usage policies and practices depending on the instructor and their comfort level. When an explicit AI usage policy is stated in the syllabus, students (and faculty members) can be held accountable for upholding that policy. Any incidents of inappropriate AI usage or cheating can be dealt with within the framework of the policy mentioned.

What are the elements of an AI policy?

A clear AI usage policy needs to have at least three elements – acceptable use, citations necessary, and consequences of non-adherence to the policy. The first element, a well-formulated AI usage policy, specifies acceptable AI usage in learning processes, e.g. brainstorming and creating outlines. In the policy, it is beneficial to provide examples of unacceptable usage, e.g. using whole paragraphs of AI text or writing the whole essay. To develop the acceptable use portion, faculty need to take time and honestly reflect on how they see AI tools being integrated into classroom learning, career fields, and life in general. This can range from absolutely no AI usage to intentional integration of the tools in the classroom space. Your level of familiarity, acceptance of, and perceived value in AI will help shape what is allowed.

The second element is to determine how AI usage needs to be acknowledged and cited appropriately. Again, it is helpful to provide a sample citation as students may be unfamiliar with the norms of citations while taking initial undergraduate courses.

Furthermore, AI tools often include biases, inaccuracies, or sometimes hallucinations. Humans using AI tools, in this case students, need to be aware of these shortcomings and understand that even with proper citations they will be held accountable for not reviewing and verifying the accuracy of their work before submitting. So, the citation element in the syllabus must explain that the ultimate responsibility of academic rigor for the assignment submitted lies with the student.

The last element should outline information about how the instructor will deal with non-adherence to the policy. As an instructor, will you provide a chance for students to resubmit the work? Will the usage result in a loss of points, a zero for the assignment, or a failing grade in the course? How will AI usage be checked? How will you communicate it to students? What is the process and who is involved? These are a few questions that can help an educator shape their usage policy.

Implementing AI usage policy

A few additional steps can be taken when implementing an AI usage policy to make the process smoother. Given the varied nature of AI use policy in various courses, it would be helpful to have a classroom discussion early on (day 1) and throughout the semester with each assignment and exam. Researchers have suggested using a stoplight framework e.g., Red – No AI is allowed in this course; Green – AI tools are allowed and encouraged; and Yellow- AI is permitted for following activities only (Urbaczewski, 2025).

Regularly talking about AI usage may remove some of the pressure from students who want to express themselves through their essays or art and feel seen/heard but may be afraid that their grades will be poorer if they don’t use AI tools. Sharing stories of how past students have effectively, or ineffectively, utilized AI in their work can be helpful in mitigating inappropriate usage.

Another possible step is to introduce scaffolding in high stakes summative assignments such as end of the semester projects. Instead of a one-time submission worth 100 points, students could submit intermediate steps and include the prompts they may have used to get a response from AI tools such as ChatGPT or Perplexity. Some instructors may offer extra credit for such intermediate steps.

Unlike grading or attendance policies in the syllabus, AI usage policies will be dynamic. As AI technology advances, the definition of academic integrity may need to be revisited. Faculty members may need to revise this policy each semester and update it to ensure that students are meeting learning outcomes. As the educational landscape continues to evolve, remember you can get a handle on the chaos by introducing C.H.A.O.S to keep your syllabi in alignment with the current times.

AI Disclosure: AI tools such as Editor in MS Word were used for checking grammar and spelling. No AI tools were used for brainstorming or writing this article.

Simantini Karve, PhD, is a professor of biology and professional development co-coordinator at Skyline College, San Bruno, CA.

Jessica Hurless was a professor of Communication Studies and currently serves as the Dean STEM division at Skyline College, San Bruno, CA.

Reference

Urbaczewski, Andrew, “Developing a syllabus for is course usage in the ai era” (2025). Proceedings of 2024 AIS SIGED International Conference on Information Systems Education and Research. 16. https://aisel.aisnet.org/siged2024/16

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August 25, 2025
Community, Classroom, and Cake – Faculty Focus

When I was handed the class list at the start of term, I sensed it was an opportunity to try something. The list told me that for most of the students taking the Leadership class, this was their only course for the semester. This is in line with the shift to part-time learning we have seen accelerate in the last five years. For this group of students, their only experience of college this semester would be the time we spent together as a class.

Each year at our graduation ceremony, we interview a couple of the graduating students and ask them about their time at college. When asked for a highlight, inevitably, almost without exception, year after year, the answer is the same: the community. It is the friendships they forge with their peers, friendships that often go on for years afterwards. They thrive on studying together. They love sharing life together. And they relish the interaction with the faculty. We all share a common meal area, so at any given lunch time you can find students of each year level sitting at the same table as faculty and staff discussing anything from the content of the morning’s lecture to the health of their family or the agonies of which team they support or some obscure drama they are streaming. Community is a very important value for our college.

Thirty or forty years ago, the experience of learning was summed up in the adage, “one third lecture, one third library, one third lunchroom.” But what happens when a part time student is not around for lunch times? And they don’t hang out in the library but access the journals and e-books remotely? That only leaves the lecture. The classroom becomes the focal point, not just of learning, but of the student’s experience of community and college as a whole. How then do I foster community among a class that will not be around any part of the college week other than this solitary class on a Tuesday afternoon?

Cake.

On Sunday afternoons I would bake a cake and bring it in for class on Tuesday. After the first hour of class, we would stop, make a cup of tea or coffee, and eat cake together. Now let me be very clear, I am no celebrity baker! I was using simple recipes. Across the semester I rotated through four types of cake: cinnamon tea cake, vanilla butter, chocolate, and orange cake. I have a limited repertoire!

The feedback from the students was very positive. A buzz quickly developed around ‘what type of the cake is it this week?’ (cinnamon tea cake proved to be the favourite). It became a ‘social lubricant’ allowing students who had not met before to comfortably chat and move beyond stilted conversations about the next assignment. And their expressions of thankfulness gave me the sense that they felt cared for. The Tuesday afternoon Leadership class developed their own sense of community that reflected the broader fabric of the college.

The success of the ‘cake experiment’ reinforces two important points for me as an educator. First, educational is fundamentally relational. Previous studies have highlighted that student learning is fostered through supportive relationships, both with faculty and student peers (Cranton 2016). As faculty bring authenticity to the classroom, it facilitates trust, openness, and engagement with others and the material (Cranton 2016). Personal authenticity is not just another part of an educator’s skill set, switched on and off when entering and leaving the classroom – authenticity needs to be authentic! I feel privileged in my context that I have the opportunity to get to know students and can genuinely say I enjoy relating to them. They are seeking to be authentic with me, as I with them. This reinforces the finding that “students appreciate feeling cared about and they want to connect with faculty members on a personal level” (Grantham et al 2015).

Of course, cake is only one example of how this can be developed. One of my colleagues teaches a foundation level courses to first years. Each semester, he invites his first-year class to his house for afternoon tea. It’s not compulsory yet most of the students relish taking up the invitation.

Second, the cake experiment fits with discussions about hidden curriculum. This has been a learning point for me as I have reflected on the semester. In our Leadership class we have discussed issues of power and ethics, developing culture, teams, vision and strategy, and patterns and styles of leadership; and the students have brought case studies from their contexts that have prompted excellent discussions. Yet I wonder if the most important thing I taught was through baking cakes. If the hidden curriculum are the behaviors, relationships, and values modelled and emphasized (Shaw, 2022), then perhaps baking cakes aligned with our discussions of how we use power as leaders, how we develop culture as leaders, how we embed vision as leaders and so on. The formal curriculum was reinforced by the hidden curriculum. And the hidden curriculum always overrides the formal curriculum!

It has been a(nother) semester of learning for me: yes, at heart of education is the relationships I enjoy with the students, and who I am is so much of what I bring to the classroom. Speaking of learning, I will need to learn some new cake recipes to expand my range for next semester.

David Wright is Dean of Students and Practical Ministry Lecturer at Bible College SA, Adelaide, Australia. He has taught undergraduate and graduate courses for the last thirteen years. His current research interests include gradeless learning and personal formation, and he is writing a book on the training and equipping of people to complement his earlier work on Integration in theological education.

References

Cranton, P. 2016. Understanding and Promoting Transformative Learning: A Guide to Theory and Practice. Sterling: Stylus.

Grantham, A., Robinson, E. E., Chapman, D., 2015. “That Truly Meant a Lot to Me.”: A Qualitative Examination of Meaningful Faculty-Student Interactions. College Teaching 63: 125-132.

Shaw, P. 2022. Transforming Theological Education: A Practical Handbook for Integrative Learning. 2^nd edition. Carlisle: Langham Global.

Source link

August 15, 2025
Community, Classroom, and Cake – Faculty Focus

When I was handed the class list at the start of term, I sensed it was an opportunity to try something. The list told me that for most of the students taking the Leadership class, this was their only course for the semester. This is in line with the shift to part-time learning we have seen accelerate in the last five years. For this group of students, their only experience of college this semester would be the time we spent together as a class.

Each year at our graduation ceremony, we interview a couple of the graduating students and ask them about their time at college. When asked for a highlight, inevitably, almost without exception, year after year, the answer is the same: the community. It is the friendships they forge with their peers, friendships that often go on for years afterwards. They thrive on studying together. They love sharing life together. And they relish the interaction with the faculty. We all share a common meal area, so at any given lunch time you can find students of each year level sitting at the same table as faculty and staff discussing anything from the content of the morning’s lecture to the health of their family or the agonies of which team they support or some obscure drama they are streaming. Community is a very important value for our college.

Thirty or forty years ago, the experience of learning was summed up in the adage, “one third lecture, one third library, one third lunchroom.” But what happens when a part time student is not around for lunch times? And they don’t hang out in the library but access the journals and e-books remotely? That only leaves the lecture. The classroom becomes the focal point, not just of learning, but of the student’s experience of community and college as a whole. How then do I foster community among a class that will not be around any part of the college week other than this solitary class on a Tuesday afternoon?

Cake.

On Sunday afternoons I would bake a cake and bring it in for class on Tuesday. After the first hour of class, we would stop, make a cup of tea or coffee, and eat cake together. Now let me be very clear, I am no celebrity baker! I was using simple recipes. Across the semester I rotated through four types of cake: cinnamon tea cake, vanilla butter, chocolate, and orange cake. I have a limited repertoire!

The feedback from the students was very positive. A buzz quickly developed around ‘what type of the cake is it this week?’ (cinnamon tea cake proved to be the favourite). It became a ‘social lubricant’ allowing students who had not met before to comfortably chat and move beyond stilted conversations about the next assignment. And their expressions of thankfulness gave me the sense that they felt cared for. The Tuesday afternoon Leadership class developed their own sense of community that reflected the broader fabric of the college.

The success of the ‘cake experiment’ reinforces two important points for me as an educator. First, educational is fundamentally relational. Previous studies have highlighted that student learning is fostered through supportive relationships, both with faculty and student peers (Cranton 2016). As faculty bring authenticity to the classroom, it facilitates trust, openness, and engagement with others and the material (Cranton 2016). Personal authenticity is not just another part of an educator’s skill set, switched on and off when entering and leaving the classroom – authenticity needs to be authentic! I feel privileged in my context that I have the opportunity to get to know students and can genuinely say I enjoy relating to them. They are seeking to be authentic with me, as I with them. This reinforces the finding that “students appreciate feeling cared about and they want to connect with faculty members on a personal level” (Grantham et al 2015).

Of course, cake is only one example of how this can be developed. One of my colleagues teaches a foundation level courses to first years. Each semester, he invites his first-year class to his house for afternoon tea. It’s not compulsory yet most of the students relish taking up the invitation.

Second, the cake experiment fits with discussions about hidden curriculum. This has been a learning point for me as I have reflected on the semester. In our Leadership class we have discussed issues of power and ethics, developing culture, teams, vision and strategy, and patterns and styles of leadership; and the students have brought case studies from their contexts that have prompted excellent discussions. Yet I wonder if the most important thing I taught was through baking cakes. If the hidden curriculum are the behaviors, relationships, and values modelled and emphasized (Shaw, 2022), then perhaps baking cakes aligned with our discussions of how we use power as leaders, how we develop culture as leaders, how we embed vision as leaders and so on. The formal curriculum was reinforced by the hidden curriculum. And the hidden curriculum always overrides the formal curriculum!

It has been a(nother) semester of learning for me: yes, at heart of education is the relationships I enjoy with the students, and who I am is so much of what I bring to the classroom. Speaking of learning, I will need to learn some new cake recipes to expand my range for next semester.

David Wright is Dean of Students and Practical Ministry Lecturer at Bible College SA, Adelaide, Australia. He has taught undergraduate and graduate courses for the last thirteen years. His current research interests include gradeless learning and personal formation, and he is writing a book on the training and equipping of people to complement his earlier work on Integration in theological education.

References

Cranton, P. 2016. Understanding and Promoting Transformative Learning: A Guide to Theory and Practice. Sterling: Stylus.

Grantham, A., Robinson, E. E., Chapman, D., 2015. “That Truly Meant a Lot to Me.”: A Qualitative Examination of Meaningful Faculty-Student Interactions. College Teaching 63: 125-132.

Shaw, P. 2022. Transforming Theological Education: A Practical Handbook for Integrative Learning. 2^nd edition. Carlisle: Langham Global.

Source link

August 15, 2025
Building a Thriving Classroom Community – “Bond & Beyond” – Faculty Focus
Across college campus classrooms, students of all ages have a deep need to feel welcomed, included, and engaged in their learning communities. In order to best prepare our college students for their professional careers, professors and instructors should foster social and emotional learning in their learning spaces. Social and emotional learning is linked to the success of students, teachers, and school environments (Usakli & Ekici, 2018). Social and emotional learning builds community and fosters collaboration in learning spaces. Faculty can foster that community and connection with their students beginning on the very first day of classes. Students begin to feel included and welcomed in their learning environment immediately upon entering the room.

By engaging in social and emotional learning, students can gain social awareness which increases their empathy and promotes student understanding of people they encounter from diverse backgrounds (Sorbet & Notar, 2022). The Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning or CASEL (www.casel.org) introduces five areas of competency. Those five areas include: self-awareness, social awareness, responsible decision making, relationship skills, and self-management. These five competencies are crucial in developing students’ social and emotional knowledge and skills. These social and emotional skills provide students with the ability to understand and regulate their emotions as well as the emotions of others (Schonert-Reichl, 2017; Casel, 2020).

Every classroom is the starting point for a community to come together and form a cohesive group, no matter the age or ability of the students. This is an opportunity for active student engagement and can be utilized no matter the course modality. When students feel like they belong, they are more likely to be present both in attendance and participation. Community is important in every classroom, in-person, synchronous, and asynchronous, as it is both a benefit to the students and the instructors.

This is a space that is committed to achieving academic goals as well as promoting social interaction and collaboration. Building a community means everyone is involved in social and emotional learning (SEL). Engaging in SEL encourages awareness of others, their backgrounds, and allows a place for empathy among students. The classroom is the perfect environment for students to encounter others who may be very similar to themselves, but it is an even better place for them to increase their opportunity to experience other people who are quite different from themselves (Sorbet & Notar, 2022).

How can we practically add some community-building ideas into our classrooms in action? Four core ways of building community and improving social and emotional learning (SEL) in any classroom are discussed below. These strategies can be used in any classroom setting, whether it’s pre-K or college, as most people want to feel included and part of the group.

1. Welcoming Students

Start the first session with a greeting, an icebreaker, set the ground rules for the room, and establish norms and expectations for the community. Verifying the pronunciation of a student’s name, or the name they would prefer to be called, along with personal pronouns, is a great way for a student to be recognized and seen. When having students meet one another, avoid forcing my name is, where you’re from, what’s a fun fact, allow the ice to melt while asking students to work together on a common task such as: completing a puzzle, solving a riddle, or creating something among themselves – keeping the stakes low and encouraging communication. Remind the students that they are a team, and teams work together for one another. What are some examples to get started? Starting with cooperation and connection, this starts them off without having to immediately talk about themselves, establishes a comfortable environment, and eases them into the class/course.

What does this look like?
- Personally greet each person as they enter the classroom.
- Networking Bingo: Cards with various statements, “same major,” “plays an instrument” “left-handed.”
- Visually appealing space with artwork, posters with various people groups, comfortable seating arrangements, etc.
2. Getting to Know Your Students and One Another

Act quickly to learn names so that you can recognize the face and put a name with it quickly. This is likely to happen faster in an elementary classroom, but college students want to be known just as much as adolescents. Do not be afraid to have name cards; utilize the photos from the school’s roster system to create a quick reminder of who is who in your classroom. One other way to learn names is to take a quick video and plan the classroom with their name tags set in front of their table seats. This way, you can go back to the office and watch the videos a few times and get familiar with who sits where and learn their names. Set a goal of having them memorized by the third week of a full semester course.

What does this look like?
- Speed Meeting: 2 minutes, 2 people in each group, do this several days in a row or several times in one day. Giving a prompt such as “What’s one thing you are excited to learn about in this class” to get the conversation started.
- Think-Pair-Share: A good way to get students to contemplate a topic, question, or concept, so they do not feel put on the spot for an answer. They think to themselves, pair with a partner to discuss, then share with a larger group or the whole class (Kagan, 2017).
- Celebrations: Have celebrations for birthdays, accomplishments, achievements.
- Small Groups: Have students work together to research and explain a concept.
- Mentorships: Encourage mentorships among classmates.
- Journal: Encourage students to journal, inspire emotional expression.
3. Words of Affirmation and Praise

Reinforcement and affirmation work well in college classrooms and K-12 classrooms as well. Recognizing and reinforcing appropriate responses, hard work, good citizenship, and positive community involvement are essential. Whether it is a policy to do verbal shout-outs, write notes, or send emails, letting students know that you notice them and their efforts is another way to reinforce their contribution to the community.

What does this look like?

Student Shout-Outs: Class members can share words of encouragement and appreciation to other students for strengthening relationships and building positivity.

Encouraging learning and community outside the classroom can also be incorporated into any age group. Integrating real-world experiences that a student can easily accomplish that connects their content of the course with the real-world adds to the validity of the course content. Encouraging students to engage in service learning by volunteering, engaging in campus or community needs. This may be a campus-wide clean-up day, spring cleaning day if a storm comes through that knocks down limbs off trees, or the like.

What does this look like?

Form study groups, organize optional coffee meet-ups, or other optional ways students can connect outside of the classroom. These may look like a park play date on the 2nd Saturday or each month from 1-3 pm at the City Park for your younger students and families.

No matter what type of community-building efforts are made, the students in the classroom will benefit. As with anything in the teaching world, start small and see what works. If one activity or idea works with one classroom of students, try it again, but know it may not work the same way the next time around. Students are resilient and adaptable; they will observe you, the teacher, as trying to make the classroom fun and friendly.

Dr. Raglena T. Salmans, EdD is an assistant professor in the Department of Parks, Recreation, Exercise & Sport Science at Eastern Kentucky University. She has over 20 years of experience in higher education. Dr. Salmans teaches student success seminars, leadership, event planning, and program management courses and serves as an internship coordinator for the Recreation and Park Administration program. Her research interests consist of college success strategies, professional preparation and leadership development, and building community in classroom settings in preparation for real-world application.

Dr. Stefanie R. Sorbet, EdD is an associate professor in the Department of Elementary, Literacy, and Special Education at the University of Central Arkansas. She has over 25 years of experience in both elementary and higher education combined. Dr. Sorbet instructs positive classroom management courses and supervises interns in their field placement. Her research agenda consists of mentoring novice and preservice teachers in classroom management, social and emotional learning, and building community in classroom settings across all disciplines and grade levels.

References

CASEL. (2020, August 1). Advancing Social and Emotional. Retrieved from www.casel.org

Schonert-Reichl, K. A. (2017). Social and emotional learning and teachers. The Future of Children, 27(1). https://doi.org/10.1353/foc.2017.0007

Sorbet, S. R., & Notar, C.E. (2022).Social and Emotional Learning: Meeting and Addressing Educator and Student Concerns While Providing Benefits for All Involved. Social Science, Humanities and Sustainability Research. Vol 3, No 3. https://doi.org/10.22158/sshsr.v3n3p95

Usakli, H., & Ekici, K. (2018). Program on multiple trajectories of social-emotional and misconduct behaviors. Prevention Science, 18, 214-224
Source link
July 28, 2025
Building a Thriving Classroom Community – “Bond & Beyond” – Faculty Focus
Across college campus classrooms, students of all ages have a deep need to feel welcomed, included, and engaged in their learning communities. In order to best prepare our college students for their professional careers, professors and instructors should foster social and emotional learning in their learning spaces. Social and emotional learning is linked to the success of students, teachers, and school environments (Usakli & Ekici, 2018). Social and emotional learning builds community and fosters collaboration in learning spaces. Faculty can foster that community and connection with their students beginning on the very first day of classes. Students begin to feel included and welcomed in their learning environment immediately upon entering the room.

By engaging in social and emotional learning, students can gain social awareness which increases their empathy and promotes student understanding of people they encounter from diverse backgrounds (Sorbet & Notar, 2022). The Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning or CASEL (www.casel.org) introduces five areas of competency. Those five areas include: self-awareness, social awareness, responsible decision making, relationship skills, and self-management. These five competencies are crucial in developing students’ social and emotional knowledge and skills. These social and emotional skills provide students with the ability to understand and regulate their emotions as well as the emotions of others (Schonert-Reichl, 2017; Casel, 2020).

Every classroom is the starting point for a community to come together and form a cohesive group, no matter the age or ability of the students. This is an opportunity for active student engagement and can be utilized no matter the course modality. When students feel like they belong, they are more likely to be present both in attendance and participation. Community is important in every classroom, in-person, synchronous, and asynchronous, as it is both a benefit to the students and the instructors.

This is a space that is committed to achieving academic goals as well as promoting social interaction and collaboration. Building a community means everyone is involved in social and emotional learning (SEL). Engaging in SEL encourages awareness of others, their backgrounds, and allows a place for empathy among students. The classroom is the perfect environment for students to encounter others who may be very similar to themselves, but it is an even better place for them to increase their opportunity to experience other people who are quite different from themselves (Sorbet & Notar, 2022).

How can we practically add some community-building ideas into our classrooms in action? Four core ways of building community and improving social and emotional learning (SEL) in any classroom are discussed below. These strategies can be used in any classroom setting, whether it’s pre-K or college, as most people want to feel included and part of the group.

1. Welcoming Students

Start the first session with a greeting, an icebreaker, set the ground rules for the room, and establish norms and expectations for the community. Verifying the pronunciation of a student’s name, or the name they would prefer to be called, along with personal pronouns, is a great way for a student to be recognized and seen. When having students meet one another, avoid forcing my name is, where you’re from, what’s a fun fact, allow the ice to melt while asking students to work together on a common task such as: completing a puzzle, solving a riddle, or creating something among themselves – keeping the stakes low and encouraging communication. Remind the students that they are a team, and teams work together for one another. What are some examples to get started? Starting with cooperation and connection, this starts them off without having to immediately talk about themselves, establishes a comfortable environment, and eases them into the class/course.

What does this look like?
- Personally greet each person as they enter the classroom.
- Networking Bingo: Cards with various statements, “same major,” “plays an instrument” “left-handed.”
- Visually appealing space with artwork, posters with various people groups, comfortable seating arrangements, etc.
2. Getting to Know Your Students and One Another

Act quickly to learn names so that you can recognize the face and put a name with it quickly. This is likely to happen faster in an elementary classroom, but college students want to be known just as much as adolescents. Do not be afraid to have name cards; utilize the photos from the school’s roster system to create a quick reminder of who is who in your classroom. One other way to learn names is to take a quick video and plan the classroom with their name tags set in front of their table seats. This way, you can go back to the office and watch the videos a few times and get familiar with who sits where and learn their names. Set a goal of having them memorized by the third week of a full semester course.

What does this look like?
- Speed Meeting: 2 minutes, 2 people in each group, do this several days in a row or several times in one day. Giving a prompt such as “What’s one thing you are excited to learn about in this class” to get the conversation started.
- Think-Pair-Share: A good way to get students to contemplate a topic, question, or concept, so they do not feel put on the spot for an answer. They think to themselves, pair with a partner to discuss, then share with a larger group or the whole class (Kagan, 2017).
- Celebrations: Have celebrations for birthdays, accomplishments, achievements.
- Small Groups: Have students work together to research and explain a concept.
- Mentorships: Encourage mentorships among classmates.
- Journal: Encourage students to journal, inspire emotional expression.
3. Words of Affirmation and Praise

Reinforcement and affirmation work well in college classrooms and K-12 classrooms as well. Recognizing and reinforcing appropriate responses, hard work, good citizenship, and positive community involvement are essential. Whether it is a policy to do verbal shout-outs, write notes, or send emails, letting students know that you notice them and their efforts is another way to reinforce their contribution to the community.

What does this look like?

Student Shout-Outs: Class members can share words of encouragement and appreciation to other students for strengthening relationships and building positivity.

Encouraging learning and community outside the classroom can also be incorporated into any age group. Integrating real-world experiences that a student can easily accomplish that connects their content of the course with the real-world adds to the validity of the course content. Encouraging students to engage in service learning by volunteering, engaging in campus or community needs. This may be a campus-wide clean-up day, spring cleaning day if a storm comes through that knocks down limbs off trees, or the like.

What does this look like?

Form study groups, organize optional coffee meet-ups, or other optional ways students can connect outside of the classroom. These may look like a park play date on the 2nd Saturday or each month from 1-3 pm at the City Park for your younger students and families.

No matter what type of community-building efforts are made, the students in the classroom will benefit. As with anything in the teaching world, start small and see what works. If one activity or idea works with one classroom of students, try it again, but know it may not work the same way the next time around. Students are resilient and adaptable; they will observe you, the teacher, as trying to make the classroom fun and friendly.

Dr. Raglena T. Salmans, EdD is an assistant professor in the Department of Parks, Recreation, Exercise & Sport Science at Eastern Kentucky University. She has over 20 years of experience in higher education. Dr. Salmans teaches student success seminars, leadership, event planning, and program management courses and serves as an internship coordinator for the Recreation and Park Administration program. Her research interests consist of college success strategies, professional preparation and leadership development, and building community in classroom settings in preparation for real-world application.

Dr. Stefanie R. Sorbet, EdD is an associate professor in the Department of Elementary, Literacy, and Special Education at the University of Central Arkansas. She has over 25 years of experience in both elementary and higher education combined. Dr. Sorbet instructs positive classroom management courses and supervises interns in their field placement. Her research agenda consists of mentoring novice and preservice teachers in classroom management, social and emotional learning, and building community in classroom settings across all disciplines and grade levels.

References

CASEL. (2020, August 1). Advancing Social and Emotional. Retrieved from www.casel.org

Schonert-Reichl, K. A. (2017). Social and emotional learning and teachers. The Future of Children, 27(1). https://doi.org/10.1353/foc.2017.0007

Sorbet, S. R., & Notar, C.E. (2022).Social and Emotional Learning: Meeting and Addressing Educator and Student Concerns While Providing Benefits for All Involved. Social Science, Humanities and Sustainability Research. Vol 3, No 3. https://doi.org/10.22158/sshsr.v3n3p95

Usakli, H., & Ekici, K. (2018). Program on multiple trajectories of social-emotional and misconduct behaviors. Prevention Science, 18, 214-224
Source link
July 28, 2025
Supporting Student Mental Health in the Classroom: A Faculty Guide to Compassionate Engagement – Faculty Focus

In recent years, higher education has witnessed a surge in conversations around student mental health. National surveys consistently report escalating rates of anxiety, depression, and loneliness among college students (American College Health Association 2023). Yet despite these growing concerns, faculty remain largely underprepared to intervene effectively. While staff in student affairs and counseling centers are often trained in mental health response and early intervention, faculty are frequently left out of these critical conversations. This divide has resulted in a persistent gap—both in knowledge and in action.

Studies show that students are more likely to exhibit early signs of distress in the classroom than in other campus spaces, making faculty key frontline responders (Lipson et al., 2022). However, faculty often report feeling ill-equipped or unsure about how to identify mental health concerns or refer students appropriately. A 2020 national survey of faculty found that only 51% felt confident in recognizing when a student might need help, and fewer than 30% had received any formal training (NASPA, 2020). In addition, given the other responsibilities to achieve tenure, it can be challenging to know how to prioritize a list of competing needs.

Despite the increase in mental health programming across universities, little has changed in how faculty are prepared to support students. Institutions often prioritize staff development in these areas, assuming counseling centers or student affairs teams will manage the bulk of mental health interventions. However, without better integration of faculty into institutional wellbeing strategies, students may continue to fall through the cracks.

Recognizing the Signs: What Faculty Can Do

Common signs of student distress—frequent absences, changes in participation, disorganized thinking, or emotional outbursts—often surface in classroom settings. While faculty are not expected to diagnose or treat mental health conditions, being able to recognize these red flags and respond appropriately can be lifesaving.

It is important for faculty to understand their role in the broader system of care: to notice, approach with compassion, and refer. The role does not include functioning as a therapist. Each faculty member has been socialized in their respective fields for several years. That training should not be set aside. Rather, learning how to refer students is vital. Still, the referral process can be opaque. Many faculty are unaware of what services are available, who to call, or what their responsibility is after making a referral. Closing this knowledge gap requires clear, accessible systems—and consistent faculty inclusion in mental health trainings and initiatives.

From Concern to Connection: The Power of Referral

Faculty can make a difference by normalizing help-seeking behavior and offering concrete pathways to support. A simple statement like, “I’ve noticed you seem a bit off lately—are you okay? If you’d like, I can help you find someone to talk to,” can build trust and remove stigma. Learning the language of how to intervene can help facilitate the appropriate connection to campus services. The goal is to get students connected to care in ways that faculty can provide.

The Divide Between Faculty and Staff

Staff members in counseling services and student affairs are trained in trauma-informed practices, crisis response, and developmental theory. Faculty, by contrast, are rarely required to learn these skills, even as they face growing demands to support student wellbeing.

This disconnect is structural, not personal. The division between academic and student affairs has long been a feature of higher education. Yet if we are to meet the holistic needs of students, institutions must actively dismantle these silos and build collaborative, cross-functional approaches to care. Faculty should be partners in designing wellbeing strategies, not peripheral to them.

Supporting Faculty Mental Health

It’s also essential to acknowledge that faculty are under pressure too. Burnout, compassion fatigue, and rising expectations in teaching and service can make it difficult to engage in additional emotional labor. Supporting student mental health cannot come at the expense of faculty wellbeing. It should also be noted that female presenting faculty are more likely to be approached by students to share about their mental health. Female presenting faculty may be carrying the additional stress of trying to help students in addition to their other duties.

Institutions must invest in faculty support systems—professional development, access to mental health resources, and workload adjustments—to ensure sustainable engagement. Training in student mental health should be framed not as an added burden, but as a shared responsibility that supports teaching, learning, and community resilience.

Toward a Culture of Care

UMBC is advancing a “Culture of CARE” that centers equity, resilience, and connection across the campus experience. For faculty, this means being empowered to recognize when students need help, equipped with tools to respond appropriately, and connected to a broader network of care. It also means ensuring that faculty themselves are cared for, supported, and not left to carry this burden alone.

As the Assistant Vice President for health and wellbeing, I enjoy assisting in bridging the divide between faculty and staff. By embedding mental health into the culture of higher education, we can create campuses where everyone—students and educators alike—can thrive.

Dr. Rae Chresfield is a higher education leader with over 15 years of experience in mental health, wellbeing, and student support. A first-generation college graduate, she began her academic journey at Coastal Carolina Community College and earned a B.S. in Behavioral Science from the University of Maryland University College, an M.A. in Mental Health and Wellness from NYU, and a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from SUNY Buffalo.

Dr. Chresfield has held progressive leadership roles in higher education, including Director of Counseling Services, Associate Dean of Health and Wellness, and Assistant Professor. She currently serves as the inaugural Assistant Vice President for Health and Wellbeing at UMBC, where she leads strategic efforts to embed a holistic Culture of CARE across campus. Her work focuses on integrated service delivery and bridging the gap between mental health professionals and institutional leadership.

Widely known as “Dr. Rae,” she is recognized for her compassionate approach and commitment to student-centered systems that support wellbeing, equity, and resilience.

References

American College Health Association. 2023. National College Health Assessment: Spring 2023 Reference Group Data Report. Silver Spring, MD: ACHA.

Lipson, Sarah K., Laura H. Eisenberg, and Daniel Eisenberg. 2022. “Faculty and Mental Health: Knowledge, Confidence, and Responsibility.” Journal of American College Health 70(6): 1491–1500. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2021.1909043.

NASPA. 2020. The Role of Faculty in Student Mental Health: Results of a National Survey. Washington, DC: NASPA Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education.

Source link

May 23, 2025
“How Are You Doing Today?” A Survey for Starting Each Class – Faculty Focus

This article first appeared in The Teaching Professor on January 22, 2024 © Magna Publications. All rights reserved. Try a FREE three-week trial of The Teaching Professor!

Mental health concerns have emerged as a heightened concern, gaining recognition among faculty members and becoming an integral aspect of academic discussions. This shift in focus has been particularly notable in the wake of the ongoing pandemic, prompting educators to find ways to support student well-being.

In higher education, where intellectual growth and academic achievement often take center stage, the mental well-being of students is a subject too frequently relegated to the periphery. Yet, as students navigate the landscape of university life, it becomes increasingly evident that the mental health of our students is not a sidenote but a fundamental chapter in their journey. The transition from high school to university represents a period of change, often marked by newfound freedoms and responsibilities. But it also brings with it an array of challenges, particularly in the realm of mental health. The stigma surrounding mental health issues and the reluctance to openly discuss them openly exacerbate the situation, leaving many students to silently grapple with their emotional well-being. As educators, we hold a unique position of influence in our students’ lives, one that extends beyond the classroom (Trolian et al., 2022). Thoughtfully harnessed, this influence can become a powerful tool in breaking down the stigma and showing students that their mental health matters.

To this end, I recently decided to start each class period with an anonymous, real-time Mentimeter survey asking, “How are you doing today?” There are two response areas—physical health and mental health—and students respond on a five-point scale with “poor” and “excellent” as the anchors (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Sample physical and mental health survey results

Over time, the survey became a normal part of the routine. The survey would be on the screen while students settled into their seats. I recorded the scores each week and would discuss how the current class compared with the previous class. I would ask students why they thought the scores were lower or higher. On one occasion, the mental health scores were almost a whole point lower than in the previous week. The students shared that there were several evaluations in other courses that were taking a toll on them. That prompted me to modify the plan I had for the class and give students some time to attend to other coursework.

At the halfway point of the term, I shared the results of the survey for the first six weeks in a line graph. I asked the students what they thought about the scores and whether they noticed any patterns or trends. They noted that both physical and mental health scores were lower around midterms. We had a brief chat about strategies they could use in anticipation of or during high-stress moments. Students shared that going for a walk, taking a break, seeing friends, and getting a good night’s sleep might be helpful.

As I continue to use this practice in my classroom, the next phase will be to gather information about the students’ experience. What’s it like for them to pause and reflect on their physical and mental health before class? If the scores are low does that make the class more difficult? While I hope the anonymity of the survey helps students to be truthful with their responses, it’s difficult to assess whether students feel comfortable enough to be vulnerable and rate their physical or mental health as “poor.” Gaining a sense of their experience will likely influence how I move forward with the surveys. One student shared that they were “surprised to see the survey after the first class, I thought it was just some kind of icebreaker, I was like, oh, she actually cares.”

While the administration and logistics of a survey like this are simple, it sends students a profound message: that you genuinely care about their well-being. As educators, we understand that the academic journey can sometimes be isolating, but when students see that their peers share similar struggles, it encourages empathy and mutual support (Park et al., 2020). Moreover, discussing this shared data in class validates their experiences, reinforcing the idea that your classroom is not just a space for academic growth but a community where each student’s well-being is valued.

By integrating questions about both physical and mental health into pre-class surveys, we normalize the conversation around mental well-being—a critical step in reducing the stigma around mental health. In many instances, conversations about physical health are commonplace, while mental health discussions remain unspoken. But posing questions about both stresses an important truth: mental health is an integral part of our overall well-being. It underscores that addressing mental health is not taboo but a legitimate concern. This shift in perspective encourages students to acknowledge and possibly seek help for their mental health, fostering a more compassionate academic environment.

Our role as educators extends beyond the dissemination of knowledge. Students’ satisfaction hinges on more than just our expertise; it’s equally influenced by our ability to create a supportive learning environment (Geier, 2021). This means that every one of us has the power to positively influence academic culture. Implementing strategies like well-being surveys signifies our commitment to holistic student development. It tells students that we are invested in their welfare—personally as well as academically. Together, we can shape an academic landscape where the pursuit of knowledge coexists with the pursuit of well-being, fostering resilient and empowered learners who are prepared to thrive in both their academic pursuits and life beyond the classroom. So, if you’re wondering how you’ll start your next class, consider asking your students, “How are you doing today?”

Danielle Dobney, PhD, is an assistant professor in kinesiology and physical education at the University of Toronto. A certified athletic therapist and registered kinesiologist, she holds graduate degrees in rehabilitation sciences from the University of Toronto and McGill University. Since 2014 she has been an athletic therapist for Canada Basketball and currently works with the senior women’s basketball team.

References

Geier, M. T. (2021). Students’ expectations and students’ satisfaction: The mediating role of excellent teacher behaviors. Teaching of Psychology, 48(1), 9–17. https://doi.org/10.1177/0098628320959923

Park, S. Y., Andalibi, N., Zou, Y., Ambulkar, S., & Huh-Yoo, J. (2020). Understanding students’ mental well-being challenges on a university campus: Interview study. JMIR Formative Research, 4(3), e15962. https://doi.org/10.2196/15962

Trolian, T. L., Archibald, G. C., & Jach, E. A. (2022). Well-being and student–faculty interactions in higher education. Higher Education Research & Development, 41(2), 562–576. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2020.1839023

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January 31, 2025

Category: Effective Classroom Management

Self-disclosure: Communication Privacy Management

Communication Accommodation Theory

The Activity

Step 1: Personal Reflection

Step 2: Students’ Perceptions About Components of Theories

Step 3: Describing the Theories and Their Impact

Debriefing

Appraisal

1. Focus on Team Goals

2. Create a Team Charter

3. Use Frequent Check-ins

4. Focus the Team on Their Task

5. Address Conflict Resolution Strategies in Class

6. Get Involved When Necessary

Is there a need to specify the AI usage policy in the class syllabus?

What are the elements of an AI policy?

Implementing AI usage policy

Is there a need to specify the AI usage policy in the class syllabus?

What are the elements of an AI policy?

Implementing AI usage policy

1. Welcoming Students

What does this look like?

2. Getting to Know Your Students and One Another

What does this look like?

3. Words of Affirmation and Praise

What does this look like?

What does this look like?

1. Welcoming Students

What does this look like?

2. Getting to Know Your Students and One Another

What does this look like?

3. Words of Affirmation and Praise

What does this look like?

What does this look like?

Recognizing the Signs: What Faculty Can Do

From Concern to Connection: The Power of Referral

The Divide Between Faculty and Staff

Supporting Faculty Mental Health

Toward a Culture of Care