TMCC Dealing with Disruptive Students Manual

TMCC  Dealing with Disruptive Students Page | 3 January 6, 2017 TMCC is an EEO/AA institution. See http://eeo.tmcc.edu for more information. DEALING WITH DISRUPTIVE STUDENTS On college campuses, the term "disruptive behavior" is most commonly associated with large-scale demonstrations and protests. There is another form of misconduct on campus which is seldom reported by the media, but causes individual faculty members considerable personal turmoil: disruptive behavior in the classroom. The climate of higher education has changed over the past few decades, and faculty are now faced with serious issues of classroom behavior that were previously of little concern. Unfortunately, instructors frequently fail to address the disruptive behavior of students because they may: (1) be unsure how to handle the situation, (2) fear legal or physical retaliation from the student, (3) conclude that reporting the disruptive behavior will cause emotional pain to an already fragile or unstable person and/or (4) fear that confronting student misconduct may result in negative student evaluation of the course. However, failure to address disruptive behavior is likely to encourage further disruption, and it sends the message that such behavior is not problematic and that college personnel are indifferent to it. The information and recommendations that follow are consistent with, and supported by, The Nevada System of Higher Education Code, Title 2 Chapter 10 . The goal is to help you to confidently, fairly, and safely address incidents of disruption in a manner that discourages such behavior in the future while retaining the dignity of the classroom environment. Disruptive Behavior Disruptive behavior is defined as behaviors that hamper the ability of instructors to teach and students to learn. Common examples of disruptive behaviors include, but are not limited to: • Eating in class • Ringing cell phone • Texting • Monopolizing classroom discussions • Failing to respect the rights of other students to express their viewpoints • Talking when the instructor or others are speaking • Constant questions or interruptions which interfere with the instructor’s presentation • Overt inattentiveness (e.g., sleeping or reading a magazine in class) • Creating excessive noise with papers, book bags, etc. • Entering class late or leaving early • Use of pagers or cell phones in the classroom • Inordinate or inappropriate demands for time and attention Faculty Tip: Create and distribute your own unique list of unacceptable disruptive behaviors specific to your class/needs so it is clear to students.