naughtry studnets.jpg

At some point in your teaching career, you may find yourself face to face with a difficult or disruptive student. Many times these issues can be taken care of quickly and easily, but other times they require a great deal of time and effort to resolve. This document will equip you with specific steps you can take to keep student issues to a minimum. As always, the Writers’ Program staff is here to answer any questions and to address all concerns as they come up, but we feel strongly that you can stave off many problems by taking some precautions early on.

First, please be aware that UCLA Extension is an open-enrollment institution, and as such, we cannot deny a student admission to our programs. We can, however, hold students to a certain standard of comportment in the classroom. It is up to you to decide what is, and what is not, appropriate classroom behavior, within the boundaries of the UCLA Extension Student Code of Conduct.

Establish clear expectations from the get-go.

Your syllabus provides an opportunity for you to let students know, in writing, what you expect of them, and what types of behavior are or are not acceptable in your classroom. These expectations should be supportive, yet strong and direct, and they should be reinforced by discussing them on the first night of class. Be sure to address guidelines for workshopping, the importance of adhering to deadlines, as well as any other topics relevant to your course. For example, if you are teaching a course on memoir, you might want to discuss proper methods for critiquing work of a sensitive or personal nature. If a student feels that he or she cannot abide by the rules you've established on the first night of class, then they are free to drop the class for a full refund (less administrative fees).

Let the student know when he or she is in violation of the rules.

If you’ve established the rules up front, it should be easy to hold a student accountable for any actions that breach those rules. Speak with disruptive students privately, either during a break or before or after class, and make it clear that any further disturbance in your classroom will not be tolerated.

If, despite your best efforts, a student continues to be a problem, contact your Program Representative who can usually help you sort out the issues and find a way to get you and the student back on the right track. Though rare, there are times when resolution is not possible without involvement by UCLA Extension administrators. Administrators will intervene on your behalf when students engage in any of the misconduct outlined in the Official List of Proscribed Behavior (see next page). We hope these guidelines are helpful in your commitment to maintaining command of your classroom. As always, call us with any questions or concerns.