The Office of Judicial Affairs Frequently Asked Questions & Answers
Office of Judicial Affairs
Frequently Asked Questions about Student Behavior
Student Conduct and Community Standards
301 Woods Hall,
314-516-5211
www.umsl.edu/studentlife/dsa
All students are expected to conduct themselves in a respectful and appropriate manner at all times. This includes complying with federal, state, and local laws. In order to support the academic environment, faculty members are expected to report all alleged violations of the Student Conduct Code to Student Conduct & Community Standards.
The Assistant Dean of Students is responsible for the administrative process designed to respond to allegations of student misconduct as set forth by the Collected Rules and Regulations. The process is designed to ensure that accused students are afforded their right to due process.
If you believe a student has violated the Student Conduct Code, please contact Student Affairs' Student Conduct & Community Standards at 314-516-5211. You may also go to the website, download, and print a referral form and fax it to 314-516-5221.
What can I do in order to avoid situations of misconduct in my class?
Treat students' in a respectful and professional manner
Respond to students inquiries in a timely manner
Set expectations regarding behavior in the syllabus and model this behavior at all times
Hold all students accountable for their behavior
How can I deal with situations immediately?
If you have students within the classroom who are:
argumentative or challenging - respectfully attempt to calm the student
threatening or disruptive - immediately contact University Police at 314-516-515
DON'T HESITATE! If you are unsure of whether or not an action is in violation of the Student Conduct Code, please contact Student Conduct & Community Standards at 314-516-5211 or via email at studentconduct@umsl.edu. We are here to help.
Procedures for Disruptive Student Behavior
Preventing Disruptive Behavior When students' behaviors interfere with teaching, the instructor should address it right away. It's best to start with a classroom environment that makes disruptive behavior less likely. Here are strategies that others have found helpful:
- Treat colleagues and students respectfully and professionally
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- Be sure each course syllabus states expected classroom behaviors - sample statements are available at:
http://www.umsl.edu/services/ctl/instr_support/tchng_res.html
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- Discuss expectations on the first day of class and send reminders as needed
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- Ask students for their input as expectations are discussed with the class
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- Acknowledge that addressing unacceptable behavior is the responsibility of everyone in the class or lab
Responding to Disruptive Behavior
Unfortunately, even with prevention strategies in place, inappropriate behaviors may occur. It is important to address disrespectful, disruptive, sexist, or racist comments or behavior appropriately and quickly.
- Tell the student either in class or in private that their behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated (Privately is often better at first, if possible)
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- Deflect aggressive questions to the class ("What does everyone else think?")
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- Use humor or ask the student to explain his/her reasoning
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- Ask the student to leave the room if the behavior continues
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- Report disruptive behavior to Student Affairs so that the incident can be documented and investigated
If you perceive that the situation is threatening to you or your students or if the behavior is escalating to that point, contact Campus Police at 314.516.5155 and report the incident immediately.
Campus Contacts
When faced with an incident of disruptive behavior, as soon as possible contact Student Conduct & Community Standards within Student Affairs located in 301 Woods Hall at 314.516.5211. Once an incident is reported, Student Conduct initiates a thorough investigation and makes a decision on how to proceed. Academic misbehavior (plagiarism, cheating, etc.) must be reported to the Office of Academic Affairs (Tanisha Stevens at 314.516.5304). If you need support for enhancing your classroom environment, feel free to contact the Center for Teaching and Learning (ctl@umsl.edu or telephone 314.516.4508).
When to Contact
Promptly documenting and reporting disruptive behavior allows early intervention so that students get the help they need to prevent these behaviors from escalating. Contacting the Office of Student Affairs helps to establish a pattern of conduct and provides faculty with information on appropriate disciplinary actions. The Center for Teaching and Learning is always available as a faculty resource.
Revised June 2012