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The following information is a summary of the work of Arthur Levine and Jeanette
Cureton from the book When Hope and
Fear Collide, 1998. This work is considered the foremost
accounting of college students’ attitudes and behaviors in the 1990’s.
Levine interviewed 9200 students, 270 Student Affairs Officer and did numerous
focus group interviews at 28 different campuses across the country. This
information may help us to understand today’s college students and shed some
light upon their behaviors that seem to be less civil than 10 year ago.
- More and more students describe
themselves in terms of their differences with others and not their
commonalties.
- There is a wide spread sense of
victimization on the part of students.
- Students are more socially isolated, have
less time for social life and are afraid of getting hurt in relationships.
- Today’s students are simple more damaged
psychologically by the time they get to college than at any other time in
history.
- Students confuse hard work with being
intellectual—if I work hard I should do well because working hard is all that
is needed to succeed.
- High schools grades are now at the
highest level ever reported—so are college grades—at the same time remediation
is at its highest level ever in college.
- A great mismatch exists between
instructors/professor’s teaching style and students’ learning style—this often
leads to frustration.
Students like learning that is
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- Direct concrete experiences
- Moderate to high structure
- Linear approach
- Practical and immediate
Faculty prefer
- Global to the particular
- Concepts, abstractions and ideas
- Feel students need autonomy to learn
These differences cause faculty to see students as less and less well
prepared—while students think faculty are poor teachers and their courses are
incomprehensible.
Ironically, satisfaction with college has never been higher.
National survey 9200 students—270 Chief student
affairs officers 1993-1997(When Hope and Fear Collide Arthur Levine.
- Civility has declined. 57% said yes
- Ethnic groups don’t socialize with those outside their group. 56% said yes
- Sexual harassment up. 55% said yes
Also students’ feel uncomfortable to express unpopular views or controversial
opinions—they don’t want to talk about gender, race, and ethnicity issues.
More trouble between student groups at residential campuses where there is
more opportunity for students to interact.
Victimization
Students see themselves as victims at all levels
Example -- Rich students’ say they pay more so poor kids can get
scholarships.
Poor students complain rich kids get into schools/programs because they are
rich not because they are qualified.
Majority students see minority students getting unfair advantages --same for
men and women --they say they are treated unfairly and others profit at their
expense.
All of this victim thinking coupled with a preoccupation with differences can
cause reactions and over reactions to things that might have been ignored
before.
Students have "hair triggers" where issues of difference are concerned
whether they are real or imagined.
Students’ Worries
- Worry about becoming victims of violent crime 46%
- Paying tuition—completing college one/third grew up with one or no parents
- Students are showing up overwhelmed and more damaged—use of counseling
services hitting record numbers—60% of colleges report.
- Students bring many more non-academic issues with them then at any time
before—today’s students are described as having a leaking lifeboat
mentality—just focus on bailing and on nothing else and no one else.
Why do they go to College?
Feel there is no other path to financial success--The goals of using college
to help
-
learn to get along with others and
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formulate values and goals for their life
have become the lowest 2 goals on the lists of reasons to attend college.
They attend to make money and find a career.
Other Characteristics of Importance
- 60% work—24% work full-time
- 87% percent of the students asked said that they worked hard at college
(49% said this in 1969).
- 83% considered themselves intellectual—(64% in 1976) even though they
reject learning for the sake of learning and self-exploration.
- Students see time spent = to achievement. They make no distinction between
quality and quantity in learning.
- In general faculty are astounded by their students lack of knowledge—only
25% say their students are well prepared—less than 50% says their students are
even satisfactorily prepared.
Students today are not certain that they can do good for their fellow
humans and still do well for themselves.
The market place wants students to have the 3C’s
- Critical Thinking
- Continuous Learning Initiative
- Creativity
Ways of Dealing with Disruptive Students
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Never attribute to malice what can be attributed to
ignorance (V. Ruggerio)—most of the time students are not trying to be
malicious and often are not aware that they are being disruptive.
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More traditionally aged students exhibit behaviors that
were acceptable in high school or at least went uncorrected. They are often
surprised that college teachers are bothered by these behaviors.
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See all conflicts as an opportunity to educate the
student(s) involved.
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If at all possible deal with any significant issues of
disruption or disagreement in private (your office with the door open).
Dealing with an issue in front of others can cause both the students and the
instructor to be affected. You don’t need others taking sides.
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Use I statements to address the concern
…this way you are owning the problem and giving the student an easy
opportunity to save face and get back on task. I statements avoid the issuance
of consequences. " I would appreciate it if your would …"
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Stay calm-- at all cost stay calm—if necessary declare a
cooling off period.
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Put yourself in the student’s shoes—try to see what is
the motivation behind the disruption/problem/ issue.
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Listen carefully—ask clarifying questions that help to
define the issue. " I want to make certain that I understand what you are
saying is this what you mean"
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Think win-win. Ask the students how they would resolve
the issue—this will give them some ownership. Also ask how they would handle
the situation if they were the instructor.
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Make certain that your position is clearly defensible.
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Avoid the introduction of side issues. Keep bringing the
student back to the issue at hand. Other issues can be dealt with at another
time.
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Write down the issue/concern/problem
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Write down the solution/agreement.
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Be as consistent as you can in how you handle each
individual occurrence. This includes how you handle even small disruptions in
class. Students really take note of inconsistencies in this area.
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Offer the student the option of taking the issue to the
next level. Tell him/her who to talk to and where they can find them.
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Keep notes on the conversation(s) that you have with the
student. This will help to protect you and make it clear to the students that
you want an accurate record of the interaction(s) you have with them.
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