Tips for New Faculty: Helping Students Succeed at Concordia

Faculty can use the resources and expertise at Counselling and Development in order to support their teaching efforts and enhance student success. The following are ways to help with some of the typical student concerns you may encounter.

Help students develop learning strategies

Students in your class may be a diverse mix of academic ability and preparedness. Here are some suggestions to help facilitate your students' learning.

• Improve writing skills
  • If you notice that a student has difficulties with writing, voice your concerns to the student. You could encourage such students to work with a Writing Assistant, who can help them develop and organize their ideas. Also, while they do not proof-read or edit papers, they help students find and correct their own mistakes.
• Improve language skills
  • If students are obviousy English second language (ESL) learners, encourage them to take advantage of services that will help them improve their oral language, such as Talk Times and Conversation Groups offered by Student Learning Services.
• Improve math skills
  • If students are having difficulty with basic math skills, encourage them to attend Math tutoring groups.
• Discourage plagiarism
  
  • It is helpful to address the issue of plagiarism as early as possible, perhaps in your course outline. Students do not always understand what plagiarism is - you can direct them to the Student Learning Services website for an on-line handout:
    http:// cdev.concordia.ca/CnD/studentlearn/Help/handouts/WritingHO/Avoidingplagiarism.html
• You can also lessen the likelihood of receiving "recycled" papers by building specific controls into a writing assignment:
  • Vary the assignment requirements slightly each time you teach the course;
  • Specify the need for some Canadian sources; limit number of internet sources;
  • Require students to submit a preliminary draft a while before the assignment due date. This will encourage students to begin the assignment earlyÐplagiarism is often a response to last minute panic due to procrastination or bad planning.
• Visit this site for an interesting article on E-Cheating (plagiarism from the Web) and what you can can as an instructor to combat it.
• Encourage students to study with other people
  • Collaborative learning can lead to better understanding of course concepts, increased self-confidence and reduced stress related to studying. Mentioning the importance of studying with others, perhaps devoting time at the end of a class for people to set up study partnerships, can be extremely helpful -- many students want to find study partners or groups but are too shy to initiate contact with others.
• Give feedback to students
  • Useful feedback for students includes being specific about what they can do to improve. If you feel they are at risk of failing, you can suggest that they work with a Learning Specialist on their reading, writing, critical thinking, etc. You can also consult directly with the Learning Specialist if you wish.

Help students find resources at Concordia and adapt to university life
Students can get useful information about Concordia's many resources from student mentors at The Student Success Centre.The New Student Programme also offers a variety of activities and resources to help students make friends and fit into the university environment.

Help students with personal issues

You may become aware that a student's personal difficulties are interfering with academic performance. Signs of a student in trouble can include disruptiveness in class, excessive tiredness/prolonged sleeping in class or unexpected changes in behaviour, such as a consistently good student handing in work late or not at all.

• If you feel that a student is experiencing personal problems, it would be appropriate to ask how the student is doingÐthis will not necessarily be seen as invasive and most students will welcome your attention.
• Students may want to discuss personal issues that you don't feel comfortable with. Your need for boundaries is perfectly normal and acceptable; the student's need to be heard is also important too.
• Listen, be supportive, but suggest students call or come to Counselling and Development where the receptionist will make an appointment for them to meet with a Counsellor.
• If you have concerns about a student's personal welfare or about how to handle a particular individual or situation in class, you yourself can consult with a Counsellor. All such discussions are confidential.

Help students develop clear career goals

Students who have a sense of future career direction are often more motivated to succeed in their courses. There are various ways to encourage students in this area:

• If you feel that a student might be in the wrong major, you can suggest that the student meet with a career counsellor. or make an appointment with the Career Computer Lab. Such appointments can take various forms including working with career aptitude, interest and personality tests
• Career and Placement Services staff can give in-class workshops on topics like resume writing, interview skills or career planning in your field.
• Career Resource Centre Librarians at Counselling and Development can compile useful bibliographies for your students of information on careers related to their major for you to present to you class. You can also refer students directly to the Career Resource Centre for career information and/or subject guides to graduate programs.

Remember, in all your dealings with students, what you say matters: one small comment can have a huge impact on a student's performance and ultimate success.

Last Modified January 4, 2005
by Student Learning Services