JOURNAL OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS EDUCATION - Naspaa

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Preparing for and Responding to Student Incivilitiesadministrators need to receive regular training in the evolving psychology ofthe modern college student, the various categories of incivility and the differentdegrees of danger that they present, and the methods that can be used to deescalateclassroom situations (Hernández & Fister, 2001). This training needsto be part of faculty orientation for adjunct instructors and new tenure-trackfaculty, and part of a professional development process for long-term, tenuredprofessors.It is equally important to educate students about these policies so thatthey understand the expectations for civil conduct and the consequences ofincivility. This information can be conveyed in student handbooks and syllabi,and discussed during student orientations and initial class sessions (Gonzalez& Lopez, 2001; Hirschy & Braxton, 2004; Kilmer, 1998). Students maynot recognize their behaviors as falling under the definitions of incivility ormisconduct. Fully 90 percent of Americans say that incivility is a problem,but 99 percent claim that their own behavior is civil (as cited in Kauffman &Burbach, 1998). Instructors therefore must provide students with concreteexamples of proper and improper conduct. This discussion will (a) ensure thatstudents have a better understanding of class policies and procedures, (b) reducethe likelihood of incivilities, and (c) diminish grounds for student grievanceslater in the semester if interventions or sanctions are necessary.Step 3: Swiftly Respond to Minor IncivilitiesOnce all parties have been educated on both the nature of the problemand the institution’s policies, it is essential that every instructor commit to therecognition of and the response to minor incivilities before they escalate. Whilemost people recognize that threats or acts of physical violence against otherstudents, colleagues, or the program/institution must be dealt with swiftly andseverely (Gonzalez & Lopez, 2001), there often is less agreement on the need torespond to seemingly minor incivilities.Some instructors are in the habit of ignoring minor acts of incivility, inhopes that they will dissipate in time. This failure to address the behaviors andactions of rude and disrespectful students has the effect of condoning them(Feldmann, 2001). When taken in combination, annoying behaviors suchas talking during the presentation of material or habitual lateness can havean impact on the class that is comparable to less frequent, but more serious,incivilities. The cumulative effect of minor incivilities takes valuable time awayfrom the instructor that could have been spent on the needs of other students oron completing the intended lessons.Other faculty may hesitate to address incivilities when the perpetrators arestudents with strong academic records. As faculty, we tend to be better equippedto assess academic performance than we are to evaluate student conduct. Yet itis arguably no more appropriate for faculty to measure academic performance148 Journal of Public Affairs Education
Preparing for and Responding to Student Incivilitiessolely on intellect and knowledge, without regard for the incivilities displayedby a student, than it would be for a supervisor to base evaluations on jobperformance, without regard for an employee’s conduct violations.Responding to minor incivilities in the classroom is analogous to James Q.Wilson’s “broken windows” theory (Thernstrom, 1999). Just as unrepaired orvacant property invites more serious crime into a neighborhood, annoyances thatare not remedied also contribute to a classroom structure where more seriousincivilities can become commonplace. Students who are emboldened by beingallowed to act inappropriately in one classroom may be empowered to act out inother classes, thereby potentially harming the teaching and learning environmentfor colleagues and all other students in a program. If every professor were totake immediate action when mild misbehavior occurred, we believe it wouldnot only help prevent the escalation to violence but also would reinforce thevalue of civility. Although some faculty may not find minor conduct violationsto be offensive, they have a responsibility to their colleagues, the other students,and the institution to participate in sending a consistent and strong message.Living with good policy requires each person to give up some autonomy, but thissacrifice is offset by the desirability of the resulting collective benefit.Some minor incivilities can be used as “teaching moments” within theclassroom setting. When a student expresses dissatisfaction about a policy,the instructor can facilitate a discussion among students about interpersonalbehaviors and styles of communication as an example of a managementproblem they may encounter in the workplace. In the process of problemsolving,a discussion of group norms can emerge to guide the behavior of allstudents. Similarly, an instructor can use an incident as an opportunity toredirect students’ behaviors to more constructive uses. For example, a studentwho is observed to surf the Web during class can be enlisted to search for classrelatedsites to be shared with the group. In these instances, all students havethe opportunity to benefit from what otherwise could have been a disruptivesituation. An added benefit of these “teaching moments” is that they providethe opportunity to differentiate between behaviors that, while different fromthe norm, may simply be cultural in how respect is demonstrated, as opposed totruly uncivil behaviors that reflect a lack of respect.In addition to using initial incidents of incivilities as opportunities forclassroom learning, a meeting between the faculty member and the involvedstudent or students is usually sufficient (Hendrix, 2007; Hernández & Fister,2001; Tiberius & Flak, 1999). The goal of such a meeting is to increaseunderstanding and to work collaboratively on identifying solutions. In ourexperience, most students will recognize this type of meeting as an indicationthat the professor is trying to help them improve. Students who acceptresponsibility for their own conduct and work with the professor to developsolutions should be allowed to continue in the class without consequences ifJournal of Public Affairs Education 149
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