Nineteen Fifty-Six Vol. 4 Issue 1

HOW TO FORM MEANINGFUL
CONNECTIONS WITH YOUR
PROFESSORS
ANDREA TINKER
Connecting with people in college can be
tough, especially on a large campus like the
University of Alabama, with over 38,000
students and 2,054 faculty members. Often, students are
left looking for meaningful connections not only within
their friend groups, but with faculty, as well.
Cassandra Simon, an associate professor in the School of
Social Work, said that in order for faculty and
students to create a connection, there’s a need for
understanding from both parties. “Knowing a
professor and having an opportunity to get to know
them a little bit helps that student feel more
comfortable, helps that student be willing to ask
questions more, be able to share with that professor,”
Simon said. She said that in the same regard, when
professors take the time to get to know their
students, they’re more attuned to when their
students are a little “off-key” or not performing as they
usually would.
Andre Denham, the associate dean for graduate
academic affairs, said students connecting with
faculty is essential, especially at the graduate school
level. “I think it’s part of the actual learning process,
the maturation process of students,” Denham said.
“Any school worth its salt, and UA’s a part of this, is big
on mentorship on the undergrad and graduate level,
especially more on the grad school level where the ties
between the student and their advisor or particular
faculty member are more— they’re tighter, because of
the nature of graduate education.” However, Denham
noted that it can be intimidating to initiate those
relationships with professors,
especially for students of color who often are met with
professors who don’t look like them.
According to the University’s Office of Institutional
Research and Assessment, in fall 2022, out of the
University’s 2,054 faculty members, 1,565 are white, and
of the 489 who are people of color, only 168 are Black.
Simon said oftentimes, faculty members who are not of
color might not want to address the issues of
mistrust between themselves and students of color, but
as a Black woman, she always addresses those
issues, including discussions of race. “I think that, race is
one of the most problematic issues in our country and I
think that no matter what class you’re teaching, that you
kind of need to go ahead and put that out there and have
that discussion about it and what that means to you as a
faculty member,” she said. “And then that way you don’t
have to act like it doesn’t exist when it really does and
affects how we interact with one another.”
This lack of communication with faculty can
sometimes contribute to Black students’ feelings of
imposter syndrome. Simon said imposter syndrome is
a factor that students of color experience more while
attending predominantly white institutions.
Denham said that students connect better with
faculty members who look like them or have similar
backgrounds because they’re better at understanding
each other’s experiences. “I mean, this is no secret
PWIs, especially flagships have been working hard