1. Faculty Expectations and Tips for Students’ Academic Success
Lorraine Goldberg
Northern Virginia Community College 6/30/2015

2. Welcome Parents! Your support matters Goals for today:
To explain faculty expectations of students
To provide best (and worst) practices
To share information about how parents can support their child’s learning

3. Faculty Expectations: Ownership of Learning Process
Be familiar with academic calendar
Know locations of library, bookstore, writing center, testing center, cafeteria, coffee shop, student ID/tuition/parking, and adviser(s)
Walk class schedule & classrooms BEFORE start of classes
Study course content summary
Study course syllabus (paper/online)
Come to class alert, prepared, and ready to engage (note 1st assignment due 1st day of class)

4. Faculty Expectations: Time Management
ADAPTABILITY TO PROFESSORS & COURSEWORK!
Full time and adjunct professors (approach to/availability for student support)
Interpretation of course content summary
Amount & type of assignments
Revisions/grading (A in high school = C in college); quality over quantity
3 hours of homework for every credit hour in class
Analyze and follow directions
COMMUNICATE with professors = ask questions, share thoughts
Office hours!
Take advantage of extracurricular support
Campus engagement opportunities: academic & social

5. Faculty Expectations: Professionalism
Behavior: be punctual, organized, responsive, and respectful
Be 10 minutes early to each class
Turn off the phone
Bring the course texts & assignments
Be respectful in writing (professional s, typed assignments)
Be aware of course objectives and semester progress
Engage in class discussion
Academic debate vs. argument
Ask for assistance if shy/nervous

6. Faculty Expectations: Best Practices
In general
Set a goal (graduation, transfer, career exploration, life skills)
OOH
Connect coursework to goals
Seek balance
Register for campus alerts
Find a brain trust
In class
Don’t make assumptions about faculty expectations, ASK!
Make recurring appointments for office hours
Annotate! Annotate! Annotate!
Front row seats = front row grades

7. Worst Practices In general In class
Treat NVCC as a commuter campus experience
Assume that gen eds don’t connect to upper level coursework
Lose track of the academic calendar
In class
Miss classes or be late consistently
Don’t ask questions (e.g. no book = no first reading)
Sit in the back row and remain silent all semester
Send informal s to professors
Use cell phone during class time
Last minute requests for more work/revision/extra credit

8. Your Support Matters
Success at CC more challenging than at 4-year institution
Competing responsibilities (work, family, bills, military service, etc.)
Off campus life (housing, meals, transportation, social pressures)
Onus is on students to ensure personal academic success
Prioritize the learning experience
Minimize/simplify other responsibilities/pressures
Set concrete rewards for academic success
Encourage ownership of the learning experience
Ask short answer questions
Be a sounding board, not a tutor/personal editor/back-up plan
Encourage critical thinking (cause/effect)

9. Presentation available at http://blogs.nvcc.edu/lgoldberg/links/
Questions?
Presentation available at