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 I consider making such recommendations as part of the “guidance” component of my job, if the student asks me. However, it is important to be tactful and never seem disrespectful toward a faculty member. I normally respond with something along the lines of “From what I know about Professor Z and you, I think his teaching style and your learning style could be really compatible.” It is especially important for me to make such recommendations when working with my special needs students.~ Rhonda Linseman, Northwood University, May 1 To speak to students subjectively about a colleague is never appropriate. However, it is always good advising to give certain kinds of insider information to students. Specifically, matching courses/instructors to a student's learning style, matching course expectations to a student's lifestyle, and making students aware of classroom management styles is part of good advising. For example, in the adult degree program I have many students who are active learners and prefer discussion and some who are passive learners and prefer lecture. I have always pointed out which professors teach to the style they prefer. There are times when I will even recommend professors who are particularly attentive to the needs and anxieties of adult students when I believe a student needs it. I am very careful not to make statements that would tarnish the reputation of professors and never infer that one professor is “easier” than another. So, yes, I think it's ethical to make course/instructor recommendations to students.~ Amanda Zimmerman, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, May 1 An adviser's job is to guide and support your students. Part of that guidance should be recommending classes and instructors. I do not believe it is part of our job to repeat negative comments about courses and instructors. I usually will say this instructor is more attuned to your learning style or since you are having some difficulty with this subject matter, this instructor is more nurturing. I never make negative comments and when asked about a “bad” teacher, will say I have no personal knowledge of them, you should ask your fellow students for feedback. I also say that they should be careful in looking for “easy” teachers and give them my building a house and needing a strong foundation speech. I tell them they are paying for a service and why should they actively seek to shortchange themselves? As consumers of education they should be looking for quality and excellence. So my answer is, it is not unethical to recommend courses/instructors as long as it is part of your overall approach to quality advisement and as long as you do not caution students away from courses/instructors in the process.~ Robin Barnett, University of Southern Mississippi, May 1 I don't feel that advising should be done in the manner in which the two examples are, but I do feel that if the adviser knows that a particular faculty member gives only essay tests and this student does not do well on essay tests—steering them to another faculty member who uses multiple choice or other similar type of testing procedure should not be considered unethical. You would be doing your job in helping the student make the most of their educational opportunity.~ Jay A. Bradley ATC/L, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, May 1 Unethical is a strong word. I don't think it's unethical, if one is acting on some good interest of the student (if a student is right on a borderline between keeping or losing a scholarship, I might point out to them several strategies of maintaining their GPA—and one strategy could be to take a course that has a reputation for being “easy”). That said, steering a student away from a course because the professor is “unpopular” doesn't strike me as very professional. When a good student asks me for a course recommendation and there are no other factors to be considered, I usually respond that I can tell them which courses are popular, but that the most popular course might be the wrong one for them, and that I can tell them which courses usually have lower enrollment, but one of those courses may be just the thing they become enthusiastic about.~ Dean Hebert, University of Maryland, May 1 I often recommend particular courses and professors. I feel that part of my job as an adviser is to help students find a good fit and avoid getting into situations where they may end up withdrawing or failing. I never respond to the frequent request for an “easy” course or teacher. I often recommend that students challenge themselves with something/someone who will stretch them. However, as I know some of the teaching styles of our faculty, I try to help make good matches with students' learning styles.I also try to highlight the often overlooked electives that I know are excellent courses and are sometimes cancelled due to low enrollment. ~ John Wick, Naugatuck Valley Community College, May 1 As an adviser I feel it is ethical for me to discuss the instructor's teaching style, types of assignments given, and testing methods with my advisees. We discuss the student's preferred learning style and make course decisions based on this information. It does not seem ethical or appropriate for me to make comments on the level of difficulty of the course or the quality of the instructor. I try to keep things factual for the student so he/she can make an informed decision.~ Mary McNerney, Cottey College, May 1 The problem with making recommendations is that our notions of courses and professors are based on anecdotal evidence, really not much more than gossip. All I can say is that lots of my advisees had trouble with the tests in this course, or lots of students seem familiar with this material already. But courses change. And sometimes the most insightful students are in the minority: after years of hearing that Prof. X was very difficult, I learn from students who are actually interested in the subject that he is attentive and extremely helpful when they talk to him one-on-one. Even if I visit a course, my responses will not match my students'. My biggest ethical issue came when I knew that a certain faculty person had faced equity charges. I simply told students that this professor could be picky about things, and they should be careful to follow requirements to the letter.There may be a larger reason for not volunteering a lot of “inside” information: it makes the students depend on us rather than on their own judgment, and may cultivate the idea that one has to get around the system. Given the ethical lapses we have seen in society, I want to restore trust rather than weaken it further. I discourage students from academic insider trading, even while we try to marshall credits and requirements to craft an education that meets personal goals. You don't try to “get around” people. At the same time I would set high standards for those who have power in the system. That means that if a special-needs student has an unsympathetic teacher, I will work mightily to advocate for that student, reading chapter and verse to the faculty member about professional and legal responsibility. ~ Marion Schwartz, Penn State, May 5 I like the way respondents have described what they do as being professional, rather than being ethical or not. I will simply add my own concurrence with that approach.Initially I felt the framework for this discussion should have been limited to the first two questions. The last one, with specifics, inserts a bias that tempts one to answer “Yes” (it is unethical). My initial response, however, would be “No” (it is not unethical for me since, if anything, I bias my advice in the opposite direction—“You should take this course/instructor because you will learn more from it/him/her.”) I might offer certain caveats as well, such as “S/he has a very rigid attendance policy, so don't miss class,” or “Don't be mislead by his humor; he is very demanding,” or “You've had three courses from her; you need to experience other faculty, other viewpoints, and other ways of learning.” The ethical dilemmas arise if I do not offer such advice to all students in a fair and consistent manner, or if I make recommendations based upon something other than the student's learning opportunity and engagement. I rarely find myself in such a dilemma. ~ Tom Grites, Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, May 6 I think it is important to guide a student in their choices of teachers, but it should be in reference to the teacher's style or method of their teaching.When a student struggles with a particular subject some teachers may be better suited for them. I think suggestions may be helpful as long as they are objective and not attacking the teacher personally.~ Sydney Berg, University of Houston–Downtown, May 6 As a faculty member, I am asked “who to take” with reference to the next math course for the student's degree program. I usually ask to see the official Class Schedule for the list of faculty assigned to teach the course. After a brief, factual description of styles and preferences, I usually end with recommending that the student attend the section of their choice. If they think they are not compatible with the teacher the first day (no later than during the first week), they can switch sections after sitting in on other sections that fit into their schedule. We have a very liberal add/drop policy and this is another way to empower the students, make them responsible for their own decisions, and help them make the choice that is best for them.~ N. Leveille, University of Houston–Downtown, May 14 Student first, then institution.~ Louise D. Gaile, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, May 22 I would help that student pursue the program and solution that is best for him/her regardless of how it effects my institution's retention goals. As an adviser, I have a responsibility to the student to help him/her explore and choose options that are best for him/her. In the long run, my reputation and that of my institution will be better off for keeping the the student's interests in mind.~ Brigette Bustos, Colorado State University, May 22 The Mentor is published by Penn State's Division of Undergraduate Studies Available online at www.psu.edu/dus/mentor/ Privacy and Legal Statements | Copyright | © The Pennsylvania State University | All rights reserved | |
