A syllabus is a contract between an instructor and a student. It is a document that explains what the instructor will do for the student and what the instructor expects the student to do in return. A college instructor needs to carefully outline expectations for students in the syllabus, especially when it comes to common behavior issues such as texting, surfing the Web, eating in class or even personal grooming during class sessions. The college may have a master syllabus that instructors are expected to use to ensure that expectations are carried out schoolwide.
Students who feel respected by an instructor may be less likely to engage in disruptive or rude behaviors. College instructors should work on building relationships with their students so that students feel valued and respected as a member of the classroom community. Students can build rapport with students by asking questions about their interests outside of the classroom, by encouraging students and by maintaining a positive attitude. If an instructor is aloof or rude to students, it is possible that students will be aloof or rude in return.
When a student engages in a rude or disruptive behavior, a college instructor should be fair and consistent. The instructor should follow procedures laid out in the syllabus or the student handbook. In some cases, a first offense for a minor disruption, such as tardiness, can be handled with a simple, private conversation between the student and instructor. Students who habitually break the rules, however, should be handled with appropriately escalating consequences. Instructors should be consistent and treat all students the same when following through with consequences. A student who earns A's should receive the same consequences for the same infractions as a student who is failing the course.
In some cases, students should be referred to the dean or other parties on campus, depending on the nature of the offense. A student who threatens violence towards others or himself or whose behaviors make others in the classroom extremely uncomfortable should be immediately reported to the appropriate person on campus. In some cases, an instructor may need to contact campus security if a student's behavior poses an immediate threat or if a student who has been asked to leave the classroom refuses to do so. Some college classrooms are equipped with emergency buttons that allow instructors to call campus security.