Modern Student Behavior and Its Impact on College Teaching Dr. Bill Stobart, Pittsburg State University Dr. John Oppliger, Pittsburg State University

Many college professors feel student behavior has changed over the past decades.

Student Violence There have been several instances of high profile violence on today’s campuses.

Student Violence In reviewing my career in higher education, I know that two of my former students are in prison. One for murder and one for manslaughter.

One of our students was dismissed from school for having a gun and shells in his car. “I’m the scariest dude you will ever meet!”

The impact of guns on campus has been an issue of risk management and legal liability. Our university is posting “no weapons” signs around campus.

Due to the increased chance of violence, our department chair has sent the faculty a memo instructing each faculty member to take a cell phone to class in case of an emergency.

Our department now posts the campus police telephone number in every classroom and throughout the hallways of our building.

Our campus police department has also installed emergency phones around campus.

Recently, shots were fired on the campus of Northwest Missouri State University. The campus sounded the warning “shooter on campus” over their speaker system.

Grade Inflation Do you feel the threat of violence has an impact on many college professors’ grading and has become a leading factor of “grade inflation”? Does the threat of violence impact our behavior around students?

Student Behavior and Technology Technological advances appear to have changed student behavior.

According to our student affairs staff, students are using our student center less.

When students do use the student union, they seek technology. Computer access is demanded more in our student union than in the library.

Do you think that computers will be a “must have” in future gyms, physical education buildings, and recreation centers?

Students are expecting more information exchanges via technology. Blackboard Angel

Student Behavior and Technology Impact of modern technology may alleviate the student from taking notes in class. It may impact the whole educational process via on-line courses.

Socialization One of our staff member feels that due to the use of cell phones, students are not talking to fellow classmates. They call other friends between classes.

Has the modern students’ use of cell phones impacted rules and regulations in your classroom?

Student abilities Some college professors do not feel modern students are being properly prepared in elementary and secondary education.

Colleges are doing almost everything they can to allow each student to have the opportunity to succeed and graduate.

With easy admission requirements and high retention rates, are we graduating students who shouldn’t be in college in the first place? Are we lowering our standards for the modern student?

Student evaluations As college professors, if we set high standards in our classrooms, will today’s student give us low student evaluations which may effect promotion and tenure and merit pay?

A student’s Yes this is richard and I was asking if you had found out any thing about added more coures so I would be a jr and right know im a sopmore and I did knowwhat you had found out and if you sounf write me back and tell me if im jr or sopmore staties so if you could write me back before 430 that would goodthink you richard

Student attitudes I have also had a student respond to an essay question with the following response: “To muck work”

Student attitudes The “millennial student” has changed in many ways.

Plagiarism Computers and the internet have made it very easy to plagiarize papers and other work.

Student honesty Since some students find it easy to plagiarize papers with the aid of a computer and the internet, some college professors may assign fewer writing assignments.

Impact on college teaching in addition to fewer papers, some professors are not giving a final, giving a take home final, or giving an on-line final. This gives college professors an extra week of time to work on whatever they choose.

Student cheating Do you feel the modern student is cheating more or less than students five, ten, or twenty years ago?

Attitude of students It is my opinion that students do not attend class as seriously as in previous years.

Attitude of students A paraphrased from one of my students that scored 224 points out of 500 and failed the class. He never inquired about any test scores in class. “I know I’m not an A student but an F. We’re going to have to figure this out.”

Attitude of students Many students are electing to take more than four years to graduate. Possible factors contributing to more years of college: Easier financial aid Parents supporting five years of college More students that work full-time

Quote from a previous colleague “High grades relieve a college professor of 70% of their problems.”