Tips on Speaking With Professors

Faculty members are extremely busy--and often face numerous requests for changes, exceptions, extensions, individual help, etc. from the students in their classes. If you're talking with a professor about accommodations due to your participation in Intercollegiate Athletics at Kentucky State, we have several suggestions.

DO:

• Be respectful, cordial, and courteous. Ask for factual information and use "I" statements (e.g., "I wanted to check my grade on the midterm") rather than becoming emotional and using "you" statements (e.g., "Why did you fail me on that test? You made me ineligible!")
• Provide Missed Class Forms to your professors as soon as you receive them. Follow up with your professor at least 2 class periods before your road trip as a reminder and inquire about assignments that will be missed.
• Go to office hours or schedule an appointment to discuss missing class, turning assignments in late, taking exams at an alternate time, etc. due to team travel. At the beginning of a class, the instructor may be trying to review a lecture or set up equipment for the class. At the end of class, the instructors may need to vacate the room for the next professor and/or rush off to teach another class.
• Be proactive. Ask for help if you're struggling or have questions in a class. Faculty and TA's want to help students understand and succeed.
• Go to office hours prepared. If you're asking for an accommodation, bring a copy of the missed class form (Available in your Athletic Academic Advisor's Office).
• Don't expect an immediate response via e-mail. Faculty are responsible for teaching

hundreds of students each semester. They sometimes cannot respond to e-mail messages immediately.

• Share personal information as appropriate. Instructors want to know if you have a learning (or other) disability that requires accommodation, a family or medical emergency that requires you to miss class, etc.
• Express your enthusiasm and interest for a lecture, reading, assignment, etc. that you enjoy. Instructors put many hours into preparing for each class; a sincere compliment from a student is a gift.
• Invite your instructors to attend a competition in your sport and share a copy of your team schedule.

DO NOT:

• Approach a professor to discuss a teammate's grade and/or advocate for a teammate who is struggling in class. Instructors can only discuss grades with the student who earns them.
• Ask a professor to change your grade so you can be eligible.
• Approach a professor in the 9th or 10th week of the semester to ask if they could design an extra credit assignment for you because you're failing.
• Tell a professor that they need to accommodate your travel schedule because you're a student-athlete.
• Intimidate, threaten, or verbally harass an instructor because you got a lower grade than you expected