Re: Problem Student?

[gillespiep@vms.csd.mu.edu]

Kelly, a few years ago we had a problem with a student who threatened a
tutor with physical violence, and the incident put us in touch with both
the counselling center and the university legal counsel.  They recommended
that we post a statement that would give us some legal grounds for
preventing a student from using our services (and we have never needed to
since that one time).  Our statement is posted in our reception area and
reads: 

Conduct Expectations

The Norman H. Ott Memorial Writing Center expects those who use our 
services to respect the rights of others. Responsible conduct is 
expected and required.  Individuals who engage in unacceptable behavior 
such as physical and/or verbal abuse may lose their Writing Center 
privileges and/or be subject to university disciplinary action.  

This doesn't solve the problem by any means, but it does protect you 
should the situation escalate.  

Paula Gillespie

On Fri, 21 Mar 1997, Kelly Lowe wrote:

> I have a developing situation in my writing center that I am unsure of
> how to handle:
> 
> We have a Russian exchange student who is becoming increasingly
> difficult in terms of accepting what help we give him.  If we don't
> drop everything we are doing and immediatly attend to his needs, he
> gets loud and unruly.  If we don't pick through his papers with a
> fine tooth comb, he does the same (indeed, to my face--I told him I
> would look at the first few pages and work with him on some error
> analysis skills (his language ability is excellent) and he told me to
> read and correct the whole thing--I asked him to leave after that).
> 
> The problem is political--we are a small school that worships the
> students--to the point that nearly all "F's" are negotiable--and if I
> were to "ban" this student, or even have the appearence of doing so,
> it would be a week of Dean City for me--something I try to avoid.
> 
> Any comments?
> 
> Kelly Lowe
> Director of Writing Programs
> Mount Union College
> Alliance, OH 44601
> 330/823.3153
> lowekf@muc.edu
> "In a world ruled by swine, all pigs are upwardly mobile." --Hunter
> Thompson
> 
>