How to Approach Your College Professor with Academic Concerns

As a college student, you have a right to speak up whenever you have a concern regarding one of your classes. Whether it's clarification that you seek about grading or attendance policies, or you believe that you are being treated unfairly, it's better to approach your professor and voice your concerns than to let frustration take over. The important thing to remember is that how you approach your professor with an issue is likely to influence the outcome. Therefore, it is essential that you always handle yourself with class, dignity and intelligence.

Before you approach your professor, however, you'll want to read over the following do's and don'ts to increase the likelihood of a positive outcome.

Do:

1. Deal with issues as they emerge. Promptness is crucial. If you wait days or weeks to approach your professor about a particular concern, you may find that whatever problem you were having has now escalated into something that could've perhaps been resolved quickly had you acted sooner.

2. Try to meet with your professor during his or her office hours. Many professors include their office hours on their syllabus, but in situations where this is not the case, it never hurts to ask your professor before or after class if you can schedule an appointment to discuss your concerns.

3. Prepare for the meeting in advance. For example, if you have a concern that you are being treated unfairly, it's a good idea to document specific incidents (including the dates on which they occurred and what took place) so that you can stay focused. If you believe that you are being graded unfairly, gather all of your graded assignments and have them available for reference during the session. If you need assistance with your coursework, make a list of specific problems that you are having so that your professor will know how best to assist you.

4. Remain as calm as possible throughout the meeting. This may not be an easy feat, but you'll come out better in the end if you maintain your composure throughout your meeting with your professor. Raising your voice, crying or cutting your professor off will only make him or her defensive.

5. Show respect for your professor's time. If you try to monopolize all of his or her time, you may quickly become a student that this professor hates to see coming. When in doubt, just ask how much time your instructor has to meet with you and make it a point to stay within the allotted time. If you need more time, ask to schedule a follow-up appointment.

Don'ts

1. Don't confront your professor during class time about personal concerns that you have. These matters should always be addressed privately. Even a very fair and caring professor can become impatient with students who confront them about personal concerns when they are trying to teach an entire class of students. This doesn't mean you can't ask questions during class about the material being covered, but anything outside of that should wait until you're able to talk one-on-one.

2. Don't send nasty e-mails to your professor. Avoid using profanity in your e-mails or any language that sounds threatening (i.e. "I dare you to flunk me!" or "You don't know who you're messing with!"). Also avoid putting words in all caps (i.e. I attended class EVERY DAY last week!), even if you were only meaning to place emphasis on a particular point. Doing so will only create a hostile tone in your message.

3. Never tell your professor you need a certain grade in his or her course. For the most part, grades are earned, not given. If you tell your professor, "I need to pass this class," or "I need to get an 'A' out of this class," you will most likely not get a favorable response because the underlying expectation is that you will work toward this outcome yourself.

4. Never launch personal attacks against your professor. Focus on the problem - don't attack the individual. If you make statements such as "You can't teach!" or "You're racist!" you will only hurt your chances of being able to achieve a desirable outcome. If you do have concerns of this nature, it's best to document specific actions instead of making blanket statements. If all else fails, you can share your concerns with a department chair or dean.

5. Avoid using passive-aggressive behavior to get back at your professor, such as not attending class. Some students believe that doing this will communicate a strong message to the professor, when in fact it only creates more problems for the student academically. If you stop going to class, the only person you will be hurting is yourself.

If the thought of approaching your professor makes you sick to your stomach, just view this as preparation for the future. Later in life, you may at times have to deal with issues on the job that you would rather not, but if you have already developed the skills to effectively handle these situations, you'll be much more adept at resolving problems as they arise.