Students are encouraged to resolve concerns with their faculty directly. 

• If you need to meet with faculty regarding an incident, it is in your best interests to meet with them as soon as possible.
• There may be some circumstances in which you need to meet with your instructor to discuss a concern. Similarly, your instructor may ask to meet with you as well.
• For either situation, acting respectfully and professionally has the greatest impact on creating a positive outcome.

Understandably, you may feel anxious, frustrated or nervous about this meeting, or about the circumstances surrounding it. During this meeting you can expect to be treated with respect, and it is also expected that you treat instructors courteously.

Please consider the following tips below:

• Avoid responding while you're upset or frustrated. Give yourself some time to collect your thoughts before initiating (or responding to) any communication.
• When emailing to request a meeting, understand that your tone and language are important. Consider having a friend read it over before you send it.
• Aim to use professional language. If you're emailing your instructor, use their title or a generic title. You may wish to start an email like this: Dear Mrs. Brown, or, Dear Dr. Brown. It’s also always a good idea to end your email with a thank you. Some nice email endings include: Thank you for your time, or Thank you for your attention.
• If you've been asked to meet with your instructor, understand that the purpose of meetings can vary. It's okay to feel worried, however, your instructors will give you an opportunity to share your side of the story.
• It's beneficial to plan in advance what you'd like to share at the meeting. It can be helpful to prepare a list of concerns or points you would like to discuss. This can help with remembering key points and staying focused.
• While you may be eager for a response, once you've emailed or called your instructor, understand it may take time to respond to your concern.

If you have a concern, do your best to communicate with the person/office who most often responds to initial inquiries.
For example, a Dean or Associate Dean may not be your first point of contact, when you have yet to chat with your Program Coordinator about an issue.

If you are unsure of who to contact, consider reaching out to the Student Intervention Coordinator.

Please remember that there are a number of supports available to you on campus. These can found on the Resources page.