Duties & Obligations

These are the duties and obligations of students and instructors within an honors learning community as generated by the freshman honors class of 1998.

The instructor’s responsibilities within a learning community:

1. The instructor should listen to the students and try to respond directly to their questions. (The instructor should not reshape the question in order to move the discussion in another direction.)
2. The instructor should be open to different interpretations of course material and be receptive towards different reactions to ideas and beliefs.
3. The instructor should make sure everyone in class understands the material before moving on.
4. The instructor should push students to excel, yet set reasonable and realistic goals.
5. The instructor should provide complete and understandable explanations of the course material.
6. The instructor should give clear instructions regarding course assignments.
7. The instructor should render assistance and personalized attention to those who need it, both inside and outside of the classroom.
8. The instructor should regularly and actively communicate with students, providing feedback in the form of constructive criticism.
9. The instructor should show respect towards students especially with regard to differences in academic disciplines and career choices.
10. The instructor should exhibit both enthusiasm and patience
11. The instructor should promote and maintain a lofty purpose for the course.
12. The instructor should show creative flexibility in employing instruction methods.
13. The instructor should lead by example.
14. Ultimately, the instructor should help students make a smooth transition from dependent thinking to independent thought.

The student's duties and obligations as a member of a learning community:

1. You should not be afraid to ask for assistance when needed.
2. You should speak up if you don’t understand what is being discussed.
3. You should ask questions in a sufficiently detailed way so as to enable everyone to understand the difficulty that you are having.
4. You should not hesitate to speak your mind instead of guarding your remarks in view of either pleasing the instructor or winning favor with the class.
5. You should learn to tolerate the expression of different points of view on subjects about which you believe strongly.
6. You should be open to persuasion by the instructor and others in class.
7. You should participate fully in cooperative activities, doing your share of labor and not compelling others to carry your burden.
8. You should not become dependent upon any one student within the learning community.
9. You should show dedication to learning and reciprocate the instructor’s enthusiasm for the course material.
10. You should learn to manage your time well so that assignments are completed when due.
11. You should show common courtesy towards the instructor.
12. You should endeavor to integrate the lessons learned in class into your personal life.
13. You should give assistance when asked by another student.
14. You should eagerly share knowledge with other students.