Etiquette

The School of Psychology’s instructors are dedicated teaching professionals who share a common goal of providing you with the highest quality undergraduate education. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to  recognise that education is a two-way process which works best as a partnership between instructors and students. Much of this is stated in the student charter but we would like to emphasise here the notion of “professional etiquette”.

For instructors, professional etiquette begins with the understanding that students are paying for and expect the highest quality education possible. At a minimum, an appreciation of this fact means that instructors are responsible for preparing and delivering high quality lectures. But this also means that instructors are also responsible for addressing student concerns in a timely and responsive manner.

For students, professional etiquette begins with the understanding that instructors are trained educators, often with very extensive (in some cases, 20+ years) experience teaching their courses. At a minimum, an appreciation of this fact means that students are responsible for attending lectures, mastering their course material, and completing course assignments. But this also means that students are responsible for knowing and following the policies and procedures of their courses. Student responsibility also extends to fellow students. For example participating fully in group exercises and minimising distractions (e.g. use of mobile devices in lectures) to maintain a collegial learning environment.

By adhering to professional etiquette, instructors and students can together ensure that both parties are able to perform their respective roles in a manner that is mutually respectful and that helps fulfill the overall mission of higher education —the transfer of knowledge from one generation to the next.

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