As I finished giving an assignment last week that included a packet that students should easily be able to work through themselves, I concluded by explaining that this was the first time I was teaching the assignment.  As such, I explained, I didn’t really know if the material is as easy to understand as I think it is.  I could be wrong.  And if I was wrong, you need to let me know. 

I would take a dim view if a student simply announced that “The packet sucks!” However, the problem with such a pronouncement is not the criticism of the course materials but with the tone in which the criticism was delivered.  I am too old to engage in a conversation where I need to reply, “Why do you think it sucks?”  But I am very open to learning that the packet is not as clear as I think it is. I need students to tell me if I am off track before the train goes totally off the rails

I joke with my students that if they are fumbling around in confusion and no one tells me they are confused, their frustration is their own fault. I can only help them if I know that I am proceeding down the wrong track because of failed assumptions or other problems. But for students to be willing to share, I need to first build a classroom culture that facilitates open discussion. This is something that I can only do if I honestly want such feedback. 

I was thinking about my interaction with students while adding a couple of people to the mailing list for the National Organization for Student Success’ Michigan Chapter (NOSSMi) of which I just became President. Part of the reason I added them is because they share the goals of the organization. Another reason is because they have excellent experience from which we can learn. But, as I wrote to these individuals, “I value your opinion and know that you would not hesitate to send me a private message if you think I am going off track. I think Presidents need people who are not afraid to be blunt about their actions; especially if they are doing something problematic.”

NOSSMi and I are fortunate that the Leadership Team is not shy about voicing our praise as well as our concerns.  If fact, one of the board members told me less than a week after I became president that something I suggested was a bad idea. 

Every president or college administrator or faculty member needs to make sure that our circle is both wide enough and welcoming enough to include voices that are not always in step with their own.  It is not easy to hear criticism of our work even when it is presented in the kindness of ways. But, to be our best, Professors and Presidents need to conscientiously establish cultures in our classrooms and organizations that promote real feedback.

It is not always easy, but the effort invested is much less than the effort required to put the train back on the tracks if our neglect caused it to go off the rails.

–Steven L. Berg, PhD

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.