Daytona State College Campus Safety (ext. 4444 or (386) 506-4444)
Classroom Management Information
This guide covers some of the classroom management issues you may face as an instructor. These include medical emergencies and student behaviors that can disrupt teaching and learning activities. Please use this guide as a resource in managing your classroom.
Campus Safety offers several presentations throughout the year that discuss handling emergencies such as weather emergencies and violent persons. You may also request a Campus Safety presentation. The Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP) and the Annual Security Report and Campus Safety Guide are two documents that have information on responding to emergencies. They are available on the Campus Safety website and Campus Safety folder on the MyDaytonaState portal.
Medical Emergencies
Call 911 immediately for any medical emergency, then contact Campus Safety at ext. 4444 or (386) 506-4444.
Your first priority in a medical emergency is to provide immediate help and to quickly reach out for competent medical assistance. We recommend that faculty consider learning CPR; for information on CPR classes at Daytona State College, call (386) 506-3298. Make sure you know where the Automated External Defibrillators are located.
Disruptive behavior
Any behavior is disruptive if it impedes the normal processes and activities essential to the mission of Daytona State College to provide quality education and to meet the educational goals of all its students in a safe and secure environment.
Students may act improperly due to personal pressures, issues with drug or alcohol abuse, regulation of prescription medication, or simply due to difficulty controlling their behavior.
Whatever the reasons behind it, faculty must be prepared to deal effectively with disruptive behavior.
This brief guide will identify the kinds of disruptive behavior you may face and will recommend ways you can prepare for and respond to such behavior when it occurs.
BE PREPARED
You will be better prepared to respond to inappropriate behavior if your students know up front what is and what is not acceptable.
Minor disruptive behavior includes:
Handling minor disruptions: Minor disruptions are typically handled as classroom management issues.
Major Disruptive Behavior includes:
Handling Major Disruptions
First Priority: If you or anyone else is in danger, remove yourself from danger and:
Deal Professionally with the Situation: Keep your cool until help arrives.
Follow Up:
• Document the Incident: Soon after the incident, you should document the disruptive behavior, and send your report to Judicial Affairs and to your department chair. Be sure to include:
•. Further Consequences: Students who violate the College’s conduct rules and regulations are subject to further disciplinary actions as outlined in the most recent Student Handbook. Depending on the severity of the incident:
Flow Chart and Strategies for Addressing Disruptive Behavior
This flow chart is intended as a guideline for the instructor, with the understanding that there is no “one size fits all” solution for disruptive behavior.
Scenario 1. If the student’s behavior is irritating but not particularly disruptive (for example: cell phone use). Use the following approach if you feel comfortable being alone with the student.
Flow Chart Sequence
Step 1.
Talk to the student privately immediately after class. If you must deal with the student’s behavior during class, you should calmly but firmly inform the student that the behavior is disruptive and ask that it be stopped.
Example: “Your use of your cell phone is bothering me and disrupting the class. Please end your conversation now and refrain from in-class phone calls in the future.”
Step 2.
If the disruptive behavior continues during either the present or some future class, meet with the student in private to warn that continuing this behavior will result in disciplinary action.
Example: “I’ve already warned you about talking when I am speaking to the class. If you disrupt the class again in this manner, I will refer this to the Office of Judicial Affairs.”
Step 3.
If the disruptive behavior continues despite this warning, you should inform the student that you will refer this for disciplinary action, and should then instruct the student to leave the classroom.
Following the class, you should document the incident and email the Vice President of Student Development Administrative Assistant (Nicole Schmitt.) to request that the case be assigned to a Judicial Affairs officer. If you have no access to email, you may call ext. 4510.
Step 4.
If the student refuses to leave the classroom, you may announce a short break for the class or adjourn class for the day, depending on the situation. You should then contact Campus Safety (remember “the infirmary”) immediately to request assistance with a disruptive student.
Step 5.
Document this and other incidents. Keep your department chair informed as situations develop. Seek guidance and support from your chair and your colleagues.
Scenario 2. Responding to Disruptive Behavior i.e. If the student’s behavior is considered dangerous i.e. If you sense that a disruptive situation is escalating and that a student may pose a physical threat to you or other students:
Flow Chart Sequence
If a threat of harm is present, do not mention disciplinary action or police intervention. If you have already mentioned these, work to refocus the student’s attention away from the future consequences of her/his behavior.
Example: “You’ve raised some important issues. I need to consult with my department chair to see what we can do.”
Please Note: If the disruptive student threatens to harm you, other students, or her/himself:
Step 1.
Immediately dismiss the class and contact Campus Safety (ext. 4444 code word infirmary). The Police in association with Campus Safety will investigate the threats, warn intended victims if necessary, and determine whether the student may have committed a crime. Campus Safety will most likely ask you for information to include in a Campus Safety Incident Report.
Step 2.
After the danger has passed, consult with the VP of Student Development regarding the judicial process, and determine the appropriate process to be initiated.
Step 3.
If a student’s behavior is so disruptive that you request to administratively withdraw him/her from the class, the case will be reviewed by VP of Student Development. An outcome of the judicial process might also recommend that the student be withdrawn from a class and may impose other sanctions.
Possible Sanctions
Written Reprimand – A written reprimand puts the student on warning through the end of the next full semester. It terminates automatically when the imposed period expires.
Disciplinary Probation – When on disciplinary probation, the student must comply with certain conditions in order to continue enrollment at the College. Probation may last for up to one calendar year. It terminates automatically when the imposed period expires
Suspension – When suspended, the student is dropped from all classes and not allowed to re-enroll through the end of the following semester, at a minimum. Certain conditions must also be met before the student is allowed to enroll again.
While suspended, the student may not come onto campus. Failure to abide by this condition may result in arrest for criminal trespassing.
A student who is suspended after the deadline for withdrawal with a “W” shall be
assigned a grade of “WF” or “W” by each instructor based upon the academic performance prior to the suspension.
Expulsion – Expulsion is the permanent dismissal of a student from Daytona State College and requires the president’s approval.
Contact Information
Campus Safety……………………………………………ext. 4444 or (386) 506-4444
Vice President of Student Development: Keith Kennedy…Ext. 3562 or (386) 506-3562
Judicial Affairs Officer (M-Z): Dr. Terrance R. Hilbert………Ext. 3988 or (386) 506-3988
Judicial Affairs Officer (A-L): Bruce Cook…………….………Ext. 4417 or (386) 506-4417
Helpful Resources
Campus Safety
506-4444 DaytonaState.edu/Campus Safety
Office of Equity & Inclusion
506-3973 DaytonaState.edu/Equity
Student Advocate
506-3331 DaytonaState.edu/Student_Dev/StudentServicesAdvocate.html
Counseling Services
506-3988 DaytonaState.edu/Counseling
Judicial Affairs
506-4510 DaytonaState.edu/Student_Dev/JudicialAffairs.html
Student Disability Services
506-3038 DaytonaState.edu/SDS