Students may not recognize that they will benefit from academic support, they may associate help-seeking with weakness, or they may be unaware of the resources available to them. Encourage help-seeking.

This week’s “Be a Strong Student” message to students asks them to “Seek Academic Help.” Help-seeking behaviors are least practiced by people who most need help, not surprisingly, so it’s those students we need to guide most. Here are some strategies instructors can implement to normalize help-seeking behaviors.

In your course

• Provide frequent low-stakes assessments that allow students to see concretely how they are doing.
• Encourage students to check their grades regularly to have a sense of their progress in the course.
• Require students to attend tutoring or another academic support appointment and follow-up to make sure they have attended. Many students who would benefit from tutoring do not choose to go if it’s optional or encouraged.
• Normalize struggle and instill a growth mindset in students, including the role of help-seeking behaviors.
• Send a quick email to students who are doing poorly, stating your concern and inviting them to meet with you.
• Demystify office/students hours and help students understand their many purposes: from help seeking to conversation to feedback on assignments, and more. Some students may associate office hours with punitive demands in high school to “stay after to talk to the teacher.”
  • Invite individual students into office hours and/or recommend all students drop in at some time during the semester.
  • Require students to meet with you 1-1. One way to do this is to withhold grades, writing the comment, “See me for at office hours and then I can release our grade.”

Understand Resistance to Help-Seeking Behavior

• Students who received high grades in high school are often shocked to receive lower grades in college and do not know what to do.
• Shy students might feel uncomfortable approaching you or others for help.
• Many students don’t think they are doing “poorly enough” to need tutoring.
• Students may not perceive the value of help-seeking based on prior experiences.

 

Connect students to campus resources

See academic support partners on this page for a detailed list. Remind students that there is no extra cost for these services.

• Refer students to The Learning Center for a variety of support, including subject tutoring and workshops.
• Refer students to The Writing Center, for in-person or online consultations and/or workshops.
• Refer students to the Office of Disability Services for accommodations.
• Refer students to the Librarians for help with research.
• Remind students to connect with their academic advisor: Academic Advising is available for all students, with success centers in every college and school