Questions Frequently Asked by U-M GSIs

What if...?	What to Do.../Who to Call...
1. A student wants to turn in an assignment late because the due date falls on a religious holiday of importance to her.	See Information for Students Regarding Religious-Academic Conflicts [1]. Preventable: Ask students to inform you of conflicts at beginning of the term.
2. A student comes to your office and starts talking about difficult personal problems he is facing.	Counseling and Psychological Services: 764-8312.
3. A student wants to withdraw from the course two months into the term.	Talk about other alternatives. Suggest they consult with Newnan LSA AcademicAdvising Center: 764-0332; Engineering: 647-7106; SNRE: 764-6453.
4. A name shows up on your final grade sheet for a student you’ve never met.	See Grades at U-M [2]
5. A student gives you a letter certifying that he has a learning disability.	Discuss relevant accommodations with student. Call Services for Students with Disabilities for more info: 763-3000.
6. A student with a broken leg is having a hard time getting to your class on time.	Suggest that the student call Services for Students with Disabilities to arrange temporary transportation services.
7. A student turns in a paper that seems familiar—you think it's plagiarism but you’re not sure from where.	Talk with faculty member. See Academic Integrity in the Classroom [3] and discuss with faculty.
8. You witness two students cheating on an exam.	Interrupt behavior. See #7. Preventable: Arrange seating to deter cheating.
9. You get propositioned from a student, offering favors in exchange for a grade change.	Establish clear boundaries with student. Discuss situation with someone in your department. See #10 if necessary.
10. You feel you are being harassed by a student, a fellow GSI, or a member of the faculty or staff. Or, you see harassment between students.	Office of Institutional Equity, 763-0235.
11. You feel overwhelmed by your own life.	Counseling and Psychological Services [4]: 764-8312, or email tdsevig@umich.edu.
12. You disagree with something the faculty member has said in class.	Discuss with faculty member.
13. Grading is taking twice as long as you planned.	Consult with other GSIs and Sweetland Writing Center [5] (see # 15). Discuss with faculty member.
You issue an override—another student has dropped and you now have room—but a third student registers for the class in the meantime.	Discuss with your department. Preventable: Close class before issuing overrides.
15. A student has clear difficulty with the mechanics of writing, more than you can address.	Refer her or him to the Sweetland Writing Center [5], 1310 North Quad, 764-0429.
16. An athlete or a musician requests a change in a due date because of a game/performance.	Discuss with your department, athletic department, School of Music.
17. You realize your students have little or no experience with research libraries and they need these skills for their papers.	Call Darlene Nichols, Coordinator, Graduate Library Instruction, 936-2362.
18. You get to your classroom and the door is locked.	Call security: 763-1131 (you’ll need to show you are authorized for this classroom) or call your department.
19. A large number of students turn in a paper late because it is a busy time at the computing center.	Preventable: Be sure students know of various computing resources. Work with drafts, allow papers to be emailed, and make clear at the beginning of the semester your policy on late papers.
20. You need ideas about teaching strategies, writing a teaching philosophy, or designing a syllabus.	See the CRLT Teaching Strategies and Disciplinary Resources [6] site.

GSI Guidebook [7]

Questions Frequently Asked by U-M GSIs

Questions Frequently Asked by U-M GSIs

Promoting Excellence & Innovation in Teaching & Learning at U-M

Resources and Links