Read everything

In this Issue: today’s message is about the importance of students reading the things they receive from WFU (emails, the syllabus for each class, etc.)

Today I am moving my student in to NC State, so this is a pre-post

The school year is about to begin, and our students will be receiving a lot of information from Wake Forest. So I want to ask your help in stressing to your students that: they must read carefully and absorb the details of any emails, e-newsletters, or other communications sent to them, as well as the course syllabus for each of their classes.

I know it is not necessarily fun to slog through your Inbox, but it is incredibly important. Email is how administrative and academic processes will be communicated to students.

What students need to look for

In reading emails or e-newsletters they get from Wake, students need to look for action items, policies, and expectations. Are there requirements? Due dates? Deadlines? Fees if you do (or do not) do something? Policies they will be expected to uphold? etc.

We want students to be in the habit of reading the fine print. Even (or maybe especially) when the email or document is long.

If something does not make sense or is unclear, they should ask the sender for clarification right then and there.

Reading the course syllabus

A syllabus is a document written by the faculty member that contains all the requirements for their course, including assignments and when they are due, course policies (such as attendance), learning objectives, required textbooks or other materials.

The syllabus is typically given out on the first day of the course, and the faculty member reviews the pertinent information with the class.

Students are held responsible for knowing what is in the syllabus and adhering to its requirements.

The bottom line

The bottom line is students will be held accountable for the contents of emails and other communications, whether they have read them or not.

And if a time comes when your Deac doesn’t read their emails/other communications and faces some sort of consequence, we encourage families to let their student experience this as a learning moment. It would be better for them to learn a mildly painful lesson now at college, when the stakes are low, than to make a serious misstep with their first boss/job out of college, when they could face a tough consequence.