FSV UK Ten Commandments of Communication

For lecturers

1. Be available.

List and update your consultation hours in the SIS and follow them. Check your faculty inbox regularly and reply to student e-mails, even if very briefly ("You can find this information in SIS", etc.). It is not necessary always to respond immediately at any time of the day. Especially in the case of part-time jobs or outside workers, it is okay to set aside only a certain time of the week for e-mail communication with students, but it is good to inform students so that they know what to expect. Even in times of heavy workload, try to respond within a week at the latest. For more demanding agendas, it may be a good strategy to briefly acknowledge the receipt of the e-mail and state the date when you will deal with the matter in more detail. Even this is useful information for students.

2. Be transparent and follow the rules.

Clarity of course requirements is important for students. Therefore, publish all the information needed to complete the course in time and make sure that students understand it. Strive for clear assignments, accuracy, and timely publication of deadlines and specific conditions for completing the course. This will prevent ambiguities, arguments, or complaints. Don’t forget that some examination requirements are covered by the Rules for Organization of Studies (RfOS). According to those, lecturers are obliged to list the dates of examinations at least one week before the end of teaching period according to the current academic year schedule (Article 6, paragraph 3 of the RfOS), therefore it is ideal to list them in the winter semester before Christmas, in the summer semester in mid-May. If possible, consult the dates with the students and try to find a match. There should be enough of them in accordance with the number of students and the nature of the exam (according to RfOS at least three). Grades should be entered in SIS within one week after the exam and within ten days if a seminar paper is part of the classification.

3. Guard mutual boundaries.

As educators, you set the rules, whether it is course work, communication, cooperation on final theses, or problem solutions. Don’t hesitate to explicitly formulate them or initiate a discussion about them at the beginning of the semester. If the set rules are not followed, point it out. Guard your space and time and if possible, don’t let yourself be thrown off balance.

4. Be kind and helpful.

Communicate with students as your equals and don’t use sarcasm. Trust the students and take their questions seriously. Even problems and questions that may seem trivial to you can be very important for students at the given moment. They are a diverse group, with different backgrounds, previous experiences, and personalities – often different from yours. They also have other obligations than studying at university, and few of them can afford not to work at all. Therefore, try to meet their needs and try to find a solution (within the applicable rules).

5. Do not deal with unpleasant matters hot-headed.

Consult difficult situations with your colleagues or superiors. Take care of your mental well-being and try to be a positive influence on your students. Support them, advise them, devote your energy to them, act as role models. It's worth it.

 

For Students

1. Communicate.

Respond to lecturers' questions, ask questions about things you don't understand or are interested in. Don’t be afraid to ask during a lecture or seminar or to address the lecturer, for example, after class. Use consultation hours (they should be listed in the SIS or published on the website of the relevant department). Remember, however, that lecturers usually work between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. and their job responsibilities include not only teaching but other activities as well. Therefore, don’t expect a response to your e-mails at any time of the day or week. That said, if you don't get it within a week, send a kind reminder. In the case of longer-term cooperation (e.g., with the supervisor), agree with the lecturer on a specific communication setting.

2. Use the available information.

Regularly visit your faculty e-mail, SIS and e-learning platforms. Follow the official website of the faculty and its institutes. Check the spam folder from time to time, sometimes there are also e-mails from lecturers in it (e.g., from Moodle or private accounts). Read the information about the courses in the SIS and the study regulations carefully (they are published on the faculty website here). Before contacting the lecturer with a question, check whether the required information is publicly available on the website, in the SIS, or on the used e-learning platform (Moodle, Teams, etc.).

3. Solve problems.

Try to prevent problems, and if you encounter any, communicate. Many things can be solved if you talk about them in time. Most lecturers will try to accommodate you when you address them with a request. On the other hand, be not afraid to draw attention to situations where a lecturer acts in violation of faculty rules (e.g., the Rules for Organization of Studies – RfOS). It is almost always an omission that the person in question will readily correct. According to the RfOS, for example, at least three exam dates must be announced, and the dates must be published at least one week before the end of the teaching period according to the current schedule of the academic year. Grades should be entered in the SIS within a week after the exam, and within ten days if the examination includes an essay. If it has not been possible to solve a problem with the lecturer for a long time, contact other responsible persons according to the hierarchy: course guarantor, study programme guarantor, head of department, institute director, Vice-Dean for studies, or the Dean. The institute's ombudsman can also help. Be assured you will be heard.

4. Be polite.

Pay attention to the etiquette of (not only) e-mail communication, fill in the subject of the message and use the correct greeting and honorific. Use the words "please" and "thank you". Information on e-mail communication in English in the academic environment can be found here. Problems and unpleasant issues can sometimes be better addressed in person than by e-mail.

5. Study to the full and with joy.

Take advantage of the possibilities that your studies offer you. Try to organize your responsibilities so that you can participate in teaching physically and mentally, be relaxed and prepared for it. Take care of your well-being and don't hesitate to ask for help when you’re not well. Let the lecturers know when you liked the lesson or the course – the lecturers also need to recharge and they draw energy mainly from you, students.

Ten Commandments of Communication

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