Undergraduate and Graduate Student Professional Behavior and Disposition Expectations

PART I

Dear Environmental and Outdoor Education Majors and Minors & Graduate Students,

As a means to strengthen the quality of the overall culture and atmosphere within the Environment and Outdoor Education and M.E.E.D. programs and the student body here at UMD, the outdoor/environmental education team has decided on a set of professional disposition expectations that will be implemented for all our students. Faculty in all your classes, whether the class is within our department or outside, will be unified toward facilitating the desired positive outcomes of our approach.

1. Arrive to all classes early and leave late whether inside or outside the major; for classes not taught by the outdoor education team, sit in the first few rows and ask engaging questions during lectures and discussions (i.e. be proactive leaders in your classes) – this will require that you have completed all assigned readings. 2. Be polite to all professors and peers in all forms of written and verbal communication. Disagreements during class sessions related to content that are positively presented, constructive, proactive, and critical thinking based will be accepted. 3. Maintain a minimum 2.5 GPA across all classes; below a 2.5 for a semester = academic probation; below a 2.5 for two semesters = need to reapply to the major. 4. Act in a manner that promotes physical and emotional safety of faculty and peers at all times. Acting in a manner that jeopardizes the safety of the program, or people in it, is grounds for removal from the program. 5. Be a PRO! Professional Responsible On top of your game

PART II These items need to be addressed directly and head on. Where, when, and in what classes needs to be up to us as a team. If students learn these ways of interacting from the get go, they can carry the behavior throughout their college careers.

Students can have input as to how this happens: 1. How to be held accountable when they do "mess up" (i.e. let down their peers or teachers; don’t follow through on a responsibility) without feeling like their self worth is being attacked 2. How to openly give and receive honest and constructive feedback (they report "feeling bad" about this and don't know how to handle it). 3. How to hold each other accountable and responsible for high quality standards as a community based norm (i.e. EXPEDITION BEHAVIOR IN ALL SETTINGS)