Customers.
I will tell my class at the begining of each coarse that I will give them everything I can and more if needed.They are paying a lot of money to come here and they are intitled to all the attention I can give them.
I advise my students that at the beginning of each quarter that each student has a 100% in the course and each of them have the chance to maintain that percentage or a high percentage, but it is up to each student to put in the effort to maintain that level. However, I provide them with a data sheet that list various tools and techniques that can assist them in maintaining this level, such as tutoring availability, resource materials, etc. I also advise each one to inform me of an issue before it becomes a problem so we can problem solve it before it becomes a situation where the student feels he or she cannot continue on in class. There is always a soluntion.
I go one step further and tell them I believe they can all be successful in my class. Later I tell them if they need help I have office hours, websites, handouts and study groups to help them. I am trying to show I believe in them, they should believe in themselves for this 4 hour class.
This is a good thing to do, Terry. I think it is important for us to remember that the student-customers are making a significant investment of time, talent and money. We need to provide as much value-added service as possible.
