威尼斯人娱乐城教师有很多更多的提供给学生超越课堂讲座。 比如辅导、职业网络和指导、研究伙伴关系、实习以及在课外对主题进行更深入的探索。
在威尼斯人娱乐城，教师们特别渴望并愿意在课堂外与学生建立有益的关系，包括本科生。
“It’s part of the culture here,” said Alexis Petri, director of faculty support at the 威尼斯人娱乐城 Center for the Advancement of 教师 Excellence (CAFE). “The benefits to students from these relationships can be profound.”
佩特里说，课外与教师交谈有助于学生发现机会，但也有更深层次的好处。
“It also leads to a sense of belonging, of feeling connected to a major, and to a community that has made that discipline their life’s work,” she said.
“Undergraduate research, internships, all of the experiential learning opportunities that make a discipline come alive in a concrete way – that’s all faculty-driven,” she continued. “教师 are also the people who will write letters of recommendation for you, and be a reference in your initial job search. And the better they know you, the more good things they can say.”
然而，一些教师比其他教师更倾向于表现出这种意愿。 Even for those who advertise it openly, though, it’s up to the student to take the initial step.
“The best way to start is with office hours,” Petri said. “教师 are required to have office hours and to post them on the syllabus.” If a student feels a need to break the ice before that, “just go up and say ‘hi’ after class.”
“Undergraduate research, internships, all of the experiential learning opportunities that make a discipline come alive in a concrete way – that’s all faculty-driven.”
佩特里回忆起自己在大学本科时的内向，并制定了一个克服这种倾向的计划。
“I had to force myself, but I would make a point of saying something in the very first class, be recognized, and get myself in the habit,” she said. “I had a system I tried to follow. 在前三节课上发言，并在第一个月内去办公时间。 There were times I didn’t do it, and I wasn’t as successful in those classes.”
Students from underrepresented backgrounds can sometimes find it difficult to initiate conversations with faculty who don’t look like them. 佩特里建议首先参观多元文化学生事务办公室，在那里，工作人员可以帮助学生在威尼斯人娱乐城找到一个舒适的水平和社区意识，这是整个过程的第一步。
“Then, ask yourself, ‘Who do I feel welcomed by?’ A lot of our faculty work hard at giving cues of openness, and creating broad classroom participation,” Petri said. “Look for that, and make that faculty member your first experience in reaching out.”
至于她通过CAFE给教员的建议，佩特里说，最重要的因素可能是组织。
“Students who are anxious or nervous tend to follow the rules, so a really well-organized syllabus makes those students feel more confident,” she said. “Being really organized shows students you care.”