7 tips for talking to your instructor

Feedback should be constructive and meaningful

Feedback should be constructive in nature. Constructive feedback involves letting an instructor know what you enjoy about the course and any concerns you have, but provides suggestions on what could specifically be improved from your perspective.

Be respectful and constructive. All members of the university community have the right to a respectful and supportive learning environment and have the responsibility to help create such an environment. Communications to instructors should demonstrate respect and have a constructive tone. It is not acceptable to make comments based on the gender, age, or identity of the instructor. The University of Victoria will not tolerate racism, sexualized violence, or any form of discrimination, bullying or harassment (Learn More)

Be specific and provide examples. Avoid personal comments and instead reference specific events or aspects of the course and observable behaviours. For example, instead of saying an instructor or course is “too disorganized” provide specifics, such as “On two occasions, what was shared in class was different than what was on the syllabus which made it difficult to prepare.”

Describe how this aspect of the course or the behaviour affects you. Describing how a situation makes you feel offers the reader a different perspective and allows the instructor to gain a better understanding of the situation.

Offer alternative solutions or suggestions to address your critiques. Although it may not be possible to provide these specific solutions, it can help the instructor understand more about what students need in the course. Please be mindful that your suggestions and feedback may not be implemented by the instructor, as it may not be possible or appropriate based on the breadth of needs of students in the class.

Formal opportunities to give feedback

For a given course, an instructor may ask you to provide feedback in different ways. Your participation in providing feedback is essential for helping to create a good learning experience.

For example, consider providing feedback at the following times:

Midterm feedback. During the course, some instructors may ask you to complete a mid-course feedback survey or similar activity to find out what is going well, any challenges you are encountering

End of term feedback. Courses at UVic use Course Experience Surveys (CES). By reviewing information submitted in the CES, instructors and the university are able to use feedback to help improve the student experience.

Additional sources of support

Keep in mind that you can only control how you approach/carry yourself in a conversation and can’t control how someone else responds. If you feel you’ve been treated unfairly, you may want to consider reaching out to the department chair or the UVic Ombudsperson for support.

In some instances, your concerns about an instructor may not be safe or appropriate to bring forward to the instructor themselves – e.g. instances of potential discrimination. Please know that there are campus resources, like the Equity & Human Rights (EQHR) office, that can provide support in these circumstances.

Finally, the Student Support Coordination (SSC) Program provides individual support plans for students experiencing crises or barriers to accessing support. Student Support Coordinators work with students and assist them to explore, connect with and navigate wellness and academic resources both on- and off-campus. The SSC Program is a non-clinical, non-emergency service.