Student Conferences

As a university dedicated to educating the whole person, DRBU strives to nurture individuals who see learning as a lifelong endeavor in the pursuit of knowledge and self-understanding. Learning lies at the heart of all endeavors and activities at DRBU. Learning through shared inquiry requires a healthy learning community that supports open inquiry and supportive collaboration.

With these ideals in mind, each DRBU student meets with a committee of their professors once a semester to review and discuss their academic progress. The intention is for students to learn how to evaluate, reflect upon, and improve their own work, while allowing their professors to gain a better sense 
of their skills, self-understanding, and academic progress as a whole.

During the conference, professors may provide feedback about the student’s preparation of class readings, participation in class discussion, and 
the quality of his or her written assignments. The student then responds to the professors’ feedback and also comments on his or her own work. Professors, in turn, welcome students’ feedback on how their classes might be more rewarding.

A report on the conference, written by the conference committee chair, is then submitted 
to the Office of Academic Affairs and becomes part of the student’s academic record, available 
to the student upon written request. If the conference committee regards the student’s 
work as satisfactory, the committee makes the recommendation to the Dean of Academics to grant permission for the student to advance to the following semester. If the conference committee regards the student’s work as unsatisfactory,
 the committee may recommend to the Dean 
of Academics that the student be placed on academic probation. A professor, dean, or associate dean may request a special conference at any time with a student whose work is found to be unsatisfactory.