The classroom is the basic structure of college education; it provides a social context where teachers and students work together to achieve a common goal-students' learning (Chory & McCroskey; 1999; Jassma & Koper, 1999; McCroskey, 1992). Many studies have examined students' perceptions of teachers' immediacy and caring, and the correlation between instructors' immediacy and students' affective learning (Anderson, 1979; Christophel, 1990; Gorham & Zakahi, 1990; Teven & McCroskey, 1996). Rawlins (2000) further defines teaching as a mode of friendship. The relationship is not only meaningful in the classroom but also impacts on teachers' and students! lives.

Most of the studies on teacher-student relationships are within the college classroom and employ quantitative methods to measure a students learning experience with the instructor whose class the student took immediately before the data collection. Few studies are interested in the impact of teacher-student contact outside the classroom on student learning (Fusani, 1994; Jassma & Koper, 1999; Pascarella, 1980) or in student perceptions of teacher-student relationships based on daily interactions with teachers (Rawlins, 2000). This study assumes that learning takes place in the college culture, not just in the classroom. This approach integrates the teaching-learning relationship in and outside the classroom to better understand students' perceptions of their relationship with instructors, their feelings about learning environments, and concerns about college education. Thus, the information reported here supplements the results found in existing studies on teacher-student relationships in the college classroom, and may suggest new patterns and themes that could help advance studies in this field (Lindlof, 1995).

Classroom Teaching as Communication, Community, and Culture

Richmond and McCroskey (1992) define an organization as "an organized collection of individuals working interdependently within a relatively structured, organized, open system to achieve common goals" (p.2). Chory and McCroskey (1999) propose, "the college classroom may be viewed as an organization" (p. 2). The classroom provides a social context where teachers and students work together to achieve a common goal-students' learning (Chory & McCroskey; 1999; Jassma & Koper, 1999; McCroskey, 1992). Teacher-student and student-student relationships are initiated and nurtured in classroom settings and extend far beyond the classroom. Rawlins (2000) views teaching as a practice that facilitates a classroom as "a judicious and caring political community" (p. 14) where students can express their different views and identities, as well as share responsibilities and common good will (Teven & McCroskey, 1996).

Student Perceptions of Teacher's Caring and Student's Affective Learning

McCroskey (1992) reports that empathy, understanding, and responsiveness are three factors by which students perceive their teacher as a caring person. Empathy means that a teacher behaves positively toward students and views things from their perspective. Understanding refers to a teacher's sensitivity to student problems. Responsiveness requires a teacher to listen to studen& views and react to them quickly (McCroskey, 1992). Affective learning means that students take positive attitudes toward the teaching and are motivated to learn and apply the concepts that are taught in the classroom (Andersen, 1979; Chory & McCroskey, 1999; Kearney, Plax, & Wendt-- Wasco, 1985; Plax, Kearney, McCroskey, & Richmond, 1986). Studies report that student perceptions of teacher's caring are substantially associated with students' affective and cognitive learning (Christensen & Menzel, 1998; Teven & McCroskey, 1996). Moreover, outside class communication with teachers and students liking a teacher have direct influence on student learning (Frymier, 1994; Fusani, 1994; Jaasma & Koper, 1999).

Teaching as a Mode of Friendship

Rawlins (2000) explains, "Educational friendship emphasizes positive and edifying communicative stances and relationships of teachers with individual students and toward classes as collectives" (Rawlins, 2000, P.5). Friendship refers to the relationship between two persons with affection, equality, and mutuality (Rawlins, 1992, 2000). Teachers' of affection means caring about and for students, sharing good will, and pursuing a common goal with students (Bateson, 1972; Hutter, 1978; Rawlins, 1996, 2000; Teven & McCroskey, 1996). In regard to equality, Rawlins (2000) argues, "we stand or should stand as equals with students in the quest for knowledge, self-- improvement, and edification" (Rawlins, 2000, p. 8). Mutuality requires students' reciprocal responses to teachers' efforts and participation in the creation of a friendly learning environment (Rawlins, 2000).

As stated above, teaching is a communication practice and the classroom is a cultural environment Creating proper classroom culture may enhance students' learning process. McCroskey's (1992) concepts of instructors caring about students (empathy, understanding, and responsiveness) and Rawlins (2000) propositions on teaching as a mode of friendship (equality, affection, and mutuality) provide a basis of conceptualization for this study. The major research question for this study is: What kind of organizational teacher-student relationship do college students think may enhance their learning process?

RESEARCH METHOD

The study employed a qualitative approach to examine teacher-student relationships in the college learning environment Data were collected by conducting unstructured intensive interviews with students at a medium size midwestern university.

Selection of Informants

As Maxwell (1996) points out, in qualitative research the informants are selected based on the purpose or criteria of collecting the information that can answer the research question. Fifteen student interviewees with different backgrounds were selected for the study, ranging from traditional students (N=9) to non-traditional students (N=6), graduate students (N=4) to undergraduates (N=11), etc. Other attributes among these interviewees were age, gender (6 males, and 9 females), student leadership (the vice president of the student government), extracurricular activities (an athlete), and social experiences (a veteran and an ex-pastor). Common traits among these students were honesty and directness. The common goal for promoting a positive classroom culture helped the interviewees feel comfortable in sharing their thoughts and feelings about college education. Thus, the validity threats that might be caused by interviewees' reactivity (Maxwell, 1996) were minimized due to the selection process.

Methods of Data Collection and Data Analysis

The interview questions ranged from broad inquiries, such as "How do you define a good student? A good professor?" to specific questions, such as "Do you think the interactive relationship between professor and students in the classroom is more important than their knowledge?" (See the primary interview questions in Appendix A). In order to reduce the validity risk caused by a researcher's bias, the interviews began with broad questions and continued naturally by following interviewees interests and topics that were meaningful to them. All the interviews were tape recorded with each individual interviewee's consent and transcribed for data analyses. After careful reading and interpretation, the researcher identified several reoccurring themes that concerned these students the most about their learning in the college.

RESULTS

What kind of organizational teacher-student relationship do college students think may enhance their learning process?

The Impact of Classroom as a Caring Community on Students' Affective Learning

Caring professors. Similar to McCroskey's (1992) definition of empathy and Rawlins' (2000) notion on teacher's affection upon students, these students needed professor's willingness to share knowledge and personal experience with them, associate with their needs and wants, and connect to their minds. They felt sorry and sad for some instructors who did not care whether students have learned nor how students felt. One student complained, "She does not listen to what students have to say, just says 'Ok, that's fine.' She just kind of shuts you off." And, sometimes instructors hurt student feelings without knowing it at all. One student felt sad by a professor's comments in the class that "My old students are better than you."

Interviewees were concerned about professors' understanding, such as openness to differing student views, sensitive to differences of student background knowledge and skills, and willingness to have interpersonal contact with students, including accessible office hours, approachable attitude, and easy going personalities. A junior student sighed that she was offended by a professor"s view on the Bible in a Humanities class but she would "appreciate the opportunity to respond in that class. "However, she was not allowed to express her view. Moreover, students wanted professors to understand the importance of their social life in college.

The majority of the interviewees thought the appropriate relationship should be built on the mutual responsiveness between professors and students. They believed that students' knowledge about a professor's expectations, their responsibility in asking for help, the professor's awareness of who they are, making teaching a priority, and his/her willingness to help students and cooperate with student learning interests, were definitely important for student learning.

The impact of knowledge differences among peers on student learning. Students are sensitive to knowledge differences among classmates. A student's perception of lacking competence in the class often intimidates the student A non-traditional student told his experience of learning computer technologies. He said,

Sometimes professors see students on the same page .... I really didn't know what's going on [about computers] but most of people [in the Communication Technologies class] did. Professors should put their own time outside the classroom to help students out ....I survived the situation. I got extra help from some of the professors.

A communication major graduate student was intimidated in a Clinical Psychology class by the huge discrepancy in background knowledge between clinical psychology major classmates and her. Both students confirmed that it was their responsibility to approach professors in order to get help and appreciated those professors willingness to help them out.

One-on-one interactions outside the classroom. Interviewees expressed their overwhelming preference for one-on-one interactions with professors outside the classroom. A female believed that "I feel like I can say a lot more and think a lot more clearly if I'm in the face-to-face situation." A male student shared his feeling, "Sometimes you don't want to sound or feel like I was inadequate. So, I just wait and maybe ask you outside the class." Thus, those students strongly believed that being able approach professors outside the class is extremely important to their learning confidence. They appreciate new technologies, such as email, WebCT, and voice mail, that facilitate their one-on-one contact with professors.

Student affective learning. The students consistently testified that if they had a positive relationship, i.e., "get along" with their teachers, it made them get up to go to class and want/feel responsible to learn well. If they did not like a professor, they avoided taking the professor's class, or do not enjoy the class if they have to take his/ her class. A new graduate student told about his best experience working with his professor on a paper presented at a National Conference on Undergraduate Research and published in its proceedings. He said, "I was amazed by the amount of time she gave me .... That was really a good thing for me."

Students wanted professors to create an active learning environment in the classroom. All the interviewees preferred small group activities and presentations that would give individual students opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge and skills to the professor.

Friendship between Professor and Student

This is a controversial topic. The key issue is how to define the "friendship."

A boundary between professor and students. The majority of interviewees did not think it necessary to be friends with professors. Some of them emphasized that there should be a line or boundary between professors and students. They explained the rationale: (a) Professors are at a higher level on the academic hierarchical system than students, so students should pay respect to professors. Friendship may take away a students respect for the professor; (b) Friendship may lead to a professor's favoritism toward individual students; that would make the majority of students "feel left out and [subsequently] turn them away even more; and (c) Friendship may affect a professor"s grading fairness.

Student perceived friendship with professors. Yet, there were pro-friendship interviewees. One non-traditional said, "Friend means the level of trust between professor and students .... sometime friendship will be better to help the student get through the semester. I mean that friendship is at a professional level." A graduate student said, "I want them to treat me more professionally." The positive feelings toward a professor's greetings in the hallway were also consistently mentioned by those interviewees who preferred professors' friendly attitude rather than being friends. A graduate student who is in his 50s and an ex-pastor said, "I would feel very warm if a professor greets me in the hallway, outside the classroom."

Mutuality. Here, the focus is on mutual respect. Students want to respect professors. For instance, attending the class, participating in class discussions, meeting professors' objectives, establishing good relationships with professors, not calling professors by first names, and not making professors feel disappointed were among the traits of student respect for professors. Yet, they also need professors' respect for students, such as calling students by their names (e.g., it is an insult to say, "You, in the blue hat"), greeting students outside the classroom, listening to what a student has to say and not making him/her feel inferior or stupid, not approaching a student who does not want to be approached, letting individual students have their own grade expectations, and facilitating equal opportunities for students to demonstrate their individual knowledge, talent, and skills in the class.

Equality and power relationship in the classroom. The majority of interviewees paid respect to professors' knowledge, competence and practical skills and accepted the power relationship between professors and students. On the other hand, several strategies for students to use their power to deal with professors emerged. One was the student assessment administered by the university. Another was to ask around about other students' comments on professors in order to take the classes taught by likable professors. The third strategy was a grassroots action. A student revealed that they posted comments and ratings about professors in dorms during every pre-registration period.

DISCUSSION

Theoretical Implications an College Education

Integration of Caring Professors and the Learning Community

The ideal professor, according to these students, is a caring person who possesses empathy, understanding, and responsiveness (McCroskey, 1992). The three factors of caring actually are interconnected. Empathy, requiring positive attitude toward students and viewing things from students' perspectives, is the base. The study demonstrates that interviewees' strongly desire the interactions between teacher and students at a personal level. These students believe that a one-on-one relationship with professors outside class helps professors understand them better and would enhance their learning.

On the other hand, student responses to a professor's performance and attitude in the classroom are affected by their accumulated knowledge about that professor, that is, related to the influence from the learning community. These students think that mutuality is a crucial factor for their learning. The mutuality they desire is characterized as knowing and getting along with each other, respecting each other, a professors willingness to help, and a student's responsibility to ask for help.

"Extra-Classroom"/"Out-of-Class" Communication

It has been shown that student concerns are often focused on their experiences related to their "extra-classroom" communication. However, Fusani (1994) finds low frequencies of student contact with professors outside the classroom, while the findings show a positive correlation between ECC and student satisfactions. Why would students want the availability and accessibility of the ECC with professors but actually not use that resource very often? Seemingly, many students do not use ECC but want to reserve the privilege. It is indicative that ECC opportunities provide students with the "learning environment security" or "learning insurance" that they need to have but hope not to use.

Suggestions for Future Studies

This study provides complementary information from intensive interviews with students to support previous findings that a caring professor (McCroskey, 1992) and a friendly learning community (Rawlins, 2000) promote college student learning. It is indicative that students' immediate perceptions of and reactions to a specific instructor's teaching attitude and strategies are related to their perceptions of teacherstudent relationships outside the classroom and in their daily lives. Nonetheless, the findings suggested that it is necessary to further study student perceptions of professors' empathy toward students, to investigate the "extra-class" communication in the learning process, and to advance the meanings and practices of friendship, especially in terms of equality and mutuality and their impact on college student learning.