Professionalism and Boundaries

Principles of professionalism and professional boundaries can vary amongst people and in different cultures. In the context of a higher education classroom, professionalism can mean dressing certain ways, not hiding behind equipment while speaking, being open to questions, and so on. The principles by which someone judges what is and is not professional helps to determine the respectful boundaries of a student-teacher relationship. Professional boundaries are interpersonal limits of acceptable behaviors and interactions in a workplace. Though Western conventions of professionalism and professional boundaries are generally agreed upon, nuances may exist from instructor to instructor and from discipline to discipline. It may be worth a conversation with the instructor of record about expectations.