Making expectations explicit

Developing written and oral communication skills are an important part of the first year university experience. Subject convenors have clear expectations from their students but do they clearly communicate these requirements? It is important during the first year of a course to set the tone and standards for later studies. Despite the fact that different disciplines may have differing writing and oral presentation requirements, with a little thought and effort students can be given guidelines which will provide them with a blueprint for future success. This can be achieved and reinforced in a variety of ways without overloading the student at any one time. This paper will describe the rationale for providing thorough instructions for assignments and case studies and how these are communicated to first year students enrolled in a core business subject.