One of the great joys of teaching is seeing the relationships that develop between students in the learning environment. These are the people that you will potentially know and work with for a lifetime. Be as generous as you possibly can with your time, expertise, opinions and understanding and don’t be timid about asking for the same for yourself. It just doesn’t make any sense to see your peers as the not-to-be-trusted competition.
Be careful of gossip, which by its very nature can dilute and distort the truth as it spreads. It creates a culture that will self perpetuate failure and undermine individuals and/or classes who are not necessarily deserving of their reputation. Find out first hand by talking with the person/s and form your own opinions. If the gossip is true, demand change. A design program will only be as good as all parties involved are willing to make it.