This Research Note reports on a study of students' perceptions of care and respect in the student-instructor relationship. Students in a daytime accounting program at a university in the USA were given the opportunity to respond to questions such as: (1) Have you ever had the feeling that a faculty member or instructor had "given up" on you and your learning in a course? (2) What did the faculty member do or not do to give you that feeling? and (3) What did you do as a result of that feeling, perception? Eighty-one students (50 in the autumn semester of 2009; 31 in the autumn semester of 2010) responded to all questions, with 35% of the total indicating that they felt at least one course instructor had given up on them and their learning in a higher education (post-secondary) course. We examine students' responses to the questions in the context of care, respect, and civility. This Research Note offers several recommendations to help instructors in improving instruction and building better relationships with students.