 |
FACULTY HANDBOOK |
| [Foreword] [Contents] [Part I] [Part II] [Part III] [Part IV] [Part V] [Part VI] [Appendices] |
PART IV: TEACHING AND ADVISING
|
|
FACULTY HANDBOOK |
| [Foreword] [Contents] [Part I] [Part II] [Part III] [Part IV] [Part V] [Part VI] [Appendices] |
PART IV: TEACHING AND ADVISING
Student Conduct, Plagiarism & Cheating
PART IV: TEACHING AND ADVISING
Teaching and class
preparation, formal advising, and conferring with students are the most
important responsibilities (and pleasures) a member of the Faculty has.
Commitments to students are taken seriously, whether stated on a class
syllabus, in class discussion or privately in conference.
Professors should
assign as much graded work as necessary in order to reach a fair and concrete
evaluation of a student's performance. Several kinds of academic activity for
which grades are assigned are encouraged in each course: written essays, shorter
written responses, oral presentations, quizzes, tests, out-of-class projects,
group research or other activities.
The College's
grading system is defined in each edition of the catalog.
Grades for the
traditional student program are reported at least once each semester. Interim
grade reports are issued at the end of the fourth week of classes. For first-year
students, all grades are reported. For upperclassmen, only grades below
"C" are reported.
Interim grades may
be reported to the Office of Registration and Business Services on the printouts
distributed, and/or a professor may give each student a written evaluation.
Final grades are due
in the Office of Registration and Business Services as soon as possible upon
completion of each course. The deadline is printed in the academic calendar
near the front of the current catalog, and reminders are sent.
Grades must not be
posted such that individual students are, or may be, identified. Grades are
protected as confidential student records under the Family Education Rights and
Privacy Act (the Buckley Amendment). See below, in Part V, Family Education
Rights and Privacy Act.
Once a grade is submitted to the Office of
Registration and Business Services, it is the official grade and can be changed
only if the professor completes a change-of-grade form (available in this
office). If the change is for a reason other than to remove an
"Incomplete," or if it occurs after the change-of-grade deadline for
incompletes,
then the written approval of the Dean of the College is required.
The College's policy
on class attendance is defined in each issue of the catalog. Individual
professors determine their specific requirements and expectations, provided
that they comply with the College's policy. Attendance records must be
maintained daily.
The College does not
tolerate plagiarism, cheating, or other forms of academic misconduct. The
policy is defined in each issue of the catalog.
Faculty members
should clearly define plagiarism and address other issues of academic
misconduct in each course syllabus, as well as discuss these issues in each class.
Special care must be taken to explain that plagiarism from the Internet is as
much a violation of academic integrity as plagiarism from printed material.
Submitting as one's
own any assignment written or, in fact, actually done by another person (or by other people) constitutes
academic misconduct. Faculty members should make clear that papers are not to
be purchased or otherwise received from any source and then submitted as a
student's own work.
Faculty members
should discuss with their classes the College's policy on plagiarism, cheating,
and other forms of academic misconduct, making clear both the process for
handling such matters and the penalties.
Plagiarism,
cheating, and other forms of academic misconduct must be reported in writing to
the Dean of the College. The procedure for addressing such issues is defined in
the catalog.
A class syllabus is
a kind of contract defining an instructor's expectations and requirements. It
should, therefore, be carefully and clearly written and should address the
specific criteria to which the class will be held.
The syllabus must be
made available to students no later than the second class session and should be referred to
frequently throughout the term. Syllabi typically include the following:
Course number, title, and number of semester hours of credit;
Instructor's name, telephone number(s), and e-mail address;
Office hours and location;
Course objectives, both general and specific;
Textbook(s) required or optional;
Course prerequisites, if any;
Brief description of methodology: lecture-discussion, group projects,
etc.;
Requirements and method of grading (and how assignments are weighted):
term/research
paper
oral/written
reports
class
participation
quizzes, tests,
examinations
reviews,
summaries, critiques
reports,
experiments, research
other;
Statement addressing academic misconduct, including plagiarism;
Students with Disabilities Statement
which should read:
“Students with disabilities who believe that they may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact the Office of Disability Support Services (DSS) at 985-5369 as soon as possible to coordinate and implement accommodations in a timely fashion. The Office of DSS is located in the Student Support Center, PC 188.
Attendance policy;
Course calendar and assignments for each class meeting.
A syllabus is required for each class, each time it is
taught.
Competent, caring,
and timely advising is among the most important responsibilities that members
of the Faculty and Staff exercise. Advisors are expected to know the College's
academic requirements and policies. If
they are uncertain, they should ask the appropriate person. Students must be informed fully and accurately
of the College's expectations.
Advising has two
tracks: pre-major advising, which is offered through the Student Support
Center, and major advising, for which a student is assigned a member of the
Faculty. All first-year students are assigned a pre-major advisor in the
Student Support Center. Upon declaring a major (at the end of the first year,
typically), a student is reassigned to a Faculty advisor. The College
makes every effort to have majors advised by professors in the discipline. In general,
persons new to the Faculty teach at least one year before they are assigned
advisees.
Excellent advising
is crucial for a student's academic progress and for retention.
Students who know
they are taking the courses they need, and in a timely manner, and who enjoy
talking with their advisor, are likely to think well of themselves
academically, and of the College.
The Faculty advisor
assists students in planning a course schedule, semester by semester, which
makes possible the orderly and timely fulfillment of the major. Excellent
advisors care about students as individuals. They provide informed academic
guidance and personal interest and are among a student's most significant
College mentors.
Advisors must know the curriculum and related requirements, be familiar with the
available academic and other support services, and be accessible to advisees on
a regular basis. They should be competent in accessing student information
through Jenzabar.
Essential
Checklist for Advisors
Schedule, post, and keep office hours;
Provide additional office hours during registration periods;
Know advisees' names, and update addresses and telephone numbers;
Have on hand current course schedules and academic calendar;
Refer advisees to others for information, when necessary.
Advisors receive a student folder, either from the Student Support Center or the Office of Registration and Business Services or the student's former advisor. Folders contain degree worksheets, advanced-standing certification for transfer students, transcripts of prior academic work, placement test results, and the like.
Each November and
April, early or pre-registration is held for the following term. Early or pre-
registration is important for both the student and the College: students who
register during this period are usually ensured placement in the classes
desired, and the College has a basis for determining staffing needs, numbers of
sections, and so forth. Advisors are urged to encourage their advisees to
pre-register.
New or returning
students who have not pre-registered must do so in the Office of Registration
and Business Services during the announced registration period. They must meet
with their advisor for academic counseling, and the advisor must sign the
completed schedule card, prior to registration.
Graduating seniors
must submit an application for graduation to the Office of Registration and
Business Services by an announced deadline. Diplomas are issued three times
annually: in May, August, and December.
Faculty advisors
must sign Applications for Graduation, thus affirming that they are complete
and correct.
The College's Honors
Program is a four-year, interdisciplinary offering of courses designed to
complement and enhance the regular curriculum. Its purpose is to support and
nurture academic and intellectual excellence. Courses are developed by
professors from term to term, and must be approved by the Director of the
Honors Program. Honors classes are taught as seminars. Besides challenging,
enriching instruction, the Honors Program
provides its students with increased opportunities to meet visiting scholars,
civic leaders, and performing artists; and travel to museums, the theater, and sites
of cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Honors students may gather
for study or conversation in the Honors Room.
College 101 is part of an extensive first-year program designed to help students adapt and succeed in college. The program begins with an extended orientation session and continues throughout the freshman year. In COL 101, students attend pre-semester seminars (with writing and reading assignments), workshops and convocations throughout the semester, and submit a journal based on the orientation experience and their reaction to several campus cultural events. Students transferring 12 or fewer semester hours must complete COL 101. Students transferring more than 12 semester hours but fewer than 24 must take COL 101 unless they have equivalent transfer credit for COL 101.
In fulfillment of a
College graduation requirement, all students either take, or demonstrate
proficiency in, or receive transfer credit for, 6 semester hours of English
Composition. Several majors require additional hours in, for example, Advanced
Composition or Business Communication.
The Writing
Program Committee evaluates the structure and purpose of English 111 and 112 (the
required courses) and, from time to time, may recommend changes. (See Writing
Program Committee above, in Part II under other Faculty Committees.)
Writing-Intensive
Courses: Knowing that good
writing requires planning, revision, and practice, and that students, in order
to be proficient, should write extensively over the course of their career, the
College requires traditional day and Adult Degree students to take five
writing-intensive (WI) courses as requirements for graduation. They take two such
courses (6 semester hours) during their first two years. As juniors and
seniors, they must take three upper-level courses designated as WI. At least one of these
upper-level courses should be in the student's major.
Transfer students
with less than 56 semester hours accepted for transfer credit upon initial
enrollment must complete five WI courses, as described above. Those
transferring in with 56 semester hours or more must complete three upper-level
WI courses.
Enrollment in WI
courses is usually limited to 20 students.
The general characteristics of a writing intensive course are:
Expression of ideas and information is at least as valued as the ideas and information.
Writing occurs on a regular basis both in and out of class.
Writing is evaluated carefully, in detail, for style and grammar.
At least 3,000 words of written work is expected.
Writing should be shaped by class discussion with the possibility for revision.
Professors teaching
courses they think should be considered WI, according to the above criteria,
must submit in writing to their division chair a request for consideration.
Upon approval, the division chair informs the Office of the Registrar that
henceforth the course is to be designated WI.
The College shall adhere to those guidelines published in Best Practices For Electronically Offered Degree and Certificate Programs initially published by the Western Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications and endorsed in December 2000 by the Executive Council of the regional accrediting commissions. A copy of the guidelines is on file in the office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
It
is understood that these Best Practices represent an evolving set of rules and
standards that the College may exceed. They
consist of five component areas, and the College addresses these as follows:
1.
Institutional Context and Commitment -- Since 1998, the College, through various
task forces, committees, and pilot implementations, has planned and evaluated
the appropriateness of online courses. The
College believes that such courses
are congruent with the institution's role and mission, and will be adequately
supported in terms of staffing, budget, and organizational structure while
assuring the integrity of student learning.
2.
Curriculum and Instruction -- The College has involved academically qualified
professionals in its planning for online courses and their evaluation, and has
given adequate consideration to the importance of choosing between synchronous
and asynchronous delivery systems.
3.
Faculty Support -- The College has given consideration to issues of faculty
workload, compensation, ownership of intellectual property, training, and
professional development relative to online courses, and has a commitment --
administrative, financial, and technical -- to ensure that policies and programs
are appropriate and adequate.
4. Student Support -- The College has given consideration to issues of access, competence, eligibility, retention, support, and sense of community relative to the experiences as well as learning objectives of online courses.
5.
Evaluation and Assessment -- The College commits itself to a program of
continual self-evaluation and program improvement through regular evaluations of
all academic activities, including online courses, with the intention of
assuring the integrity of firm student identification on all examinations,
measures of student competence and satisfaction, and documentation of usage with
library and learning resources.
SACS Requirements
The College shall adhere strictly to those criteria published by SACS where distance learning programs or activities are explicitly mentioned. Documented compliance shall be maintained by the SACS liaison and/or institutional research officer at the College.
SACS
criteria are met by documenting the regular pattern of activities at the
College. The first requires all
online course proposals be processed through the established procedures of the
form entitled Curriculum Committee Guidelines for Submitting Curricular
Proposals, Restructuring Majors or Minors.
This document is available in the Faculty
Handbook as well as from the Chair of the Curriculum Committee.
The process entails making the rationale and goals of any online course
proposal clear and explicit.
The
second criterion is met through our advising procedures, relying on full-time
faculty and professional advisors. Since online courses function as one form of
College offerings, it is appropriate that we follow this procedure.
Access and interaction is also measured in the normal process of course
evaluation.
The
third criteria is met by documenting library visits, log-ons, page counts, email
contacts, phone calls, and other means of record keeping which indicate online
learners are accessing library and learning resources as well as course
materials and school information. Orientation
sessions, workshops, web-based help, and utilization of the Online Writing Lab
are also part of the normal process.
Students
who desire to take an online course at the College will be required to be
admitted to the College. They must
complete the College admissions application, and pay the normal application fee
($25.00). If their interest is in a
certificate rather than degree program, they will be classified as a special
non-degree student.
Students
who are admitted to the College and desire to register for an online course will
be advised and have their registration forms signed by their primary academic
advisor, usually a full-time faculty member in the discipline in which they have
declared a major. Adult Degree Program students will keep their current advisor
at the site. If they are undecided
or in a certificate program, the Registrar will assign them an advisor in the
closest discipline which matches their interest.
Students
taking online courses will pay for their classes at the current rate for Adult
Degree Students. Tuition is payable
by cash, check, or credit card and due at the time of registration.
There will be no deferred payment options.
For certificate programs, the student must fill out a Certificate
Completion Application Form. A fee
of $15.00 will be assessed to receive certificate information posted on a
transcript, and a fee of $25 will be assessed to receive certificate information
posted on a transcript and a certificate.
No
online courses can be transferred in from other colleges or schools toward
meeting the College’s certificate requirements.
For degree requirements, the normal process of transfer and articulation
will apply with the Registrar's office evaluating equivalencies on a
case-by-case basis from accredited institutions.
Online
courses shall be offered in a variety of session formats. The maximum number of
students in any online course shall be 25.
Registration periods and drop/add dates will follow the current
procedures.
Online
courses will have students order their textbooks from MBS Direct or the College
bookstore. Information as well as
the ability for students to access and order their books will be made available
on the College website.
The
institutional refund policy for online courses will be a modification of the
College's official refund policy, and consist of a 100% refund if the student
withdraws prior to the first day of session, a 75% refund if withdrawal occurs
prior to the 14th day of session, and a 0% refund after the 14th
day of session. Nothing in this modified policy will affect current
regulations surrounding Title IV funds or VA funds.
It is also part of the normal process to charge any student who
officially withdraws a $100.00 administrative fee.
Financial
aid is available to degree-seeking students.
Students taking only one online course a semester or holding non-degree
seeking status will not normally be entitled to financial aid.
Any
student who desires to take an online course must meet the requirements of the
Adult Degree Program, which include being admitted to the College, being at
least 22 years of age or having three years of full- time work experience, and
completion of an application essay. Any
traditional student under the age of 22 who is enrolled in the day program may
apply to take an online course by using the form entitled Permission to Take ADP
Course which is signed by an advisor and routed to the Academic Dean's office,
where applications will be approved or disapproved.
Any
student who desires to take an online course must have demonstrated competencies
in computer proficiencies equivalent to a grade of C or higher in CIS 195.
In addition, the student must meet the College's minimum software and
hardware configurations as posted by the IS department website.
Students with disabilities will be evaluated by the College's
disabilities coordinator, and attempts at accommodation shall be made.
Students
in online courses will be expected to be organized, self-disciplined, and
motivated. They will have a
demonstrated record of persistence and the ability to manage their time
effectively. These attributes will
be measured by pre-test and post-test competency surveys, and the office of
institutional research will assist in development of standards which may become
part of eligibility requirements.
Students
in online courses shall receive the benefit of at least one face-to-face meeting
with their instructors, for orientation purposes, during the first week of the
semester. Students who miss this orientation period or cannot attend
will be required to have a similar orientation purpose achieved via telephone,
email contact, or special web based instruction in conjunction with their
instructor or the College administrative help desk.
Students
in online courses have several options for obtaining information and support.
Questions regarding enrollment, registration, financial aid, or administrative
aspects of their program can be directed to the ADP site at which the students
register for classes. Inquiries on library-related issues are handled (via
phone or e-mail) by main campus reference librarians during the library hours or
by the librarian at the RTP site. Instructors are available by phone and/or
e-mail to answer questions specifically related to online classes. For
technical support, students can call the NCWC Help Desk during regular business
hours or e-mail the Coordinator of Distance Education after hours. The
Coordinator is also available by phone during regular business hours to address
any issues, questions, or concerns related to online classes.
Student Conduct, Plagiarism, & Cheating
Students
in online courses will be held accountable to regular standards of
“netiquette”, plagiarism, and cheating.
Netiquette is defined as any inappropriate or unwanted behavior directed
toward other student members of the course.
Plagiarism, or the copying of material and calling it your own, must
always be guarded against in an online course.
Cheating, or any attempts to deceive the instructor, shall be dealt with
promptly. Examinations in online courses
should be proctored, but three exceptions or allowable
substitutions for proctoring are allowed: timed exams, password protected exams
(where the password is given out one letter at a time as they progress thru the
course), and random questions from a question pool.
Each instructor in an online course will choose the method to be used.
Faculty
who teach online courses shall be approved for those courses through the
College’s normal Course Approval process.
No new courses can be created and offered online, such as special topics
courses, unscheduled courses, research topics, or independent studies, unless
the faculty member has divisional and Academic Affairs’ approval for such
courses. Divisional chairs will
send requests to the Curriculum Committee for new online courses, certificate
and degree programs, as well as for any cross listing, team teaching, or other
formats.
Faculty
who teach online courses shall be competent and well-versed in the theories and
pedagogies of online learning. The
handbook, An Introduction to Online Teaching , is distributed
to online faculty by the academic affairs office.
Faculty
who desire to teach online courses should not do so in an effort to increase
their load and receive extra compensation.
In most cases, a load reduction in the number of traditional courses
shall accompany the scheduling of one or two online courses so that a normal
load, or no more than one overload, is achieved in any given semester.
Compensation for an online overload shall not be more than compensation
for a regular overload.
Faculty
who teach online courses will also receive the same support of ADP resources and
staff as do regular instructors in ADP. Faculty
with extensive experience in teaching online courses may serve as mentors and trainers for faculty members who have not taught
online before.
Faculty
who teach online courses shall be supervised by the normal processes of
administration and leadership of their Division Chairs and Academic Dean.
Course
Evaluation & Assessment
Online
courses shall be evaluated by the same instruments used to evaluate traditional
courses. Additional surveys will be
given as those instruments are developed by the Office of Institutional
Research. A post- test
comprehensive exam will be required of all certificate programs.
The
IS Department is the College's main resource for responding to technical
computer problems and support services and shall continue in that role for all
online courses. Faculty, staff, and
students who participate in online courses shall be given expedited help and
assistance in accordance with IS Department policies and procedures.
Occasionally a
student may need (or want) to take course that is not being currently
offered or presents a scheduling conflict that might delay graduation.. In such instances, and if the professor agrees, arrangements may be
made for the student to be instructed individually. Students may take no more
than 3 semester hours per term of such study, or more than 12 semester hours
total during their career at the College.
During the
contracted academic year, faculty members directing unscheduled courses receive
no additional compensation.
Requirements and
procedures are defined in the College catalog.
The College
encourages students to delve further into a subject that has caught their
interest. From time to time, a professor and student (or students) may together
develop a plan for further study of a given topic. Such studies should not
duplicate a course already offered in the curriculum, although a project or
additional research may evolve from a topic introduced in a regularly scheduled
class.
Requirements and
procedures are defined in the College catalog.
All traditional day students are encouraged to participate in a credit or
noncredit internship. Internships for academic
credit require faculty supervision. Some majors require an internship.
Internships are highly recommended for all students because they provide
important working experience.
Prior to their first internship, students are required to
complete satisfactorily the Internship Preparation Workshop. Further
information is available in the Internship and Career Services Office.
Requirements and opportunities are defined the College catalog.
Class
Field Trips: Field trips or other travel for academic
purposes may be useful and interesting supplements to classroom
instruction. Professors should schedule
any trips such that a student will not have to miss some other class in order
to participate.
On the rare
occasions when other classes are affected, a professor must inform both the
other professor(s) and the students themselves, in as timely a manner as
possible, but well in advance of the actual absences anticipated.
Students should
understand that professors in other classes are not obliged in any way to
accommodate those taking such trips. Students are fully responsible for all
assigned course work whether they are absent or present.
Student
Organization & Club Field Trips: These are handled
through Student Life and must be approved by the Director of Student Activities
whose office is located in the Hartness Student
Center. Approval must also be
countersigned by the Vice President of Finance and Administration.
Transportation: The College does not provide
transportation for use on field trips. Classes requiring transportation should,
therefore, use private or rented vehicles. Mileage reimbursement for drivers of
private vehicles is provided.
Either the
Administrative Assistant for Academic Affairs or the secretary in the Athletic
Department may be helpful in recommending local rental companies for vans.
Professors must make their own arrangements. Expenses are charged to the
appropriate division budget.
The College's policy
on Automobile Liability Insurance is defined below, in Part V, and in the
statement Planning Guidelines and Procedures for an Off-Campus Activity, Field
Trip, Travel, etc., Appendix 4. The Faculty is advised to read both carefully.
STUDENT ACADEMIC OR PRE-PROFESSIONAL
GROUPS
The College
highlights student academic and pre-professional achievement and interest
through its recognition and support of the following groups:
Club Dramatica: Theater;
The Decree: College newspaper;
The Dissenter: College yearbook;
Lambda Alpha Epsilon; Justice Studies;.
Mathematics Club: Mathematics;
Political science Club;
Psychology Club: Psychology (but members need not be majors);
Rotaract;
Science Club: Science;
Student National Education Association: Education.
Honor Societies:
Alpha Phi Sigma: Justice Studies;
Omicron Delta Kappa: Leadership;
Phi Eta Sigma Freshmen Scholarship;
Pi Gamma Mu: Social Science;
Psi Chi: Psychology.
A complete list and description of all student organizations, honor societies,
fraternities and sororities (including Faculty and Staff advisors) can be found
in the Student Handbook. Faculty members
advising these groups are typically selected by the participating students.
The advisor to The Decree is appointed by the Dean of the College.