 |
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
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.
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.