Section 4: Faculty Rights, Responsibilities, and Policies
4.5 Academic POLICIES AND Regulations
The academic regulations for students, both those voted by the faculty and those established by administrative offices, are published in the Dictionary of Academic Regulations, which is brought up to date each year. Faculty members are responsible for familiarizing themselves with these regulations and for participating in their implementation. Primary responsibility for implementing these academic regulations resides with the Associate Dean of Academic Services. In disputed issues, the Dean has authority to make final decisions.
4.5.1 The Academic Year The calendar of the academic year, fall and spring semesters, is published at least a year in advance, in the Academic Catalog. Faculty are expected to be available to meet their contractual responsibilities during the entire academic year, between August 16 and May 15. Any exceptions are considered to be leaves of absence, and must be approved at least by the department chair and the Dean, if not by the Board of Visitors (see §3.12). Official vacations within the academic year and other scheduled breaks in the instructional calendar are to be observed carefully.
4.5.2 Classroom Teaching The faculty member bears full responsibility for his or her fair share of service within the department was well as the College, and is expected to be available for students and colleagues on a daily basis, even if a teaching schedule is not distributed throughout the work week. The work week runs from Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and the normal teaching load of twelve (12) semester hours, scheduled by chairs in consultation with faculty, is usually distributed throughout the work week.
4.5.3 Schedule of Class Meetings Class meetings are to be held at the times listed for the course in the Schedule of Courses each semester. Any change in schedule must be approved by the department chair and the Dean. Arrangements for classes which will be missed because of attendance at professional meetings or other scholarly activities must be worked out in advance to the satisfaction of the chair of the department.
4.5.4 Student and Faculty Absences from Class Meetings The University does not excuse students from classes missed while participating in off-campus activities, whether they be athletic events, extra-curricular trips, or academic field trips. A faculty member must not require a student to miss a class. In case of illness or other emergency absence from the classroom of a faculty member, the faculty member must directly inform the chair who will, if possible, make arrangements for a colleague to take the class. (See also Sick Leave, §3.12.1.)
4.5.5 Course Plans and the Syllabus Class sizes are decided by the department in consultation with the Dean. With the exception of certain multiple-section courses for which a common syllabus is agreed upon by those teaching it, course plans are the responsibility of the individual instructor. Instructors have the right to determine the requirements of the courses that they teach, within the limitations of departmental and general faculty policy. Faculty should provide students with a course syllabus containing the following: (a) instructor identification, (b) course identification, (c) course goals and objectives, (d) required materials (textbooks, lab manuals, etc.), (e) calendar (assignment due dates, tests, etc.), (f) instructor’s position on class participation, (g) grading rationale, (h) what will be reported as unsatisfactory on mid-semester reports, and (i) how the Honor System provisions are applied in the course.
4.5.6 Office Hours It is essential to the mission of the College that faculty be accessible to students. Each full-time faculty member is expected to schedule and post at his or her office door at least five formal office hours each week, arranged at times that meet students’ needs for consultation.
4.5.7 Final Examinations The procedures and regulations for final examinations are contained in the Dictionary of Academic Regulations (Examinations, Final; Reexaminations). Note that in every course a final examination or equivalent assessment (such as critiques or final projects) will be given unless specific exception is approved, in writing, by the Dean. Faculty members seeking such exception should write to the Dean explaining why the exception should be made. Such letters should have the endorsement of the department chair. Instructors are expected to keep final examination papers for one calendar year in case any question should arise that would make reference to the papers desirable.
4.5.8 Reporting Grades Each faculty member is responsible for submitting mid-semester progress reports and final course grades no later than each semester’s published dates and times for doing so. Each faculty member is also responsible for verifying the accuracy of official class rosters and for reporting in a timely fashion any discrepancies that exist (such as students listed on the roster who are not attending) to the Office of the Registrar. Mid-semester reports of unsatisfactory academic performance and final semester grades are made available to the student and to the student‘s academic adviser. Faculty policy is to withhold final course grades from the individual student until the official final grade report is submitted.
4.5.9 Student Advising Faculty members are expected to serve as academic advisers to students as assigned by the department, the Dean, and/or the Associate Dean for Academic Services. Advising includes guiding the student in deciding on his or her overall (long range) course and potential career plan and approving each semester‘s schedule. It may also include providing information on graduate study and suggesting opportunities such as internships, undergraduate research, summer institutes, or study abroad.
4.5.10 Advising Assistance Offered by Faculty to Students Since teaching is the primary mission of the College, faculty should make every effort to become aware of the needs of students for assistance in academic work, and when such would seem to be helpful, should offer a personal conference on such matters as further explanation of subject matter, student methods to increase the student’s self-reliance, and advice about use of time. A faculty member who becomes aware of a student who needs additional help should refer him or her to the appropriate person or office: the Office of Academic Services, the Psychological Services Center, or whichever other office is appropriate.
4.5.11 Student Recommendations It is a responsibility of each faculty member to provide recommendations for students who request them. In some instances, when the faculty member is not able to provide a supportive recommendation, he or she should explain that to the student. It is the student’s responsibility to provide the faculty member with information on deadlines and the faculty member’s responsibility to observe those deadlines.
4.5.12 Approval of Candidates for Degrees Late in the spring semester, a list of degree candidates is distributed to faculty by the Office of the Registrar. At a final general faculty meeting, the faculty votes on a motion to award degrees to those students on the list who are certified by the Office of the Registrar as having satisfied all requirements for graduation.
4.5.13 Required Participation All members of the faculty are required to attend the general meetings of the faculty. Attendance of the faculty also is expected at certain academic ceremonies, e.g., fall convocation, commencement, and other ceremonies as notified. Prior written approval not to attend such an academic ceremony should be requested of the Dean.