Faculty Handbook
TEACHING
To arrange for a class field trip, a written request must be submitted to the unit head for all classes at least two weeks in advance of the field trip. With sufficient notice, buses or other transportation can be provided.
http://www.psu.edu/ufs/policies/ - Can be found under 47-00, 48-00 and 49-00 Grades
As an instructor you are expected to provide clear policy statements on academic integrity, grading policy, and attendance (See Senate Policies 47-40, 47-60, 48-40, 49-20). The syllabus is the best way to disseminate these policy statements and other information. The clearer the information provided to students (especially in written form), the easier it will be for the instructor, the unit heads, or the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies to resolve any student complaints. The syllabus is the primary document, together with grade and attendance records, that is consulted in grade disputes. During the first class meeting, you should clearly state what is expected of students in performance, behavior, and relevant policy areas and to reinforce this expectation with written statements in the syllabus. Preferably, policies and expectations should be stated in the most positive terms possible.
Syllabus Basics. Your syllabus should include the following basic information: instructor’s name, course title and number, campus phone number, voice mailbox number, e-mail address, and where appropriate, Web page address. It should also include your office hours, and a list of required books and other necessary materials, which the student will acquire independently. Information on the College class cancellation procedures (see below), as well as any additional means for informing students about the cancellation of classes should also be included. The syllabus may also include a calendar with dates of class meetings, as well as the written, oral, and reading assignments due on each date. The instructor may also wish to identify holidays, break periods, and the date and time of the final examination (see the printed semester schedule book for the date and time of final examinations). Sample syllabi can be found in Appendix I .
Course Expectations. For each course the instructor should identify goals and objectives for students to achieve. The instructor’s grading in the course should reflect the attainment of these objectives. A syllabus (or other handouts) is recommended to explain major assignments, including lengthy discussions of content, form, and criteria for their evaluation. Clear and specific information on content, form, and criteria for evaluation will assist students in responding to course expectations, and will also assist in resolving any student disputes about grades.
Course Policies. The syllabus should state basic policies, specify appropriate behavior in class, and make clear your penalties for violations of academic integrity, cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of dishonesty. A statement on academic integrity is required by University Senate Rules (see Senate Policy 49-20). The syllabus should also contain policies on class attendance, tardiness, participation, make-up exams and quizzes, extra-credit work and other bonuses, deadlines for submission of work, and the like.
Grading. The University’s grading policy (Senate Policies 47-40, 47-60) states that “grades shall be assigned to individual students on the basis of the instructor’s judgment of the student’s scholastic achievement” according to the following definitions: A (Excellent) indicates exceptional achievement; B (Good) indicates extensive achievement; C (Satisfactory) indicates acceptable achievement; D (Poor) indicates only minimal achievement; and F (Failure) indicates inadequate achievement necessitating a repetition of the course. For undergraduates, final grades of A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, D, and F must all be possible. The syllabus should indicate the performance levels expected for a student to achieve each of the nine possible final grades. The syllabus should contain a detailed explanation of your grading practices, especially a description of the manner in which the final grade will be determined. The clearer the information provided to students at the beginning of a course, the fewer complaints or problems are likely to emerge, and any that do will be easier to resolve.
The First Class. The instructor will want to use the first class to go over the syllabus carefully with the students. Review of the syllabus will provide an opportunity to discuss the course and its goals and objectives, in other words, what the instructor would like students to learn during the course. The instructor will want to engage and excite the students as they commit to a semester of study, and will want them to understand his/her own commitment to help them achieve the goals of that course. At the same time, they need to understand what is expected of them in performance and behavior, and how the course’s grading system reflects these expectations. Clear and specific information on content, form, and criteria for evaluation can assist students in responding to course expectations, and can also assist in resolving student disputes about grades. Some instructors, depending on the nature of the course and the size of the class, use this first period to begin to get to know their students and their names, which, if possible, would be one of the goals—and to engage them in a discussion of what their expectations are for the course.
With a few exceptions, faculty select their own textbooks. Some units provide faculty a list of suggested texts. Occasionally, you may have to accept a text already on hand. To order a text, contact the Textbook Office at the Penn State Bookstore (863-3282). Sometime during the semester, the bookstore will send you a form requesting information on the texts you plan to use the following semester.
It is the instructor’s responsibility to order desk copies. The bookstore will gladly provide a phone number or address. Desk copies are usually marked Professional Copy Only and cannot be sold in the bookstore.
Class lists are available as an e-mail, in spreadsheet form, or both via eLion (http://elion.oas.psu.edu/) in the eLion Faculty Services Class List. Class lists obtained through this system will be up-to-date; delivered in minutes to the instructor’s Penn State Access Account e-mail address; and can be easily imported into a spreadsheet, database, or e-mail distribution application. Additional information regarding the Class List file layouts can be found at http://elion.oas.psu.edu/about/facultyaccess.html.
To use the eLion Faculty Services Class List application, you will need to have a Penn State Access Account user ID and password and to be listed in the employee database and the student records database. Additional information regarding access to this system can be found at http://elion.oas.psu.edu/about/facultyaccess.html. If you do not have the necessary account or access to a computer, you should contact your staff assistant, who will provide a copy of the class roster.
On-line class lists are also available using the Integrated Student Information System (ISIS) on screen ARICC. (If you need help accessing ISIS, ask a staff assistant.)
Penn State University welcomes students with disabilities into the University’s educational programs. The Office of Disability Services faculty directory provides information to assist faculty and staff in understanding university policy and procedures in arranging reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities. Providing accommodations is a shared responsibility between the classroom instructor and the student. Students with disabilities are responsible for bringing their individual needs to the attention of their instructor as early as possible in the semester. Additional information can be found at http://www.equity.psu.edu/ods/