INTRODUCTION

This booklet is designed to answer instruction-related questions that frequently arise. General information is presented here. Colleges and departments may have other specific requirements. Please keep this material handy as a ready reference source.

Three important general matters that every instructor should pay close attention to are:

1. Maintain close contact with your departmental office; check your mailbox each day you teach a class and respond promptly to information that is requested;

2. Ask for help from the appropriate person (department chair, department staff assistant, a full-time faculty member, etc.) whenever a question or problem arises that you do not know how to handle;

3. Coordinate coverage of course material with other faculty teaching the course. Be sure that you follow the class syllabus/outline for the course and thoroughly cover all the required material. Instructors in subsequent courses depend on students knowing this material.

Other pertinent information and details can be obtained through your department office. Other documents such as the Faculty Handbook, Staff Handbook, Student Handbook, the Schedule of Classes, the Semester Calendar, Undergraduate Catalog and Graduate Catalog are located in the department office and on the UAH website.

DUTIES AND QUALIFICATIONS

Appointment, reappointment, duration of appointment and other pertinent details of your appointment will be outlined by the department in your appointment letter.

Part-Time Faculty

Part-time faculty are appointed to teach or serve on committees on the basis of demand in the academic department. Their responsibilities are defined by the department upon appointment. Part-time faculty teaching credit courses at the undergraduate level must have completed at least 18 graduate semester hours in the discipline in which they teach and hold at least a master’s degree, or hold the minimum of a master’s degree with a major in the discipline. Part-time faculty teaching at the graduate level must hold the terminal degree, usually the earned doctorate, in the teaching discipline or a related discipline. Any exceptions to these criteria must be justified and documented. The submission of official transcripts is a condition of part-time faculty employment. Part-time faculty do not earn tenure, nor may they participate in matters relating to personnel decisions in the department.

Graduate Teaching Assistants

Graduate assistantships are offered to encourage graduate work and to promote teaching. Any student qualified for admission to the School of Graduate Studies is eligible to apply for a graduate assistantship. Assistantships usually require half-time (20 hours per week) service to the University but may be appointed more or less than half-time in exceptional cases. Without special permission of the student’s department and the graduate dean, a graduate assistant may not hold other employment during any semester in which this assistantship is in effect. The graduate assistant is registered for a minimum of nine semester hours and not more than ten during any semester in which an appointment is held. The purpose of a graduate teaching assistantship is twofold: to support the departmental teaching program and to aid the student’s professional development. English proficiency is a prerequisite for classroom instruction. Graduate teaching assistants who have primary responsibility for teaching a course for credit and/or for assigning final grades for such a course must have earned at least 18 graduate semester hours in their teaching discipline, and be under the direct supervision of a faculty member experienced in the teaching discipline. (As required by SACS criteria).

CLASS PERIODS

The standard UAH class periods are listed below. Nonstandard class periods (for lecture courses carrying other than 3 credit hours, labs, seminars, etc.) are listed explicitly by day and time in the UAH Schedule of Classes (SOC). Copies of the SOC are in your departmental office. These Timetables contain important academic, administrative, and financial information.

Fall/Spring Semester

Monday/Wednesday/Friday Tuesday/Thursday Monday/Wednesday

8:00-8:55 8:00-9:20 12:45-2:05

9:10-10:05 9:35-10:55 2:20-3:40

10:20-11:15 11:10-12:30 3:55-5:15

11:30-12:25 12:45-2:05 5:30-6:50

12:40-1:35 2:20-3:40 7:05-8:25

1:50-2:45 3:55-5:15 8:40-10:00

3:00-3:55 5:30-6:50

7:05-8:25

8:40-10:00

Monday/Wednesday/Friday Classes: 55 minutes

Monday/Wednesday and Tuesday/Thursday Classes: 80 minutes

Weekly Classes (Meet one day a week): 160 minutes

Ten Week Summer Session

Monday/Wednesday/Friday	Tuesday/Thursday	Monday/Wednesday	M/T/W/R
8:00–9:50 a.m.	8:00–10:00 a.m.	8:00–10:00 a.m.	5:30-9:30 p.m.
10:15 a.m.–12:05 p.m.	10:15 a.m.–12:15 p.m.	10:15 a.m.–12:15 p.m.
12:30–2:20 p.m.	12:30–2:30 p.m.	12:30–2:30 p.m.
	2:45–4:45 p.m.	2:45–4:45 p.m.
	5:30–7:30 p.m.	5:30–7:30 p.m.
	7:45–9:45 p.m.	7:45–9:45 p.m.

Monday/Wednesday/Friday Classes: 110 Minutes
Monday/Wednesday and Tuesday/Thursday Classes: 120 Minutes
Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday Classes: 240 Minutes

Five Week Summer Session

Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday/Friday	Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday
8:00 – 9:40 a.m.	8:00 – 10:00 a.m.
10:15 – 11:55 a.m.	10:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
12:30 – 2:10 p.m.	12:30 – 2:30 p.m.
	2:45 – 4:45 p.m.
	5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
	7:45 – 9:45 p.m.

Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday/Friday Classes: 100 Minutes
Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday Classes: 120 Minutes

COURSE SYLLABI

During the first week of a class the instructor must provide each student with a written outline of the course syllabus that includes the administrative information for the course. Such an outline should include, at minimum, the course prerequisites, the course objectives*, text and/or a listing of material to be covered, study assignments for each class period, UAH office location, formal office hours and where there will be held a telephone number where you can be called, and/or other methods for student contact such as email, any modifications to student code of conduct, and how the course grade will be determined (e.g., problem sets/quizzes = X%, exams = Y%, final exam = Z% (X+Y+Z = 100)). Additional guidelines regarding grading (e.g., comprehensive final exam) may be issued by your department.

*The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Principles of Accreditation suggest that objectives are best stated in the form of “student learning outcomes,” i.e., what students should be able to know and do at the end of the course. A statement such as, “At the conclusion of the course, students will be able to…” may be helpful to focus on student learning outcomes and to comply with the SACS suggestion.

The course syllabus may also be a more comprehensive document that provides guidelines for classroom management to insure that students are aware of the instructor’s standards for acceptable behavior. The syllabus may include policy statements on class attendance, the use of cell phones, and the use of audio/visual equipment in the classroom. In addition, it may be useful to include examples of academic misconduct found in the Code of Student Conduct to alert students to the University’s standards. Sample provisions from the UAH Office of Counsel Legal Watch, Volume 6-03, and p. 3-4 are as follows:

Academic Honesty. Your written assignments and examinations must be your own work. Academic Misconduct will not be tolerated. To insure that you are aware of what is considered academic misconduct, you should review carefully the definition and examples provided in Article III. Code of Student Conduct, Student Handbook, p. 93. If you have questions in this regard, please contact me without delay.

Use of Prior Work. You may not submit in fulfillment of requirements in this course any work submitted, presented, or used by you in any other course.

Consent to Use of Turnitin.com. UAH is committed to the fundamental values of preserving academic honesty as defined in the Student Handbook (7.III.A, Code of Student Conduct). The instructor reserves the right to utilize electronic means to help prevent plagiarism. Students agree that by taking this course all assignments are subject to submission for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com. Assignments submitted to Turnitin.com will be included as source documents in Turnitin.com’s restricted access database solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism in such documents. The terms that apply to the University’s use of the Turnitin.com service, as well as additional information about the company, are described at www. uah.edu/library/turnitin.

Classroom Conduct. All students in the class must treat others with civility and respect and conduct themselves during class sessions in a way that does not unreasonably interfere with the opportunity of other students to learn. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in points being deducted from a student’s final numerical average, up to a maximum of 15 points.

Copyright <Insert faculty member’s name here.> <Insert year here>. All federal and state copyrights in my lectures and course materials are reserved by me. You are authorized to take notes in class for your own personal use and for no other purpose. You are not authorized to record my lectures or to make any commercial use of them or to provide them to anyone else other than students currently enrolled in this course, without my prior written permission. In addition to legal sanctions for violations of copyright law, students found in violation of these prohibitions may be subject to University disciplinary action under the Code of student Conduct.

With the Consent to Use of Turnitin as an exception, the use of the provisions suggested

above are at the discretion of the instructor.

If during the semester unusual circumstances warrant the instructor granting a variance for a student from the published grading policy, the instructor should give the student a written statement of what the variance is to be. Examples of such situations are dropping a low exam grade because the student was ill and weighing another exam more heavily; or weighing another exam more heavily in lieu of a make-up exam necessitated by an excused absence.

TEXTBOOKS, SOLUTIONS MANUALS, COPYING, AND COPYING OF COPYRIGHTED MATERIALS FOR INSTRUCTIONAL PURPOSES

Information on obtaining a textbook or solutions manual for the course you are teaching should be provided by your department, at the time of your initial appointment. Please consult your department staff with any questions on ordering textbooks or solutions manuals.

Consult your department staff on getting materials copied for classroom use and on access to a copier after hours. You should consult your department chair on policies for having exams and other materials copied for you prior to the class period.

The UAH Bookstore will assist instructors in securing copyright clearance for classroom materials to be included in course packs. For information about the practical application of the “fair use” doctrine under federal copyright law, see the pamphlet, Questions and Answers on Copyright for the Campus Community, available in the UAH Bookstore or your department office.

OFFICE HOURS

Each member of the faculty is expected to be available on campus to students, other faculty members and administrative officers at regular places and times. Faculty should consult with department chairs about policies on office hours that may have been developed within the colleges. University policy for faculty office hours as published in the Faculty Handbook is:

At least 2 hours per week for each lecture section taught.

Prior to the first day of class, the faculty member will submit the proposed office hours for the semester to the department chair for review and approval. The approved office hours will be made known to students, advisees, faculty and administrative officers. Office hours will be posted in the departmental office. The faculty member will report the office hours for student counseling on the course syllabus. Office hours for student counseling may be scheduled between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. and must be responsive to students attending classes in the daytime, the evening, on a Monday-Wednesday schedule and on a Tuesday-Thursday schedule.

Part-time faculty, graduate teaching assistants, and distance learning faculty may avail themselves to students via e-mail and/or telephone. Consult with your department chair on computer and telephone access, and an e-mail address. The students should be given this information on the course syllabus along with the other information relating to office hours.

Supplementary guidelines regarding office hours may be issued by your department. If, on occasion, you must be absent during your office hours, please post a note for your students and let the departmental staff know so that callers can be properly informed.

MEETING OF CLASSES

All classes are to meet as scheduled and to begin and end on time. If you must miss a class, let your departmental chair know as soon as possible, including the substitute’s name and/or how the missed time will be made up. Our classes have a great deal of material to be covered, and all scheduled time is needed to do justice to that material. Normally, study days may not be used to make up a missed class (see UAH Inclement Weather Procedures, p. 14).

ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT AND

NONDISCIPLINARY ACTION FOR ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT

Every student and student group at the University shall be required to act lawfully and in such a way as not to affect adversely the educational processes of the University or the rights of members of the University community and others. Violation of this general standard of behavior shall be considered misconduct under the Code of Conduct outlined in the Student Handbook and may be subject to discipline. (See UAH Student Handbook, Article III, pp. 92-97). Procedures for filing a faculty complaint charging a student with misconduct are stated in Article VA, p. 99. (An Academic Misconduct Complaint Form is located in the Appendix).

A faculty member possesses the well-established prerogative to deal with academic misconduct committed by a student in a course by applying an academic penalty within the context of that course. Because such conduct also constitutes a violation of the University’s disciplinary rules as stated in the Student Handbook, it is appropriate to state the manner in which the disciplinary and nondisciplinary processes shall interrelate in such a case. This is explicitly stated in Article IX of the UAH Student Handbook, pp. 116-117.

STUDENT ATTENDANCE POLICY

The University does not have a mandatory attendance policy. Students are responsible for all work missed when absent, and no makeup work should be given unless the student provides an acceptable excuse to the instructor. In some cases an instructor may impose an attendance requirement, especially if a significant portion of the course depends on class participation. If imposed, such an attendance policy must be included in the course syllabus. A copy of the UAH Undergraduate Catalog statement on attendance is given below.

Education at UAH depends upon the cooperation of students and faculty.

Students are held responsible for the full work of the course in which they

are registered, including participation in the discussion and work of the class

at each class meeting. An instructor has the prerogative to impose an attendance

requirement, which should be specified in the course syllabus.

A student’s final grade in each course is determined on the basis of identified

course requirements; therefore, regular class attendance is important.

MID-SEMESTER PROGRESS GRADE REPORTS

Faculty teaching freshman and sophomore level courses (except Co-op) report on student progress at mid-semester. Report sheets are distributed early in the semester and are returned to Student Records about the fifth week of class. (Instructors should assign and evaluate a sufficient amount of class work early enough to provide meaningful reports).

Progress is reported as follows:

A=Superior achievement

B=Above average achievement

C=Average achievement

D=Marginally passing work

F=Failing work

P=Passing work

N=Not attending

Reports are mailed to students and to the student’s advising office after the sixth week of class.

For maximum benefit to students, faculty should schedule adequate exams and assignments well in advance of the mid-semester reports.

STUDENT REVIEW OF GRADED ASSIGNMENTS

A faculty member should provide opportunities for each student to review all graded materials. Continuous feedback from faculty is expected to inform students about their academic progress.

GRADING SYSTEM AT UAH

A copy of the UAH Grading System is given on the following pages. Supplementary guidelines specific to your course may be issued by your department.

The University of Alabama in Huntsville’s grading system includes grades of

A, B, C, D, F, I, X, W, S, U, P, AU, N, and NC.

Instructors have the option of augmenting the course grades of A, B, C, and D with the symbols “+” and “-” signifying, respectively, high and low achievement within the assigned grade. These augmented letter grades become part of the student’s permanent record and appear on transcripts, but augmentation of a letter grade does not affect its value for the purposes of GPA computation.

A Superior achievement. Credit given; four quality points given per semester hour.

B Above average achievement. Credit given; three quality points given per semester hour.

C Average achievement. Credit given; two quality points given per semester hour.

D Passing Work. Credit given; one quality point given per semester hour.

F Failing Work. No credit given; no quality points assigned.

I Incomplete. Assigned by the instructor when a student, due to circumstances beyond his or her control, has not satisfied some requirement of the course. The deadline for a student to remedy a grade of I is the last day of class of the next term enrolled or one calendar year from the date of the grade whichever occurs first. If the grade of I is on a student’s record at the time of graduation, it is treated as an F.

X Excused absence from examination. Assigned by the instructor when a student completes all course requirements except the final examination. This grade becomes an F unless the examination is completed by the time of the announced deferred examination date at the beginning of the term of next regular enrollment of the student. (See UAH Semester Calendar). The time schedule permits a student to take only one examination on this date. If a student receives more than one grade of X, he or she should make arrangements directly with other instructors for additional makeup examinations.

W Withdrawal. Recorded by the Office of Student Records when a student withdraws from a course. (See Withdrawal policy).

S Satisfactory Work. Applicable to noncredit courses and to some specified credit courses, and will not be counted in the grade point average (GPA).

U Unsatisfactory Work. Applicable to noncredit courses and to some specified credit courses.

P Passing Work. Assigned in some courses. See Pass-Fail System.

AU Audit. Course attendance as a listener. No credit given, no quality points assigned, and no attendance requirement.

N No Grade. Assigned by the Office of Student Records when a grade is not reported by the instructor.

NC No Credit. Assigned for failing work in specified courses. No quality points assigned. A student who receives a grade of NC twice for the same course must obtain permission from the department offering that course before registering for it again.

A word of caution with regard to the grades of I and X: Be sure that you make and carry out arrangements to have these grades remedied before the indicated deadline. Grade changes from I or X to a letter grade must be recorded on an official Change of Grade Form (see Appendix) that may be obtained from the departmental staff assistant.

PROCTORING EXAMS

UAH is not on an Honor System, therefore, all class exams should be proctored. Do not leave a class unattended during an exam, and stay alert during the exam. If you suspect one or more students of cheating, gather sufficient evidence to convince yourself of their guilt and then discuss the situation with your department chair as soon as possible. Also, as a precaution, if you have to send a substitute proctor for an exam, do not let the class know that beforehand. Substitutes on regular exam days must receive prior approval of the department chair.

RESOLUTION OF STUDENT GRIEVANCES

Occasionally, a student may believe he or she has cause for complaint about some aspect of the course. Complaints such as harsh grading, tardiness by the instructor in returning graded work, exams too long or difficult, and poor organization of lectures are among the most common. When such a situation arises, the instructor should privately discuss the situation with the student and make a serious effort to resolve the problem to their mutual satisfaction. If the attempt fails, the instructor should then inform the student of his or her right to pursue the matter with the department chair. The grievance procedures are detailed in the Student Handbook.

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

The University is committed to meeting the bona fide educational needs of enrolled students with physical or mental impairments, in accordance with the standards of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Accommodations must be given to students with disabilities in accordance with Regulation 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 which states that higher educational institutions are required to provide reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities. Students requiring special accommodations should contact the Office of Student Development Services. The specific accommodation to be provided and the method by which it will be supplied will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Assistance to students with disabilities is made available primarily through the Office of Student Development Services, located in the University Center. Instructors should consult with their department chairs or the Office of Student Development Services to obtain advice on dealing with particular problems presented by students with disabilities.

Some disabled students may require special accommodations such as longer time to take an exam, use of tape recorders, etc. If this is the case, the instructor will be notified by Student Development Services, and the exact accommodations needed for the student will be given in writing.

PROCTORING OF EXAMS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

A faculty member may seek assistance from the Office of Student Development Services for proctoring exams of students with disabilities. A faculty member, after contacting Student Development Services, should notify the student that arrangements are being made to have his or her test proctored by Student Development Services. The student should contact the faculty member and Student Development Services to verify the date and time of the test. Notification of test accommodations should be given to Student Development Services at least 3 to 4 days in advance. The test should be hand delivered to Student Development Services at least one day in advance of the test date. An exam-proctoring checklist will be issued to faculty requiring the service. This form should be completed and returned with the test. You will find an example of this form in the Appendix.

Each student will receive a copy of the following statement upon request for testing accommodations. Each student using testing accommodations through the Office of Student Development Services should meet with his or her instructor as well as a Student Development Services counselor to discuss appropriate accommodations well in advance of the test date. Appropriate accommodations cannot be made for same day requests.

Student Development Services will be responsible for reserving rooms for testing. Rooms are usually reserved in the University Center at least two days in advance. Readers and scribes are screened, trained and hired by Student Development Services to proctor exams.

Tests should be sealed in an envelope for confidentiality and must be hand delivered by a faculty member or a designee. In the event the exam cannot be delivered, a staff member from the Student Development Services Office will pick up the test. The same options are available for return of tests. Once the test is completed, it will be sealed. Student Development Services will contact the instructor for pickup. In the event the exam cannot be picked up, a staff member from Student Development Services will deliver the test.

SCHEDULE ADJUSTMENTS AND GRADE CHANGES

Change From Credit to Audit: A student is permitted to change from credit to audit only during the first four weeks of classes. Such a change must be made by the student on a Schedule Adjustment Form in the Office of Student Records and that change recorded there. The instructor will be notified of this change.

Late Add/Registration. A student requesting to add a class after the “Last Day to Add a Class” MUST submit a petition to the Office of the Provost clearly stating the reason for the request. The petition must include signed recommendations (approval/non-approval) from the Instructor, Chair of the Department offering the course, the Dean of the College in which the student is enrolled, and in the case of graduate students, the Graduate Dean. A Registration/Schedule Adjustment Form is located in the Appendix.

Withdrawal From Class: The UAH Withdrawal Policy and related administrative procedures are given below.

Withdrawal Policy: Through the tenth week of the Fall or Spring Semester a student may withdraw from any course. After the tenth week, a student may withdraw from a course only under extenuating circumstances and with the approval of the dean of the college in which the student is enrolled. In any case the student must initiate a formal request for withdrawal through their college or the Office of Student Records. Class non-attendance does not constitute withdrawal nor does notification to the instructor. Any student failing to follow the established procedure for withdrawal will continue to be enrolled in the class and may receive a failing grade in that course.

Recording of Withdrawals: If the withdrawal process is completed during the first two weeks, the withdrawing student’s name does not appear on the final rolls of the class from which the student withdrew, and that course does not appear on the student’s permanent record. If the withdrawal process is completed after the first two weeks, then the withdrawing student’s name will be on the final roll of the class from which the student withdrew, and that course will be recorded on the student’s permanent record with a final grade of W. It is the responsibility of the Office of Student Records to inform each instructor in a timely manner (in writing) when a student appearing on the instructor’s final class roll withdraws from that course. The University does not use grades of W to compute grade point averages.

Approvals Required: The University does not require that the student justify any course withdrawal completed before the end of the tenth week. After the tenth week, the student must give evidence of extenuating circumstances to justify withdrawal from a course. Avoidance of an undesirable grade does not justify withdrawal. It is the duty of the dean of the college in which the student is enrolled to verify that the circumstances justify withdrawal from a course. In addition, students participating in certain programs must secure approval or give adequate notification to the appropriate officers of these programs. It is the joint duty of these programs and the Office of Student Records to insure that students participating in these programs are aware of any such requirements.

Counseling: Students need to be aware that many potential employers, as well as graduate and professional schools, view an excessive number of W’s on a transcript as a flag that the student cannot be counted on to complete demanding projects. Advisors should be informed of this fact and students should be encouraged to discuss with their advisors any plans to withdraw from a course, especially after the first two weeks of the semester.

Grade Changes: The UAH policy on course grade changes is given below.

A student is permitted a maximum of one semester from the date a grade is assigned to request a change of grade. Grades submitted to the Office of Student Records can be changed only by submission by the instructor of a Change of Grade Form containing a written explanation of the error. The Change of Grade Form must be received in the Office of Student Records no later than two semesters from the date the original grade was assigned.

Official Change of Grade Forms can be obtained from your department office.

SEMESTER CALENDAR

A copy of the official Semester Calendar may be obtained from the department office and on the UAH website. Please note carefully all-important dates and the Final Examination Schedule. The final exam schedule is also printed in the Schedule of Classes. You will also find a copy of the “Academic Calendar for this year” at the back of this document and on the UAH website.

EXAM PREPARATION TIME

Test or examinations should not be administered during the last week of the semester before final examinations unless such tests or examinations were announced at least three weeks in advance. Projects, presentations or research papers should not be due during the last week of the semester before final examinations except in cases where the entire class is centered around this activity or where the activity is announced at least three weeks in advance.

FINAL EXAMINATION POLICIES

Scheduling: Each final exam is to be given at the time listed on the official Semester Calendar referred to in the immediately preceding section. It is UAH Policy that no changes may be made without the chair’s recommendation and the dean’s written approval. Should you have a class that falls outside the prescribed exam schedule, you may consult with your department chair to make arrangements for the exam.

Rescheduling: The UAH Policy regarding students rescheduling a final exam is given below.

Absences from a scheduled final examination without previous arrangement with the course instructor (except in extenuating circumstances) will be classified unexcused and a failing grade in the course will be assigned. Students having an excused absence from the final exam may be assigned a grade of X and the exam rescheduled. (See Grading System).

Any student whose final examination schedule is such that he or she is scheduled to take three examinations during a single day shall have the right to have the middle examination rescheduled. The date and time of the rescheduled examination shall be by mutual agreement between the student and the affected faculty member and must be agreed upon by the end of the final week of the semester. It is the student’s responsibility to notify the instructor of this type of conflict, and it is the instructor’s responsibility to verify that the conflict actually exists. If a student is scheduled to take four examinations during a single day, the same procedure shall apply except that the student shall now have the right to have both the second and third examinations rescheduled.

Student Review of Final Exams: Students have the right to review their final exams with faculty members. For this reason, final exam papers must be kept on file for one calendar year.

Retention of Final Exams: Continuing full-time faculty and graduate teaching assistants may keep final exam papers in their offices. Part-time faculty should turn in final exam papers to the department office.

Check with your department chair to determine any other final exam policies established by the department.

SUBMISSION OF FINAL GRADES

Near the end of the semester you will receive a memorandum from the Office of Student Records regarding submission of final grades. Please pay close attention to all instructions on the memorandum and adhere to the required deadlines. Final course grades for each of your students should be reported to the Office of Student Records on an official Grade Report or by electronic input on the SIS/Web for Faculty. For access to Web for Faculty you may contact your Department Chair, College Budget Analyst, or Academic Affairs Budget Analyst.

POSTING OF GRADES

The UAH Policy concerning posting of grades is given in the following.

Instructors are neither required nor encouraged to post grades. They may incur liability and violate the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act if they do post grades. If the grades are posted, in order to comply with federal law, the instructor must use a code designation for each student, insuring that the code, or the display of the code, does not permit anyone other than the instructor and the student to determine the student’s identity. The student’s name and social security number cannot be used. The instructor must also comply with the following requirements prior to posting grades: An announcement must be made to the class that grades will be posted and the procedure to be used described. Students must be informed that they may choose not to participate in the procedure by simply notifying the instructor of their objection within 72 hours after the announcement. No grades can be posted until after the lapse of the 72-hour period to allow for any objections. Thereafter, only the grades of those students who have not objected can be posted.

Faculty members should be careful that the Privacy Act is not violated by well-intentioned efforts to accommodate students. For example, grades should not be given out to telephone requests since it is almost impossible to establish fully the identity of the caller.

Before posting grades, check with your department office to determine if a departmental policy exists.

DISPOSAL OF UNIVERSITY OR DEPARTMENTAL PROPERTY

At the end of a semester, those part-time instructors or graduate teaching assistants not continuing the next semester are to turn in to the departmental office their grade books, keys, departmental texts, student final exam papers, etc. Full-time faculty leaving the University are to do the same.

STUDENT INSTRUCTOR EVALUATION (SIE)

During the last two weeks of classes your students will have the opportunity to evaluate the course and you, as the instructor of the course. This evaluation is carried out via a standardized survey form that is provided in each lecture section. Your department office has a copy of the form used by your college. Copies of a question-by-question analysis of the response results are provided during the next semester to the instructor, the department chair, and the dean of the college.

The composite score for each faculty member by class is available to students in department and deans’ offices as well as in the Library.

UAH INCLEMENT WEATHER PROCEDURES

Cancellation of classes is a serious matter because UAH classes and laboratories are in session from early in the morning to late at night. It is very difficult to make up classes if they are canceled. Makeups are especially hard to schedule because many labs or clinicals only meet one day a week. UAH has a contract with students to deliver instruction and takes that responsibility seriously. UAH cannot cancel classes and ignore instructional time that may be lost. UAH is also concerned about the safety of our students, faculty and staff. The decision to stay open, close, or delay opening is handled in a very careful manner. On rare occasions, whe