Transcript Syllabus Guidelines for TAs as Primary Instructors

David Royse, Ph.D.
College of Social Work
University Senate Syllabi Guidelines
(These are mandatory)
When preparing your syllabi, always refer to the
checklist found at
www/uky.edu/Faculty/Senate/files/Forms/Senate%20S
yllabi%20Guidelines.pdf
The guidelines are also found in your handbook
Part 1 of the Guidelines:
General Course Information
 Full and accurate title of the course
 Departmental and college prefix
 Course prefix, number, and section number
 Scheduled meeting days(s), time, and place
Poor Example
Problems in Part 1:
•Does this title look “full and accurate?”
•Is there a college identifier?
•Is there a section number?
•When does the course meet? Where?
Part 2: Guidelines
Instructor Contact Information
Instructor Name
Preferred method for reaching instructor
Office phone number
Office address
UK email address
Office hours; is an appointment necessary?
Poor Example
Problems for the Consumer
 Who is teaching the course?
 How do I reach the instructor when I have a problem
or question?
 Can I talk to the instructor (i.e. phone)?
 Should I email?
 Where do I meet the instructor outside of class?
 When is he/she in the office?
No need to overdo it
Jim Disclosall, Instructor
Office B-1 Funkhouser
Hours: Monday midnight to 3:00 am, Tuesday 8:12 to 8:25,
Wednesday 1:00 to 3:00, Friday after 12 p.m.
(I Iike to sleep late on Fridays)
Phone: 323-5676 (office) 276-2345 (home)
Cell:
313-0212
Email: [email protected]
Alice’s place: 398-8888 (weekends, and Tue/Thurs nights)
My Mom’s: 513-3951 (she’ll always know where I am)
Facebook and Twitter in process
Part 3 of Guidelines:
Course Description Requirements
Overview of course (from the UK Bulletin)*
Course goals/objectives
Student learning outcomes/competencies
Required materials (books, lab materials, etc.)
Components that contribute to final grade
Tentative course schedule that identifies topics,
examinations, and assignment due dates, etc.
*Longer descriptions/overviews can be inserted but
should not replace or be at odds with the official one
Part 3 of Guidelines:
Course Description Requirements Cont.
The syllabus also needs:
 Final examination (date, time, location, duration)
 Numerical grading scale and its relationship to letter
grades.*
*Remember: grad students cannot be awarded
“D” grades in 400G, 500, 600, and 700 level
courses.
Problems for the Consumer
 Did you see a course description?
 Were there goals and objectives?
(What is the difference between a goal and an objective?)
 Are the objectives equal to student learning outcomes?
 Do we have a sense the instructor will be assessing
competencies?
As a Student-Consumer
 Do the “Activities” give you enough information about
what you’ll be doing and when?
 Do you know what chapters or articles you will need
to read?
 Has a textbook been mentioned yet?
 How many tests will there be? When are they
scheduled?
 What proportion of my grade will come from tests?
 What is a “problem notebook?” What part of my
grade will it be? When do I need to submit it
by? Is it electronic or paper?
 How else will I be graded?
 Does good attendance count for anything?
Does this new information help any at all?
Are these learning outcomes?
What about this last piece of info?
In a nut shell, the instructor was
•vague
•avoided any specificity
•No indication of what topic would occur on what week,
•how the student could prepare,
•or how the grade components would come together.
Of the components that we’ve mentioned thus far,
what else is missing?
Answer: the numerical grading scale and its relation to
the letter grades
If you have looked at the Syllabi Guidelines, can you
think of anything else that ought to be posted?
Undergraduates at UK must be provided with a
Midterm Grade based on their performance in the
first half of the semester.
Policies to Include on the Syllabus
 Attendance: Is it important to you? If so, you ought
to take attendance each class meeting and deduct
points from those with poor attendance.
Example of a good attendance policy
Unexcused absences will result in a loss of 5 participation
points per absence. Please refer to “Student Rights &
Responsibilities” (Uky.edu/StudentAffairs/Code/) for
definition of excused absences. Students missing any
graded work due to an excused absence bear the
responsibility of informing the Instructor about the
excused absence within one week following the absence,
and for making up missed work.
What does this policy require in the syllabus?
(see also slide # 30 for excused absences)
It requires attendance to be included in the grading
components. For example,
Attendance/participation = 50 points
Assignments=125 points
Final Exam= 200 points
Midterm Exam=100 points
Presentation= 25 points
Suggestion:
You might want to elaborate your “making up missed
work” policy. For instance, is a missed exam
arranged at your convenience (e.g., 2 weeks out) at
the student’s convenience, within a week, or during
Final Exam Week? Must all missed assignments be
due within one week, etc ?
Another important provision of
SR 5.2.4.2
“If attendance is required by the class policies
elaborated in the syllabus or serves as a criterion for
a grade in a course, and if a student has excused
absences in excess of one-fifth of the class contact
hours for that course, a student shall have the right
to petition for a "W", and the Instructor of Record
may require the student to petition for a "W" or take
an "I" in the course.”
Verification of Absences SR 5.2.42
 Illness & Death: The Instructor of Record shall have the right to
request appropriate verification. {You may ask in all 4 cases!}
 Varsity sports, official off-campus excursions of educ. units,
etc: the student must notify the Instructor prior to the occurrence of
such absences, but in no case shall such notification occur more
than one week after the absence. Instructors may request formal
notification from appropriate university personnel to document the
student's participation in such trips.
 Religious Holidays:
Students are responsible for notifying the Instructor of Record in
writing of anticipated absences due to their observance of such
holidays no later than the last day for adding a class.
Examples of Non-excused absences
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Work.
Alarm didn’t go off on time.
Couldn’t find a parking spot.
Car broke down.
Lack of childcare or other child related absence.
Didn’t feel well, but did NOT go to a doctor.
Unpleasant weather which did not result in school or
road closure or prolonged disruption of public
transportation.
 Test or assignment in another class.
Example of a Lateness Policy
Assignments must be submitted by the date and time
listed on the assignment. There will be a 10%
deduction for homework that is up to 24 hours late,
and a 20% deduction for homework that is 24-48
hours late. I will not accept any homework that is
more than 48 hours late.
Plan your time carefully; don’t wait until the last minute to begin an
assignment. Starting early will give you ample time to ask questions and
obtain assistance if needed.
Second Late Policy Example
Late work will be penalized 10% per day (with the “late
clock” beginning at class time rather than the end of
the workday), until the graded assignment has been
handed back to the class; at that point, late work will
not be accepted. Excuses such as “I overslept” or “The
printer wasn’t working” will not exempt you from late
penalties.
Example of an Academic Integrity Policy
It is expected that students will refrain from plagiarism and
cheating. Plagiarism and cheating are serious breaches of
academic conduct. Each student is advised to understand
the University’s policies, how violations of academic integrity
policy are defined, the penalties, as well as the disposition of
these offenses as explained in the Code of Student Rights and
Responsibilities at:
(http://www.uky.edu/StudentAffairs/Code/Section%20VI.pdf)
Avoiding a charge of plagiarism is critical in a course that
requires you to summarize and document the written work of
others.
Second Example of
Academic Integrity Policy
All academic work, written or otherwise, submitted by
students to their instructors or other academic
supervisors, is expected to be the result of their own
thought, research, or self-expression (University
Senate 6.3.1). Offenses are considered academic
felonies. Please understand the penalties for cheating
and plagiarism by reviewing UK’s policies at
http://www.uky.edu/StudentAffairs/Code/Section%20VI.pdf
Additional Details to Consider Adding
If you plagiarize, your instructor will check with the Registrar to
see if you have a previous academic offense.
If you have a previous academic offense, you will receive, at a
minimum, a grade of E for the course. The maximum penalty could
include an XE and suspension from the University, based upon the
discretion of your instructor, the Dean of the College of Social Work
and the Provost and the number and nature of offenses. Penalties
will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
If this is your first offense, the instructor will – at a minimum:
a) impose a score of zero for the assignment, and b) write a “letter of
warning” to the student, submitted to the Registrar’s office. This
letter stays in the student’s file and is destroyed upon graduation if
there are no subsequent offenses. You have the right to appeal and
should contact the Academic Ombud to initiate this process.
Additional Details to Consider Adding
If you are unsure of the difference between plagiarism
and paraphrasing, you ought to consult with your
instructor or go to the examples at
http://www.uky.edu/Ombud/Plagiarism
Classroom Behavior,
Decorum, and Civility
“I have a strong commitment to diversity and the valuing of
differences among members of our academic community.
Academic discovery includes discussion and debate, and the
right to respectfully disagree from time-to-time. Students have
a right to voice reasoned opinions contrary to those offered by
the instructor and/or other students (S.R. 6.1.2) but should do
so respectfully and civilly. Disagreements and opinion
statements that include attacks of a personal nature or
statements degrading another on the basis of race, sex,
religion, sexual orientation, age, national/regional origin or
other irrelevant factors may affect one’s grade because they
are unacceptable and do not contribute to a safe, productive
learning environment.”
K. Badger SW 470 Syllabus
Other classroom policies?
 To limit distractions in the classroom, please turn off
all cell phones and other electronic devices and
store them during class. Please inform me if you
are expecting an important phone call (e.g., a sick
family member) and take the call in the hall.
 Lap tops are permitted only for note-taking and
other required activities. If used during class for
other purposes (e.g., email, surfing the internet, etc)
you will be asked to put your laptop away and leave
it at home or stored during future classes.
Other Class Expectations
I expect that you will
 Come to class having completed assigned readings and will be prepared to
discuss them
 Demonstrate an active interest in the topic being discussed by verbal and
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nonverbal behaviors
Not engage in side conversation with those around you
Involve others by listening, asking questions, and allowing space for others
to contribute
Share relevant information from one’s knowledge base, work, or life
experiences with classmates
Respect your colleagues and maintain confidentiality if information of a
personal nature is shared in class.
Example of a Disability Policy
If you have a documented disability that requires
academic accommodations, please see me as soon as
possible during office hours or by appointment. In order
to receive accommodations in this course, you must
provide me with a Letter of Accommodation from the
Disability Resource Center (Room 2, Alumni Gym, 2572754. I will contact the DRC if needed to coordinate
special testing accommodations, etc. You ought to claim
any disability at the beginning of the semester. It is not
retroactive and cannot change test grades, etc. after the
fact.
Tips for Success
The syllabus is a contract; therefore
1. Once posted/distributed don’t mess with it
2. Be specific: list the readings that will be assigned;
don’t hide readings (“to be provided later”) and don’t
spring big assignments on students (“25 page paper
with 17 interviews due September 15”). Be
transparent in your requirements & expectations.
3. List due dates and late penalties
4. Provide all the information needed/that you would
want if you were a student in the course
Tips for Success Continued
5. Compare your rough draft to the example given to you.
Have you changed anything of substance (e.g., the
course description, student learning outcomes the
textbook)?
6. Show your polished draft to a senior faculty member,
TA coordinator, your advisor, chair, or someone in a
position to give you good feedback about the course.
7. Revise again if necessary.
Can You Depart from the Syllabus?
Yes,
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If you get sick and fall behind; a death/funeral
Inclement weather
Your baby comes sooner than expected
You made a big mistake or miscalculation (e.g., the
points from assignments = 370 instead of the 730
that you had intended)
Syllabus is twice as demanding as all other sections
of the course and complaints are mounting
Normally, students do not complain about having a
reduction in the number of quizzes, assignments,
required readings, etc. However, a student who is
trying to improve his/her grade might complain if
he/she sees that there is a reduction in opportunities
to improve his/her grade. Check it out with students
before making changes; make sure everyone is okay
with the planned change.
Can you add new rules to the syllabus?
Yes. For example, you need to address a growing
problem of students texting in class, incivility,
improper use of laptops, etc. You might phrase this
as “new guidelines for …” and post it in Blackboard.
It doesn’t have to be a part of your syllabus.
I would not, however, add new readings, assignments,
etc. But you could add a new reading if you also
dropped one of the previous ones….and it is readily
available with no new/unexpected costs, etc.
Valuable Resource
If you feel the need to make changes to a syllabus well
into the semester, you might want to consult with
your senior faculty/advisor, etc.
Or, you might want to check with the Academic Ombud
257-3737 ([email protected]).
Questions that you might have?