Faculty Rights and Responsibilities

Applies to all full-time faculty who do not have administrative appointment and who are not represented by collective bargaining. In the absence of specific faculty approved policies by the SOPP and SOM this policy includes faculty from SOPP and SOM.

2030.1.1

Section A. Textbooks
When possible, faculty have the right to select textbooks and other teaching materials (e.g. software, course notes, etc) for the courses they are scheduled to teach.

2030.1.2

Section B. Grades
Faculty retain the authority to make the final determination of the grade to be awarded to each student in his or her class. If a faculty member cannot be contacted, there is a conflict of interest, or extraordinary circumstances serve to make the grade inappropriate, the Chair, Dean or a provost may change a grade awarded by a faculty member. A grade may also be changed in accordance with specific academic policies set by the Faculty Senate or in response to a petition submitted by the student. Changing a grade to A, B, C, D, F, P or U, however, requires the consent of the faculty member who awarded the grade or under extraordinary circumstances, consent of two or more other faculty members in the Department.

A faculty member will explain a grade during regular office hours or at a mutually agreed upon time, if a student requests such an explanation.

Prior to the end of the ninth week of each semester, faculty will give students adequate feedback to make informed judgments about their progress. Feedback may include examinations, papers, or other components of a student's grade. In those graduate and advanced undergraduate courses wherein it is not feasible to comply with this requirement, faculty members will include a statement to that effect in the course syllabus.

Faculty will turn in course grades to their departments in time to meet the registrar's published deadlines.

Faculty members will retain, for at least one year, any grade, progress and attendance records that were used to determine grades.

2030.1.3

Section C. Course Syllabi
Faculty members will provide a course syllabus for students in each course taught. The syllabus will include at least a clear explanation of the course requirements, policies on grading and expectations for class attendance. The syllabus will be distributed or made available electronically to students and to the Department Chair/Dean on the first day of class or no later than by the end of the first week of classes.

2030.1.4

Section D. Faculty Availability
Faculty members have an obligation to meet their scheduled classes throughout the scheduled time, unless an alternative learning experience has been assigned in the syllabus as part of the course requirement. Faculty members who will be absent from class because of religious observance will inform the students and Department Chair/Dean in advance. Faculty members who will be absent from class because of attendance at a professional meeting will request written permission from the Chair/Dean.

When forced by illness or unforeseen emergency to cancel class, the faculty member will inform the Department Chair/Dean of such cancellation. If possible, the faculty member will inform the Department Chair/Dean and the students of the cancellation in a reasonable period of time before the class is scheduled to meet.

Faculty members are expected to use the final examination period designated by the Registrar for exams and other culminating class experiences.

2030.1.5

Section E. Office Hours
Faculty members shall maintain a sufficient number of regular posted office hours to meet the reasonable needs of the faculty member's students and advisees. E-mail, voice mail, and other types of electronic communication may supplement regular office hours but may not be used to replace opportunities for face-to-face meetings.

2030.1.6

Section F. Classroom Atmosphere
In order to maintain an appropriate learning environment, faculty members have the right to remove disruptive students from their classes.

2030.1.7

Section G. The Internet
Faculty members will have access to the internet including basic software for email communication at no cost to the individual faculty member.

The University will not monitor any outgoing internet or email activity of individual faculty members on that faculty member's office computer(s) without reasonable suspicion of unlawful or criminal activity. A faculty member who commits a criminal act through the use of internet access provided by the University will be liable for all damages and costs incurred.

2030.1.8

Section H. Institutional Environment
Within limits of available space and resources, the University will make a reasonable, good faith effort to provide each faculty member with suitable office space, a network-compatible computer and related items, access to copying services, office and classroom supplies, library resources, and other materials necessary to their work.
The university will make a good faith effort to respond in a timely manner to reasonable requests from faculty members for measures to secure hazardous materials.