Policies & Procedures

Class-related Policies and Procedures:
Beginning of Semester Memorandum

Download Beginning of Semester Memo in PDF format

August 29, 2011

MEMORANDUM

Welcome to the fall 2011 semester! As we begin a new academic year, I would like to remind you of several important items:

1. Course Syllabus Policy
   
   Faculty Document No. 1895 states that “At the first class session, each student in each course will be supplied a syllabus that contains essential information about the course and department policies that affect the conduct of the course.” At the request of the Faculty Senate, the Academic Policy Committee prepared a summary of recommended items for each course syllabus. This summary is available in printed form from your department chair and at: http://www4.uwm.edu/secu/facdocs/1895B.pdf See also http://www4.uwm.edu/secu/SyllabusLinks.pdf. Instructors are encouraged to upload the syllabi for their upcoming courses to the online Schedule of Classes. Please go to www.schedule.uwm.edu, click on the appropriate semester and then on the first link in the left-hand column "Upload Syllabi (Instructors Only)."
   
   I wish to draw particular attention to the issue of academic conduct and ask that you include a statement in your syllabus clarifying both UWM’s and your expectations of appropriate student academic conduct. Student academic misconduct procedures are specified in Chapter UWS 14 and Faculty Document No. 1686 and can be found at:http://www4.uwm.edu/acad_aff/policy/academicmisconduct.cfm

 

2. Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
   

   In the spirit of providing equal access to students with disabilities and in compliance with state and federal laws, the University is required to provide accommodations to students with documented disabilities. It is expected that a statement be placed on your syllabus informing students to contact you to arrange needed accommodations. Students are to provide a copy of their Verified Individual Services and Accommodations (VISA) to you to indicate the accommodations they may need in your class. If a student requests accommodations but does not have a VISA, please direct him/her to the Student Accessibility Center (SAC.) Additionally, please provide early information on course reading materials and syllabus information with a schedule of readings, so materials can be converted to alternative formats in a timely manner for students with print impairments. If you need assistance or have questions please contact SAC at x5822.

    

3. Religious Observances
   
   From time to time, students who are observing religious holidays or other days of special religious significance will find it necessary to be absent on a class day. While it is undoubtedly impossible to avoid the scheduling of tests and other major activities without conflicting with some religious observance, Wisconsin law (Chapter 36.43) and UWM Faculty Policy (Document 1918) require that we provide a reasonable accommodation of a student’s sincerely held religious beliefs with regard to all examinations and other academic requirements. Please make every effort to accommodate students who face conflicts between their academic responsibilities and religious commitments. A copy of the policy is located on the web at: https://www4.uwm.edu/secu/docs/other/S1.5.htm.
   
   In addition, links to the current religious calendar can be found at http://www4.uwm.edu/acad_aff/policy/.
   

 

4. Policy on Teaching Evaluation Procedures
   
   Faculty Document No. 2019 outlines the policies regarding teaching evaluations. The policy states that all departments/instructional units will conduct end-of-the-semester student evaluations in every section of every course, including UWinteriM and summer session courses. Since the department/instructional unit determines the format of its course evaluations, please consult your department chairperson if you have any questions. The policy can be found at: https://www4.uwm.edu/secu/docs/other/S52.5.htm.

 

5. FERPA Reminder
   
   The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 requires that you be knowledgeable of students’ rights concerning their educational records, and of certain categories of public information which the University has designated "directory information." For more information in understanding what UWM faculty and staff are required to do to protect the privacy of students, go to http://www4.uwm.edu/current_students/records_grades/ferpa.cfm.
   If you have not already done so, you are also strongly encouraged to complete the on-line FERPA training and quiz found at https://www4.uwm.edu/DES/apps/ferpaquiz/. See also sections 6 and 7 below for additional information about the confidentiality of student grade information.

 

6. Grading and Grade Records
   
   Faculty Document No. 1927 outlines the policies on grading and grade records. This document is available from your department chair and at :https://www4.uwm.edu/secu/docs/other/S29.htm The campus policy on assigning F-Grades to students is available at http://www4.uwm.edu/acad_aff/policy/f-grade-policy.cfm. Please consult these documents for information on responsibilities for evaluation, grade and record changes, record keeping and
   special consideration. Information on grading functionality within PAWS can be found at: http://www4.uwm.edu/faculty_staff/instructional_support/upload/Instructions_for_entering_grades_on_paws_9-0.pdf
   Under no circumstances, may individual student grades be shared with other students, nor should grades be emailed to students.

 

7. Posting of Student Grades
   
   Posting a list of students’ names and grades represents a violation of the provision regarding release of a student’s education record without written authorization, and is not allowed. Be aware that social security numbers, UWM student ID numbers, or any parts of them, may not be used to identify grades whether they be final course grades, exam or assignment grades. This does not preclude your posting grades as long as the procedure used ensures student anonymity. Posting grades with a unique identifier known only to the student and instructor is acceptable. In such cases, do not order the list alphabetically.

 

8. Drop/Withdrawal/Repeat Policies
   

   UWM Academic and Administrative Policy S-19 details the Drop/Withdrawal/Repeat policies. A student may drop a full-term course(s) through the end of the eighth week of classes. (Deadlines for shorter session courses are prorated.) One factor in students' decisions to drop courses might be their perception of course performance. I encourage you to provide some form of feedback about their academic performance to each of your students as soon as possible, but certainly prior to the drop deadline, so as to help students realistically assess their prospects for success in your course.

 

9. Early Warning System for Selected Students
   

   While feedback by the drop deadline may help students assess whether they should remain in a class, it may be too late by then for students to turn around unsatisfactory performance. Understanding course expectations and knowing their progress is especially important for freshmen and others who may be less well prepared academically. Faculty and instructional staff with freshmen, AOC and Life Impact program students enrolled in their classes will be asked to use the "Early Warning System" to inform students (and their advisors) by the end of the fourth week about classroom performance to date. More specific information on this will be provided to appropriate faculty/staff early in the semester.

 

10. Helping Students Cope with Stress
    

    Given the many demands college students face today, stress is unavoidable. The simplest words or actions from an influential adult can have a significant impact on how students succeed. For students struggling to balance the stressors in their lives, resources are available. Close friends, relatives, clergy, coaches — anyone who is seen as caring and trustworthy may be a potential resource in times of trouble. In your position as faculty or staff member, students may also view you as someone who listens and offers guidance. I hope that we all would offer caring, support and guidance to our students who may be struggling with excessive stress as well as those students who are experiencing more significant emotional or health problems. By expressing interest and concern you have an opportunity to help a student in need find appropriate assistance.
    
    For more information about how you can help UWM students manage stress, mental health or health problems, please contact Norris Health Center at (414) 229-4716.

 

11. The Behavior Review Team
    
    If you have concerns about a student’s distressing or disruptive behavior that may suggest a safety risk to others, contact the Dean of Students' Office at 229-4632. When a concern is expressed, the Behavior Review Team works collaboratively to evaluate the overall risk and determine the most appropriate steps to protect the person and the UWM community in a caring fashion. If there is an immediate threat, call University Police at 9-991.
    
    The Behavior Review Team (BRT) was created in the spring of 2008 to address issues related to behaviors of concern in the campus community. The BRT is co-chaired by Jim Hill, Associate Vice Chancellor, Student Affairs, and Mike Marzion, UWM Police Chief. The team includes representatives from the Division of Student Affairs, University Police, University Housing, Legal Affairs, the Student Accessibility Center, Academic Affairs, the Student Success Center, Norris Health Center and Human Resources.

 

12. The S.A.F.E. Campaign
    

    Safety Awareness for Everyone describes initiatives to increase campuswide awareness of how to stay safe. One of UWM's S.A.F.E. campus goals is to create a culture of awareness among students, faculty, staff, and parents. The Campus Health & Safety Web site at www.campussafety.uwm.edu (red link at the bottom of the UWM home page) centralizes emergency and routine safety information and communications. All faculty, students, and staff are encouraged to enroll in the S.A.F.E. Alert system to receive emergency-information text message alerts. Sign up at the above site.

 

13. Students Called to Military Service
    
    I would also remind you that UWM and the UW System have in recent years put in place a number of policies and procedures designed to accommodate students who must temporarily interrupt their studies when called to active duty military service. Go to http://www4.uwm.edu/current_students/military_call_up.cfm for more detailed information. Students in this situation do have some options not generally available under our usual academic and administrative policies, so if you have not done so recently I would encourage you to review this document.

     

14. Schedule of Final Exams
    
    UWM Academic and Administrative Policy S-22 is the policy that governs the scheduling of and/or exemption from final examinations. With rare exceptions, the final examination shall be given during the regular examination period. The time of a final examination for an individual or a class may be changed only with the prior approval of the dean. An approved change can only be a postponement to a later date and must be clearly communicated to students early in the term.
    
    Final exams may not exceed two hours in length, even for courses which have met only once per week during the semester for longer than two hours. The academic department, in consultation with the appropriate dean or director, is authorized to exempt particular courses from the final examination, when it is determined that no essential education purpose is served by conducting a final examination. Here is the link to the policy: https://www4.uwm.edu/secu/docs/other/S22.htm. Questions regarding the policy should be directed to the Secretary of the University.
    

 

Your cooperation in all these matters is greatly appreciated. Have a wonderful semester!