· Teaching effectively. You are expected to
develop strategies to effectively teach students to improve their skills
in writing academic discourse, which is the primary objective of FYC.
· Meeting classes. You are expected to meet
all classes for the entire period at the assigned days and times.
· Assigning and grading essays. You are expected
to assign at least four essays in each first-year course and to thoughtfully
read and comment on these. Student essays should be returned within
two weeks and always before the next essay is due.
· Holding office hours. You are expected to
hold office hours three hours each week at regularly scheduled times
and in your office. Also you should offer students opportunities to
schedule other times if they cannot during your regularly scheduled
hours.
· Adhering to the policies and procedures outlined in
this document. You are expected to read these policies and
procedures carefully and implement them in your work as a faculty member.
Academic
Freedom and Responsibility. Controversial topics such as politics,
sexual preference, and religion are acceptable for discussion if they
are being used to teach writing and if they are handled responsibly.
Your particular beliefs are not central to such a discussion, and comments
to proselytize or to shock are, of course, not responsible. Warn students
of material that they might find offensive and give alternative assignments
for those students who feel that they cannot participate in good conscience.
We are here to teach the students who enroll in our classes to write.
Anything that detracts from that objective is counterproductive and
not acceptable.
Planned Absences by Instructors. At times other professional
opportunities such as presenting papers at a conference arise and will
require that you cancel class. If you find yourself in this situation,
please notify me by memo in advance and include the name of the person
who will be substituting for you. You are responsible for finding a
colleague to teach your class.
Absences by Instructor due to Illness or Emergency.
If you have an illness or an emergency, please notify the First-Year
secretary at least one hour before class time so she can cancel your
class. If you feel that you will probably miss more than one meeting,
please arrange for a substitute and notify me.
Class meeting times. Students cannot be required to meet at
any time other than that published in the class schedule. Even offering
extra credit assignments that require students to attend an event at
a particular time is not fair since some students may not have equal
opportunity to complete the assignment.
Student Conferences In Lieu of Class. Substantial conferences
of fifteen or twenty minutes with individual students can be very productive
if well planned, but tend to be exhausting for the instructor. You may
choose to require conferences with all of your students during the semester
in lieu of a class meeting. You may require as many as three conferencing
sessions, canceling three classes. If you would like to hold more than
three conferences, please speak with the director. Notify the First-Year
secretary in advance of class cancellations for this purpose.
Course materials. No alternate or additional texts
may be required without permission of the Director. No course packs
may be required without the Director's approval. Course packs must be
submitted for approval the semester prior to the one in which they are
proposed for use.
Returning Papers. Papers should be returned within fourteen
days and before the next graded assignment is due. You should recommend
that students retain a xerox copy of work they turn in. This defuses
problems should an assignment be lost.
Retaining
Papers. You will need to retain all graded work for one full
semester (not including the summer) after the end of the course. For
example, student essays from spring 2000 will need to be kept until
the end of fall 2000. Each student should buy an 8-1/2" by 11"
manila folder. On the tab have students write their names, i.d.#, semester,
year, course, section, and your name. If you leave the program, all
active files must be turned in to the First- Year Office. Students may
xerox and keep copies of their graded work. The First- Year Office will
not return students' work. You need not keep ungraded work such as journals.
Departmental
Policy on Student Absences in First-Year Composition. For these
courses the department has established the following policy for all
sections. In classes meeting three times each week, a student's grade
will be lowered by one letter at the fourth unexcused absence, and two
letters at the seventh unexcused absence. A student who has ten or more
unexcused absences fails the course. In classes meeting twice each week,
the corresponding numbers of absences are three, five, and seven.
Extracurricular Activities. The university does not
recognize participation in extracurricular activities as a valid excuse
for missing class. However, we have tried to be reasonably cooperative
with the athletic department, the band, fraternities-sororities, etc.
about this situation. Student athletes are closely supervised, and you
will be notified in writing through campus mail prior to any class meetings
that the student will miss due to athletic events.
Drop and Withdrawal Deadline. After the first two weeks
of regular semesters, students can no longer drop. However, because
of the all university rule on first-year composition, students cannot
drop without the Director or the First-Year assistants' permission.
To withdraw from this class, students also need the permission of the
Director or the assistants.
Policy
Statements. A policy statement outlines the requirements and
regulations of your course and is required for all first-year courses.
By putting these policies in writing the students know from the beginning
your expectations. The written statement also helps eliminate the "But
I didn't know" argument. Policy statements should include the following
information:
Course assignments. You should list the essays (both
in-class and out) which will be graded and indicate the weight each
will be given. You also should indicate other work.
Penalties for late papers. Neither the university
nor the department has a policy on late papers. It is up to you to
decide how you will treat late work. However, it is important that
students know whatever the policy you will follow. Some instructors
allow one late paper without penalty and then dock all others one
letter grade. Other instructors refuse to accept late papers without
a valid excuse. If a student has an excused absence, she cannot be
penalized.
Plagiarism. Surprisingly enough many students do
not know clearly what plagiarism is. By including the standard departmental
definition of plagiarism in your policy statement and going over it
in class, you will avoid some possible problems. The First- Year office
has a statement available at <http://www.ou.edu/provost/integrity/>.
Some instructors place the definition on a separate sheet and add
a note that the student understands and a place for him or her to
sign. The instructor keeps this on file to prevent students from claiming
they never received a copy. Refer to the section below on plagiarism
to learn about the process of submitting a plagiarism case to the
College of Arts & Sciences.
Absences. See the departmental policy above. Students
may not be penalized for excused absences. If you will not accept
in-class work from students who have missed class without an excuse,
you should note this on the statement also.
Word Processing. You may require students to type
assignments but remain flexible and listen to students who feel such
a requirement is a serious burden. Computers are available in the
in the library, in Dale Hall, and at several other sites around campus.
Office Hours. You should list the hours (at least
three) and your office number. In addition, you should acknowledge
your willingness to make appointments with students who have classes
or work during your scheduled hours. All office hours must be held
in your office.
Syllabus. In addition to the policy statement, students
should be provided a syllabus that outlines class activities day-by-day.
First-time teachers may provide the syllabus in units as the semester
progresses. Experienced instructors generally hand out a syllabus for
the entire semester at the first class meeting but warn students that
the schedule is subject to change.
Assignment
sheets. Along with the policy statement and syllabus, hand
in a copy of your assignment sheets at the beginning of each semester
to the First-Year assistants. Instructors in their first year can hand
in their assignment sheets at the end of the semester with their grades.
Handling
Plagiarism. In order to safeguard you and the university, strict
guidelines for handling suspected plagiarism have been established.
Never accuse a student of plagiarism unless you have the source from
which s/he plagiarized in hand. In fact, even if you have the source
you should simply bring the case to my attention. You will need to xerox
the source and student paper highlighting and matching the common passages
in each. You will then write a memo to the Dean identifying the student,
course, and section and also explaining the background of the situation
as you see it (e.g., s/he did not appear to be trying to deceive me...).
These materials are then sent to the Dean. If you feel a student has
plagiarized but cannot find the source, come and see me. The paper often
can be returned to the student without a grade and classified as unacceptable
because it doesn't meet the assignment, or you may want to return it
and ask the student to review the documentation.
Grade Sheets
and Changes: Each semester you will be given grade sheets which
are collected in the First- Year office at the end of the semester.
These sheets must be filed no later than the last day to file grades.
These sheets are the department's permanent record. If a grade needs
to be changed, the main office has the appropriate form. You must meet
with the chair to secure his/her approval. Incompletes and administrative
withdrawals are two other grading options besides the standard ones.
Incompletes. If a student has compiled a large number of excused
absences, you have the option of allowing the student to complete his/her
work as an incomplete. At the end of the semester, you will need to
mark the student’s grade with an "I" and then complete
a contract with the student that stipulates his/her current grade, the
assignments that need to be finished, and a timeline (at most one year).
The First-Year office has the requisite forms. Once the student has
fulfilled his/her obligations, you will need to fill out an incomplete
change of grade form.
Administrative Withdrawals. At the end of the semester, you have
the option of assigning an "AW," an administrative withdrawal,
for students who appear on your class rolls yet who stopped attending
class after the first couple of weeks of class. In order to communicate
with these students who "disappear" from your class, please
also contact the Coordinator of Retention and Outreach at University
College as soon as possible.
Impaired Students. In compliance with Section 504 of
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, OU offers equal educational opportunities
for handicapped students. If you have a physically handicapped student
who cannot participate in required activities for your class, please
see me so we can make arrangements to accommodate the student.
Student Complaints. You will be able to resolve most
complaints in a conference with your students. Occasionally they will
come directly to me. I will listen to the student but tell him/her that
this is an informal talk and s/he must meet with you to resolve the
problem before I will do anything. If a student has had a conference
with you but still is dissatisfied and wishes to make a formal complaint,
I require that s/he give it to me in writing. I will give you a copy
of the written complaint, discuss it with you, and, if necessary, arrange
a meeting of all three of us. If no resolution is reached, the student
may take the complaint to the Appeals Board in the College of Arts and
Sciences.
Faculty Observation and Evaluation. If you are new, you will
be observed at least twice (once in the fall and again in the spring)
and evaluated only after an observation. All GTAs will be evaluated
annually.
Final Examinations. All courses under the College of
Arts and Sciences must hold finals at the officially scheduled date
and time. This period must engage students in a meaningful educational
experience. Remind students of this requirement early in the course.
The examination schedule is published in the course bulletin.