The Instructional Process - FacultySince education is a cooperative effort between teacher and student, both parties must fulfill obligations if the integrity and efficiency of the instructional process are to be preserved. Pursuant to this understanding, the following statement was adopted by the Academic Senate (formerly University Council) on October 6, 1982 and approved by the Provost. (Also see: Instructional Process, Obligations of the Student.)
1. To contribute to and remain abreast of the latest developments in their fields;
2. To continually pursue teaching excellence;
3. To treat all students with respect and fairness without regard to ancestry, race, religion, political belief, country of origin, sex, sexual preference, age, marital status, or handicap;
4. To encourage differing viewpoints and demonstrate integrity in evaluating their merit;
5. To adhere regularly and punctually to the scheduled class and final examination times, and arrange for notification of absence and coverage of classes;
6. To establish and maintain appropriate office hours;
7. To present, early in the term, the following course information:*
(a) course objectives and general outline;
(b) classroom procedures to be followed, expectations concerning class attendance, and proposed dates of major evaluations (including examinations, papers, and other projects);
(d) where appropriate, a schedule of class-related activities, including class meetings and laboratory sessions;
e) lists of texts and/or other materials needed for the course;
f) late enrollment, withdrawal, and other special policies.
(Also see Syllabus Policy, University Course)
8. To provide and adhere within reasonable limits, to the written syllabus of the course;
9. To know course matter thoroughly and prepare and present the material conscientiously;
10. To be informed of University services and recommend their use to students when advisable;
11. To follow these policies concerning written work and grades:
(a) grade and return written work promptly;
(b) submit final grades by the scheduled time;
(c) retain written materials not returned within the semester (e.g., final examinations, major term papers) for one academic semester in accordance with unit policy and
allow students to examine such materials;
12. To implement unit procedures for student evaluation of faculty teaching, with attention to preserving student anonymity;
13. To behave appropriately in dealing with students so as to maintain a scholarly atmosphere.
It is expected that faculty and students will fulfill their obligations to the instructional process. If, however, a complaint does arise, the parties should meet in an effort to resolve the matter. When such a discussion fails to resolve the problem or is inappropriate given the circumstances, the head of the academic unit should be contacted. If this contact fails to satisfy the complaint, the college's published procedures should be followed. Although the University Ombudsperson is not a direct part of the appeal process, students and faculty may consult the Ombudsperson at any point during such proceedings.
During the first week of each semester, students enrolled in any course offered through the University should receive a written syllabus outlining specific aspects of the course. The syllabus may also be placed online for students. As a minimum, the syllabus should contain the following:
Office hours of instructor(s).
Instructor's office location, telephone number, and e-mail address where available and appropriate. Adjunct faculty should provide a contact location or telephone number.
a) Course meeting times and locations.
b) Course description and objectives.
c) Dates of major evaluations, including examinations, papers, performances or formal presentations and similar activities.
d) Grading policy, including the weight given to each graded component and the grade or mark that will be assigned to students who do not officially withdraw from the course before the drop deadline.
e) Schedule of topics covered and other class-related activities (or procedure for determining them).
f) List of texts and other suggested or required reading materials.
g) Other course policies - e.g., attendance, make-up exams, and safety issues pertinent to the class.
To the extent possible, instructors are expected to adhere to the syllabus. Any substantive changes affecting grading, examination, or assessment policy must be clearly communicated in writing to students with reasonable advance notice.
A reference to University, College, or Department policies affecting the course (e.g., grade appeals, the Ombudsperson, student misconduct, or any special criteria for grades of X, Y, I, and E), may be included and should be made available to students upon request. Students should also be referred to the portion of the University Bulletin regarding University policies.
The Office of Educational Accessibility Services also suggests that faculty add a statement to syllabi inviting students in need of accommodation to discuss the matter. The suggested statement is as follows:
`If you feel that you may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability, please feel free to contact me privately to discuss your specific needs. Additionally, the Office of Educational Accessibility Services (EAS) coordinates reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities. The Office is located in 1600 David Adamany Undergraduate Library, phone: 313-577-1851 (Voice) / 577-3365 (TTD).'
Copies of syllabi should be provided to Department or College offices and retained there for a period of at least two years following completion of the course. In addition, early each semester, each College, School, or Department shall provide copies of course syllabi for courses in the academic unit to the University Library or, in the case of Law, Medicine, and Pharmacy, to their respective unit library where they shall be retained for two years for review by students.
Accessible through WSU Pipeline, Blackboard, Wayne State's course management system, enables faculty to manage their course communication over the Web. With this service, instructors are able to post course information and documents, receive student assignments electronically, conduct online class discussions, communicate assignments and grades, and manage other routine course communications. Hands-on workshops on Blackboard basics and online tutorials are offered by the University's Office for Teaching and Learning at http://www.otl.wayne.edu
2210 Adamany Undergraduate Library; 313-577-8224
The Office for Teaching and Learning (OTL) is a support center for Wayne State instructors, including full- and part-time faculty and graduate teaching assistants. The OTL offers teaching and curriculum consultations, teaching observations and feedback, and both scheduled and customized workshops on a variety of teaching topics, including effective teaching with technology. The OTL also maintains a seven-station multimedia development computer lab, for use by Wayne State instructional staff for teaching-related purposes. For further information, telephone: 313-577-9669; or visit the office (hours: 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday - Friday) or the website (http://www.otl.wayne.edu).
All courses taught at the 1000 and 2000 levels, beginning with the fall 1996 semester, shall include a means of assessing student progress before the end of the fourth week of classes. This assessment should provide students with feedback on the results of the evaluation before the end of the fifth week of classes. In addition, the instructor shall provide the University Advising Center with a list of names of the students who have not achieved a satisfactory level (the equivalent of a grade of C or better) on this early assessment. Grades for the assessment can be entered online using WSU Pipeline (http://webmail.wayne.edu)
Where the structure or materials of a course preclude effective assessment of student progress or preclude such assessment by the end of the fourth week, this assessment may be waived or deferred to the end of the sixth week, upon approval of the dean. Where assessment is deferred to the sixth week the feedback to students and reporting of less than satisfactory performance to the University Advising Center shall occur before the end of the seventh week of classes.
In conjunction with their instructional activities, all faculty are expected to be available to students though the establishment and maintenance of office hours. The scheduling of the office hours should be appropriate to student needs and take into account the number of course credit hours, student enrollment, course level, and the difficulty of the course. The faculty member's office hours, telephone number, and information on hours to arrange for an appointment should be posted on the faculty member's office door. Faculty office hours should be reviewed by the appropriate unit head and a copy of them retained in the unit office for reference.
Faculty teaching at off-campus sites should arrange office hour times for meeting with students either before or after their scheduled classes. Part-time (adjunct) and volunteer faculty who are not readily available to students should provide students with a contact telephone number and/or address.
Because of the extraordinary variety of religious affiliations represented in the University student body and staff, the Wayne State University calendar makes no provision for religious holidays. It is University policy, however, to respect the faith and religious obligations of the individual. Students who find that their classes or examinations involve conflicts with their religious observances are expected to notify their instructors well in advance so that alternative arrangements as suitable as possible may be worked out. Faculty members who are unable to meet classes for such reasons should follow the procedures outlined under `Absence of the Instructor,' below.
When faculty members, because of illness or other reasons, know in advance that they must absent themselves from a class meeting to which they have been assigned, they should first clear the matter with their dean (or department chairperson, by delegation of the dean). All absences from class which were not anticipated should be reported by the instructor to his/her dean as soon as possible.
Assignment of substitute instructors in cases of anticipated absence is the responsibility of deans (or department chairpersons, by delegation).
There are a number of campus functions in which faculty members will feel it their responsibility to participate to the fullest extent permitted by other University duties. These include University, School/College, and Departmental faculty meetings, special convocations related to particular interests, and commencements.
Faculty attendance at commencements is on a rotating basis whereby each faculty member is committed to attend at least one commencement in four.
Faculty members are responsible for ensuring that all persons appearing in their classes are duly registered and are listed on official Class Lists for the courses/sections. Students may register using the WSU Pipeline at http://pipeline.wayne.edu or Touch Tone telephone registration at 313-577-EASY (3279) any of three times: (1) Priority, (2) Open ($35.00 Late Registration Fee, Fall and Winter term only), or (3) Late Registration ($70.00 Late Fee, Fall and Winter terms only).
Official Class Lists are no longer published by Registration and Scheduling. Class Lists can be printed by faculty or departmental offices using the WSU Pipeline and the Banner student information system. Students whose names do not appear on the Class Lists should not be permitted to attend class until they are officially registered.
GRADUATE SCHOOL: Persons with earned Ph.D. or professional doctorates, under the auspices of an accredited university, may obtain certification from the Dean of the Graduate School as a Visiting Doctoral Guest or Visiting Scholar. These permit the guests to use University libraries and other facilities and to attend classes, as invited by the unit. No official records of attendance are kept on such guests. Information is available from the Office of the Secretary of the Graduate Council, 4307 Faculty/Administration Building 313-577-8050).
THE VISITOR PROGRAM allows eligible students to attend classes on a noncredit basis. Visitor students may not be concurrently enrolled at Wayne State University in courses for credit; they do not submit written work nor do they take examinations. Visitor registrations are accepted on an availability basis beginning the first day of classes in courses/sections designated by the dean of each school or college. Visitor registrations for on-campus courses/sections and for off-campus courses/sections are processed by eWayne and Lifelong Learning Programs. Lists of Visitor students are sent to appropriate instructors after the second week of classes. Tuition is paid in full at the time of registration and is assessed at one-half the Undergraduate Lower Division rate per credit hour plus a non-refundable Registration Fee.
The Final Examination Week Schedule, and principles governing the Final Examination Week Schedule, are published each term in the Schedule of Classes. In those courses in which final examinations are to be held, such examinations must be given at the time provided for in the Final Examination Week Schedule. Instructors should not schedule final examinations during the last week of classes or during study days. Any deviation from the Final Examination Week Schedule must be approved by the instructor's Dean and must be reported in advance to Registration and Scheduling (313-577-3500). Final marks for each class must be entered by the instructor or their proxy through WSU Pipeline Faculty & Advisor Services within 72 hours after the completion of the final exam.
Grades are no longer mailed to students. Beginning Fall 2002, final grades are available to students through Campus Pipeline and the Phone Registration system (313-577-3279). Grades are immediately available after being successfully applied to academic history. Student Records applies grades to history each business day throughout the term grading period at 5:00 p.m.
The following system is in effect for degree credit courses in all colleges and schools of the University, with the exception of the School of Medicine four-year M.D. program and the Law School.
A Excellent 4.00 grade points per credit hour
A minus Excellent 3.67 grade points per credit hour
B plus Good 3.33 grade points per credit hour
B Good 3.00 grade points per credit hour
B minus Good 2.67 grade points per credit hour
C plus Fair 2.33 grade points per credit hour
C Fair 2.00 grade points per credit hour
C minus Fair 1.67 grade points per credit hour
D plus Poor 1.33 grade points per credit hour
D Poor 1.00 grade points per credit hour
D minus Poor 0.67 grade points per credit hour
E Failure 0.00 grade points per credit hour
M - Marginal Pass is used in designated courses such as field work, practicums and internships in the School of Social Work only. (This grade is NOT used in calculation of the grade point average.)
P and N - Passed or Not Passed (undergraduate students only). P-N indicates that a student is taking a course on a Passed-Not Passed basis. The instructor may indicate the grade the student would have earned if he/she was taking the course for a regular letter grade; the assigned grade will be converted to a `P' or `N'.
School of Business Administration undergraduate students may not take courses offered by the School on a P-N basis.
These grades do not affect grade point averages, but credits earned in undergraduate courses completed with a grade of `P' may count toward a degree. Within College or School policy, students may elect certain courses on a P-N basis, in which they will be graded Passed (`P') or Not Passed (`N') in place of a regular letter grade. The following regulations apply:
1. Students may elect one P-N course per semester with the consent of an adviser, but they may not elect more than six P-N courses in all.
2. After classes have begun, students may not change from the Passed-Not Passed program to a regular letter grade election or vice versa.
3. Courses taken for P-N may be used to satisfy University General Education Competency Requirements; however, no course taken on this basis may be used to fulfill specific group or major requirements.
4. Credits for P-N courses may be used to fulfill graduation requirements but will not count in the grade point average. In the event the student enrolls in more than six P-N courses, those beyond the permissible maximum will not be reflected on the permanent record as acceptable towards graduation.
S, M, and U - Satisfactory, Marginal, and Unsatisfactory performance in certain designated courses such as field work, practicums, and internships. In addition, the grade of `S' is given for all dissertation credits upon final acceptance of the dissertation in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph.D. and Ed.D. `S', `M', and `U' grades are not used in calculation of the grade point average. (`M' grade is used in School of Social Work only.)
The graduate grading system is intended to reflect higher standards of critical and creative scholarship than those applied at the undergraduate level. To receive a graduate grade in courses open to both undergraduate and graduate students, the graduate student is expected to do work of superior quality and is required to do any additional work specified by the instructor.
A Excellent 4.00 grade points per credit hour
A minus Excellent 3.67 grade points per credit hour
B plus Good 3.33 grade points per credit hour
B Good 3.00 grade points per credit hour
B minus Good 2.67 grade points per credit hour
C plus Fair 2.33 grade points per credit hour
C Fair 2.00 grade points per credit hour
F Failure 0.00 grade points per credit hour
S, M, and U - Satisfactory and Unsatisfactory performance in certain designated courses such as field work, practicums, and internships. In addition, the grade of `S' is given for all dissertation credits upon final acceptance of the dissertation in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph.D. and Ed.D. degrees. `S,' `M,' and `U' grades are not used in calculation of grade point averages. (The `M' grade is used in the School of Social Work only.)
In graduate study, grades of `C', `C-minus', and `F' are unsatisfactory and constitute valid cause for dropping a student from graduate study. Students should consult their departments for specific limitations on `C' grades.
The mark of I-Incomplete, is given to an undergraduate or a graduate student when he/she has not completed all the course work as planned for the term and when there is, in the judgment of the instructor, a reasonable probability that the student can complete the course successfully without again attending regular class sessions. The responsibility for completing all course work rests wholly with the student. The mark of `I' will be changed to a grade only when the student completes the course work as arranged with the instructor or, if the instructor has left the University, with the chairperson of the department or other instructional unit. The mark of `I' shall not be changed to a grade of `E' unless, after receiving the `I,' the student's subsequent work is of such quality that the overall average for the course is below passing. Work must be completed within one calendar year.
The mark of `I' is inappropriate if, in the instructor's judgment, it will be necessary for the student to attend subsequent sessions of the class regularly. Should regular attendance become necessary, the student must register for the class for the term in which attendance is planned. In the event of a second registration for the course, the mark of `I' for the original election will be considered as a Withdrawal (`W'), and the student will be assessed tuition and applicable fees for the second registration.
The mark of `I' which is not converted to a letter grade within one calendar year from the time it was received will be considered a withdrawal (`W'), unless, prior to the end of that year, the student requests, and the instructor agrees, to certify in writing to Student Records that an additional year is needed for the removal of the Incomplete. The mark of `I' cannot be extended beyond two calendar years.
The mark of Y-Deferred, is given when the student is up-to-date in the work of certain designated courses pre-planned to continue beyond the term (i.e., essay, thesis, dissertation and certain courses taken in sequence).
The mark of W-Official Withdrawal, is given when the student reports the withdrawal to Registration and Scheduling in accordance with University policy. For details on withdrawals and changes of program, refer to the current University Bulletin.
The mark of Z-Audit, is given when the student has formally registered for audit. The student's registration must be processed in person, through the department offering the class or through Registration and Scheduling. Students must complete the Registration Schedule Authorization Form and secure departmental approval.
The mark of R - Repeated Courses (prior to Winter 1998):
If an undergraduate student repeats a course and completes it with a grade of 'A', 'B', 'C', 'D', or 'E', the following rules apply in posting a student's cumulative record: 1) the grade, grade points, and credits of an earlier attempt will be eliminated from the student's grade point average computation; 2) the grade, grade points, and credits of only the latest repetition will be included in the student's grade point average computation; 3) an 'R' on a student's academic record will replace the original grade in the course repeated under the rule. Thus, the indicator 'R' will appear for all attempts in a course except the last.
The mark of `r' - Repeated Courses (Winter 1998 to Fall 2002): If an undergraduate student repeats a course and completes it with a grade of `A', `A-minus', `B-plus', `B', `B-minus', `C-plus', `C', `C-minus', `D-plus', `D', `D-minus', or `E', the following rules will apply in posting a student's cumulative record: 1) the grade, grade points, and credits of an earlier attempt will be eliminated from the students grade point average computation; 2) the grade, grade points, and credits of only the latest retake will be included in the student's grade point average computation; 3) the original grade in the course retaken under this rule will remain on the student's academic record. All earlier attempts will be flagged for exclusion in the g.p.a. (grade point average) calculation, and the latest attempt will be flagged for inclusion in the g.p.a. calculation.
Repeated Courses - Winter 1998 to Present: If an undergraduate student repeats a course and completes it with a grade of 'A', 'A-minus', 'B-plus', 'B', 'B-minus', 'C-plus', 'C', 'C-minus', 'D-plus', 'D', 'D-minus', or 'E', the following rules will apply in posting a student's cumulative record: 1) the grade, grade points, and credits of an earlier attempt will be eliminated from the student's grade point average computation; 2) the grade, grade points, and credits of only the latest retake will be included in the student's grade point average computation; 3) the original grade in the course retaken under this rule will remain on the student's academic record. All earlier attempts will be flagged with an `E,' for Exclusion, in the g.p.a. (grade point average) calculation, and the latest attempt will be flagged with an `I,' for Inclusion, in the g.p.a. calculation. These `I' and `E' symbols are printed on the student transcript in the far right hand margin in a column headed with an `R.'
After registering to repeat a course, a student must file a Notice of Retaken Undergraduate Course in Student Records, 1 West, Helen Newberry Joy Student Services Center. After a degree has been granted, no grade computed in that degree may be changed.
School of Business Administration: No course in which a student has received a passing grade or mark may be retaken without the prior written approval of the Graduate Officer of the School of Business Administration.
College of Engineering: Students enrolled in the College of Engineering must have written approval from the college to repeat a course with replacement of grade. Otherwise, grades from all attempts will be averaged.
Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences - Faculty of Health Sciences: No course may be retaken without the prior written consent of the adviser(s) delegated for each professional curriculum.
If a post bachelor status student repeats a course originally taken under regular undergraduate status, the repeat will in no way modify the earlier attempt. The second election, however, will be averaged in the grade point base.
Graduate Students: A graduate department or equivalent academic administrative unit may, if it wishes, allow a student to petition to retake a graduate course in which a grade of `B-minus' or lower is received. No more than two courses may be repeated during the student's study at Wayne State University, and individual departments may further limit this number. Permission to retake a course must be obtained from the Graduate Officer (for master's degree students) or the Departmental Graduate Committee (for Ph.D. students), as well as the Dean of the Graduate School (for both master's and Ph.D. students) before registration for said course takes place.
The original grade for the course will remain on the student's transcript, but only the grade received in retake of the course will be used in computation of the student's grade point average for the degree program. Students will not receive University financial aid for retaken courses. After a degree has been granted, no grade computed in that degree may be changed.
The mark of `X' - Insufficient Work, is a non-punitive mark used when there has been insufficient work submitted and there is no basis on which to assign a grade.
The mark of `NR' - Not Reported, is a non-punitive mark used where there has been no grade submitted by the department.
The mark of `IP' - In Progress, is a non-punitive mark used to indicate that a course is still in progress.
Beginning Fall 2002, schools and colleges are responsible for submitting final grades through the Web on WSU Pipeline Faculty & Advisor Services. Only instructors officially assigned to the section may award grades, Colleges and Departments may arrange through their Grade Coordinators the assignment of proxy instructors to assist with final grading.
Web grading will be available to faculty beginning the last class day of the term. Students who have officially withdrawn from the section will be listed with a pre-graded mark of `W' in the Final Grade column. Faculty may enter grades through the website at any time from 7:00 am to midnight Monday through Saturday. At 5:00 pm each day, grades will be rolled (posted) to academic history. When a grade is successfully posted it is immediately available for display to students through Campus Pipeline. After a grade has been successfully posted to academic history the grade can no longer be changed through web grading. A formal grade change form must be sent to Student Records to correct a posted grade.
A student whose name does not appear on the Web Grade Roster is not officially registered in the section. The student's name, identification number (ID), section course reference number (CRN), course subject and number, and grade should be e-mailed to academicrecords@wayne.edu. The student should also be immediately referred to Registration and Scheduling for resolution of any registration discrepancy. Once the registration is corrected, Student Records will post the grade for the section.
The deadline for submitting grades/marks is seventy-two (72) hours after the scheduled time for the final examination for the course. Early submission of grades is encouraged. Questions concerning web grading should be directed to Student Records, 313-577-3531.