Faculty and Unclassified Staff Handbook
Chapter 2 -- Academic Affairs
Instructional Procedures
Absences of Faculty
Unless excused by their dean or on University trips, faculty are expected to be present according to the official calendar of the University. Absence reports are used in requesting permission to be absent either for official business of the University or for personal reasons. Absences due to health problems should be discussed with the appropriate department chair and arrangements made for covering classes.
Absences of Students
The student is responsible for attending all classes on time, beginning with the first day of classes. If the student's participation in organized University activities should require missing a class or classes, it is the student's responsibility to notify instructors in advance and to arrange to make up missed work. If the student misses a class because of illness, the student should report it to Health and Wellness Services; a death in the immediate family should be reported to the Office of Student Affairs. However, it is the student's responsibility to see instructors and arrange to make up all missed work.
In advance of any officially approved group activity (athletics, music, conferences, etc.), the group's sponsor must send an e-mail note to all faculty and the deans. This note should include an alphabetized list of the participating students as well as times and dates of departure and return. In special individual cases or situations, certain offices (Health Services, Registrar, Student Affairs, etc.) may inform instructors of extenuating circumstances, but these are not excuses. In the event of a student's absence from any career readiness events (e.g., career fair, job interview), the student must provide appropriate verification to faculty upon request. The student is still held responsible for the work missed during the absence.
Whenever a student is absent from a class more than three times and the instructor does not know the cause, the student's name should be reported to the Vice President for Student Affairs. The vice president will then try to ascertain the reason for absence. In addition, the faculty member has an obligation to impress upon students the importance of regular class attendance.
Faculty members who make regular class attendance checks may inform the dean of the appropriate college of students' excessive absences. In such instances, students will be informed to either initiate an official withdrawal on or before the official withdrawal date or make arrangements with the instructor to complete the course. If the student fails either to withdraw officially or to complete the course, the student will be assigned the grade of U at the end of the semester.
Academic Dishonesty and Disruptive Behavior
Academic Honesty
See University Catalog for "Academic Honesty."
Disruptive Behavior
Actions by faculty, staff, students, or visitors that unnecessarily and unreasonably obstruct or interfere with the teaching, research or learning functions, or other normal and necessary activities of a state university, or which create an imminent threat of danger to persons or property, may constitute grounds for restitution, suspension, dismissal or termination, for permanent exclusion from the campus or any part thereof.
Kansas Board of Regents: Policies and Procedures Manual.
Academic Freedom
The University supports the principles of academic freedom as expressed in the standards of the American Association of University Professors.
The teacher is entitled to full freedom in research and in the publication of their results, subject to the adequate performance of their other academic duties; but research for pecuniary return should be based upon an understanding with the authorities of the institution.
The teacher is entitled to freedom in the classroom in discussing his/her subject, but should be careful not to introduce teaching controversial matter which has no relation to the subject. Limitations of academic freedom because of religious or other aims of the institution should be clearly stated in writing at the time of the appointment.
College or university teachers are citizens, members of a learned profession and officers of the educational institution. When they speak or write as citizens, they should be free from institutional censorship or discipline, but this special position in the community imposes special obligations. They should remember that the public may judge their profession and institution by their utterances. Hence, they should at all times be accurate, exercise appropriate restraint, show respect for the opinions of others and make every effort to indicate that they are not speaking for the institution.
All faculty members at FHSU enjoy academic freedom to teach and all students are accorded freedom to learn. Conflicts in this area should be discussed promptly and directly with department chairs and, if necessary, with deans. Academic freedom is not restricted to those possessing tenure. It is guaranteed to all.
Academic Majors, Minors, Special Emphases
See University Catalog for "Academic Majors, Minors, Special Emphases."
Accidents in the Classroom, Buildings, or on Campus
In case of sudden illness or accidents, the teacher or a student should immediately call Health and Wellness Services, administer first aid if a qualified person is present and notify the department chair without delay. In appropriate cases, classes should be adjourned. Health Center personnel should be given requested assistance. Health and Wellness Services will notify the family.
Change of Student's Class Program
All courses for which the student may claim credit and all changes in a student's semester program must appear on the official record of the student's program in the Office of the Registrar.
Change or Adoption of Textbooks
All textbook adoptions or changes are the responsibility of the faculty member or group of faculty members in charge of the specific course involved; the department chair will in turn notify bookstores. Book orders should be sent to the bookstore three or more months in advance of the semester or summer term in which they are needed if possible.
Cheating
See Chapter 7: Student Affairs; Cheating.
Class Absences
Student absences may be excused at the discretion of the instructor.
Class Hours
A class hour is a scheduled period of fifty minutes except when classes for specific purposes are shortened by University action. It is expected that an instructor will use the entire period. The class period may be shortened for convocations.
Class Record
Faculty must keep an accurate record of each student's work and attendance.
Class Schedule Policy
The schedule of classes can be found at https://webapps.fhsu.edu/semestercoursesearch/ on the home page of the website. The schedule of classes for any academic year is arranged prior to early registration; March for the Summer Term and Fall Semester, October for the Intersession and Spring Semester. Registration information can be found at www.fhsu.edu/registrar/. Changes to the on-line schedule of classes must be cleared through the office of the appropriate college dean.
No course may be offered in any academic year which has not been recommended by the Faculty Senate or the Graduate Council and approved by the assistant provost. This requires advanced planning for the revision of curricula and the addition of new courses.
College Honors
See the University Catalog for "Honors at Graduation" and "Honor Societies." The Dean's Honor Roll is published twice a year. All degree seeking undergraduate students are eligible for the Dean's Honor Roll distinction subject to registration and successful completion of 12 or more undergraduate credit hours (excluding pass/no credit hours and incompletes) with a GPA for that academic term of at least 3.60.
Compulsory Attendance
See University Catalog for "Class Attendance, Absence Notices, and Records, Absences of Students."
Copyright Act and Photocopying
The University abides by the laws and principles of copyright and photocopying as stated in Public Law 94-553, General Revision of the Copyright Law, which took effect on January 1, 1978. Each faculty member is urged to acquaint him/herself with this public law or the copyright statute found in Title 17 of the United States Code.
For your convenience, Forsyth Library recommends these online resources for interpreting copyright and fair use.
- The American Library Association's Fair Use Evaluator tool
http://librarycopyright.net/resources/fairuse/
- Copyright http://fhsuguides.fhsu.edu/copyright2
It should be noted, however, that the Kansas Board of Regents and FHSU do not guarantee legal representation without charge for faculty members involved in copyright litigation.
Course Add/Withdrawal
See Chapter 7: Student Affairs; Change to Official Registration (Add/Withdrawal)
Examinations
Final Exam Schedule - See www.fhsu.edu/registrar/academic-calendar
No extracurricular activities should be held during final exams.
Faculty Office Hours
Each faculty member shall post and hold at least .5 regularly scheduled office hours per credit hour of instruction per week. The department chair will approve the faculty member’s office hour schedule, with a copy retained in the department office. Faculty members in good faith shall maintain office availability both physically and electronically proportionate to the modality of their semester teaching load with virtual office hours to include availability to students via telephone or synchronous electronic access including some availability in the evenings and/or weekends.
Grades
Incompletes
Incompletes are awarded at the discretion of the instructor when work is of otherwise passing quality but incomplete, usually for reasons beyond the student's control. A faculty member awarding an "Incomplete" will indicate on the faculty portal grade entry system what must be done to remove that grade. The instructor will indicate the grade of “I” for incompletes when entering grades during mid-term and final grade entry.
Reporting
All 16 week on-campus and FHSU Online courses are required to have interim (mid-term) grades submitted. Interim and final grades are available through Workday.
Effective Fall 2022. Approved by Faculty Senate and Provost (May 2022).
Faculty are responsible for entering interim (mid-term) and final grades for classes by the deadlines posted on the on-line Academic Calendar. Final grades for courses less than 16-weeks are due no later than seven days after the class is completed. Interim and final grade reports for advisors are available through the university portal system the day after grades are due.
Rosters
Instructors and Department Chairs will retain access to the electronic final grade rosters for previous semesters through the faculty portal. Instructors can print final grade rosters for their records if desired.
Timely Grading of Assignments
In order to provide students with timely feedback, faculty teaching classes are expected to grade and provide feedback to students in a timely manner. On the occasion that a faculty member is unable to adhere to a timely grading period, they should communicate with their students.
Approved by Faculty Senate and Provost (May 2022).
Graduate Credit
Graduate credit may be earned in courses numbered 600 or above only by regularly registered and approved graduate students. In courses in which undergraduate and graduate students are registered, the standard of graduate work shall be the same as that for courses in which graduate students only are registered. The student must have an average grade of "B" for all courses taken for graduate credit to meet the requirements for the master's degree or the specialist in education degree.
Pass/No Credit Policy
· Any individual may register in certain classes for Pass/No Credit.
· Undergraduate students may be allowed to apply a maximum of 24 Pass/No Credit hours, excluding HHP credit, toward their degree.
· The courses the student elects to meet general education requirements, courses used in fulfillment of a major program (including cognates) except as noted in the final bullet below, the language component for the B.A., and courses required in a student's minor may not be taken Pass/No Credit.
· After a student has registered in a course under the Pass/No Credit option, that individual may not subsequently change to a graded basis in that course, nor can the student who has registered for a grade subsequently change to a Pass/No Credit option.
· The student must declare Pass/No Credit for each course taken for Pass/No Credit at the time of pre-registration.
· It is the prerogative of the instructor to determine what constitutes a particular letter grade. The instructor will report a letter grade on the grade roster for the student at the end of the semester. The Computing Center will convert the letter grade to a (P) Pass or (NC) No Credit. A grade of D or above will be converted to a grade of P. A grade of U will be converted to NC. The P or NC grade will be recorded on the student's transcript.
· Under Pass/No Credit a grade of P is not used in computation of a student's GPA.
· No College of Education graduate course other than graduate-level Early Field Experience may be taken Pass/No Credit and count toward Teacher Certification and Endorsement.
· Departments shall have the option to designate certain courses within their programs as P/Nc. Examples of such courses might include: internships, readings, topics, practica, seminars, etc.
Transfer of Pass/No Credit Grades
All appropriately transferable credits* in which a grade of "P" has been earned and which come from an institution or a degree program utilizing only P/NC or P/F grading may be used to satisfy General Education requirements and the language requirement for the Bachelor of Arts degree.
All appropriately transferable credits in which a grade of "P" has been earned and which come from an institution or a degree program utilizing only P/NC or P/F grading may be used to satisfy major or minor requirements. If all specified course requirements for the degree are fulfilled through the use of courses with a grade of "P," the university will regard the minimum average grade index requirement as having been fulfilled.
At least 30 semester hours of credit with a passing letter grade of A, B, C, or D for a bachelor's degree must be taken from Fort Hays State University. Pass ("P") or Credit ("CR") does not count towards the 30 semester hours.
*Appropriately transferable credits assume that an institution is accredited by a regional organization and that the class can be articulated to a comparable FHSU class.
Transfer of Pass/No Credit Grades policy approved by President's Cabinet (01-06-14).