POLICIES AND PRACTICES

DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES

2006-2007

 

~TABLE OF CONTENTS ~

 

 

ORGANIZATIONAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS............................................... 1

ORGANIZATION OF THE DEPARTMENT................................................................................ 1

JASTAK-BURGESS HALL.......................................................................................................... 2

     KEYS....................................................................................................................................... 2

     SECURITY............................................................................................................................... 2

     CORRIDORS........................................................................................................................... 2

     OFFICE DOORS..................................................................................................................... 3

     FACULTY LOUNGE............................................................................................................... 3

     CONFERENCE ROOMS........................................................................................................ 3

SUPPLIES..................................................................................................................................... 3

DUPLICATING............................................................................................................................. 3

TYPING/WORD PROCESSING.................................................................................................. 4

MAIL AND MAILBOXES............................................................................................................ 5

     MAILBOXES........................................................................................................................... 5

     U.S. MAIL................................................................................................................................ 5

     CAMPUS MAIL....................................................................................................................... 5

     PACKAGES............................................................................................................................. 5

     LETTERS AND LARGE BROWN ENVELOPES IN JBH....................................................... 5

     GIFTS FROM YOU TO OTHER FACULTY AND STAFF IN JBH....................................... 5

     STUDENT PAPERS AND ASSIGNMENTS........................................................................... 5

PHONE CALLS............................................................................................................................ 5

VOICE MAIL................................................................................................................................ 6

INCOMING FAXES..................................................................................................................... 6

OUTGOING FAXES..................................................................................................................... 6

DEPARTMENT ACTIVITIES CALENDAR................................................................................. 7

TEACHING.................................................................................................................................. 7

TEACHING SCHEDULES............................................................................................................ 7

OFFICE HOURS........................................................................................................................... 7

COURSE COORDINATORS/SEQUENCE SUPERVISORS....................................................... 7

TEAM TEACHING....................................................................................................................... 8

SYLLABI....................................................................................................................................... 8

STUDENT DROPS AND ADDS.................................................................................................. 8

FOREIGN LANGUAGE PLACEMENT....................................................................................... 9

FOREIGN LANGUAGE SUBSTITUTION................................................................................... 9

DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR............................................................................................................ 9

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY...................................................................................................... 10

INSTRUCTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES AFTER THE END OF CLASSES............................ 10

INCOMPLETE GRADES............................................................................................................ 10

READING DAY.......................................................................................................................... 10

EXAMINATIONS....................................................................................................................... 11

AUDIO/VISUAL AND COMPUTER RESOURCES.................................................................. 11

DESK COPIES............................................................................................................................ 12

EXCURSIONS............................................................................................................................ 12

LITERATURE, CULTURE, AND INDEPENDENT STUDY COURSES................................... 13

CREDIT BY EXAM.................................................................................................................... 13

ABSENCES FROM CLASSES................................................................................................... 13

CANCELLATION OF CLASSES.............................................................................................. 14

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY................................................................................................... 14

DEPARTMENTALLY-SPONSORED EVENTS........................................................................ 14

STUDY ABROAD RECRUITMENT.......................................................................................... 14

ABSENCE FROM ASSIGNED DUTIES.................................................................................... 14

TRAVEL...................................................................................................................................... 15

TUTORING................................................................................................................................. 15

TRANSLATION......................................................................................................................... 15

ADDENDA................................................................................................................................. 16

PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF FOREIGN

LANGUAGE TEACHERS............................................................................................... 16

ATTENDANCE POLICY FOR 4-CREDIT 100-LEVEL COURSES......................................... 17

PASS/FAIL POLICY FOR 100-LEVEL COURSES................................................................... 17

INDEX........................................................................................................................................ 18


POLICIES AND PRACTICES

DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES

2006-2007

 

 

Welcome to the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures!  This booklet will provide you with some helpful information for the current academic year.  Please read it carefully and keep it on hand for reference.

 

I.          Organizational and Administrative Matters

 

A.        ORGANIZATION OF THE DEPARTMENT

 

The Chair of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures is Richard Zipser. He oversees the administration of the Department and is himself responsible to the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.  The Associate Chair, Bonnie Robb, assists him by carrying out various administrative duties. The Scheduling Officer, Hans-Jörg Busch, handles the scheduling of all courses and room assignments.  The Department office is staffed by an Assistant to the Chair, Dorie Galloway, and three Senior Secretaries, Diane Parke, Maria Gilson and Michelle Shumate, all located in 103 Jastak-Burgess Hall (JBH). The Study Abroad Coordinator, Marion Bernard-Amos, has an office in 110 JBH and the Foreign Language Placement Advisor, Crista Johnson, has an office in 320 JBH.  The Foreign Language Media Center (006 JBH, basement level) is supervised by Thomas McCone, Director, and Rae Stabosz, Campus Information Technology Associate III.

 

The business of the Department is facilitated by a number of standing committees: an Executive/Personnel Committee, committees for Undergraduate Studies and for Graduate Studies, and Promotion Committees. Chairs of the Language Faculties are:

 

Classics            -           Bonnie Robb

French              -           Ali Alalou

German            -           Willy Riemer

Italian               -           Laura Salsini

Asian                -           Susan Amert

Russian -           Alexander Lehrman

Spanish            -           Jorge Cubillos

 

Inquiries regarding our courses in Arabic and Hebrew should be addressed to Khalil Masmoudi and Eynat Gutman respectively.

 

The Foreign Language Education Program Coordinator is Bonnie Robb.

 

In addition to the standing committees, there are several appointed by the Chair.  These include committees on Technology and Foreign Languages, the Library, Minority Affairs, and Special Events.

 

 

For further details, see the Department's "Bylaws" document, available online at http://www.udel.edu/fllt/governance/bylaws.html

 

Matters affecting the entire Department are decided at monthly Department Meetings. All faculty may participate in Department Meetings, but voting is limited to full-time professors, associate professors, assistant professors, and instructors.

 

A multi-section course (e.g., SPAN 105) will normally have a Course Coordinator.  In addition, each 100-level language sequence (e.g., SPAN 105-106-107) will have a Sequence Supervisor. These individuals have overall responsibility for the course or sequence. 

 

B.         JASTAK-BURGESS HALL

Keys: The Assistant to the Chair will provide you with keys to your office, the building and your mailbox.  Your outside door key opens the conference room on the second floor (201 JBH), the photocopier room (204 JBH), and the faculty/staff lounge (301 JBH).  Keys are the property of the University and are to be handed in if you will be away from the campus for an extended period or if your employment terminates.  Graduate students are not given a key to JBH, which is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.

 

Security: Outside doors must be kept locked after 5:00 p.m. and on weekends.  Do not permit students or other persons who are not on our faculty to enter the building after business hours or on weekends.  When you leave or enter the building after normal working hours, check to make certain the door is closed and locked.  Under no circumstances, should an outside door be propped open so someone without a key can enter JBH after hours.

 

Close and lock the window(s) when you leave your office, especially when you are leaving the building, even for a short time.

 

It is wise to avoid leaving your office open and unattended, even for a few minutes. Keep secure any equipment in your care. Laptop computers and VCR/monitor combinations are especially attractive to thieves and should remain in your sight or under lock until returned.  Keep in mind that computers and printers in faculty offices can also be targets of theft.

 

Each person should remember that the presence of locks does not guarantee the security of offices.  In the past, unauthorized persons have been able to gain access to locked offices and files, and it must be assumed that they will do so in the future.  Consequently, care must be taken with all sensitive documents--examinations, student grades, and the like--to avoid compromising them.

 

Corridors: No chairs should be placed in the corridors. This is strictly forbidden by fire marshalls.

 

Office doors: Faculty and staff are asked not to hang posters, cartoons, brown envelopes, etc. on the outside of their office doors. JBH has a look that its tenants are expected to maintain.

 

Faculty/staff lounge: Everyone in the Department is welcome to use the lounge on the third floor. However, the lounge should not be used for meetings, conferences with students, independent study courses, etc.

 

Conference rooms: We will not be scheduling classes in the conference room on the second floor or in the Rollins Conference Center.

 

            C.        SUPPLIES

 

Such basic supplies as paper clips, manila folders, and note pads can be obtained from the Department's supply cabinet located on the second floor of JBH.  The office staff will help you locate letterhead and other stationery that you need.  We do ask that you be sparing and not stockpile these items, since our supply budget is not as ample as we all would like.

 

Faculty members should be aware that ink cartridges for HP DeskJet printers are expensive (more than $25 each) and should be used sparingly.  Faculty members with such a printer will be allotted no more than one black ink cartridge per semester.  Additional black ink cartridges and all colored ink cartridges must necessarily be purchased at the faculty member's expense.  Ink cartridges will last longer if printers are not used as copy machines, and if everyday documents are printed out in the "draft" printing mode as opposed to the "high quality" mode.

 

D.        DUPLICATING

 

Materials needed for courses may be duplicated for you by the office staff.  Place them in the bin immediately inside of 103 JBH; job request slips and paper clips are located in 204 JBH.  Please note that you MUST allow a minimum of 24 hours for this service.

 

Large jobs (e.g., syllabi for multi-section courses) will normally be sent to Graphic Communications, the University's central duplicating facility.  Requests for such copying must be made or authorized by a member of the office staff.  Note that this copying is charged to the Department's supplies/services budget. You should allow about a week for such work  If you wish to use extensive handouts (50 pages or more per student), you are encouraged to use the copy service offered by the University Bookstore.  Material is prepared as you specify; you receive one complimentary copy; students purchase their packets individually (and at modest cost), while the Department avoids a significant expense.

 

 Smaller jobs (e.g., a two-page article from a foreign-language magazine) are done by our staff in the copy room.   Since this work is usually done by a work-study student at a set time each day, you should leave the request for copies no less than 24 hours before you must have it.  If you cannot submit your copy request at least 24 hours in advance, then you should do your own copying using your personal photocopy number.

Faculty members who want to do their own course and profession-oriented copy work may obtain instructions from the secretaries in the use of the copier and the Thermofax machine (for making transparencies).  All faculty members and teaching assistants may use the Konika-Minolta photocopier in 204 JBH.  Assistant, associate and full professors, and instructors are permitted to charge up to 1,500 photocopies to the Department per one-year period (August 15 to August 14).  Supplemental faculty and graduate teaching assistants are allowed to charge up to 150 photocopies for every 3 hours they teach.  These accounts are renewed each semester in accordance with the teaching assignments of these users (no teaching assignment means no photocopy privileges).  Instructors who have used up their annual allotment of photocopies may purchase additional copies for $5.00 per 100 pages.

 

E.         TYPING/WORD PROCESSING

 

 

Although faculty members have a computer (and many have a printer) in their office, the Foreign Language Media Center in 006 JBH also has IBM-compatible facilities with foreign language word processing, Macintosh facilities for digital video editing, as well as a typewriter, which faculty are invited to use. After Media Center hours, other computing sites are available at several locations around campus, including 116 Pearson Hall and the basements of Smith Hall and Morris Library.  Both IBM-compatible and Macintosh terminals are available at these sites.

 

The computers in 103 JBH are solely for the use of the office staff and are not available for use by faculty.  Computer workshops that are free for faculty are offered periodically by Information Technologies and are posted at http://present.smith.udel.edu/calendar/.

 

Staff in the Media Center will assist faculty in producing documents which require special software-- for example, a flyer describing a lecture or special course offering.  Such documents can then be printed on one of the Department's laser printers.

 

Faculty members may use the IBM-compatible and Macintosh computers in 006 JBH during regular Media Center hours, which are posted. Departmental equipment should only be used for work related to the profession; personal projects (e.g., free-lance word processing, balancing one's checkbook) are an inappropriate use of the facilities.

 

Manuscripts, tests, handouts, and general correspondence may be printed on the LaserJet printers in 006 JBH, as well as on those located in the alcoves of  the second and third floor hallways.  You should, however, print only one copy, which can then be photocopied by Kinko's or another nearby copy center. On a per-copy basis, it is much more expensive to do multiple copies on the LaserJet than on a copying machine.


F.         MAIL AND MAILBOXES

 

Mailboxes are found on your left just outside 103 JBH.  Access your mail from outside the administrative area.   Campus mail is delivered and picked up once daily, at ca. 10:00 a.m.  Trays for both campus and U.S. mail are just inside the door of 103 JBH. One of the office secretaries takes any outgoing campus mail to an outside drop-box at 3:00 p.m.  Please check your mail regularly, and read it promptly.

 

U.S. mail: The Department will cover mailing costs for U.S. mail which is a part of one's teaching and other professional responsibilities: replies to inquiries from parents, letters to potential visiting lecturers, etc. Personal mail deposited in the bin for outgoing mail must have the proper postage affixed. Personal mail sent from a U.S. Post Office will reach its destination sooner.

 

Campus mail: Brown or buff envelopes only should be used for campus mail.  They are available in the supply closet and in the drawer below the mailboxes.  The use of other envelopes for this purpose causes mis-mailing and unnecessary application of postage.  The use of tape to seal envelopes should be held to a minimum and used only for those containing confidential information.  For campus mail, the name of the addressee and his/her department or office is sufficient for on-campus delivery. Room numbers, building designations, numerical codes and abbreviations should not be used.

 

Packages will be delivered to your office once a day.  If a package has been delivered to you, you will receive notice of that in your mailbox.

 

Letters and large brown envelopes from you to other faculty and staff in JBH are to be slid under the recipient’s door.  If they are too large to fit under the door, the secretarial staff will deliver them to the recipient’s office.  Do not deposit such items in the mailroom.

 

Gifts from you to other faculty and staff in JBH are to be given directly to the recipient personally. Do not deposit gift packages and bags in the mailroom.

 

Student papers and assignments should not be dropped off at the main office to be placed in your mailbox, and only work-study students are permitted in the mailroom.  Instruct your students to slide late assignments and papers under the door of your office.

 

G.        PHONE CALLS

 

Most faculty are unable to make long-distance calls from their office phones.  For personal calls, it is recommended that you obtain a cell phone or calling card and use it to place your calls. 

 

Long-distance calling privileges are extended only to faculty members who have an administrative position or assignment in the Department that necessitates frequent long-distance calling (such as Director of Graduate Studies, Chair of Undergraduate Studies, Chairs of the Promotion Committees, Coordinator of Foreign Language Education, Scheduling Officer, Director of the Foreign Language Media Center, and Study Abroad Coordinator). In addition, faculty members who chair search committees will be extended long-distance calling privileges during the period of the search.

 

For faculty who do not have long-distance calling privileges, long-distance calls for legitimate Department business purposes can be made through any of the secretaries (ext. 6458, ext. 0671, ext. 2592), who will place the call for you and record it on the Department's long-distance phone log.  In general, a Department business call is one which your work as an instructor requires you to make, e.g., returning a call from a prospective student asking about course offerings in French. 

 

Unfortunately, due to budgetary constraints, the Department cannot pay for personal business calls, even when these are professional in nature.  An example would be a call to a colleague to discuss the work of a regional professional organization to which you both belong.  Another example would be a call to an editor to discuss a book or article you are preparing for publication.

 

            H.        VOICE MAIL

 

All University students and employees are assigned a voice mailbox.  Voice mail messages can be accessed from any telephone by calling 831-4000 and providing a personal identification number.  You can also change your voice mail greeting (the message which callers hear when you do not answer the phone) this way.  Faculty and graduate students are encouraged to check their voice mail often.  If you are going to be away from your office for an extended period (e.g., during summer or winter session, during spring break, or during the University's holiday recess in December), you should change your voice mail greeting to reflect your absence so that students and others who call know when to expect a response.  More information about voice mail can be obtained from Dorie Galloway.

 

I.          INCOMING FAXES

 

Faculty members may receive faxes at the Department's fax number (831-6459) for departmental business and, to a limited extent, for professional business. The fax machine should not be used to receive personal communications or lengthy documents of any sort (such as conference papers or manuscripts).  Persons who abuse the use of the fax machine will have their faxing privileges revoked.  Longer communications (more than a few pages) should be received via the University's central fax number (831-8000); these will then be sent to you promptly via campus mail.              

 

J.          OUTGOING FAXES

 

The fax machine will continue to be used primarily for communications related to our study abroad programs.  Full-time faculty may also send short faxes strictly related to departmental business.  Faxes related to one's research, publications, or conferences do not constitute departmental business

 

K.        DEPARTMENT ACTIVITIES CALENDAR

In 204 JBH, there is a large calendar intended to prevent scheduling conflicts.  Meetings of the Department and of the Executive Committee will be posted there, as well as meetings of the various Department committees, Language Faculties, and course levels.  It is the responsibility of the Committee Chairs, the Language Faculty Chairs, and the Course Coordinators to indicate on the appropriate date on this calendar the time and place of their meetings.

 

 

II.        TEACHING

 

A.        TEACHING SCHEDULES

 

 

The preparation of teaching assignments is the immediate responsibility of the Language Faculty Chair and the final responsibility of the Department Chair.  Scheduling of class sections, times, and rooms is done by the Scheduling Officer.  Because of the limitations on the number of rooms available to the Department and the large number of sections that must be scheduled, it is not surprising that faculty sometimes will have schedules that they may consider inconvenient.  While an effort will be made to accommodate schedule preferences, it will be presumed that full-time faculty and teaching assistants are available to teach during the University's regularly scheduled class periods in any of the University's classrooms.  Should conflicts occur, they will necessarily be resolved in favor of the needs of the instructional program.

 

B.         OFFICE HOURS

 

Faculty are expected to keep a reasonable number of office hours for students.  Faculty are advised to hold one office hour per course taught, up to a maximum of three hours per week; those teaching more than one class are expected to hold office hours on more than one day of the week.  Office hours should be announced to your classes and posted, as part of your schedule, outside your office door.  You will receive two forms each semester: one for posting your schedule and one for recording it in the office files.  It is important that you be present for the full duration of each office hour scheduled.  Whether or not you give your students your home phone number is your decision; office staff members are instructed not to give out these numbers unless faculty give permission for them to do so. 

 

Full-time faculty members are expected to maintain a significant presence on the campus, both to ensure that students can find them and to be able to help with the many unscheduled items that arise in the course of a week.

 

C.        COURSE COORDINATORS/SEQUENCE SUPERVISORS

 

A course with multiple sections will normally have a Course Coordinator.  It is this person's responsibility to arrange for development of the syllabus and to see that students in different sections of the course receive comparable instruction.  The 100-level sequence of courses in a given language (105-106-107) will be directed by a Sequence Supervisor, who will work closely with the Course Coordinators.  Proper coordination among sections and within sequences requires periodic meetings.  It is part of your instructional responsibility to attend these meetings and to assist in coordination.

 

D.        TEAM TEACHING

 

 

Courses bearing the 105, 106 and 107 labels are regularly team-taught. The instructor who meets the class three times weekly is designated principal instructor, but in fact the relationship between the two instructors must be a partnership.  Communication between team teachers is vital to the success of a course.  There are various ways to accomplish this.  Some team teachers call each other daily; others use e-mail; still others pass a spiral notebook back and forth, each time adding a brief comment on the day's class activity.  The method of communication may vary from team to team, but it is vital that team teachers remain in regular contact.  If your students ever sense that their instructor team lacks good communication, they will certainly exploit this fact to your embarrassment, and to the detriment of the class and the instructional program.

 

E.         SYLLABI

 

Multi-section courses normally use a common syllabus to which individual instructors may add information (such as office hours).  A course syllabus should also include the dates of exams, the basis on which grading will be done, and the policy regarding absences. The responsibility for defining attendance expectations is left to the individual faculty member, except for 100-level courses which have their own policies common to all sections, as explained on page 17.  Some multi-section courses have their own policies.  (See the Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog for guidelines on excused absences.) Students should be informed in writing at the beginning of the semester about policies on grading and absences, and these policies should be applied uniformly.  Three copies of each course syllabus are to be filed with the Sequence Supervisor (if appropriate) and with the Department secretaries.

 

F.         STUDENT DROPS AND ADDS

 

You will receive a preliminary class roster in time for your first class meeting.  Students may drop or add classes during the first two weeks of the semester without paying a fee.  Tell inquirers during this period that all drops and adds will be done on the Web.  Students with extenuating circumstances may e-mail our Scheduling Officer, Hans-Jörg Busch, at leipzig@udel.edu to explain their special need for a specific course.   

 

After the second week and through the eighth week, drops and adds may be done without academic penalty, but a fee payment is involved.  During this period students may drop courses or change sections within a course by using the Web.  No students will be added to any of our courses after the free drop/add period ends.  Any registration changes after the academic penalty deadline require the approval of the student's dean.

 

 

Drop/add forms will not be used for our multi-section courses and should not be signed if presented to you

 

G.        FOREIGN LANGUAGE PLACEMENT

 

Students entering the University's College of Arts and Sciences are placed in a foreign language course during new student orientation, now called DelaWorld 101.  Their level of placement depends primarily on the number of years they have studied a particular language in high school, as follows:

 

less than two years........................................... 105                 

two years (9th and 10th grades only)................ 105

two or three years............................................ 106

four or more years........................................... 107

 

 

Students with two or more years of high school language in grades 10-12 are not permitted to register for 105, nor are students with four or more years permitted to register for 106

 

Note that placement guidelines are different for Latin: 

 

less than two years........................................... 101

two years (9th and 10th grades only)................ 101

two years........................................................ 102

three or four years........................................... 213

four or more years........................................... 214

 

It is therefore crucial that instructors not tell students wishing to switch language levels (for example, from 106 to 105) that they may do so.  Students seeking to change their placement level should be directed to the Foreign Language Placement Advisor, Crista Johnson (831-4667), in room 320 JBH.

 

Students with an exceptional language background or with native ability in a language other than English may be exempted from the College of Arts and Sciences foreign language requirement.  Such students should also be directed to the Foreign Language Placement Advisor.

 

            H.        FOREIGN LANGUAGE SUBSTITUTION

 

Arts and Sciences majors requesting a substitution of courses to fulfill the foreign language requirement due to a disability should be referred to the Documentation Review Committee at the Academic Enrichment Center (831-2805).

 

I.          DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR

 

Student behavior which disrupts the classroom should not be tolerated.  It is wise to include information in the syllabus about disruptive behavior, with examples (bringing dogs to class, eating during class, regularly arriving late or leaving early, using cell phones, etc.). Students guilty of disruption should first be warned, then ejected from class if necessary. Bring intractable cases to the attention of the Sequence Supervisor, who will decide if further action is needed (conference with student; call to Office of Judicial Affairs, etc.).

 

J.          ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

 

You should explain your policy regarding cheating in each class.  The University has a judicial system for prosecuting cases of academic dishonesty (see the Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog), and students should be informed of (1) what you consider to be cheating; (2) what aids they may and may not use on exams; (3) if papers are to be written, what constitutes plagiarism; and (4) what action you will take if it occurs.  When you have reason to believe an infraction has occurred, take the matter first to the Sequence Supervisor (or, if the course is not in a sequence, the Department Chair) before contacting the Director of Judicial Affairs.

 

K.        INSTRUCTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES AFTER THE END OF CLASSES

 

 

Your responsibility to students enrolled in your classes extends beyond the final day of classes and includes the administering and grading of final examinations.  The dates of the final examination week are published at the beginning of each semester and should serve as a guide when making semester-end travel plans.

 

You are expected to fulfill all of your instructional responsibilities each semester.  Faculty, graduate students, and exchange students who teach Foreign Languages and Literatures courses and who do not fulfill these responsibilities (including the proctoring and grading of final examinations) should not expect to receive teaching assignments in subsequent semesters.

 

L.         INCOMPLETE GRADES

 

A student who is prevented by circumstances beyond his or her control from completing the course requirements on time may receive an incomplete (I) grade.  This extends the time for completing the work into the second week of the next regular (spring or fall) semester.  An incomplete grade explanation form must be completed if a student will receive a grade other than an F, if the incomplete work is not made up.  The grade explanation form is a Web form, and must be submitted the same day as the grade roster.

 

Faculty should not give an "I" grade to a student who simply "disappears" before the end of the semester and does not provide any reason for not completing course  requirements.  Such students should receive a "Z" grade for the course.

 

M.        READING DAY

 

Reading Day is designed to permit students time to prepare for final exams.  No examinations or other class-related activities may be conducted on Reading Day.

 


N.        EXAMINATIONS

 

Note and observe the Department's policy for examinations: All exams which are administered in multi-section courses should have at least two different versions when starting times for the various sections extend to or beyond a four and one-half hour span, e.g., 8 a.m.-1:35 p.m.; 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m.  Should an exam be administered in a particular section on a date other than the scheduled date, the exam must be entirely different from any of the versions given in other sections. The same holds true for make-up exams.

 

Final examinations for all courses are scheduled by computer and published some weeks before the semester ends.  It is the policy of the University and of the Department that final examinations must be given at the scheduled time and place.  No deviation from this policy will be permitted.  The examination must be administered by the instructor. 

 

 

Not all courses need to have final exams, but each Language Faculty will apply a consistent policy for the elementary and intermediate courses that are under its  jurisdiction.  If a given Language Faculty stipulates that final exams are to be given, all sections of the elementary and intermediate courses in that language will have an exam.

 

Final grade rosters are distributed shortly before the semester ends.  Once you have recorded the grades, turn in the rosters to Michelle Shumate in 103 JBH.  Grade rosters must be submitted to her no later than 11:00 a.m. on the date they are due. 

 

If you will be away from Newark, leave word with the secretaries on how to reach you.  Every semester, questions arise about grades which could be answered easily by a two-minute conversation with the instructor; but if the instructor cannot be found, such a question may take hours to resolve.  Please remember that there are some questions about a course that only you can answer; do not oblige the office staff or the Department Chair to try to reconstruct those answers from fragmentary clues.

 

Students can access their course grades by checking the Web a few days after exam week has ended.  Do not post grades using student names or Social Security numbers; this constitutes a violation of University policy.

 

An instructor's responsibilities are not concluded until all grades have been filed. If you are planning air travel at the end of the semester, your reservations should allow you two full days after your last exam before departure. If you must make reservations before the exam schedule is published, assume that your last exam will occur on the last day of finals week.

 

O.        AUDIO/VISUAL AND COMPUTER RESOURCES

 

Many classrooms contain locked audio/visual cabinets.  Faculty may borrow a key to these cabinets from University Media Services located in East Hall (ext. 3546), Gore Hall (ext. 0494), and Kirkbride Hall (ext. 1221). Certain equipment for use in classrooms can be obtained from the FL Media Center: CD-tape players, laptop computers, and audio cassette player/recorders. For other equipment, University Media Services can meet your needs. Both providers should be given a few days advance notice when you require A/V equipment.

 

If you wish to make use of the small theater facility located in 006 JBH for an occasional viewing of videos or films, you must schedule that room through the Media Center. This room should be used for the screening of films, not as a classroom

 

 

In addition to word processing resources, the Media Center has foreign language software, CDs, access to Web-based instruction via the Internet, and TV-VCR video players for use in the Media Center.  Your students may use the Media Center for all these purposes.  They may also use the Media Center for recording themselves on an audio tape, or for individual use of audio tapes.  Audio CDs and tapes for class use can be duplicated at the Media Center.  If you are requiring your class(es) to have audio tapes or CDs made, please give the Media Center advance notice.

 

Faculty interested in editing videos or recording broadcast programs for classroom use can be trained in the use of the facilities in the Media Center; see Thomas McCone or Rae Stabosz for further information.

 

The Media Center also oversees the Materials Development Center, located in room 005 JBH.  The Center contains equipment which can be used by faculty to digitize audio and visual materials and to create sophisticated computer- and Web-based instructional materials. Faculty interested in creating multimedia materials can be trained to use the Center's equipment.  See Thomas McCone or Rae Stabosz for further information.

 

P.         DESK COPIES

 

You should have a desk copy of each textbook to be used in your courses.  Diane Parke in 103 JBH can try to help you obtain them.  Please note that it has become increasingly difficult to obtain free desk copies from publishers, especially for upper-level classes.  You may be required to pay half, or even full price, for the desk copies you need.  Funds from the Department budget cannot be used to purchase textbooks for instructors--even if publishers and/or importers refuse to provide desk copies.

 

Q.        EXCURSIONS

 

Excursions with students to plays, concerts, art exhibitions, ethnic events and such can be an enriching part of the learning experience.  Be very careful, however, not to schedule any such activities which would involve expense to the Department without obtaining the Department Chair's prior approval. 

 


R.         LITERATURE, CULTURE, AND INDEPENDENT STUDY COURSES

 

Faculty members on non-tenure-track appointments who have not yet received the Ph.D. are normally limited to teaching language courses. Permission to teach literature and culture/civilization courses or to direct independent study courses may be granted such faculty by the Department Chair under special circumstances.

 

Only under extenuating circumstances may a student (graduate or undergraduate) be permitted to take a course on an independent/supervised study basis in his/her major field of study.  The student must provide written justification, in the form of a letter, that will accompany the independent/supervised study titling form when it is submitted. The letter and the signed titling form must be delivered to 103 JBH and approved by the Department Chair before the student registers for this course.

 

 

S.         CREDIT BY EXAM

 

Students interested in obtaining credit by exam should be directed to Dorie Galloway, Assistant to the Chair, to receive instructions on completing the appropriate paperwork.  The Department does not grant credit by exam for 100-level courses.  Students may receive up to six credits by examination for language courses at the 200 level and above, including but not exceeding one conversation course. Native speakers are not permitted to receive credit by exam for conversation courses.

 

T.         ABSENCES FROM CLASSES

 

(See also II. U. CANCELLATION OF CLASSES and III. C. ABSENCE FROM ASSIGNED DUTIES.)

 

It is a good idea, especially for 100-level courses, to arrange for your substitutes in advance and to contact them when necessary.  It is the responsibility of each instructor to find substitutes; do not expect the office staff to do this for you.

All regular faculty members, all S-contract faculty members, and all graduate students teaching for the Department are expected to meet all their classes at the assigned time and place. Unauthorized absences are not acceptable under any circumstances. It is not acceptable professional behavior to exchange or swap class assignments in order to have a long weekend, go shopping, or otherwise engage in personal or business activities.

 

There are some circumstances under which absences may be authorized.  These include such situations as:

 

a.  Authorized travel to a professional meeting.

b.  Personal or family illness. 

c.  Breakdown of the car.

d.  Family or other emergency.

 


In cases of anticipated absences, requests should be directed to the Department Chair, Richard Zipser, in advance and in writing, indicating how you intend to meet your responsibilities to your students. Classes are not to be canceled under any circumstances.  Substitute teachers must be found for the classes you will miss, as indicated above.

 

U.        CANCELLATION OF CLASSES

 

Decisions on canceling classes in case of inclement weather are made by the University.  Instructors may not cancel classes at their own discretion.  See section III. C., below.

 

III.       PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY

 

 

It is in the interest of the individual, the Department, and the University that one's professional achievements be recognized.  Early in the spring semester, faculty on regular appointment will be asked to prepare an outline listing any books and articles  published, lectures or papers given, workshops conducted, grants received, and other such activity.  This information becomes a part of the personnel file and is consulted when annual evaluations are done in the spring.

 

A.      DEPARTMENTALLY-SPONSORED EVENTS

 

Lectures and other events of general interest are scheduled from time to time during the year.  Please make every effort to attend these events and, where appropriate, encourage your students to do so also.

 

B.      STUDY ABROAD RECRUITMENT

 

The Department sponsors and co-sponsors more than 25 study abroad programs annually. The success of these initiatives, which play a significant role in our curricular program, is largely dependent on faculty recruitment efforts. It is the responsibility of each faculty member and teaching assistant to be an advocate for study abroad by distributing study abroad brochures to students, by talking about our programs in and outside of the classroom, and by encouraging students to participate in the appropriate program(s). Do not encourage advanced students to apply for admission to programs designed for students at the intermediate (106 and 107) or advanced-intermediate (200) levels.

 

C.      ABSENCES FROM ASSIGNED DUTIES

 

In case of illness or unavoidable absence from classes, faculty members and teaching assistants should make arrangements for a colleague to take over for them.  At the same time, the Course Coordinator and Sequence Supervisor are to be informed. A class should not be canceled without the permission of the Department Chair.

 

It is important that the Department be kept abreast of your whereabouts.  If you plan to be absent at any time during the regular semesters, even if you will miss no classes, you should notify the Department Chair.

 

D.      TRAVEL

For professional travel, regardless of reimbursement, see item III. C., above.

 

The Department has budgeted funds to enable faculty members to participate in professional conferences. In general, reimbursement for such travel will be limited to those who present papers--and even then it will usually be partial reimbursement. As far in advance as possible, fill out the Department request for travel funding, which is available from Dorie Galloway, the Assistant to the Chair, who will inform you of further steps that must be taken.  Upon return, you must complete a form requesting reimbursement, attaching to it all original receipts, canceled flight tickets, and other documentation.  You cannot be reimbursed for an expense for which you do not have a receipt.

 

If for some reason you do not attend a conference for which the Department has allocated funds, please inform Dorie Galloway promptly, so the encumbered funds can be reallocated.

 

 

E.      TUTORING

 

Students who request tutoring--or who seem to need it--should be referred to the University's Academic Enrichment Center, 148-150 S. College Avenue (ext. 2805), which coordinates tutoring campus-wide. Without specific permission from the Department Chair, no member of our faculty may tutor for compensation a student who is taking a course in the Department.  Such situations would ordinarily involve a conflict of interest and would constitute a violation of professional ethics.  Undergraduate and graduate students who wish to work as tutors should be referred to the tutoring supervisor for the language in question.

 

F.      TRANSLATION

 

From time to time, Department faculty members may be asked to translate documents. Anything more than the most trivial items, which you may prefer to do as a courtesy, should be handled in a business-like manner. 

 

 

                                                                                                                       

 


IV.  ADDENDA

 

A.      PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHERS

 

Ë       Do not criticize course texts, manuals, tests, approaches, syllabi, or fellow teachers when speaking with students, either inside or outside the classroom.

 

Ë       Be prepared to meet all of your classes yourself during the course of a semester, winter or summer session.  Do not make informal arrangements for others to substitute for you and do not subcontract your teaching.

 

Ë       Attend all regularly scheduled course meetings.  If for some reason you cannot attend a meeting, inform the Course Coordinator in advance.

 

Ë       Adhere completely to evaluation criteria established for the course that you are teaching.  Do not alter the percentages allotted to various course components when calculating final grades.  Do not alter percentages allotted to various sections on examinations.

 

Ë       Do not substitute your own examination items for any portion of a course-wide examination.  Do not eliminate any of the items on a course-wide examination.

 

Ë       Prior to a course examination, never reveal to your students specific questions, essay topics, semantic areas, grammatical coverage, etc.--unless expressly instructed to do so by your Course Coordinator.

 

Ë       Do not give your students more than five minutes beyond the time allotted to complete a course-wide examination.

 

Ë       Give your students a full fifty-minute class every day--i.e., start each class on time and do not dismiss students early.

 

Ë       Do not absent yourself from your class on days when films or videos are shown.  (Plans to show films and videos not included in the syllabus must be approved by the Course Coordinator.)

 

Ë       Do not leave campus at the end of a semester until all activities related to your teaching assignments (i.e., administering and grading of final exams, submitting final grades) have been completed.

 


B.      ATTENDANCE POLICY FOR 4-CREDIT 100-LEVEL COURSES

 

Ë       Attendance is very important in a language course, since skills are developed through daily use.  You are encouraged to attend every class.  Nevertheless, your first five absences (or the equivalent of one week's classes),  for any reason, will not be held against you.  The only exception to this is if the absence occurs on a day when a test, quiz, composition, or other evaluation is scheduled.  For absences on these days your must provide written documentation, such as a note from your doctor.  Such excuses will be accepted for no longer than one week (seven days) beyond the day on which the absence occurred.

 

Ë       After your first five absences, for whatever reason, your final percentage grade will be lowered by 1% for each additional absence.  This excludes absences after the fifth which are due to religious holidays, illnesses, accidents, death in the family, or other exceptional circumstances. Such absences should be reported promptly and require written documentation, such as a note from your doctor.  As stated above, you will have one week (seven days) from the day you were absent to submit that documentation.

 

Ë       There are no make-ups of any kind for work missed due to unexcused absences or late arrivals.

 

C.      PASS/FAIL POLICY FOR 100-LEVEL COURSES

 

100-level language courses (and Latin 213 and 214) cannot be taken on a pass/fail basis if the courses are being used to satisfy a requirement or as prerequisites of a course used to satisfy a requirement. 

 

The policies above should appear on the syllabi of all 100-level language courses (and Latin 213 and 214).

 

 

Revised September 2006


~INDEX ~

 

ABSENCES FROM ASSIGNED DUTIES.................................................................................... 14

ABSENCES FROM CLASSES..................................................................................................... 13

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY......................................................................................................... 10

ATTENDANCE POLICY FOR 4-CREDIT 100-LEVEL COURSES............................................ 17

AUDIO/VISUAL RESOURCES ................................................................................................... 11

CALENDAR, DEPARTMENT ACTIVITIES.................................................................................. 7

CANCELLATION OF CLASSES................................................................................................. 14

COMPUTER RESOURCES.......................................................................................................... 11

COURSE COORDINATORS.......................................................................................................... 7

CREDIT BY EXAM....................................................................................................................... 13

DEPARTMENTALLY-SPONSORED EVENTS........................................................................... 14

DESK COPIES.............................................................................................................................. 12

DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR.............................................................................................................. 9

DROPS AND ADDS, STUDENT.................................................................................................... 8

DUPLICATING............................................................................................................................... 3

EXAMINATIONS......................................................................................................................... 11

EXCURSIONS.............................................................................................................................. 12

FAXES, OUTGOING...................................................................................................................... 6

FAXES, INCOMING...................................................................................................................... 6

FOREIGN LANGUAGE SUBSTITUTION..................................................................................... 9

INCOMPLETE GRADES.............................................................................................................. 10

INDEPENDENT STUDY COURSES............................................................................................ 12

INSTRUCTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES AFTER THE END OF CLASSES............................... 10

JASTAK-BURGESS HALL............................................................................................................. 2

     KEYS.......................................................................................................................................... 2

     SECURITY................................................................................................................................. 2

     CORRIDORS.............................................................................................................................. 2

     OFFICE DOORS........................................................................................................................ 3

     FACULTY LOUNGE................................................................................................................. 3

     CONFERENCE ROOMS........................................................................................................... 3

LITERATURE AND CULTURE COURSES................................................................................. 13

MAIL AND MAILBOXES.............................................................................................................. 5

     MAILBOXES.............................................................................................................................. 5

     U.S. MAIL.................................................................................................................................. 5

     CAMPUS MAIL......................................................................................................................... 5

     PACKAGES............................................................................................................................... 5

     LETTERS AND LARGE BROWN ENVELOPES IN JBH......................................................... 5

     GIFTS FROM YOU TO OTHER FACULTY AND STAFF IN JBH.......................................... 5

     STUDENT PAPERS AND ASSIGNMENTS............................................................................. 5

OFFICE HOURS............................................................................................................................. 7

ORGANIZATIONAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS........................................................ 1

PASS/FAIL POLICY FOR 100-LEVEL COURSES..................................................................... 17

PHONE CALLS............................................................................................................................... 5

PLACEMENT, FOREIGN LANGUAGE......................................................................................... 9

PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT...................................................................................................... 16

READING DAY............................................................................................................................. 10

RESPONSIBILITIES OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHERS.................................................. 16

SEQUENCE SUPERVISORS.......................................................................................................... 7

STUDY ABROAD RECRUITMENT............................................................................................. 14

SUPPLIES........................................................................................................................................ 3

SYLLABI......................................................................................................................................... 8

TEACHING SCHEDULES.............................................................................................................. 7

TEAM TEACHING.......................................................................................................................... 8

TRANSLATION............................................................................................................................ 15

TRAVEL........................................................................................................................................ 15

TUTORING................................................................................................................................... 15

TYPING/WORD PROCESSING..................................................................................................... 4

VOICE MAIL.................................................................................................................................. 6