Course policies & syllabus
Faculty should keep two factors in mind when preparing
opening class handouts:
- Students have a right to know the course policies that affect
them—for example, regarding grading and attendance.
- Specifying policies in writing is important for the protection
of the faculty. Most student complaints about grades have concerned
unspecified or vague grading policies.
In every course, undergraduate and graduate, students must be given
an opening handout that spells out the following (clearly and
specifically):
- the basis for grading, including the relative
weightings, in determining the final grade, of such factors as exams,
papers, quizzes, and projects. See also grading.
- the attendance
policy (if the faculty member has one)
- penalties, if any, for absences, late arrivals,
missed examinations, and late or missed assignments
- office
hours
Except for distance classes, for which course policies must be posted
online, a hard-copy opening handout must be distributed, whether
or not the
information
is posted
on
a course
website.
Modifications
to the opening handout should also be communicated to students
in writing. Faculty are free to create their own policies in these
matters,
but these policies must be communicated to the students at the beginning
of the course.
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