Responsibilities as a Teacher
- The curriculum and degree requirements
Faculty members are expected to be knowledgeable about the curriculum of the College, particularly the degree requirements for all students, the major requirements for students in their own departments, the curriculum of allied disciplines, and of the relevant departments at Haverford College.
The following publications and documents are basic sources of information:
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the annual catalogues of the undergraduate college and Haverford College, their websites, and the websites of the two graduate schools;
- the Academic Regulations, published in the Undergraduate Catalog;
- the Undergraduate Honor Code;
- the Rules of the Faculties as they pertain to the three schools and the degrees awarded in each school; these rules are a part of the By-Laws.
- Approval of courses
A faculty member offers courses as part of a departmental or interdepartmental program. New courses must be reviewed and approved with the department chair, program director or dean (as appropriate) and then, in the case of undergraduate courses and courses in the Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research, by the respective curriculum committees.
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- Work load
The College's current course load expectations are: -
Full-time faculty in rank and on continuing non-tenure track appointments are expected to teach the equivalent of five courses each year.
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Full-time faculty members on interim (mostly annual, some multi-year) appointments are expected to teach the equivalent of six courses a year.
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Faculty members on a one-semester sabbatical are expected to teach the equivalent of three courses in the non-sabbatical semester.
The College has adopted the principles for faculty course load recommended by the Committee on Academic Priorities in its 2003 study “What is a Course?" This study addresses issues such as course reductions for chairs, small courses, large courses, team-teaching, laboratory courses, and the senior year experience for majors.
There should be an equitable distribution of large-enrollment courses and smaller-enrollment courses among members of the department. Some course load flexibility is possible as long as the department's curricular needs are being met (for example, a faculty member may wish to teach six courses one year and four the next, if that would be helpful to the scheduling of research time). With the approval of the Provost and the department chair, faculty members may obtain released time from teaching if there are substantial funds in an outside grant to replace their course(s). Click here for the guideline on using grant funds to buy out a course.
Faculty members are expected to accept nomination or appointment to faculty committees unless they are carrying unusually heavy teaching responsibilities.
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- Cancellation of courses.
The Provost and the Deans have the right to cancel courses with inadequate enrollments. The definition of an "adequate" class size is reached in consultation with the faculty member and the department chair and with consideration for the level of the class and the discipline. Continuing faculty members whose classes are canceled because of inadequate enrollment may be asked to take on special projects or may be asked to teach an additional course in a subsequent semester, at the discretion of the Provost and the department chair. For interim faculty members, however, the College follows some general guidelines for minimal course enrollments. For introductory courses, minimal enrollment is generally construed as 12 students; for intermediate and advanced courses, it is five. If pre-registration enrollments are below these levels, the department chair and the Provost’s Office reserves the right to revise assigned courses and/or teaching load.
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- Classroom attendance
Members of the faculty are expected to meet all scheduled classes and office hours. When other professional demands conflict with class hours, the faculty member should discuss plans for class coverage with the department chair. In the case of prolonged absence or unusually frequent absences, the chair should report to and discuss the need for coverage with the Provost.
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- Meetings of Undergraduate Classes
At the undergraduate level, courses in Humanities, Modern Languages, and Social Sciences generally meet as follows:
- introductory language courses: daily for 50 minutes;
- l00-level courses: three times a week for 50 minutes;
- 200-level courses: twice a week for 75 minutes or three times for 50 minutes;
- Advanced courses at the 300-level may be scheduled like 200-level courses or for one meeting of two or three hours per week.
In the Natural and Physical Sciences courses meet as follows:
- l00-level courses: three times a week for 50-minute periods, plus one three-hour laboratory;
- 200-level courses: twice a week for 75 minutes or three times a week for 50 minutes, plus laboratories of four to six hours;
- 300-level courses: class and laboratory hours vary from course to course.
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- Limited Enrollment Courses
The maximum size of a course will vary with disciplinary and pedagogical factors. If an instructor and the department feel that a course size should be limited (or "capped"), it is essential that that information be available for students when they are registering for courses. Enrollment limits must be announced at the time of pre-registration, along with criteria to be used for the selection of students. The "lotteries," whenever possible, will be conducted in the Registrar's Office. It is understood by the Registrar that some courses have complex criteria based on more than a student's class year or major and that some departments prefer to establish the sections for their courses rather than have them go to the lottery.
- Conduct of classes in the Undergraduate College and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
The College's expectations are described in the Rules of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the Undergraduate College, which can be found in the By-Laws. In brief, faculty members should know that the design of a course is the responsibility of the individual faculty member, in consultation with the chair of the department.
In the first week of classes faculty members are expected to inform students of the design, general objectives, and requirements of the course. It is customary to give students a course syllabus which outlines the material to be covered, sets forth the basic bibliography and reading assignments for the course, and lists the written work expected of them, including papers, quizzes, tests and final examinations. Any special standards (e.g., attendance, grading) should be made known to students at the beginning of the course.
Faculty members are expected to notify the appropriate dean in the case of an undergraduate student's significant absences from class or if the student's work is late, very poor, or not forthcoming.
While Bryn Mawr is non-sectarian, faculty members are urged to honor students' requests for extensions on work that is due on or near a religious holiday which the student chooses to observe.
Faculty members may evaluate and respond to individual students' requests for exceptions to deadlines or course requirements, consulting with an undergraduate student's dean only if that seems useful or necessary. If, however, an undergraduate student requests an extension of the College's deadline for all written work (always the last day of classes in a given semester), permission must be given jointly by a faculty member and the student's dean. A GSAS student's deadline for incomplete work is 30 days after the beginning of the following semester.
Faculty members are expected to submit grades for their undergraduate courses and graduate seminars in a timely manner. For information on the grading system and standards, see the undergraduate catalog and the relevant parts of the Rules of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and the Rules for the Graduate Schools,which may be found in the By-Laws.
In order to assure the availability of their teaching materials, faculty are urged to place their orders for books and other materials in the College Bookstore by April 15 for fall semester courses and by November 15 for spring semester courses. Library orders and reserve reading lists should be placed equally early.
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- Conduct of Courses in the Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research
The design of any given course is the responsibility of the individual faculty member, in consultation with the Curriculum Committee and the Dean. Course objectives must be consistent with educational outcomes approved by the faculty for the appropriate area of the curriculum.
In the first week of classes, faculty members should communicate the overall design of the course as well as specific educational outcomes expected for students. At the end of the term, these outcomes are to be used by faculty as a basis for evaluating student performance, and by students as a basis for determining whether the material was covered. Weekly assigned readings and all required written and oral assignments should also be presented at that time. Expectations about grading and class attendance must be made explicit.
If a student is frequently absent from class or produces late, very poor, or otherwise unsatisfactory work, the faculty member should discuss the matter directly with the student. If the problem persists, faculty should immediately notify the student's advisor. If all of these efforts fail to resolve the problem, the Associate Dean or Dean should be informed. If the problem is deemed of such magnitude that the student is in jeopardy of failing the course, the student may then be asked to come before the Committee on the Evaluation of the Educational Performance of Master's Students for further deliberation.
In the doctoral program, the instructor uses established criteria to evaluate the student's performance. A grade of Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory is assigned. The instructor may provide a written analysis of the student's strengths and limitations. At the end of each semester, each student's performance is reviewed by the doctoral faculty. The Director of the Doctoral Program writes a letter summarizing that review to each student enrolled in course work. A copy of the grade sheet and a copy of any written analysis of student performance for each course are given to the student, provided that the student has completed and submitted the evaluation of the faculty performance. The grade of Incomplete is reserved for serious illness or an emergency situation. To obtain an Incomplete, a student must submit a written petition to the instructor by the last day of class for that semester. The instructor must approve this request in writing. All Incompletes must be completed within 30 days of the first class day of the following academic year. Any Incompletes remaining after this date become permanent Incompletes and no degree credit is received for those courses. A course instructor may be called upon to justify to the doctoral faculty approval for an Incomplete. Course work will be critiqued by the instructors and returned promptly.
Faculty members are expected to submit grades under deadlines established by the Dean's Office. The student may be given a grade of Satisfactory (S), Unsatisfactory (U), or in special instances, a grade of Incomplete (I), with a specific date set for the completion of coursework. In addition to the grades S, U, or I, an instructor is expected to write a comprehensive description of the student's performance in the course, based on the criteria of projected educational outcomes.
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- The Course Schedule and Classroom Assignments
The Registrar's Office is responsible for the preparation and management of the College's course schedule and the assignment of classrooms. In order to prepare the schedule and assign classrooms, the Registrar's Office gathers information each spring from department chairs and program directors, who are expected to provide anticipated requirements for the courses they will offer, including enrollment, numbers of meetings per week, and preferred time slot (if any). Faculty are expected to observe the official course scheduling time blocks. Information should also be communicated on equipment needs so that an appropriate classroom can be identified. On the basis of this information, the Registrar will be able to allocate classrooms wisely.
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- Office hours
Faculty members are expected to have regular, convenient, weekly office hours on campus in which to advise and consult with students. These hours should be announced to students in class at the beginning of the semester and posted on the door to the office.
The Faculty Member and the Department
In concert with other members of the department, the individual faculty member is expected to plan and evaluate the departmental curriculum, advise students, participate in the appointment of new members of the department, plan and organize departmental lecture series and extracurricular events, participate in the cyclical evaluation of the department by outside reviewers, serve on search committees for allied departments at Bryn Mawr or cognate departments at Haverford College, recommend students for awards, jobs, and other academic programs, and participate in data gathering efforts and in any other ongoing activities of the department.
Prior to re-appointment reviews and on an annual basis, junior faculty members are strongly encouraged to initiate discussions with their chairs about teaching evaluations, research progress, and service.
Faculty are expected to attend departmental meetings. Each chair should schedule regular meetings at times that are convenient for all members of the department. In addition, as stated in the Plan of Governance III.6.b, any member of the department may initiate a call for a department meeting for joint discussion.
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Faculty meetings
Faculty members are expected to attend College-wide faculty meetings. Attendance is taken at faculty meetings to conform with Robert's Rules of Order.
Academic Occasions
It is the College's custom that all faculty join the academic processions for convocation and commencement. Faculty who are unable to attend Commencement should notify the President in writing.
Lectures at the College
Bryn Mawr faculty members are expected from time to time to offer lectures at the College on their research and other aspects of their professional work. This is to be undertaken without the expectation of an honorarium.
Major Grant Proposals
Members of the faculty are occasionally asked by the President or Provost, or directly by a member of the staff of the Resources Office to participate in the formulation and writing of major proposals for grants offered by governmental agencies or private and corporate foundations. Once grants are awarded, faculty members may be asked to administer the grants and/or participate in the new programs the grants have made possible. Individual members of the faculty should work with the Director of Sponsored Research or the Resources Office if they wish to secure grants for instructional and research equipment and programs. Members of the faculty should refrain from direct contact with private, non-governmental foundations.
Representing the College
Faculty are occasionally asked by the Admissions Office, the Alumnae Association, the Resources Office, or other administrative offices, to attend special meetings, give lectures or informal talks to prospective students, alumnae/i, friends, and guests of the College. These requests are made because visibility of a good faculty is important to the continued well-being of the College. Members of the faculty are, therefore, urged to cooperate whenever possible.
College Service
Service on College committees is an integral part of employment at the College, as stated above.
College Policies
Faculty members have the responsibility to teach students how to document their sources. They are asked to familiarize themselves and their students with College policies with respect to copyright and information technology.
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Scholarly activity is an integral part of the professional life and vitality of each member of the Bryn Mawr College faculty. This activity includes but is not necessarily limited to research in progress, preparation of manuscripts for publication, participation in excavations (where appropriate), membership in professional societies or service on their boards, and the delivery of lectures at other colleges and universities or at the meetings of professional societies.
Scholarly activity and productivity is a basis for reappointment, promotion, and tenure; for the award of merit-based salary increases for full professors; and for the granting of sabbatical leaves. The College has a number of programs that provide support for faculty research, described elsewhere.
Faculty members are expected to comply with the annual request to submit updated vitas. These vitas serve as information for the Committee on Appointments, the Deans, the Provost, and the President. They are also made available to other College offices, including Resources, Faculty Grants, and Public Relations. They are also posted on the Provost's website, unless an individual demurs.
The Provost offers new faculty members in the first year of a tenure-track appointment (or a non-tenure track appointment that carries the expectation of promotion in due course to Senior Lecturer) the opportunity to have an extra-departmental mentor to assist them in getting to know the College. The mentor is not a part of the reappointment or tenure review process. If the new faculty member elects to have an extra-departmental mentor, the Provost, in consultation with the Committee on Appointments, will invite a tenured member of another department to act in this capacity.
The new faculty member might turn to the mentor for advice about such matters as how to negotiate a manageable load of teaching and service activities, how to integrate teaching and research, and how to set appropriate expectations for students at different levels of the curriculum. Understanding these and other aspects of the College's culture will help the new faculty member function and even thrive here. Such conversations should not be seen as reducing the responsibility of department colleagues, and particularly the Chair, to introduce new faculty members to the College and discuss with them the College's expectations in regard to teaching, research and service. See Responsibilities of the Department Chair. The extra-departmental mentor will, however, be in a position to help his or her colleague obtain a college-wide perspective on all these matters. This program is designed especially to support newly appointed faculty members, but is intended to involve a high degree of reciprocity and mutuality. The two parties to the mentoring relationship might, for example, visit each other's classes and share their teaching evaluations with each other. Their conversations are understood to be "off the record" in relation to the formal process of review for reappointment. If the mentor is a member of the Committee on Appointments when the junior colleague comes up for review, the mentor will recuse himself or herself from discussion and voting, to be replaced for that review by a former member of the Committee on Appointments. The mentor may, however, contribute to the review if the candidate so requests, by writing a letter to the Committee on the candidate's behalf.
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Maintained by the Office of the Provost.
Updated Summer 2006.