Student Advising, Conduct, Privacy and Academic Complaints
Students, both undergraduate and graduate, and their academic needs are of primary importance to the College and the Faculty. Students may be requested to participate as non-voting members in the College’s standing and ad hoc committees where students' viewpoints are useful and appropriate. Student appointments to committees are made by the Chair of the respective committee in consultation with the Associate/Assistant Dean(s) for Program(s) and the Faculty members involved in and affected by a specific committee's work. All student appointments to College committees are reviewed and approved by the Dean.
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Advising
General advising at the undergraduate level is provided through the Office of Academic Advising Services (OAAS). Student advising is undertaken by the Advisors assigned by OAAS for each program within the College.
Faculty members are expected to counsel undergraduate and graduate students on the nature of the academic programs within the College. Faculty members should be prepared to provide guidance and insight on coursework, the value of academic and professional preparation, and the overall structure and organization of their specific undergraduate or graduate programs.
The primary responsibility of the graduate faculty is to ensure that the requirements of the specific graduate degree program are met. Graduate faculty members may be asked by a graduate student to direct his/her Master’s thesis or capstone project. The Graduate faculty member then notifies the Graduate Coordinator of his/her agreement to serve who in turn notifies the Associate/Assistant Dean(s) for Program(s). The Advisor, in conjunction with the thesis or capstone committee and studio faculty member, supervises the student in the direction and completion of the research, written thesis or capstone project.
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Student Academic Misconduct
University’s Administrative policy regarding student cheating and plagiarism is included in the University Policy Register. (See, University Policy Register 3342-3-01.8)
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Student Grievances and Academic Complaints
The University’s policies and procedures which govern student grievances and student academic complaints are included in the University Policy Register. (See, University Policy Register 3342-4-02.102, 3342-02-3 and 3342-8-01.4)
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Transfer Credit
The Associate/Assistant Dean(s) for Program(s) is responsible for the evaluation of undergraduate transfer credit and may consult with a Faculty member who teaches the specific course or courses at issue. Questions of transfer credit for other subject areas should be referred to the College office.
Graduate transfer credit is evaluated according to the process described in the current Graduate Catalog. Graduate transfer credit may be accepted if the criteria are met and the Graduate Coordinator, Graduate Studies Committee, and the Associate/Assistant Dean(s) for the Program(s) approve the transfer credit
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Privacy of Student Records
The Associate Dean in coordination with the Associate/Assistant Dean(s) for Program(s) is responsible for ensuring that all Faculty and staff of the College comply with all laws and University Policies which govern the privacy of student education records, including but not limited to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
These regulations require, among other things, that all Faculty members keep thorough academic records and forbid the posting of grades by name, social security number or any other system which might identify a student with her/his education record. For further information, contact the University’s Office of Legal Affairs.
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Student Evaluations
All courses are evaluated each semester, including summer sessions, using the approved Student Survey of Instruction (SSI). Faculty members are provided by the College staff the packet of SSI evaluation materials two (2) weeks prior to the end of classes. A student volunteer within each class administers the SSIs according to the printed directions on the envelope, and submits the sealed and signed envelope to the assigned staff person in the appropriate program. Under no circumstances are Faculty members able to view or influence the evaluation process. Violations of this policy must be reported to the Dean and the Dean shall enter a written record of the violation into the Faculty member’s personnel file. This record shall be taken into consideration in all reappointment, tenure, promotion, and - Faculty Excellence Awards decisions.
The Dean’s Administrative Assistant arranges for the appropriate scoring of SSIs according to the approved group norms for the various programs. SSIs are not available to individual Faculty members until after grades are submitted to the Registrar. SSIs and the results are maintained in the Dean’s office with copies distributed to the Faculty member in a timely manner for review.