Originally prepared by:
James Sage, Ph.D.
(currently Associate Provost
Southern Utah University)
1. Syllabus Basics: Policies
A. Community Rights and Responsibilities Document
The Community Rights and Responsibilities document articulates the rules and regulations governing faculty, staff, and students at UWSP. This document includes the policies regarding academic misconduct (found in UWSP Chapter 14) as well as non-academic misconduct (found in UWSP Chapters
17 and 18). To view this document, please see: http://www.uwsp.edu/dos/Documents/CommunityRights.pdf
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The preamble to the Community Rights and Responsibilities document establishes expectations for both students and instructors in an effort to create a safe, honest, respectful, and inviting environment at
UWSP. A more extensive set of information on policies and procedures for faculty can be found here: http://www.uwsp.edu/dos/Pages/Information%20for%20Faculty.aspx
You should include a statement on your syllabus referencing the Community Rights and Responsibilities document, specifically UWSP Chapter 14. This link to UWSP Chapter 14 should be copied to your syllabus:
“For more information on UWSP Chapter 14, please see page 11 in the UWSP Community Rights and
Responsibilities document at: http://www.uwsp.edu/dos/Documents/CommunityRights.pdf
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Example:
UW-Stevens Point values a safe, honest, respectful, and inviting learning environment. In order to ensure that each student has the opportunity to succeed, we have developed a set of expectations for all students and instructors. This set of expectations is known as the Community Rights and
Responsibilities document, and it is intended to help establish a positive living and learning environment at UWSP. Click here for more information: http://www.uwsp.edu/dos/Pages/Academic-
Misconduct.aspx
Academic integrity is central to the mission of higher education in general and UWSP in particular.
Academic dishonesty (cheating, plagiarism, etc.) is taken very seriously. Don’t do it! The minimum penalty for a violation of academic integrity is a failure (zero) for the assignment. For more information, see the “Student Academic Standards and Disciplinary Procedures” section of the Community Rights and
Responsibilities document, UWSP Chapter 14. This can be accessed by viewing page 11 of the document at: http://www.uwsp.edu/dos/Documents/CommunityRights.pdf
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B. University Handbook
UWSP’s University Handbook also includes policies pertaining to classroom activities, and these can be found in Chapter 5: http://www.uwsp.edu/AcadAff/Handbook/CH5-6%2013-14.pdf
While this does not need to be included on your syllabus, it’s a good idea to read this over just to ensure you understand the policies pertaining to classroom activities.
C. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Statement
In order to support an inclusive learning environment, UWSP has made the commitment to provide reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities. Before requesting accommodations from you, however, students must first register with the Disability and Assistive Technology Center, located on the 6th floor of the Learning Resource Center (LRC). More information can be found here: http://www.uwsp.edu/disability/Pages/default.aspx
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UWSP also has a specific policy related to ADA accessibility, which should be included on your syllabus.
The link is here: http://www.uwsp.edu/dos/Pages/ADA.aspx
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Example:
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal law requiring educational institutions to provide reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities. For more information about UWSP’s policies, check here: http://www.uwsp.edu/dos/Pages/ADA.aspx
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If you have a disability and require classroom and/or exam accommodations, please register with the
Disability and Assistive Technology Center at the beginning of the course and then contact me. I am happy to help in any way that I can. For more information, please visit the Disability and Assistive
Technology Center, located on the 6th floor of the Learning Resource Center (the Library). You can also find more information here: http://www.uwsp.edu/disability/Pages/default.aspx
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2. Tips for Avoiding “Grade Review”
The term “Grade Review” is given to the process by which students formally request an appeal to a final letter grade received in a course. Ordinarily, if a student has a question about a final letter grade, the issue should first be taken up with the course instructor, then the department chair, and then the
Dean’s Office. If there is still no resolution to the dispute, then the student can request a formal appeal.
More information about Grade Review procedures can be found here: http://www.uwsp.edu/AcadAff/Pages/gradeReview.aspx
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For the most part, formal grade appeal requests are rare, but they do happen. Here’s some advice to help you avoid a formal grade appeal situation:
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 First, ensure that you have a clear policy on your syllabus that explains how final letter grades will be calculated (how each assignment, exam, essay, test, project, etc., will be factored toward calculating the final course grade).
 Second, include a grading scale that is appropriate for your course (points, percentage, etc.) and how this translates into the final letter grade. (E.g., 750-800 points = A or 87%-89% = B+ )
 Third, be as clear as you can about due dates. While you are permitted to change due dates from what is originally on your syllabus, this seems to cause a bit of confusion resulting in grade review requests. Any changes should be provided to students in writing (not merely announced in class).
 Fourth, include all of the above information in writing by the end of the second week of the semester (usually all of this is simply included on your syllabus).
 Fifth, when calculating final grades, stick to the schema you originally indicated.
 Finally, for each course assignment, it would be ideal (though not required) to explain the grading criteria by which grades/points will be assigned. This doesn’t require an elaborate grading rubric, but it should establish the basic expectations associated with different levels of student achievement. For example, what level of achievement is considered excellent work, acceptable work, and “needs improvement.” It is advisable to include corresponding grades/points for each level of achievement.
3. Campus Trends in Teaching and Learning
A. Transition from General Degree Requirements (GDRs) to the General Education Program (GEP)
During the past several years, we created a new General Education Program (GEP) to replace our old
General Degree Requirements (GDR) curriculum. We implemented our new GEP during the fall semester of 2013. To learn more about the GEP, please see here: http://www.uwsp.edu/acadaff/Pages/generalEducation.aspx
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As we set out to create our new GEP, we had three main goals in mind: (i) Develop a cohesive, coherent, intentional set of academic requirements that students, faculty, and staff could understand, (ii) Develop a curriculum based on measurable learning outcomes, and (iii) Develop a meaningful way of assessing student learning.
In order to accomplish these goals, instructors offering courses in the old GDR system were invited to
“grandfather” their existing courses into the new GEP. While these courses will be “cross-listed” for a number of years during the transition period, it is important that we begin including clear learning outcomes in all of our syllabi. So, if you find yourself teaching a GDR/GEP cross-listed course, please familiarize yourself with the learning outcomes affiliated with the corresponding GEP category.
Ideally, we’d like to see each GEP course offered include the GEP category learning outcomes along with the instructor’s learning outcomes for the course. We believe this will help make the new GEP more transparent in its delivery, and remind instructors and students about the important role that GEP courses play at UWSP.
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B. Course Learning Outcomes: Design Backward, Deliver Forward
Beyond the GDR-to-GEP revisions that have taken place, a focus on learning outcomes has been a theme that UWSP has developed for quite some time. Faculty and staff have engaged in curricular re-design workshops to learn about, and apply, the pedagogical concept known as “Backward Design.” This technique begins with formulating measurable learning outcomes (e.g., “As a result of this class, what do I want my students to know, be able to do, or value?”) and then working backward to develop assignments and learning experiences for students to support their achievement (e.g., “How can I support student achievement through delivery of materials, course assignments, and other learning activities?”). After designing the course using the backward process, we then deliver the course forward, building toward the learning outcomes we originally set forth.
C. Program Learning Outcomes
At the same time UWSP was offering professional development opportunities for Backward Design and other pedagogical concepts, the Assessment Subcommittee was revising the process and format for department-based Assessment Reports. In lieu of submitting Assessment Reports, the Assessment
Subcommittee worked with all departments on campus to revise their general approach to assessment.
As a first step in this process, each department was asked to identify Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) for each major offered. Next, departments created Curriculum Maps, linking PLOs to courses. Finally, departments revised their Assessment Plans to include reference to various assessment methods that would be used to evaluate student learning (direct and indirect measures, etc.). The Assessment
Subcommittee continues to work with departments to make revisions to our approach to assessment.
D. New Faculty and Academic Staff Seminar Series (extended orientation)
At UWSP, we value your ongoing professional development as a teacher and scholar. To this end, the
Office of Academic Affairs has developed a New Faculty and Staff Seminar Series that will function like an extended orientation. A schedule for fall semester has already been developed on a range of topics that we think you will find helpful. Finally, a collection of resources is available to new faculty and staff and can be found here: http://www.uwsp.edu/AcadAff/Pages/NewFacultyStaffOrientation.aspx
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