Academic Policies

Academic policies and regulations are delineated in the School of Science Bulletin. If you have related questions, please refer to the Bulletin for further information. The Bulletin is now available on the web.

Attendance and Administrative Withdrawal, MATH 00100/M001, 11000, 11100, M118, M119, 15300, 15400, 15900

We believe that attendance is a key factor in academic success and we are supportive of all coordinators' and instructors' efforts to ensure that students in their courses are attending all meetings. Students who miss more than 50% of their class meetings of a given section during the first four weeks of the Fall or Spring semesters without contacting their instructor or department are administratively withdrawn from that course. Administrative withdrawal may have academic, financial, and financial aid implications. Administrative withdrawal will take place after the full refund period, and if a student is administratively withdrawn from the course, he/she will not be eligible for a tuition refund. (Please see the complete IUPUI Administrative Withdrawal Policy on the Registrar's web page.)

Placement in Math Courses

As of Fall 1999, all new students are required to take the Compass/ACT Math Placement Test. Typically, this test results in relatively accurate placement recommendations. Along with the placement test, the Department has also implemented a system of prerequisite checks on all students taking any of the introductory math courses, from MATH 00100 through MATH 23200. The placement test, along with the prerequisite check, help to ensure that our students have the necessary prerequisite skills to be successful in the courses they take with us.

Therefore, prior to the beginning of the semester, you will receive a roster of students in your class. The roster will display the details of each student's math background, including math courses previously taken, grades earned in these courses, and the results and recommendations of the Math Placement Test (if taken). Please carefully review the roster to see whether or not the recommended placement agrees with your course requirements. However, if, until the end of the partial refund period of the semester, you feel that a student is in an inappropriate class, please see the Course Coordinator or Kelly Houser about changing the student placement. The Department has a procedure that will allow the student to change to another math course, with minimal financial loss, within the partial refund period. Note: This does not apply to students who simply wish to switch sections.

Class Schedules

Classes are to be held at specific times and places as scheduled. Any changes are to be approved through the Math Office. Instructors are not to take the responsibility of changing rooms or times. It is expected that classes will be conducted for the full, designated class period. The Department also needs to be informed of any extra sessions or reviews you may schedule.

Course Syllabus

On the first day of class you must provide a syllabus for your students. Once you have established the syllabus, submit a copy to the Math Department front desk staff so that it may be maintained in the Departmental office. This is very important and is required by the Academic Deans. It is very important that your syllabus contain course prerequisites, textbook information, your office hours, the withdrawal dates, how a student can reach you by phone, your test dates, the attendance policy and the principles of undergraduate learning. Equally essential is to specify how you will determine final grades based on the relative weights of tests, quizzes, exams, attendance, and class participation. Consult with the Course Coordinator about the details for your syllabus.

In developing the course syllabus, all instructors are encouraged to incorporate IUPUI's Principles of Undergraduate Learning. These principles describe the fundamental intellectual competence and cultural and ethical awareness that we believe every graduate of an IUPUI baccalaureate degree program should attain.

These PULs consist of six principles:

1. Core Communication and Quantitative Skills
2. Critical Thinking
3. Integration and Application of Knowledge
4. Intellectual Depth, Breadth, and Adaptiveness
5. Understanding Society and Culture
6. Values and Ethics

Course Objectives

Course objectives for MATH 00100/M001, 11000, 11100, M118, M119, 15300, 15400, and 15900 can be found on the Math Department web page. These objectives have been prepared by the coordinating teams for each individual course. We strongly encourage you to review these objectives as this will give you a better sense of the learning expectations for each specific course. If you have any questions regarding the objectives, please speak with Judy McBride or Dr. Shen.

Office Hours

All instructors must maintain at least TWO HOURS OF OFFICE TIME EACH WEEK, OUTSIDE OF CLASS TIME, FOR EACH SECTION OF A CLASS TAUGHT. Please file your office hours with the Math Department front desk staff. During designated office hours the instructor should be available to students to answer questions and provide assistance. Space for holding office hours can be reserved in UL 1179 and in the MAC (contact the MAC for reservations). Please keep the Math Department front office informed of any changes in your office hours schedule.

Cancellation of Classes

In case any building on campus must be closed due to an emergency, the Math Office will make every attempt to promptly notify you. In the event of illness or other emergency that would prevent you from teaching your class, contact the Math Department. We will make every attempt to find a suitable and qualified substitute to teach the class.

All non-emergency absences from class should be kept to an absolute minimum; however, if you are planning to miss class for other than emergency reasons, you will need to submit a Request for Absence from Class Form to Patti Holt, for approval by the Department, at least two weeks in advance of the planned absence. You are responsible to arrange for a qualified substitute teacher (approved by the Department) for each class you plan to miss.

If the University cancels classes due to inclement weather, the radio and TV stations will broadcast that information. It may also be obtained on the Registrar's web site or by calling 278-1600.

Rosters

Start-of-Semester Rosters: The Office of the Registrar produces class rosters for each course offering on the last night before classes begin. The rosters are deposited into a shared drive for access by authorized individuals from each school. Generally speaking, the rosters will be available the first day of classes. A second roster is printed at the end of the first week of the term and reflects any changes in enrollment since the last roster. Look for these rosters in the schools/departments early in the second week of classes.

Both sets of rosters list the student's name, student id number, class, school, major, address, phone number, and, their University email address. You may wish to remind students of the Indiana University policy on use of email as official correspondence with students.

Mid-Term Rosters: Pink Attendance Rosters contain the names of all students in the class and typically arrive early in the 4th week of the semester. With these rosters, the Registrar's Office is looking to be sure that your records and the Registrar's are in sync. Please let the Registrar's Office know if someone has stopped attending or never attended class and add the names and student numbers of anyone who is attending and who is not on the roster (unless they are making up an incomplete and would not have registered again). If possible, please provide the Registrar's Office with the date when the student last attended. This may be the last quiz taken, sign-in sheet, etc.

These rosters are used to notify students when there appears to be a problem with their registration. This is typically the result of one of two things: The student is registered for one section of the course but attending another (an error in registration) OR the student never attended or stopped attending and failed to formally withdraw. Please return the pink roster to the Registrar's Office even if there are no problems with attendance or enrollment.

Early Warning System - University College and the Intercollegiate Athletics program ask for information on special populations earlier in the term than mid-term rosters appear. You will only receive these rosters if a member of these special groups is enrolled in your class. Providing a timely response allows these programs to deal immediately with any problems you may identify. Return these rosters to the address provided with the mailing.

FN and FNN Grades

If a student attended for even a day, instructors should use the FN grade along with the last known date of attendance (based on class participation, last quiz/exam/documented exercise, attendance records, etc.). If a student NEVER attended the class, instructors should use the FNN grade (which will not require entry of a date). This flags the Financial Aid Office to discontinue the student's aid for the next semester. The University is responding to Federal Guidelines concerning Financial Aid and student attendance. If the student does take the final, then he/she is not to be given the grade "FN," no matter how little work the student may have done during the semester.

Adding Classes

During the first week of a semester, if seats are available, students may add a Math class without the instructor's permission (signature). If a class is closed (maximum enrollment has been reached), students may be placed on the waitlist, on a first-come, first-served basis, in case space becomes available. Students will remain on the waitlist for 3 days. After that, students may add a class by completing a Schedule Adjustment Form (Drop/Add) which must be signed by the add instructor.

Withdrawing from Classes

Please inform your students that failure to attend class does not constitute a withdrawal from a course. A student can withdraw from a course either through eDrop or by completing a Schedule Adjustment Form (Drop/Add) with the Registrar's Office according to the schedule of deadlines listed in the Registrar's web page. Please put the schedule of these dates on your syllabus. Note that these deadline dates are not flexible. The official policy for withdrawing from (or adding) classes can be found on the Registrar's web page.

During the first half of the semester, students may withdraw from a class by securing the approval of their advisor. A grade of "W" is automatically recorded on the final grade report. Instructor's approval is not required until after mid-term.

During the third quarter of the semester, students may withdraw from a class only if they secure the approval of both the advisor and the instructor. Remember that the instructor needs to circle "W" on the Schedule Adjustment Form. Department policy states that a "W" will be given regardless of circumstances.

During the last quarter of the semester or session, students are allowed to withdraw from class with a "W" only under extenuating circumstances. Department policy states that the instructor may not sign a Schedule Adjustment Form without the approval of Dr. Jeff Watt. A written justification from a doctor, member of the clergy, advisor, etc., must be presented.

The Schedule Adjustment Form is available from the Departmental office or the Registrar's office. The instructor should sign the form after the student's advisor has signed the form. All the attached copies (green, yellow, and pink) must be taken to the Registrar's Office by the student.

Note: A student seeking a grade change from F to W should be directed to Joe Thompson in the School of Science Office. In order for such a change to be approved, the student must have stopped attending the class before the final, have a valid reason for not having finished the course, and an explanation for why he/she didn't formally drop the course in a timely manner.

Final grade Rosters

Final grade Rosters

Grade Posting

For your convenience, at the end of the semester the Department prepares a grade bulletin board at the end of our hallway. The bulletin board is divided into sections for different levels of classes. You should post your grades there, but may not use the student's full identification number or SSN for that purpose, as it is ILLEGAL to do so. Use some other coding method for student identification. Grades are not to be posted on any other surfaces, such as doors or walls. Additionally, nothing is to be posted on glass doors or doors with glass panels. This is a safety violation. Our Departmental bulletin board may also be used throughout the semester for posting grades and answer keys. Except for posting grades on grade rosters, due to student record confidentiality requirements, you may not share with or indicate to others (such as parents and guardians) the grade a student earned-without the permission of that student. (See "Student Confidentiality" below.)

Grade Reporting

All instructors are responsible for submitting grades electronically via OnCourse or OneStart . Grades are to be submitted within 48 hours of the final exam. If you should have any questions regarding submitting your grades electronically, please visit the Registrar's Web Page.

Incompletes: Assigning 'I'

The grade of "I' may be given only when the student has completed at least three-fourths of the semester or session with course work of passing quality. Instructors may assign the grade of "I" only if the student can document that she/he is unable to complete the course due to circumstances beyond her/his control. A written justification from a doctor, member of the clergy, advisor, etc., must be presented and attached to the Assignment of the Grade of "I" form which must be filed in the Department.

Please observe the following procedures prior to assigning an "I" grade:

• Dr. Watt must approve the assigning of an "I." All instructors, part- and full-time, need to talk to Dr. Watt prior to assigning an "I" grade to ensure that he is fully apprised of the circumstances should any follow-up work be needed.
• The instructor and the student must complete and sign an Assignment of the Grade of "I" form. This form is available from the Departmental office.
• It is important that the instructor be specific about what the student needs to do in order to complete the course and assigns a deadline for completion of the work. The student should be required to complete the course as soon as practicable. (There is no need to allow a semester for the completion of the course if it can be accomplished in 3 weeks.)
• Do not allow a student to retake the entire course from another instructor. The instructor assigning the "I" is responsible for enforcing the terms and conditions (including additional instructions) required of the student.
• Provide the student with a signed copy of the Assignment of the Grade of "I" form and give the original to Dr. Watt.

Incompletes: Removing 'I' (Also Grade Change)

To remove the Incomplete, a student must have met all requirements as stipulated on the Assignment of the Grade of "I" form. After the student has completed all the requirements, the original instructor will e-mail Jeff Watt the following information: student's full name, ID number, course number (Math 00100/M001, Math M119, etc.) and the new grade. If the student does not fulfill the requirements to remove the "I", the grade automatically becomes an "F" one year after the assignment of the "I".

Once the grade has been changed on the transcript, the instructor will be notified by e-mail that a grade change has been made. Do not respond to that e-mail.

Student Evaluations

According to the Department Policy, everyone teaching for the Math Department must perform student teaching evaluations in every course he/she teaches. During the second half of the semester, the Student Evaluation forms will be placed in your mailbox. Please follow the detailed instructions provided with the forms. To be sure that every form will count, it is very important that you give specific instructions on filling in the section number, as will be indicated in the instructions.

Final Examinations

All final examinations are to be given according to the printed timetable in the IUPUI Schedule of Classes. However, Math 00100/M001, 11000, 11100, 15300, 15400, 15900, M118, M119 and Stat 11300 and 30100 have common finals and, therefore, have separately listed exam schedules in the Schedule of Classes. The time allowed for final exams is 2 hours. The exam is normally held in the same room as the regularly scheduled class EXCEPT for the common finals. All students are required to take the final exam. Also, the School of Science policy requires that all final examination papers be retained by the instructor for one year. Because of the strenuous nature of the examinations, you are requested to refrain from requiring any written reports, quizzes, tests, etc., during the week proceeding final examination week.

According to the Resolution of the Faculty Council passed in 1999: "Tests or major writing assignments may not be required during the week before the final exam week. However, papers, projects, or oral presentations may be due during the last week of class when assigned on the syllabus or announced at the beginning of the semester."

Student Records Confidentiality

Student records are confidential and should be made available only to the student. Parents may be given access to confidential student records only if the student is under 21 and the parent certifies in writing that the student is a dependent. This is why, for example, when posting grades we make every effort not to disclose the student's identity.

Information considered "public" and not subject to confidentiality includes: name, address, phone, major field of study, dates of attendance, admission or enrollment status, campus, school, college, division, class standing, degrees, awards, activities, and sports and athletic information. This type of information is usually provided by the Registrar's Office. Detailed information on FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), and a tutorial, are available on the Registrar's web site.

For a complete statement of the university policy on student records, see Appendix 4 in the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct (1997, page 63 or visit Code of Student Rights). For additional information on this please also see the Registrar's web site or the IU Academic Handbook, page 74 and the IUPUI Supplement, page 73.

IUPUI Policy on Religious Holidays

IUPUI respects the right of all students to observe their religious holidays and will make reasonable accommodation, upon request, for such observances. Students seeking accommodation for religious observances must make a request in writing by the end of the second week of the semester to the course instructor and should use the Request for Course Accommodation Due to Religious Observance Form. (This form may be downloaded from the Registrar's web site.) For the complete statement of this policy and the dates of the applicable religious holidays see the Registrar's web site. If you have any questions regarding this policy, please contact your course coordinator or Dr. Jeff Watt.