Information for Sessional Instructors - University of Windsor

Information for Sessional InstructorsFaculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS), University of WindsorPrepared byCarol M. Davison, English Language & Literature, andKai Hildebrandt, Associate Dean, FASS(Revised July 17, 2013)Welcome to the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. We appreciate your commitment to teachingand hope that your teaching experience here will be rewarding. This document aims to set out therules and practices of our Faculty and University. Please feel free to talk to your Department Heador to people in the Dean’s office (ext. 2029), if you have any further questions or need advice.Your Department office keeps copies of past syllabi for the course(s) you are teaching. It is alwaysuseful to peruse these as you are selecting your course materials and devising courseassignments; feel free to consult your colleagues as well as the Department Head and theDepartment Secretaries for advice and help with specific problems or issues, and the Dean’s Officefor current rules and regulations.EMPLOYEE NUMBERIf you do not have an employee number, please contact the Benefits, Records and PensionAdministrator at ext. 2090 in Human Resources. The administrator will need your contract letter togive you an employee number and make you active on the payroll. S/he will also provideinformation on all the benefits that are available to you. You will need the employee number foryour photo ID card.PHOTO ID CARD/LEDDY LIBRARYYou are entitled to a photo ID card that, among other things, allows you to take circulatingmaterials out of the Leddy Library. Take your employee number to the CAW Student Centre andhave your photograph taken for your photo ID. This allows you to take books out for up to asemester (the regular loan period is two weeks). You may also place photocopied materials andbooks on reserve under your course number where they may be available to your students for astipulated period of time.MAILBOX, OFFICE SPACE, KEYS, PHOTOCOPYING ACCOUNTYou have a mailbox in the Department. Please check it regularly and provide the Departmentsecretary with your email address and home phone number/cell phone so that you can becontacted with program/course updates or in case of emergency. The Department Secretary isalso the person to see about your office space, keys, and setting up a photocopy account. Givenour limited resources, you will be required to share office space.E-MAILTo activate an e-mail account, contact IT Services at extension 4440.PARKINGParking permits for University lots are issued by Campus Parking Services, extension 2413.Parking is limited, so you may receive a permit for a lot some distance from your building.

FASS INFORMATION FOR SESSIONAL INSTRUCTORS (2011) 2ORDERING TEXTBOOKS/CREATING COURSEWARE PACKSGenerally speaking, orders are due at the Bookstore two months before the beginning of a course.Please make sure to get your order in as soon as you can after learning of your appointment. Inyour mailbox or in the Department office, you will find order forms for textbooks and desk copies.You may obtain additional copies of the form from the program secretary. She keeps photocopiesof past orders and will want a photocopy of your order. You are entitled to request a Desk Copy ofall textbooks you assign for your own use and for the use of your teaching assistant (if you haveone). In this case, a letter must be sent to the publisher. The program secretary can help you withthis request.Be sure to place all course materials on reserve. If the library does not own a book, request a rushorder purchase through your program’s Librarian (check with your Department as to who thatperson is). The library will make one copy of journal articles. You can also make copies at yourDepartment office and take them or send them through campus mail to the Reserve desk.A courseware pack designed for your course is entirely your responsibility. You must provideDocument Services (extension 2013 or 2102) a set of photocopied pages for your course at least acouple of weeks in advance of your first class meeting. Ensure that you include a front pagedetailing the bibliographic information so that copyright may be readily obtained and your studentsmay easily cite this material should they use it in an assignment. Be sure to request acomplimentary copy — or two (if you have a T.A. or G.A.) — of your courseware pack when youplace your order. Courseware packs produced by Document Services are available for studentpurchase at their location in the basement of Chrysler Hall Tower or can be sold (moreexpensively) through the bookstore.**Important**Please note that as of Dec. 31, 2010, the University of Windsor campus is no longeroperating under a license with Access Copyright. Until this matter is resolved, DocumentImaging cannot process copyrighted material. If you have to do any photocopying orscanning from copyrighted works, please respect the limits allowed under the CopyrightAct of Canada. Questions or concerns can be sent to: copyright@uwindsor.ca.AUDIO-VISUAL EQUIPMENTFor information about ordering films or videos, call extension 3058. Ensure that you make yourorders at least 48 hours in advance. To order audio-visual film/video equipment or to obtain acode if a console exists in your classroom, contact extension 3044. For microphones, contact theMaintenance Department (extension 2156). If equipment malfunctions, call extension 3051 forassistance.In addition, there may be materials for your program that are held in your Department. Pleaseconsult the Department Head or Secretary for a list of these materials.COURSE OUTLINESBylaw 51 governs evaluation and examination procedures. The complete text of Bylaw 51 isavailable at http://www.uwindsor.ca/units/senate/SenateMain.nsf (click on “Senate Bylaws”). Themost important points are summarized below. Please note that bylaws may change frequently sothese should be regularly consulted.

FASS INFORMATION FOR SESSIONAL INSTRUCTORS (2011) 3Your syllabus is a contract with your students. Course outlines must be available to students onthe first day of the course.Changes in the outline can be made until the end of the 2 nd week of classes. It is Universitypolicy that you are not allowed to change the syllabus after the first two weeks of the course unlessa severe emergency arises. Small changes advantageous to students (if the class unanimouslyagrees) can be made (such as moving an assignment due date a few days later). In all casesinvolving substantial amendments, please consult the Department Head and ensure that allstudents are informed and that a new copy of your syllabus is given to the Department secretary.In addition to the usual information (readings/assignment schedule, texts, your contactinformation), you must include the following:1. All procedures for determining the final grade in a course.2. Your office hours and office location.3. Dates when assignments are due. (In some instances, it is useful to include a final time whenthe assignment is due, as students may try and slip assignments under your door late in theevening when, depending on your schedule, you may not receive it until days later).4. Clearly-defined penalties that will apply to late assignments.In addition, the course outline must include:5. The number of spot quizzes (if any) (Maximum 5% total, 2% each).6. A copy of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences [FASS] Policy on Plagiarism and Make-upExaminations (available from the Department Secretary).7. A copy of the Grading Guidelines, FASS (available from the Department Secretary), and theUniversity-wide %-to-Letter Grade Conversion Scale.8. If you intend to use TurnitIn-com, the plagiarism detection software you must advise students inyour course outline. TurnitIn-com is available through the Academic Integrity website athttp://www.uwindsor.ca/aio under “Faculty Information”.Please note that the FASS Policies on Plagiarism and Grading (2 separate policies) must beattached to your course syllabus. When in doubt about any aspect of these and other rules, pleasecheck with your Department Head or the Dean’s Office (ext. 2029).A COPY OF YOUR COURSE OUTLINE MUST BE GIVEN TO THE DEPARTMENT SECRETARYFOR THE RECORDS.PREREQUISITES AND RESTRICTIONSPlease examine the current course catalogue to apprise yourself of the specific prerequisites andrestrictions for your particular course. The computer system sometimes allows students to registerwithout the necessary prerequisites. If you are teaching a course at the 200-level or above, pleaseinform your students of the prerequisites. If first-year students without the prerequisites do notvoluntarily drop the course, you may ask the Registrar’s Office to remove these students from yourclass list. If you have upper-level students from other degree programs who do not have thenecessary prerequisites, you may withhold your consent for admission. At the discretion of theinstructor, students may be allowed into courses without the necessary prerequisites. Normally,they would have to have comparable scholarly experience for entry to be granted.

FASS INFORMATION FOR SESSIONAL INSTRUCTORS (2011) 4ACCESS TO THE STUDENT INFORMATION SYSTEM (S.I.S.)You should be able to access the SIS to obtain a Class List for your class. Please go towww.uwindsor.ca/registrar/access-to-sis-info-page for more information. If you do not have accessto the SIS, contact your Department Secretary who can also print a class list for you.EVALUATIONClass participation may not count for more than 20% of the final grade. The participation markshould not be purely subjective or impressionistic—ideally the course outline should specify howthe participation part of the grade will be arrived at. And while you cannot “require” attendance (orfail students for non-attendance), you can give participation marks based on whether students arein class (since, logically, students cannot participate unless they are present).Unannounced or “spot” quizzes must not individually count for more than 2%. Together, they mustnot count for more than 5% of the final grade. No single component (including the final exam) maycount for more than 50% of the final course grade (NEW REGULATION), unless you request andreceive prior permission from the Dean’s Office (ext. 2029).Students must receive feedback for at least 20% of the course grade from you at least 2 daysbefore the last day for voluntary withdrawal (see Important Dates listed on the SIS website athttp://www.uwindsor.ca/sis) so that they may make an informed choice as to whether to remain inthe course or drop it.The Registrar’s Office schedules a three-hour examination slot for most courses during theexamination period. In that slot, some kind of non-optional, meaningful final assessment issupposed to take place or be due. This may be a formal examination, a take-home examination,or an essay. The actual duration of testing procedures during the scheduled period may be lessthan three hours (but no less than 30 minutes), at your discretion. Please read the examprocedures that will be circulated before the end of the term. If you do not plan to have an “inclass” final at the assigned time and place, please inform the Registrar’s Office (Lorraine Grondin,ext. 3318) and the Department Secretary of the alternate arrangements well ahead of the examperiod.Note that students have signed into your course with full knowledge of the date and time of thefinal examination. Only if a serious, verifiable emergency arises, may they be granted a make-upexamination. In case of exam conflicts or if a student has 3 exams in one day, refer the student tothe Vice Provost’s office (117 CAW Student Centre, ext. 4211).Ensure, as well, that all students attending the final examination sign the official examination signinsheets in case of possible disputes regarding their attendance and enforce that they place theirstudent cards in front of them. Sign-in sheets, as well as grade collection sheets, are deposited inyour mailbox towards the end of term.The last week of lectures in each semester must be free from ANY type of testingprocedures, including due dates for essays (please review Senate Bylaw 51 – 1.1.3).Process-based courses (i.e. “where the testing procedures are an integral part of the instructionalprocess”, such as in regular labs) are exempt from this regulation.Review the current FASS Policies on Plagiarism, Make-up Examinations, and SuspectedCheating on Examinations (available at http://uwindsor.ca/fass), and discuss the Plagiarismdefinitions and rules with your students.

FASS INFORMATION FOR SESSIONAL INSTRUCTORS (2011) 5If you believe a student has committed an act of academic misconduct, you should meet with theDepartment Head. You should then compile all information relevant to the misconduct in apackage, along with a report (JA Form 2a), signed by both you and the Head, and submit thepackage and the form to the office of the Associate Dean, Academic and Student Affairs (room 110Chrysler Hall Tower). At this stage, and until the case is reviewed, you must assign a grade ofIncomplete for the assignment and/or the course.GRADING STANDARDSPlease note that the University of Windsor now uses a percentage marking and grading scale,effective Fall 2013 (Policy M4: Marks/Grade Descriptions).The following are the university-widegrade descriptors for undergraduate and graduate programs and will be printed on the back of thetranscripts.Undergraduate - University-wide grade descriptors:Letter Grade Percentage (%) RangeA+ 90-100A 85-89.9A- 80-84.9B+ 77-79.9B 73-76.9B- 70-72.9C+ 67-69.9C 63-66.9C- 60-62.9D+ 57-59.9D 53-56.9D- 50-52.9F 0-49.9In computing a student’s average, grades between 0% and 22% are recorded as is on thetranscript but will be calculated into the student’s average as 22%. Grades between 23% and 40%are recorded as is on the transcript but will be calculated into the student’s average as 40%.Grades between 40% and 49% will be recorded as is on the student’s transcript and calculated asis into the student’s average.Grading Scale Conversion – Pre-Fall 2013The grading scale conversion used for average and grade point calculations under the 13.0 gradepoint scale system will continue to be used for students assigned final grades under the formersystem, until the phasing out of the 13 grade point scale is complete. The regulations and gradingsystem in force at the time the student completed the course(s) will apply.

FASS INFORMATION FOR SESSIONAL INSTRUCTORS (2011) 6Pre-Fall 2013 Grading ScalePoint value Letter grade Percentage Range Meaning13 A+ 93-10012 A 86-92.911 A- 80-85.9 ___________ Excellent10 B+ 77-79.99 B 73-76.98 B- 70-72.9 ____________Good7 C+ 67-69.96 C 63-66.95 C- 60-62.9 ____________Fair4 D+ 57-59.93 D 53-56.92 D- 50-52.9 ____________ Pass1 F 35-49.90 F- 0-34.9 ____________ FailAll grades are subject to approval by the Department Head/Program Director and the Dean. Aninordinately high grade breakdown will be queried. For example, the FASS policy on gradingspecifically requests that normally no more than half of the grades in a first or second year coursebe in the “A” and “B” range, and normally there should be fewer As than Bs. If you anticipateadjusting or “curving” your grades, you must include a statement to that effect in your courseoutline.If you teach one of several sections of a course, the statement about possible adjustments mustbe part of your course outline, as regulations require that different sections of a course differ by nomore than a set extent from each other.The program “Class Record” — which will help you record, calculate, and adjust grades — islicensed for free use by University of Windsor instructors. Its use is recommended. You maydownload it from http://zeus.uwindsor.ca/cpa/cr/index.htm .At the end of the semester, please leave a copy of the detailed grade breakdown (with grades foreach assignment/test/paper) with the Department secretary.EXAMINATIONSPlease note that students are responsible for their examination schedule as they are advised offinal examination times well ahead of course registration. However, students who have 3 finalexams in one day may apply to the Vice-Provost, Students and International to have 1 exammoved. They have to apply in the first 4 weeks of the semester.In regards to examination procedures, ensure that you have each student sign the officialexamination sign-in sheet, which is usually sent to you about a week before the examinationperiod. This allows for verification of their attendance should you happen to lose an examination orif students claim they wrote an exam. Make sure you have enough “invigilators” (of both genders!)to help you proctor the exam. Ask your Head for the guidelines.In regards to completed final examinations, students have the right to review these in your officeunder your supervision. They may not, however, take the final exam with them. Do not returnfinal examinations to students. Exams must be kept a minimum of twelve months followingformal grade notification in case of possible grade disputes, appeals, etc. They should be left with

FASS INFORMATION FOR SESSIONAL INSTRUCTORS (2011) 7the Department secretary, along with your record of all marks assigned to students for the gradedwork in the course (including participation marks).RETURN OF ASSIGNMENTS AND EXAMINATIONS (other than Final Exams)You must arrange for students to pick up their assignments and examinations directly fromyou during arranged office hours or before/during/after class. Please leave any remainingassignments with the Department secretary at the end of term in case of possible grade disputes,appeals, etc. Do not leave students’ work in a public place without supervision, and recordexam/assignment marks on inside pages, not on the front cover where other students can see thegrade.GRADE SUBMISSION AND GRADE CHANGESFinal grades must be submitted electronically. You will need your UWin Account (UWin ID andpassword). A UWin Account is your personal identification for accessing a number of on-lineservices at the University. If you do not have a User ID, please contact the Helpdesk at ext. 4440or helpdesk@uwindsor.ca to have a UWin ID created. You will need your employee number whenyou call. The e-Grade submission system is available at http://web4.uwindsor.ca/egrade. Aninstructional video will walk you through the steps. Allowable grades for undergraduates are: A+,A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, F, F-, NR [No Report], and IN [Incomplete]. Auditors aregiven the grade AU and their work should not be graded.Grades are due seven calendar days after the final exam is held. Go to www.uwindsor.ca/facultystaffand click on Faculty/Staff SIS for more information.Please note that the University is enforcing the following policy regarding students taking courseswho are not officially registered in them. Students are not allowed to attend classes for a courseunless they are officially registered and their name appears on the current class list. Assignmentsshould not be accepted, and students will not be allowed to write tests or examinations, and creditwill not be granted to any student who is not properly registered. You may want to talk to suchstudents if they are not registered in your course and refer them to the Dean’s Office in case ofproblems with their registration.NR [No Report] is to be assigned to students who have not submitted any of the assignments orcompleted any of the examinations.IN is to be assigned to students who have not been able to complete course work because ofmedical or other circumstances beyond their control and who have asked you for a grade of IN.You should request that the student provide supporting documentation (e.g. obituary notice of adeceased relative or the official FASS student medical certificate which can be downloaded fromwww.uwindsor.ca/fass ) to support the circumstances. IN will be converted to F- after six weeks ifno grade has been submitted. However, a grade change can be submitted at any time to assignthe earned grade.F or F- grades must be justified on the grade collection sheet. Sample justifications include:“Failed exam,” “Did not submit essay,” and “Failed quizzes and exam.” Do not give a grade of F- toa student who came to a few classes and then disappeared EVEN IF you do have a record of thatstudent attending early classes. (Obviously, such a student should have withdrawn or meant towithdraw from the course). Give such a student an NR.

FASS INFORMATION FOR SESSIONAL INSTRUCTORS (2011) 8Grade changes are submitted on a Grade Change Form available from the program secretary.You will be asked to provide a brief rationale for the change. Use this form to change an IN to afinal grade once a student has submitted the outstanding term work, or to alter a grade after aninformal appeal. There is no statute of limitations on grade changes.If students write tests/exams but do not appear on your grade collection form, please contact theDean’s Office (ext. 2029). DO NOT SIMPLY WRITE grades on the collection sheet!APPEALS AND AEGROTAT GRADESStudents might come to you first, especially if their grievance is minor (e.g. calculation error). Ifyou can resolve the grievance informally, please do so and, if necessary, submit a Grade Changeform. Please consult the Department Head if a student asks for an Aegrotat grade orproposes a Grade Appeal, to make sure you know what you and what the student may ormay not do.If the situation cannot be resolved informally, refer the student to Section 2.6.5 of the currentUndergraduate Calendar, which states that all appeals must be made in writing to FASS throughthe Registrar’s Office. Formal appeals (on the basis of “incorrect evaluation” or “proceduralirregularity”) must be made within three weeks of the official release of grades; the student pays$20.00 (refundable if the appeal is successful) and must provide supporting documentation and aletter of rationale.Students must appeal to the Registrar’s Office for Aegrotat Standing (a grade based on workcompleted before the student suffered from medical or other circumstances). The Dean’s Officewill then contact you through your Department Head Office. You may not give a student anAegrotat grade of your own volition. If the student has completed less than 60% of the gradedwork, s/he should be required to complete some additional work or write a make-up exam. See2.6.5. of the current Undergraduate Calendar.OFFICE HOURS AND SAFETY ISSUESSessional instructors, like full-time faculty, have to make themselves “available for studentconsultation on course-related matters on a regular basis, including examination periods”(Collective Agreement article 5:25(j)). If you are teaching one course, ensure that you allot twohours for student consultation. If you are teaching two courses, schedule four hours. If you areteaching three courses, schedule at least five hours. Inform your students and the programsecretary of your hours and the location, and include this information in your course outline, andkeep the “office hours”!Please note that the phrase “student consultation” may be interpreted more broadly than referringsolely to “office hours.” “Student consultation” may include email, telephone, or other form ofcommunication, but the times must be set: “by appointment” is not sufficient.For your own protection, as well as that of your students, it’s a good idea to keep your office dooropen during consultation. Office hours should be held between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. onweekdays. Chrysler Hall North is locked at night and on the weekends; propping the door open atthese times compromises the safety and security of the building. If you are teaching a nightcourse, try to hold office hours before classes rather than after, if possible.TEACHING SUPPORTThe Centre for Flexible Learning (CFL) website at cfl.uwindsor.ca has links to excellent sites aboutteaching and learning. Workshops are also offered year-round. Contact CFL (ext. 3090).

FASS INFORMATION FOR SESSIONAL INSTRUCTORS (2011) 9TEACHING ASSISTANTS/GRADING ASSISTANTSPlease note that University of Windsor Teaching and Grading Assistants are now unionized.Details of their duties must be spelled out clearly to them and verified by the Department Headbefore you begin your course. For all other matters relating to their rights and responsibilities, seetheir Collective Agreement online at the Graduate Studies website athttp://athena.uwindsor.ca/grad and discuss any issues with the Department Head.YOUR RIGHTSAs a sessional instructor, you are automatically a member of the bargaining unit represented byWUFA (The University of Windsor Faculty Association), and are eligible to join the FacultyAssociation. To join the Faculty Association, you need to complete the application form that will besent to you by the Faculty Association. (If you don’t receive one early in the semester, callextension 3366 to request one). Sessionals who join the Faculty Association may attend,participate in, and vote at the Association’s General Meetings, normally held in the spring and fall,receive Association mail, and have representation on Faculty Association Council. One sessionalrepresentative is elected to Faculty Association Council for each 25 sessionals in the FacultyAssociation.The Collective Agreement spells out your rights and responsibilities. See especially Articles 54,56, 57, and R, which apply specifically to Sessional instructors, D.4 (retirement plan) and G.2(tuition credit); and Articles 5:23-25 (Rights, Duties, and Responsibilities in Respect of Teachingand Counseling) which apply to Sessionals as well as to full-time instructors.