August 2020
Once-per-term publication for ADJ, VIS and AFF faculty
A NOTE FROM THE ACTING DEAN
As you prepare for the fall term, please know that you deeply appreciated and key to our ability to be resilient in these complex times. In every issue of The CLAS Teacher we strive to connect you to resources in areas such as tutoring and counseling so that you can get your students to the support they need. We also want to make sure that you have access to resources you need in support of your teaching and wellness.
Thank you for your dedication and flexibility, excellence in the classroom, and care of our students.
Wishing you good health and a successful fall semester,
Ellen Schendel, Acting Dean
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Academic Policies
You will find up-to-date academic policies and COVID-related dealing with instruction at the Provost’s website.
GV Lakers Together
For up-to-date policy and procedures related to the pandemic, please consult the Lakers Together website, especially the section dedicated to faculty and staff.
CLAS Faculty and Staff Start Up Meeting
Faculty and Staff Meeting, Thursday, August 27, 2020, 9:45 a.m.-12 p.m. Virtual. A Zoom link will be provided closer to the date of the meeting. If you do not receive an invitation, your unit head can provide you with the link.
For details, please see our Start Up Week webpage. Meeting documents will be live links closer to the event.
Student Advising and Tutoring Resources
Tutoring
Individual and drop-in tutoring are both available to students for many courses and disciplines. All tutoring will take place online for Fall 2020. Students can make individual 50-minute tutoring appointments with qualified peer tutors for many 100 and 200 level courses, or they can visit a virtual drop-in center for a quick question. To schedule an appointment with a tutor or to access drop-in center information, please visit the Tutoring Center website.
Academic Advising
As a complement to faculty academic advising, the CLAS Academic Advising Center will be providing virtual professional academic advising services for all CLAS majors as well as our Exploratory (Undecided) Study students. The Center is open from 8 a.m. – 5: p.m. every day and students can schedule individual appointments online or over the phone at (616) 331-8585. The advisors in the Center are skilled in serving the needs of all students pursuing a major and/or minor in CLAS. In addition, the Center provides information for students pursuing teacher certification, professional programs such as medical, dental, pharmacy, veterinary studies, prelaw studies and offers a wide range of student success services.
Students in your courses that are pursuing majors and/or minors outside of CLAS also have access to critical academic advising services in their own colleges.
The GVSU Academic Advising website provides a list of these Centers as well as their locations and contact information.
The CLAS Faculty Advising Repository is available for all faculty in CLAS and provides a wealth of information to support your students, including policies and procedures, important forms and quick links, and critical referral information in support of student success.
Additional Academic Support is available for all students
Fred Meijer Center for Writing and Michigan Authors – the Center provides assistance to all students with any writing project throughout their academic careers. Scheduled appointments and drop-in hours are available.
University Libraries – a variety of services, resources, study and presentation spaces are available for students, faculty and staff.
The Knowledge Market – The Knowledge Market is a collaborative partnership between the Speech Lab, Writing Center, and University Libraries. Students can make a virtual appointment to meet with consultants from the Library Research Center, the Writing Center, the Speech Lab or the Data Inquiry Lab. Consultants work one-on-one or in small groups to develop research strategies, analyze data, improve writing, and polish presentation.
Student Conduct, Intervention and Support
Academic Integrity – The Student Code provides clear information on the principles of academic honestly and integrity. When incidents occur, faculty are encouraged to file a report to request additional action. This keeps a record of all incidents and allows the full University Conduct Process to be initiated.
Students of Concern Care Form – Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to refer a student who may be[BS1] struggling with academic, personal, and/or emotional difficulties and may be exhibiting concerning behavior. Questions on this process should be directed to Emily First, Student Support Manager, at (616) 331-3585 or [email protected].
Course Registration Changes
Through the first week of classes, students are able to make changes to their course schedules without penalty and faculty will see fluctuations in their enrollment during this first week. After the first week, if students wish to make changes to their schedules, there are additional steps to follow:
The Late Add process requires permission of the instructor, unit head and the CLAS Deans Office before the course can be added by the student. This will likely impact tuition charges and there could be additional late fees. Students should check with the Registrar’s Office to determine the additional costs associated with adding courses late.
Students who drop courses after the first week can do so on Banner and will be subject to the published tuition refund schedule. Students should always consult with the Financial Aid Office located in 100 STU to assess the impact on their financial aid eligibility if the course is dropped. The student will be issued a “W” on their transcript for any dropped course.
Each semester, the final drop deadline is set for the end of the 9th week of classes. Students who wish to drop courses after this final deadline should be referred to the Late Drop process.
Questions regarding course registration and the late drop and add procedures should be referred to AD Betty Schaner at [email protected] or 331-2403.
Syllabus Construction, A Proactive Tool for Student Success
A complete syllabus is a proactive tool to support student success throughout the course. The most troublesome grade appeals are those where course information is incomplete or absent on the syllabus. This includes, but is not limited to, the academic integrity statement, grading scale, basis for assigning grades, Disability Support Resources statement and related issues. The absence of course information makes it difficult to support faculty grading decisions when students are concerned about faculty clarity in grading.
Setting students’ expectations this year is more complex than usual.
Please support our campus civic engagement initiatives by making your syllabus as “voter-friendly” as is practical so that our students can vote in what is for many their first presidential election on Tuesday, November 3.
All course syllabi need to include the learning objectives from the updated Syllabi of Record (SOR), per Higher Learning Commission requirements.
A list of information to be given to students at the beginning of the semester can be found in University Policies. Faculty are expected to include a link to the University's list of policies that apply to all courses. Recommended: “This course is subject to the GVSU policies listed at https://www.gvsu.edu/coursepolicies.” (See University Policies FH 3.03 A-E for more details.)
The Pew FTLC website is an excellent resource for syllabus construction. https://www.gvsu.edu/ftlc/syllabus-design-85.htm
You are encouraged to contact your unit head for example syllabi and the Syllabus of Record.
Additional Resources
Teaching-Related Grants for GVSU Faculty https://www.gvsu.edu/ftlc/grants-47.htm
A subscription to The Teaching Professor is available online through the library website under “Find Journals”.
The Faculty Teaching and Learning Center (FTLC) has an overview (online orientation) for part-time faculty.
Affiliate Faculty Advisory Committee (University)
CLAS Affiliate Faculty Advisory Committee
Fall Fitness
Digital Print Shop in the Visual and Media Arts Department (large format and specialty printing not covered by the Copy Center). Very competitive pricing.
E-learning resources assistance at the Digital Studio and Instructional Design for eLearning
Campus Bus System
Sprout (www.gvsu.edu/sprout) to sign up for workshops on campus
GVSU Alerts direct to your phone
Acronym Decoder
Repair Clinic
Free repair clinics for all GVSU students take place once per term. Volunteers repair clothing, broken glasses, backpacks, and more. Details will be posted on CLAS social media (@CLAScomm on Twitter and @GVSUCLAS on Facebook and https://www.gvsu.edu/clas/repair-clinic-842.htm) and on posters in living centers and elsewhere. The next clinic will be in October and services will be provided by appointment. For more information: [email protected].