August 2022
Once-per-term publication for ADJ, VIS, and AFF faculty
A NOTE FROM DEAN DRAKE
As you prepare for the fall term, we wanted you to have handy some key information about syllabi, policies, and resources to support you, your teaching, and your students.
Many of you will be the very first college instructor for our newest students. Your enthusiasm and support will have an enormous influence on the success of these learners, many of whom are not quite sure what to expect after several years of pandemic-related constraints.
I want you to thrive, too, so please take advantage of the fun events and support services that the university has to offer. And if there is something you have trouble finding or if you have a suggestion to make, you can contact my office at [email protected].
Wishing you a great start to the academic year!
Best,
Jen
Jennifer Drake, Dean
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Office Hours Policy
The University Policy Regarding Office Hours reads: “Members of the faculty are expected to publish office hours. For a standard teaching load, instructors should be accessible to students for a minimum of one hour per week for every three credits taught. Availability can be a combination of in-person office hours and online communication, including virtual office hours.” The following bullet point provide clarification and additional information on this policy:
- Each instructor must be reasonably available to meet with students in person. We understand in person to mean “real-time interaction”.
- Office hour arrangements should be clearly spelled out in the syllabus and on the faculty member’s office door.
- Faculty may post a notice if the wearing of face coverings in their personal offices is required.
- Units should make sure that office staff have information on how to connect with faculty during virtual office hours.
New Name Includes Reading Center
The College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Dean's Office is excited to announce, effective August 6, 2022, that the CLAS Tutoring Center has been renamed the CLAS Tutoring and Reading Center.
CLAS Faculty and Staff Start Up Meeting
Faculty and Staff Meeting, Thursday, August 25, 2021, in the Haas Center for the Performing Arts.
8:30 a.m. Coffee and Conversation, followed by the meeting and lunch.
For more info, see the event listing.
Academic Policies
You will find up-to-date academic policies and COVID-related dealing with instruction at the Provost’s website.
Lakers Together for COVID policy info.
Student Advising and Tutoring Resources
Tutoring
CLAS offers free tutoring and academic support to all students in a variety of locations and modalities to supplement student learning. Students can utilize individual or group appointments in the Tutoring and Reading Center, or they can visit a subject-specific drop-in center for quick questions or homework help. The different centers offer complimentary in-person and virtual services and schedules to fit students' diverse needs.
For any questions relating to tutoring or to request services or to request in-class workshops, please reach out to Keigh-Cee Bell, director of CLAS Tutoring at [email protected].
Located on the second floor of Kleiner Commons, the Tutoring and Reading Center offers 50-minute individual or group appointments for many 100 and 200-level courses. Students can schedule regular, recurring appointments or as needed to discuss course content, study strategies, exam prep, and more. Appointments are available both in-person and online. Students can schedule an appointment or submit service requests on the Tutoring and Reading Center webpage or in Navigate.
There are different content-specific drop-in centers located across campus, where students can stop in before or after class to ask quick questions or get concepts clarified. For a list of centers and locations, visit the Drop-In Tutoring webpage.
Starting in the fall of 2022, the Reading Center will offer drop-in and appointment reading tutoring to all GVSU students. Located in the Tutoring and Reading Center on the second floor of Kleiner Commons, the Reading Center will offer reading comprehension and strategy assistance to all students, as well as workshops for specific courses. Students can make a Reading Center appointment in Navigate.
Structured Learning Assistance (SLA) and Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) are peer-led workshops and review sessions offered for specific challenging gateway courses. For a list of SLA or PASS courses and for more information, visit the SLA & PASS 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 via Navigate 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 who 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.
Starting in Fall 2022, all new (first-year and transfer) students will be assigned a professional academic advisor from the CLAS Academic Advising Center. This is in addition to the assigned faculty advisor for their major. All new students will need to meet with their assigned professional academic advisor at least once during the upcoming fall or winter semester to obtain approval to register for the 2023/2024 academic year.
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 Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution (OSCCR) provides clear information on the principles of academic honestly and integrity. When incidents occur, faculty are required 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. No punitive action or grade penalty can be implemented without following the OSCCR guidelines.
Students of Concern Care Form – Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to refer a student who may be 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. It is expected that faculty will make accommodations for students who enter their classes throughout the 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 (616) 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, an explanation of the policy relative to student absences, 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.
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 Shared Governance Policies 3.04 A-E for more details.)
The Pew FTLC website provides excellent resources for syllabus construction, including guidance on making your syllabus more accessible. 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
The Pew Faculty Teaching and Learning Center has resources for instructors, including help documents, workshops, and learning communities around particular topics.
Affiliate Faculty Advisory Committee (University)
CLAS Affiliate Faculty Advisory Committee
GVSU Arts Celebration (free events)
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 to sign up for workshops
GVSU Alerts direct to your phone
Acronym Decoder
Repair Clinic
A free repair clinic for all GVSU students takes place in October (date to be advertised closer to the event). Volunteers repair clothing, broken glasses, backpacks, and more. For more information: [email protected].