Program Policies

Dispositions - Non-Academic Indicators of Candidate Success

Candidates will be evaluated a minimum of two times during the program using the Disposition Assessment for Advanced Candidates which is a measure of non-academic dispositions that serve as indicators of candidate success in their educational programs and beyond to their career pathway. A candidate who scores below Effective (3) on any indicator will be required to meet wiht their advisor to develop a remediation plan to support the development of that disposition. The candidate will then be re-assessed the next semester in which they are enrolled. If the candidate continues to score below Effective (3), a departmental committee will convene to disucss further remediation as deemed necessary or possible removal from the program.

Levels of Perfomance: Highly Effective (4), Effective (3), Developing (2), Ineffective (1), Not Observed (0)

Disposition 1: - Communication: The candidate communicates clearly, effectively, and positively.

Verbal and non-verbal communication skills convey respect, confidence, and enthusiam.
Written communication is respectful, clear, and reflects the appropriate level of formality for the situation.
Responses (verbal/written to faculty/colleauges) convey attentiveness, thought, and respect.
Requests/queries (verbal/written to faculty/colleagues) convey self-reflection, advocacy, and respect.

Disposition 2 - Collaboration: The candidate works well with others.

Collaborative relationships are successfully navigated.
Collaborative relationships are purposefully developed to solve problems of practice.

Disposition 3 - Growth/Professionalism: The candidate demonstrates a commitment to personal learning and professional growth.

Learning is viewed as a lifelong endeavor.
Professionalism is fundamental to lifelong success.

Disposition 4 - Code of Ethics/Laws/Policies: The candidate adheres to ethical practices, laws and policies, and professional standards related to their field of study.

Ethical behavior is fundamental to the field.

Emails

When you are accepted into the program, you are given an FHSU email account. Check that email account frequently as all communication coming to you from faculty or your advisor will be to your FHSU email.

When emailing your course instructors, you must put the course/section number in the subject line of your email, followed by topic of inquiry in your email.

Grading Policy

All assignments should be submitted through Blackboard. Grading is determined by the course faculty. Incomplete status for the course is assigned at the discretion of the course faculty, which is a university policy. Final grades are based on the following graduate level scale:

A = 93% to 100%
B = 85% to 92%
C = 76% to 84%
D = 65% to 75%
U = 64% and below

Incomplete Coursework

Students are required to complete all course work within the semester. If a student is unable to complete assignment(s) for any reason, an incomplete (I) may be assigned at the discretion of the instructor (and not upon request of student). Students may be assigned a maximum of three incompletes (I) during the duration of the program. Students who fail to successfully complete more than three courses may be removed from the program. Once an incomplete (I) is assigned, student will be required to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) specifying the requirements to successfully complete the course.

Late Policy

All assignments must be submitted by the due date and time posted in the syllabus and on Blackboard. If you choose to turn in assignments late (for any reason unless documented through the Office of Student Support Services), 10% of the full credit of the paper will be deducted for each day that it is turned in late. No late submissions accepted for the last assignment(s)/project(s) in courses.

Time Zone

FHSU operates in central time. All assignment due dates are in central time, regardless of your current location. Please note: Blackboard adjusts to your location’s time zone when you log in, so pay attention to when the assignment is due (as noted in the syllabus/schedule) and what time Blackboard notes.

Person-First Language

People with disabilities are people. Thus, you refer to person before you refer to disability. For example, you say, “a student with autism.” Always use person-first language - in your coursework at FHSU as well as with your colleagues. For more information, please review this short Person First Video.

Plagiarism Policy

Plagiarized work will not be accepted. If a student's work has been flagged as plagiarized, the student will be given a warning and the student's adviser will be notified. The student will be allowed to rewrite and resubmit the plagiarized assignment. However, the revised work will not be accepted for full credit. Re-submissions can only earn a maximum grade of B (85%). Resubmitted assignments must comply with instructor's requirements, including new due date. If a second plagiarism offense occurs (at any point within the program), the student will be reported to the Office of Student Affairs. The assignment will not be graded. The student will earn a grade of 0% on the plagiarized assignment. Any further plagiarism offense will result in removal from the program. See the FHSU Academic Honesty policy for more information.

Practicum Expectations

Our program is accredited both through the state of Kansas and nationally through CAEP. As such, our program is practicum based – you will be going out into classrooms and working with students. None of our courses are “read the book, take the test” as that approach is not effective, nor does it meet state licensure standards. Every other program for special education endorsement in the state of Kansas ALSO has these requirements (practical application). In many of the courses that you will take, you will be allowed to work with your own students, as long as they have been identified as having a high incidence disability or giftedness (depending on your program of study). However, in many cases, you will be expected to leave your school building and observe or work in other settings. If you are struggling to meet these requirements, we will be happy to discuss this with your building leadership. Consistently across our 400+ students - in Kansas, across the nation, and internationally - administrators in schools are very open to allowing you to take paid time to observe and support other classrooms within the district. If you are working in a school, then you have completed a background check, and therefore are eligible to observe in colleagues’ classrooms. And, as this is a state licensure requirement, you will complete these requirements, and every building administrator in the state of Kansas will understand the need to do so.

Problem Resolution

If you are having difficulties within course(s) in which you are enrolled, please follow the chain of command to find a meaningful resolution to your specific situation. Your first point of contact for course related issues is your instructor. If you are still having issues, follow the proper chain of command: Instructor - Advisor/Program Coordinator - Department Chair - College Dean - Provost - President.

If you have questions about the program or have difficulties not related to a specific course, please follow the chain of command to obtain answers/feedback to your queries: Advisor - Special Education Program Coordinator- Department Chair - College Dean.

Failure to follow the chain of command in order diminishes the integrity of the establishment and compromises your credibility.

Resubmission of Assignments

With instructor permission, major assignments, which were completed and submitted by the due date, may be resubmitted for the opportunity to increase the grade earned. Re-submissions may only earn a maximum grade of 85% or B. Resubmitted assignments must comply with instructor's requirements, including new due date. Request for option to resubmit must occur within two days of when the assignment grade is posted. There are no re-submissions for final assignment.

Returning Phone Calls

It is our firm belief that your instructional time with students with exceptionalities should be strictly guarded. NO one should interrupt you when you are working with your students, and that includes your faculty in this program. Therefore, if you have called us - and our response is something that can best be delivered through email that you read at the end of the day - we will respond via email. If, however, your questions warrant a conversation, please indicate a time for us to return your call when you will not be working with students.

Textbooks

Whenever possible, courses in each special education program use Open Education Resources (OERs) which are free and available to your through you course in Blackboard. However, there are textbooks required for certain courses because program faculty have determined the text to be a valuable resource to you as a special educator.

You can find any required course textbooks by visiting the FHSU Bookstore Online. While you are not obligated to purchase your textbooks through the FHSU bookstore, you will find the textbooks required, including title, author, version, and ISBN number.

Incompletes Policy

Assigning of Incompletes

Conditions for Assigning an Incomplete - According to the Faculty Handbook published by the Provost, incompletes are assigned by faculty to students when course work has not been completed due to circumstances beyond their control. They should not be assigned routinely but should be used rarely and judiciously when students have completed the majority of the work for the class (over 50%) and have experienced extenuating circumstances which require an extension beyond the end of the course.

General Incompletes Resolution Dates:

Fall Semester Incompletes completed and grades changed by February 1
Intersession Incompetes completed and grades changed by February 1
Spring Semester Incompletes completed and grades changed by July 1
Summer Term Incompletes completed and grades changed by September 1

Exceptions: According to guidelines published by the Registrar’s office, courses centered on individual study such as theses, problems, readings, research, seminars, practicum, and independent study (or any other arranged courses) are not subject to the above schedule and can persist for up to two years. After two years they will remain permanently incomplete as indicated by the FHSU Registrar’s Guidelines. Students with Incompletes in these types of courses that are more than two years old will be required to re-enroll in the course to earn a different grade.

FHSU Policies Relevant to Incompletes