Course Administration

Sources of Information

Information regarding the administration of courses and related policy issues (i.e. grading, absence policies, academic honesty) can be found in several places, namely The Academic Code.

The Academic Code of Honor, and The Academic Guide, all of which can be accessed at http:// provost.nd.edu/information-for-faculty/faculty-handbook-academic-codes/. For information on Notre Dame’s programs of study, academic requirements, and course offerings, please consult the Bulletin of Information, which is available on the Registrar’s website at http://registrar.nd.edu/BOI/ BOI.php.

Much of the following text is drawn from The Academic Code. The Code governs the attainment of academic credit and degrees by undergraduate students and its regulations are binding on all undergraduates and faculty teaching undergraduates. The Code outlines the rules and regulations regarding admission and readmission, registration and enrollment, student progress towards the degree, the evaluation of student work (e.g. assigning grades, final exams), and leaves and separation from the University.

The following information was compiled to assist you in the administration of your courses, but we still strongly encourage you to refer directly to the Code, the Academic Guide, and other sources to understand their larger context and for more extensive coverage of items touched upon here.

Registration

Registration begins in November for the spring term and in April for the fall term. Many students register at the beginning of the registration period but may register until the sixth class day of the semester.

Students register online via insideND. Students in each class level are given Time Tickets that are randomly assigned to them in a two-day window. Each Time Ticket represents a start time, which will not end until the end of online registration, which is 11:59 p.m. on the sixth class day of the term. Time Tickets are assigned in a way that does not conflict with students’ current class schedules.

The automated registration system defines the requisite classes and other class restrictions (e.g. majors only, juniors only) students must meet to be able to web register successfully. A faculty member can never register a student for a class. All students are required to officially register themselves for any class they will attend and they must also make any changes or additions to their schedules themselves. If students are not able to register for your class, they must see the department representative.

Up until the sixth class day, students register for courses using insideND. After this point, students may only make changes to their schedule by initiating the appropriate eForm and receive approval from the academic department and an Associate/Assistant Dean. The eForms will be available to students, departments, and deans through insideND.

Additional information about registration can be found on the Office of the Registrar’s website at http://registrar.nd.edu.

Course Enrollment

Wait Lists and Adding Students to Full Courses

Some academic departments – though not the Registrar’s Office - maintain waitlists for specific classes. Each department determines the priority given to students on a waitlist, and department personnel manage the electronic permission for wait-listed students to register for a class. It is essential that students attending your class who are not properly registered do so by the sixth class day. If registration limits have been reached for your class, but you want to add additional students, consult with the appropriate administrative personnel in your department (i.e. admin. assistant, DUS, DGS) before or by the sixth class day. Keep in mind your department and the College’s philosophy about class size, availability of larger classrooms, and other concerns articulated by the Dean’s office. When a student needs to be added to your class, and doing so will either increase the class limit over the “maximum seat count” or change the department’s “seat allocation,” the student must go to the department of the course to initiate the appropriate eForm, which requires the approval of the department representative and our office.

Adding and Dropping Courses

The registration and enrollment period for students continues through the first six class days of a given academic year semester. The term “six class days” refers to the first six days that classes are in session University-wide, not the sixth class meeting of a given course. The sixth class day for Fall 2014 is Tuesday, September 2; for Spring 2015, it is Tuesday, January 20. Students have until the sixth class day to add a course. You should take attendance by the fifth or sixth class day to ensure that all students who are attending your class are properly registered. Courses cannot be added after that point except under unusual circumstances and only with an Assistant Dean’s permission.

Students may drop a course until the Friday after mid-semester break. Students are allowed to drop a course only if the drop does not reduce their load below 12 credit hours. It is important that faculty provide feedback to students on their grade status (through mid-term grading, before the mid-semester break); therefore, plan to have a major exam or paper graded and returned to students before the break so they know how they are doing in your class.

After the sixth class day, adding and dropping is done via the appropriate eForm and requires the approval of an Assistant Dean. If a student is added to your class list after the sixth class day, or if they drop your course after that point, you will be notified.

Class Rosters

Class rosters can be obtained online under the Academic Tab on insideND in one of several ways:

Under Online Photo in Faculty Services, or Advising Services, or Faculty Quick Links. Online photo is the ONLY option that includes all the students in your class, including those in cross-listed sections. This option is available only to the instructor of record for the course.
Under Faculty Quick Links. Go to the link for either Detail Class List or Summary Class List. The detail list contains the name, ID number, classification, majors, departments, and registration status of each student. The summary list contains only the name and ID of each student and their undergraduate status but does not include students who are in cross-listed sections.
Under Advising Services. Go to the link for Class Roster. It is similar to the Detail Class List but does not include students who are in cross-listed sections.

Be sure that your list contains the names of every student in your course. Take attendance regularly, especially in the first two weeks of the term. If you are teaching a large lecture course, pass around an attendance sheet and have students check off their names. If you do not take attendance early on, students can sometimes spend an entire term in a class without knowing they are not registered. This is an obvious problem for students and also for our office, since we would have no way of tracking a student’s progress or performance.

If a student believes he or she is in your course but is not on your roster, they are not properly registered and their work cannot be graded. Send them to the Office for Undergraduate Studies, 104 O’Shaughnessy Hall, to settle the problem. Keep in mind that after the sixth class day, the student needs to obtain signed approval from the academic department and an Assistant Dean to be added. In whatever way the matter is resolved, students must register themselves for each class. Your verbal permission does not count, and you cannot register them into your course.

Note that student information is private and must be used in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). For more information, see http://registrar.nd.edu/ students/ferpa.php.

Administering Your Course

Class Time Periods

Standard class times are updated each academic year and can be downloaded at https://registrar.nd.edu/students/standardtimes.php. See the example below for the Academic Year 20-21.

standard_class_times-Fall2020.pdf

The Syllabus

Faculty must provide a syllabus for each course. This is an opportunity to invite your students to join you in an intellectual journey and as such, should contain a brief description of learning goals, topics the course will cover, and required and optional texts and assignments. It also serves as a contract between you and your students, clearly stating your policies on class attendance and class absences (for more on this, see below), grading policies, due dates for assignments, dates of tests and exams, and the date and time of the final exam. It should also include your office hours and the best way for students to reach you, including your preference for voice-mail or e-mail. Finally, a statement regarding the Honor Code should also be mentioned (for more information on the Honor Code, please see Chapter IV).

In preparing your syllabus, remember that most students in the College of Arts and Letters take five courses per term. This means that they have four other courses to prepare for in addition to yours. They will need to plan and prioritize their time commitments for major projects and assignments, presentations, and examinations, so try not to change your syllabus mid-semester unless absolutely necessary (e.g. a book did not arrive on time).

You will receive example syllabi for your course. Any changes made to the format of the syllabus need to be approved by your supervising faculty.

A Syllabus Upload Tool is available to faculty in insideND. This enables faculty to upload a pdf version of their course syllabus for campus-wide access via the University’s Class Search application. Uploaded pdf syllabi display as a “clickable” paper clip icon in Class Search, and the tool automatically uploads the syllabi for cross- listed course sections as well. Only individuals who navigate to Class Search via insideND using their netID and password can view the uploaded syllabi.

Office Hours

Instructors should make themselves available as often as they can and should inform students of their availability. This is most easily done by posting office hours on your door and including them in your syllabus. Try to keep a consistent schedule, while bearing in mind that students who can't see you because of a class conflict at 11:00 on Tuesday probably won't be able to on Thursday at 11:00 a.m. either. The same holds true for those with MWF schedules. The ideal schedule would include office hours on Monday/Tuesday, Tuesday/Wednesday, Wednesday/Thursday, etc., to accommodate students’ MWF and TR schedules.

Missing and Cancelling Class Meetings

If the instructor does not appear within 15 minutes of a class’ start time, students can presume that class is cancelled (Academic Code, Article 3.1.3). If you have an emergency and do not have time to arrange for a substitute, call your department office and ask that a sign be taped to the door or written on the chalkboard announcing that class has been canceled for the day. Likewise, if you reschedule class for a different room (e.g., if you are viewing a film, conducting class on the lawn), tape a sign to the door of the room where you normally meet for students who may not remember or may have been absent when you announced the venue change. Inform the departmental administrator of the department offering the class.

Faculty who will miss two classes or be out of town for more than three to four days should clear their intended absence with the Chair. When making arrangements to make up a missed class, make sure you do not place students in conflict with another class, lab or athletic practice. The best times for rescheduling classes are normally early mornings or evenings. Faculty who miss classes because

of scholarly activities and professional meetings are expected to reschedule. Classes before holidays and vacations should not be cancelled unless for a compelling reason.

Attendance Policies

Unexcused Absences

You are free to determine your own attendance policy, i.e., how many unexcused absences will be considered excessive. Please state your policy clearly in the syllabus. You also should indicate the consequences for missing more than the allowed number of classes, for example, "More than three unexcused absences will result in lowering your grade one letter." Your class attendance policy concerning absences on the days before and after holidays and/or vacations should also be indicated. Maintaining attendance records is left to you.

The Undergraduate Academic Code also notes that “At the beginning of the term, each instructor will state in writing the class policies concerning attendance, grading, and allowable number of unexcused absences. At the instructor’s discretion, a failing or reduced grade may be given for excessive unexcused absences. Instructors have discretion over class attendance, with the exception of officially excused absences as described in du Lac.” Excuses for officially excused absences are issued by the Office of Community Standards (formerly the Office of Residence Life) or by the advising offices in the colleges for illness, death in the family, or duties performed for the University (see more on this below). The instructor has full discretion as to the acceptance of excuses and permission to make up work.

We also encourage you to email students who have begun to rack up absences. When you do so, you should copy your supervising faculty.

Excused Absences

Professors ordinarily decide whether to accept a student’s excuse and to permit make-up work, but there are three times in which this is not the case: student illness, death in the immediate family, and duties performed for the University. If one of these three scenarios is the case for your student, you should ask them to contact the Office for Undergraduate Studies so that the absence can be verified. When an absence is approved, an official form is forwarded to the instructor(s) involved.

Grading

Basic Grading System

Whatever means by which you assess students’ performance should be communicated in your syllabus, but we strongly recommend that you use letter grades exclusively in the actual grading of tests, papers, and classroom performance. The grading system is fully explained in the Academic Code (see Article 3.3.8). We have abbreviated it below:

Note that there is no grade of A+, D+, D-, nor is there an “I” (Incomplete) for undergraduates.

Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U)

Some courses (e.g., physical education, internships, and experiential learning courses) are graded satisfactory/unsatisfactory (S/U). S/U courses are not included in a student’s grade point average computation. This is the grading method for all students enrolled in the class and is not the same as the pass/fail option (see below).

Pass/Fail Option (P/F)

Juniors and seniors have the option of taking one course pass-fail (up to 4 credits) per term, though not summer term. Students cannot take courses P/F in the Mendoza College of Business, that are in their major or minor, or that fulfill general requirements and hence must be an elective. Students can designate a course P/F only during the first six class days, and once they elect the P/F option, it cannot be reversed. Grades of “A” to “D” are considered passing grades (See the Academic Code, Article 3.3.11). Instructors are not informed if a given student is taking their course P/F, but they may refuse to allow the pass-fail option for selected courses. The “F” grade counts in the grade point average.

The X Grade

While undergraduates cannot be given an “Incomplete” if they have not finished work in a term, there is a provision for handling emergency situations (e.g. illness, death in the immediate family, personal situations) that result in incomplete work at the end of term. That provision is the "X" grade.

We ask that you contact the student’s Assistant Dean to discuss his/her situation so that we can first verify whether an “X” grade is warranted. In the event that it is, we will notify the Registrar’s Office as well as you that the student merits the accommodation. You may then enter an “X” into the Banner system.

The X grade allows the student a maximum of 30 days into the next term (fall or spring) to complete the remaining work. The faculty member must submit an Academic Grade Change form to change the grade from “X” to the proper grade by the 30th calendar day after the next immediate term begins. If the grade change form is not submitted by the 30-day mark, the Registrar will change the grade from “X” to “F”. (Academic Code, Article 3.3.8).

NR Grades (Not Reported)

If a faculty member fails to submit a grade for the student, the Registrar records the grade as "NR" or "not reported." An unreported grade may also appear on the student's record as "F*". The unreported grade is averaged into the student's record as an F, with 0 points.

If you are unsure whether a student on your grade sheet is actually registered in your course, or if you think a student has dropped it, please call the Office for Undergraduate Studies. Do not assume that the name was mistakenly placed on the grade sheet. If there is a mistake, we will contact the student and the Registrar to correct the problem. Failure to report a grade usually creates more problems than it solves, so please help us resolve uncertainties up front.

Mid-Term Grade Reports and Deficiencies

Mid-term Grade Reports for First Year Students

A letter grade must be submitted to the Registrar at mid-semester for each first year student in an instructor's course. (Academic Code, Article 3.3.1)

Grade Reports for Athletes

At about the same time that you submit mid-term reports, you will receive a list of varsity athletes in your class from Academic Services for Student Athletes (ASSA) and a request to indicate where they stand, even if they are not in danger of failing. ASSA pays close attention to the academic performance of varsity athletes. They provide free tutoring for any athlete who requests it and mandatory advising and tutorial sessions for those who are having academic difficulty. Please comply with these requests. These reports help our athletes succeed academically.

Mid-term Deficiencies for Upper Division Students

If a sophomore, junior, or senior during the first half of a semester is doing unsatisfactory work (i.e. C-, D or F), you must report this to the Registrar. Additionally, instructors will need to affirm if there are no students in a class receiving deficient grades. Some instructors assume that turning in mid- term reports is voluntary, but this is not correct. According to the Academic Code (Article 3.3.1), mid-term reports are mandatory if a student is performing unsatisfactorily. Also note that if a student has not attended class and has not turned in work but is still on the class list, you must turn in an “F.” Do not assume that he/she has dropped the course.

Mid-term deficiency notices are sent to students by the Registrar, but do not become a part of a student’s permanent record. Such notices are not “bad” for students in any way (though no student likes being confronted with the specter of doing poorly), and can, in fact, help students bring their averages up to B’s, or even A’s, by the end of the term. By submitting a deficiency report, you help students by signaling that there is a problem. Often, receiving a deficiency report serves as a "wake- up call," and students are able to take responsibility for their academic program.

The deficiency report is also a vital tool for the Assistant Deans. Because we track students in academic trouble and identify students “at risk”, we rely on you to let us know who is having difficulty. Sometimes we can resolve a problem by advising the student to drop a class if the situation is beyond hope, or by requiring that the student set up an appointment with you to discuss the situation. If a student is having difficulty in several courses, this may be an indication of a deep-seated, non-academic problem. If we catch the problem early enough, we may be able to encourage counseling. In the most serious cases, we advise withdrawal from the University, so that the student can take some time away from school to resolve the problem. But remember, we rely on you to apprise us of potential trouble.

Students who receive a deficiency in more than one class or students on academic probation who receive at least one deficiency report are called into the Office for Undergraduate Studies for an advising session.

Mid-term grade reports are due by 3:45 p.m. on the Monday of break week. For further information, please visit http:// registrar.nd.edu.

Examinations and Reading Days

Reading Days

Between the last day of class and the first final exam, the University grants students up to four reading days. These days are meant to be used by students for studying. Reading Days are not to be used for the unauthorized rescheduling of final exams. (Academic Code 3.2.4)

Regular or Mid-term Examinations

In some courses, grades are based on a combination of examinations, papers and/or projects. In others, final grades are based on a series of examinations, including a final exam. Whatever is the case for you, it is important that you have at least one exam, paper, and/or project assigned in time for you to grade it and return it to the students before the midterm break. The last day to drop classes falls on the Friday after students return from the break, and students need some indication of how they are doing to help them decide whether to retain or drop your course.

Final Examinations

Final examinations can be administered to undergraduates only at the time and place stipulated in the official examination schedule. If final papers or projects are due during finals week, the due date must fall on the same day as the scheduled final examination of that class. Any exceptions to these policies must be approved by the chair of the department offering the course and reviewed by the dean (or the dean’s designee) of the college in which the course is listed (Academic Code, Article 3.2.2.1). Exceptions to this must be approved by the department chair and reviewed by Assoc. Dean JoAnn DellaNeva and/or Asst. Dean Ava Preacher. For undergraduate courses, the final exam, or an equivalent summative assessment of student learning at the end of the semester, may not be weighted for less than one-fifth or more than one-half of the semester’s work in determining the student’s final grade (Academic Code, 3.2.1).

Departmental Examinations

In several departments, multiple sections of the same course share a common syllabus and synchronize their regular exam schedules. In these cases, exams are scheduled on Tuesday/Thursday mornings at 8:00 a.m., since TR classes do not begin until 9:30.

Departmental exams are most common in the Science and Business Colleges, but occasionally Arts and Letters courses may be included on the departmental examination schedule. Courses appropriate for a departmental examination schedule are determined by the department chair or Dean's office, and are scheduled by the Office of the Registrar.

Final Examination Conflicts

No student shall be required to take in one calendar day more than two scheduled examinations worth 15 percent or more of the student’s final grade (Academic Code 3.2.3.1). If a student finds he/she has such a conflict, this should be reported to the Office for Undergraduate Studies. A dean will check and verify the student's schedule, inform the faculty member of the conflict, and grant the student permission for a make-up exam in one course according to the guidelines in the Academic Code. (See the Academic Code 3.2.3.2 for guidelines).

Submitting Grades

Final grades must be submitted to the Registrar within 72 hours after final exam period ends. It is imperative that you submit your grades on time. Within twenty-four hours after grades are due, the Registrar sends our office a list of students in academic trouble who are be subject to academic probation or dismissal. There are usually a fair number of students who are borderline and whose academic status for the following term is in question. If these students are missing grades, we cannot take academic action or provide students with a sense of where they stand, which is important for students planning for the following term. So please remember to submit your final grades on time! Also remember that grade reports are sent to us, department chairs, hall rectors and the Office of Financial Aid, and are available to students as well.

Instructors submit both midterm grades (for first years and deficiencies) and final grades online. For your reference below, we have provided step-by-step instructions for the online submission of grades, but for more extensive information, view the Grading Tutorial in “Training and Support” at http://registrar.nd.edu. If you have additional questions, contact the Registrar at 631-6488 or Ms. Lisa Neel at lneel@nd.edu.

Grade Submission Instructions for insideND

Log into insideND.
Go to the Academic tab. On the Academic tab, a Faculty Services Channel exists. Click on the plus sign next to ‘Grading’. Once expanded, click on the link Mid-term or Final Grade Submission (depending on the point in the term).
Select the current term using the drop down box and click submit.
Choose the class you want to grade by using the drop down box. The drop down box will list only the classes for which you are listed as an instructor.
Press “Submit” (The result will be your class list). You may need to scroll down or click the next record set to view more students.
Click on the drop down arrow for each student to see the eligible grades.
Click on the grade you are assigning the student. Once you have clicked on it, it will appear in the box.
Press “Submit” often to save the grades you have entered.
Continue entering grades for the students.
Press “Submit” before moving on to the next page (record set) if applicable. NOTE: You can continue to access the class list and adjust grades until the deadline announced by the Registrar.
If you have another class to grade, click on the “CRN link” at the bottom of the page and repeat steps 1-10.
When finished grading make sure you have pressed “Submit” to save the grades entered. To close the browser, click on the “X” in the upper right corner of the screen.

Changing Grades

Once the announced deadline for grades arrives, the Office of the Registrar will roll the grades you have entered to the students’ records. A “Y” will appear in the “Rolled” column. Once that occurs, grades can no longer be changed online.

Grades should not be changed except for bona fide error on the part of the instructor. Miscalculations or inaccurate entries are common errors. If this is the case, initiate the appropriate grade change eForm on insideND, indicating what grade was originally assigned, what the new grade is, and the nature of the mistake. A dean in the student’s college must then approve the form.

Unacceptable Reasons for Changing a Grade

A student's grade cannot be changed on the basis of work received after the term has ended. Because undergraduates cannot be given incompletes, the final grade must be based on work received before the term ends. Grades are normally not changed for students on academic probation or who are subject to dismissal. Keep in mind that students in academic trouble often try to have professors change their grade in an effort to avoid dismissal or to return to academic good standing. If you are uncertain whether you should change a grade, or feel pressured to do so by a student or by his/her parents, call the Office for Undergraduate Studies. We will be happy to talk with you and help you deal with the situation.

A Piece of Advice

Any time you are asked to review a student's work and change his/her grade, you may want to tell the student that you'll think about it for a day or so. It can be difficult to make a non-pressured decision with the student in your presence. Buying yourself a little time will ensure that you are making an informed decision and that you are not reacting to student pressure.

Academic Standing

Latin Honors (Graduation Honors)

Latin Honors are granted to the top 30% of students who are receiving a bachelor degree. Summa cum laude is granted to the top 5%, magna cum laude to the top 15%, and cum laude to the top 30%. More information on Latin Honors can be found in the Academic Code (Section 5.6.1) and at the following website: https://registrar.nd.edu/students/LatinHonorsTerm.php

Dean’s List

For undergraduate students, the dean's honor list is restricted to students who (1) carried at least 12 graded credit hours in the previous semester and (2) have a grade point average in that semester which meets a minimum requirement set by the dean of any college or school in which they are

currently enrolled. At the beginning of each academic year, each college and school will choose and make known to its students and the Registrar the necessary minimum grade point average. This choice will be made so that by best estimates 30 percent of the students in the college or school will receive dean's honor list in a given semester.

Academic Good Standing

The minimum semester GPA for a student to remain in good standing is 1.700 for first-semester students in the First Year of Studies, 1.850 for second-semester students in the First Year of Studies, and 2.000 for students in the sophomore year and beyond (Academic Code 4.4)

Academic Probation

Failure to retain good standing will result in academic probation, which makes a student ineligible for class, residence hall, and University offices and privileges, and for intercollegiate and club athletics; also, the student’s academic program may be restricted at the discretion of the student’s dean (or the dean’s designee). (Academic Code 4.5)

Academic Dismissal

Undergraduate students shall be dismissed for two consecutive semesters on probation, or a total of three nonconsecutive semesters on probation, or failure to achieve a semester average of 1.000 regardless of previous academic work. For purposes of this provision, consecutive spring and fall semesters on probation will result in dismissal regardless of summer session performance. (Academic Code 6.2.4.1)

Course Instructor Feedback (CIF)

Systems for gathering student feedback as part of the evaluation of teaching have been in place at Notre Dame since 1970. In 2007, the Advisory Committee to the Provost on the Evaluation of Teaching (ACPET), as part of an overall re-design of the evaluation of teaching, proposed the development of the current CIF online system. Department chairs determine the instructors and sections designated for CIF surveys. To take team teaching into account, the analysis unit for CIFs is the instructor-section combination.

Student feedback on teaching can serve three important functions: (1) the formative function of helping instructors reflect on and improve their teaching, (2) the evaluative function of contributing to the overall assessment of the instructor’s effectiveness as a teacher, and (3) the analytical function of helping the University understand factors associated with perceptions of effective teaching. A feature of the online CIF system is the combination of a tier of questions posed for all courses at Notre Dame and another tailored to the course type. The latter asks students to rate their progress toward a set of learning goals. Departments can set default learning goals for groups of courses with similar purposes. Instructors can, however, modify or add to those goals to create an even better match if they so choose.

The CIF feedback window begins just prior to the end date for a particular instructor-section combination, and the length of the window is determined by the duration of the course (i.e., shorter courses have shorter feedback windows). The window usually includes reading days at the end of the semester and closes before finals. Before the feedback window opens for students, instructors are notified by e-mail that they can add their own questions and review and modify, if desired, their course’s associated goals.

After grades have been submitted and rolled into the Registrar’s database, instructors can view online statistics for each section and responses to the open-ended questions (https://cif.nd.edu/assets/171280/viewing_reports_instr_qrg.pdf) Your chair, your dean, and the Provost can view the same statistical reports, but do not have access to the open-ended comments or the results of items you specifically added. If you teach in a department other than that of your appointment, the chair and dean for that department can also view the reports for that course.

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