Provost Office: Memorandum
To: All Faculty and Staff
From: N. John DiNardo, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs
Subject: Key Reminders for Faculty and Staff: Winter 2007
Date: 5 January 2007
Key Reminders for Faculty and Staff: Winter 2007
Welcome to the Winter 2007 Quarter at Drexel!
As you know, classes for the Winter Quarter, 2006-07 begin on Monday, January 8th for full-time and part-time students and Saturday, January 6th for Saturday Scholars students.
We have provided important academic information that is relevant to faculty and staff on this web page. To view critical calendar dates and academic policies that have been made available to students, please click here.
Click on a topic below for which you are seeking more information:
- Academic Calendar AY2006-07
- Grading Scale (Plus/Minus)
- Incomplete and Late/Medical Withdrawal Policy
- Midterm Grades/Early Warning System
- Student Progress
- Final Examinations and Final Grade Submission
- Disability Accommodations
- Religious Observances
The Academic Calendar, available at http://www.drexel.edu/provost/calendars/quarter-0607.html provides additional information regarding academic deadlines; critical SCDC/Co-operative education dates; and holidays
Drexel implemented plus/minus grading across the University effective Fall 2006. This change will help students better understand their academic progress throughout their Drexel career and allow faculty members to more accurately assess student performance.
Plus/minus grading also keeps Drexel in step with a majority of colleges and universities throughout the nation.
Instructors may decide to implement this grading scale based on numerical grades or other defined standards. Each instructor should communicate with students how the grading scale will be implemented in his/her course.
To review the grading scale, please access: http://www.drexel.edu/provost/policies/grades.asp
Incomplete and Late/Medical Withdrawal Policy
Please take a moment to review the Office of Disability Services' (ODS) statement regarding incomplete and late/medical withdrawals at: http://www.drexel.edu/disability/incompletes.html
Additional information regarding accommodation - including a recommended statement regarding Advanced Notice for inclusion in syllabi - can be accessed here.
Midterm Grades/Early Warning System
The Early Warning System is a system by which the University has the opportunity to identify freshmen students who are at-risk of satisfactory academic performance in critical freshman courses.
The success of this new initiative is dependent on the submission of midterm grades by faculty. We are asking that midterm grades (midterm examinations) for the following courses be uploaded no later than February 10th at 5:00 PM:
ANAT 101 ANAT 102 CHEM 101 CHEM 102 CHEM 103 COOP 101 EDUC 301 EDUC 310 ENGL 101 ENGL 102 ENGL 103 MATH 100 MATH 101 MATH 102 MATH 123 MATH 121 MATH 122 MATH 200 MATH 200 NURS 300 NURS 301 PHYS 101 PHYS 102 TDEC 141 UNIV 101 A series reminder communications regarding the submission of midterm grades will be delivered to department heads beginning in the third week of the Winter term.
In order for a student to make a reasonable decision regarding course withdrawal, it is important to provide information regarding his or her performance before this date. It is critical that every instructor make certain students are apprised of their performance in courses by the end of the fifth week of classes (i.e., by Friday, February 9th or by Saturday, February 10th for Saturday Scholars). Courses should be structured accordingly; graded quizzes, exams, lab work, essays, etc. should be returned to students by the end of the fifth week and should provide a sufficient basis on which they can usefully gauge their standing in the course.
Instructors for accelerated sessions are also asked to abide by this practice by providing information - such that all of their students will know where they stand in the course - by the end of the second week of the accelerated session.
Final Examinations and Final Grade Submission:
Disability Accommodations:Unless waived by the Department Head and with the exception of laboratory courses, a final examination given during exam week is required in all undergraduate courses. Take-home exams approved in advance by the Department Head may be used and are due at the officially scheduled examination hour.
No final examination may be given in the 10th week of the quarter.
During finals week, no student is obligated to take more than two (2) finals on any given day. The Final Examination policy states that students may appeal to the Office of the Provost for accommodation at least three (3) days before the examination date. Students who are seeking accommodations may download the appeal form and submit it to the Provost's Office in Main 102.
Instructors for those courses with the lowest course number will be asked to give a special exam for the Winter 2006 quarter.
Final Grade Submission
- For classes with enrollment less than 50: 48 hours after the final exam
- For classes with enrollment of 50 or more: 72 hours after the final exam
The ability to submit grades via BannerWeb will be removed on Wednesday, March 28th at 12:00 PM.
Religious Observances:It is the University's policy to provide a learning environment that provides all students with the opportunity to realize their full potential. To this end, the goal of the Office of Disability Services ("ODS") is to assist students with disabilities in becoming self-sufficient, independent, and successful members of the University's community and to provide students with disabilities with equal opportunity of access to University courses, programs, facilities, services, and activities.
Students seeking reasonable accommodations for their disabilities must first register with ODS. The staff of ODS will work closely with students to review medical documentation, assess their individual needs, and link them with the services necessary to ensure them the opportunity to participate fully in college life.
The ODS website includes a statement regarding Advance Notice for Accommodations which may be included in your syllabus. It is available at: http://www.drexel.edu/disability/faculty.html
The University is committed to promoting an environment that supports cultural and spiritual diversity. Please review the Provost Office Religious Observance Statement .