Office of the Provost: Memorandum
To: All Faculty and Staff (except School of Law)
From: N. John DiNardo, Ph.D., Vice Provost for Academic Affairs
Subject: Key Policy Reminders for the Winter Quarter
Date: 31 December 2008
Key Reminders for Faculty and Staff: Winter 2008-2009
Welcome to the Winter Quarter at Drexel!
- Winter Quarter classes begin on Saturday, January 3rd for Saturday Scholars
- Winter Quarter classes begin on Monday, January 5th for all other full-time and part-time 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.
CRITICAL DATES
• Academic Calendar 2008-2009
• Midterm Grades/Early Warning System
• Student Progress
NEW POLICIES
• Class Cancellation Due to Unexpected Instructor Lateness or Absence
• Absence from Class
• Audit Option
IMPORTANT POLICY REMINDERS
• Final Examinations and Final Grade Submission
• Add/Drop/Withdraw Form Submission After Week 6
KEY PRACTICES
• Disability Accommodations
• Office of Equality and Diversity
• Religious Observances
• When a Student is in Distress - How You Can Help
CRITICAL DATES
The Academic Calendar provides detailed information regarding critical academic deadlines; critical SCDC/Co-operative education dates; and holidays. Please note the following critical deadlines:
Non-Accelerated Courses
Course Add/Drop
• Sunday, January 18th via DrexelOne by 11:00 PMCourse Withdrawal
• Friday, February 13th with Academic Advisor assistance by 5:00 PM
Students should have an assessment of their performance by the end of Week 5 and before the course withdrawal deadline (see Student Progress)Accelerated Courses
Course Add/Drop
• Sunday, January 11th (part of Term A)
• Sunday, February 15th (part of Term B)Course Withdrawal
• Friday, January 23rd (part of Term A)
• Friday, February 27th (part of Term B)Saturday Scholars
Course Add/Drop
• Friday, January 9th (part of Term A)
• Friday, February 20th (part of Term B)
Course Withdrawal
• Friday, January 23rd (part of Term A) with Academic Advisor assistance by 5:00 PM
• Friday, March 6th (part of Term B) with Academic Advisor assistance by 5:00 PM
Midterm Grades/Early Warning System
The Early Warning System is a system by which the University identifies freshmen students whose satisfactory academic performance in critical freshman courses is in jeopardy. Professional academic advisors outreach to Freshmen identified through this process to provide just in time support and guidance. The success of this initiative is dependent upon the submission of midterm grades by faculty for students earning a grade of C or lower at the midpoint of the quarter. We are asking that midterm grades (or at the very least, midterm examination grades) for students earning a C or lower in the following courses be uploaded no later than Sunday, February 8th at 5:00PM.
ANAT 101 ANAT 102 CHEM 101 CHEM 102 CHEM 103 EDUC 310 ENGL 101 ENGL 102 ENGL 103 FASH 241 MATH 100 MATH 101 MATH 102 MATH 110 MATH 121 MATH 122 MATH 123 MATH 200 MATH 201 NURS 200 NURS 300 NURS 301 PHYS 101 PHYS 102 A series of 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 the withdrawal deadline. 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 6th).
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.
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.
NEW POLICIES
Class Cancellation Due to Instructor Lateness or Absence
IMPORTANT POLICY REMINDERS
Final Examinations and Final Grade Submission
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 Office of Academic Advising, Retention and Diversity in Main 308.
Instructors for those courses with the lowest course number will be asked to give a special exam for the Winter 2009 quarter.
Final Grade Submission
- For classes with enrollment less than 50: grades will be due 48 hours after the final exam
- For classes with enrollment of 50 or more: grades will be due 72 hours after the final exam
The ability to submit grades via BannerWeb will be removed on Wednesday, March 25th at 12:00 PM.
Add/Drop/Withdraw Form Submission After Week 6
All Add/Drop/Withdraw submissions after Week 6 must be completed by the student's advisor. All forms after Week 6 should be sent by the advisor to the Office of Academic Advising, Retention, and Diversity in Main 308.
The Office of the Provost will communicate any new or revised policies separately. These will appear in a special section of the policy website at http://www.drexel.edu/provost/policies.
KEY PRACTICES
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 Office of Disability Services website can be found at http://www.drexel.edu/ods.
Office of Equality and Diversity
The mission of the Office of Equality and Diversity is to promote, support, and sustain a living, learning and working environment of diversity, equality, fairness, inclusion, and respect. The Office of Equality and Diversity is responsible for ensuring equality of opportunity and compliance with University policies and federal, state and local laws prohibiting discrimination based upon race, color, religion, gender (sex), marital status, pregnancy, national origin, age, disability and veteran status. University policy and the City of Philadelphia also prohibit discrimination based upon sexual orientation, identity and expression. The Office of Equality and Diversity investigates and attempts to resolve complaints of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.
Students, faculty and staff with questions about or complaints concerning discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation should contact Michele M. Rovinsky, J.D., Executive Director of Equality and Diversity at 215-895-1403 or mrovinsky@drexel.edu. The Equality and Diversity website can be found at www.drexel.edu/oed.
The University is committed to promoting an environment that supports cultural and spiritual diversity.
It is essential that students contact their instructors at the beginning of the term for religious observance accommodation requests.
For more information, please review the Office of the Provost Statement on Religious Observances.
When a Student is in Distress - How You Can Help
The Counseling Center has launched a resource for Faculty and Staff with regard to assisting a student in a time of distress. The website includes information on:
- How You Can Help
- Some Signs and Symptoms of a Student in Distress
- Guidelines for Intervention
- How to Make a Referral to the Counseling Center
- Some Warning Signs of Substance Abuse
If confronted with distressing circumstances, students may turn to you for assistance. Your participation in identifying and referring students who are in distress is extremely important. For details from the Counseling Center, please visit http://www.drexel.edu/studentlife/ch/CC_Info for Faculty & Staff.html