Office of the Provost: Memorandum
To: All Faculty and Staff*
From: N. John DiNardo, Ph.D., Vice Provost for Academic Affairs
Subject: Key Policy Reminders for the Winter Quarter
Date: 4 January 2008
Key Reminders for Faculty and Staff: Winter 2007-08
Welcome to the Winter Quarter at Drexel!
- Winter Quarter classes begin on Saturday, January 5th for Saturday Scholars.
- Winter Quarter classes begin on Monday, January 7th 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.
* except College of Law
NEWS
• Blue Line Launch
• Register Today: Mobile Alert Notification System
CRITICAL DATES
• Academic Calendar 2007-2008
• Recording Attendance for UNIV 101
• Midterm Grades/Early Warning System
• Student Progress
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
• Excused Absences due to University Sponsored Activities
• Excused Absences
• Final Examinations
• Final Grade Submission
• Incomplete and Late/Medical Withdrawal Policy
KEY PRACTICES
• Disability Accommodations
• Religious Observances
NEWS
BlueLine: Virtually All Electronic Resources for Students in One Location
BlueLine is a new University website created to give students a one-stop shop for important information regarding every aspect of their Drexel University experience. The site is updated several times a week with new information and tips for making the most of their time in college.
To access BlueLine visit http://www.drexel.edu/blueline.
Register Today: Mobile Notification Alert System
Recent events highlight the need for fast and far-reaching campus communication.
An upgrade to DrexelOne has enabled instant alert notification capabilities via cell phone text messages. To protect the privacy of students, faculty and staff the University offers them the choice to provide their cell phone information to receive mobile alerts. Users can choose to receive messages based on preferences.
To learn more and to register for mobile notification, login to DrexelOne and click on the “Drexel” tab, the find “Mobile Notification” in the “Technology Services” channel.
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 20thCourse Withdrawal
• Friday, February 15thAccelerated Courses
Course Add/Drop
• Sunday, January 13th (part of Term A)
• Sunday, February 17th (part of Term B)Course Withdrawal
• Friday, January 25th (part of Term A)
• Friday, February 29th (part of Term B)Saturday Scholars
Course Add/Drop
• Friday, January 11th (part of Term A)
• Friday, February 22nd (part of Term B)
Course Withdrawal
• Friday, January 25th (part of Term A)
• Friday, March 7th (part of Term B)
Recording Attendance for UNIV 101
In order to track enrollment and better assess freshman student engagement, attendance will be taken in all UNIV 101 classes weekly through the end of the Winter term. A detailed overview of this process can be found at http://www.drexel.edu/provost/secure/docs/UNIV_101_Attendance_Guidelines_200715.pdf.
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 Saturday, February 9th at 5:00 PM.
ANAT 101 ANAT 102 CHEM 101 CHEM 102 CHEM 103 EDUC 301 EDUC 310 ENGL 101 ENGL 102 ENGL 103 FASH 241 FASH 341 MATH 100 MATH 101 MATH 102 MATH 110 MATH 123 MATH 121 MATH 122 MATH 200 MATH 201 NURS 200 NURS 201 NURS 300 NURS 301 PHYS 101 PHYS 102 TDEC 142 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 8th or for Saturday Scholars, by Saturday, February 9th).
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.
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
Excused Absences due to University Sponsored Activities
Many students participate in University-sponsored activities where they represent the University or their academic college or department. These activities may cause a student to be absent from class. Students are responsible for notifying instructors at least two (2) weeks in advance of such University-sponsored absences.
It is expected that students seeking an excused absence will develop a plan and timetable to make up the missed coursework with their instructors. Faculty are expected to make reasonable accommodations for these class absences including administration of make-up assignments and exams whenever possible.
Unforeseen events may occur that cause a student to be absent from class. These may include bereavement, accident or catastrophic event such as fire. In the event of such circumstances, students are encouraged to notify their instructors as soon as possible in order to notify them of the circumstances leading to their absence from classes and to develop a plan and timetable to make up missed coursework. Faculty are expected to make reasonable accommodations for these class absences including administration of make-up assignments and exams whenever possible.
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 2008 quarter.
- 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 26th at 12:00 PM.
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 - is included below.
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.
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.