To: Faculty/Staff on the Quarter System (except School of Law)
From: N. John DiNardo, Ph.D., Vice Provost for Academic Affairs
Subject: Academic News and Key Policy Reminders for the Fall Quarter
Date: 21 September 2009

Key Reminders for Faculty/Staff: Fall 2009-2010

Welcome to the Fall Quarter at Drexel!

Please review news, key policies, and dates for the upcoming quarter. For other important information and resources, please visit www.drexel.edu/provost/

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS
   • Convocation 2009
   • DegreeWorks - Powerful Degree Audit Tool
   • H1N1 (Swine Flu) Information
   • Military Veterans
   • Reserved Seating Implementation
   • Wait-Listing Implementation

CRITICAL DATES
   • Academic Calendar 2009-2010
   • Course Add/Drop/Withdrawal
   • Midterm Grades / Early Warning System
   • Student Progress
   • Due Dates for Final Grades

IMPORTANT POLICY REMINDERS
   • Absence from Class
   • Audit Option
   • Class Cancellation due to Unexpected Instructor Lateness or Absence
   • Final Examinations and Final Grade Submission for Non-Graduating Students
   • Grade of Incomplete (INC)
   • Grade Not Reported (NGR)
   • Late Add/Drop/Withdraw Form Submission After Week 6

KEY PRACTICES
   • Disability Accommodations
   • Religious Observances
   • When a Student is in Distress - How You Can Help
   • Promoting a Diverse and Fair Learning Environment

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Convocation 2009

Drexel University's Convocation is scheduled for Friday, October 2, 2009. Convocation celebrates the beginning of the academic year. All faculty are invited for breakfast with Provost Mark Greenberg in Behrakis Grand Hall starting at 8:00 am. The Convocation ceremony is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. in the auditorium of the Main Building at 3141 Chestnut Street. John Lombardi, President of the Louisiana State University System, will be the keynote speaker (http://jvlone.com/).

Classes will be cancelled from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on the Main Campus only to allow members of the Drexel community to attend this important function. Students in the Health Sciences and School of Public Health must check with their Program Directors for class schedules on that day.

Faculty and administrators can order regalia, paid for by the Provost's Office, online at http://www.drexel.edu/provost/convocation/regalia.html.

All faculty and students are strongly urged to attend Convocation. For more information, including viewing locations, please visit the Convocation website.

DegreeWorks - Powerful Degree Audit Tool

The University has implemented DegreeWorks, a web-based academic advising system for degree audit and course planning.    DegreeWorks is a powerful tool to assist students in reaching their academic goals and better understand degree requirements.  All undergraduate students entering the university in September 2006 or later have access to DegreeWorks.
  
Students, faculty and professional advising staff access DegreeWorks through Banner Self-Service.  There are graphic advising worksheets within DegreeWorks allowing students to review how their completed courses apply to the requirements for their majors, helping students and advisors to determine academic progress and providing information to help with registration decisions.   Students contemplating major changes can run what-if scenarios to see how completed courses apply to other majors.

DegreeWorks provides access to multiple services through hyperlinks:  SRC, Drexel BlueLine, Term Master Schedule, AskDrexel, DegreeWorks help, catalog pages and lists of Writing Intensive Courses. 

For more information, please reference the Advisor DegreeWorks Manual or email askdrexel@drexel.edu.

H1N1 (Swine Flu) Information

Faculty and staff are encouraged to review information and recommended practices regarding swine flu (H1N1) at www.drexel.edu/swine/.

We also encourage a review of the Medical Notes Policy, established by the Office of Student Health and Wellness.

Military Veterans

Veterans seeking information regarding the Yellow Ribbon Program are encouraged to review the services and supports available on the Student Resource Center's Yellow Ribbon Program site.

Veteran information regarding readmission standards as established by the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) should review the policy here.

Veterans seeking a late add/drop/withdrawal due to active duty service should coordinate with their academic advisors accordingly. For a list of academic advisors, please visit http://www.drexel.edu/provost/advising/advisors.html

Reserved Seating Implementation

This capability was also implemented at the start of the summer term and has been piloted by IST and LeBow. It is now available for everyone to use in the Fall '09 term. The Reserved Seating capability enables departments to "reserve" a certain number of seats in identified classes for those students who absolutely need to take the class, such as graduating senior majors in a field. By reserving "seats" in courses for special cases, departments can ensure that no one will be "closed out" of a course that they need at that is required for progression in their academic plan.

Wait-listing Implementation

The wait-listing capability in Banner was implemented for the summer term and has been piloted by IST and LeBow. It is now available for everyone to use in the Fall '09 term. Colleges can identify courses for which they want to implement wait-listing. When students register into a wait-listed course which has reached capacity and those courses are at full enrollment, they will be placed on a waitlist and will be notified by email of their placement on the waitlist. As more students are added to the list, a new section may be created at a time that best accomodates student schedules. Students will be notified that they have indeed been added to the newly created course by email. This capability will enable departments and colleges to better anticipate and plan for course schedule needs each term.

CRITICAL DATES

Academic Calendar 2009

The Academic Calendar provides detailed information regarding important academic deadlines; critical SCDC/Co-operative education dates; and University holidays in particular. Please note the following academic deadlines:

Course Add/Drop/Withdraw

Quarter Term Courses
Course Add/Drop

• Friday, October 2nd by 5:00 PM with Academic Advisor Assistance
• Sunday, October 4th by 11:00 PM via DrexelOne

Course Withdrawal

• Friday, October 30th 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

Term A

• Friday, September 25th by 5:00 PM with Academic Advisor Assistance
• Sunday, September 27th by 11:00 PM via DrexelOne

Term B

• Friday, October 30th by 5:00 PM with Academic Advisor Assistance
• Sunday, November 1st by 11:00 PM via DrexelOne

Course Withdrawal

Term A

• Friday, October 9th by 5:00 PM with Academic Advisor Assistance

Term B

• Friday, November 13th by 5:00 PM with Academic Advisor Assistance

Saturday Scholars
Course Add/Drop

Term A

• Friday, September 25th by 5:00 PM with Academic Advisor Assistance

Term B

• Friday, November 6th by 5:00 PM with Academic Advisor Assistance
  

Course Withdrawal

Term A

• Friday, October 9th by 5:00 PM with Academic Advisor Assistance

Term B

• Friday, November 20th by 5:00 PM with Academic Advisor Assistance

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, October 25, 2009 at 5:00PM.

Quarter Term Courses

ANAT 101	ANAT 103	CHEM 101	CHEM 108	ENGL 101*
ENGL 102*	ENGL 103	ENGL 105	MATH 100*	MATH 101
MATH 102	MATH 110	MATH 121	MATH 122	MATH 123
MATH 181	MATH 182	MATH 183	MATH 200	MATH 201
NURS 200	NURS 201	PHYS 101	PHYS 102	PHYS 121

Online Courses

CHEM 111	EDUC 101	EDUC 105	EDUC 120	ENGL 101
ENGL 102	ENGL 103	MATH 100	MATH 181	MATH 182
MATH 183	NURS 325	NURS 346	STAT 201

Student Progress

In order for a student to make a reasonable decision regarding course withdrawal, it is important to provide information regarding their 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, October 30th).

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.

Due Dates for Final Grades

Grades for non-graduating students are to be submitted by Wednesday, December 16th at 12:00 PM  (Please see the Final Examination and Final Grade Submission Policy below)

IMPORTANT POLICY REMINDERS

Absence from Class

Please be sure to review the detailed information and protocol regarding the University's absence policy, which include absences for University-sponsored activities, religious observances, medical illnesses, and extended absences. Please review the full Absence from Class Policy.

Please note that the Drexel Health Center will not provide notes to excuse absences for students missing class due to their visit to the Health Center, or to excuse class absences due to most common illnesses.  The Health Center will also not provide notes to excuse absences for medical conditions which were not treated at the Health Center. Please be sure to review the Medical Notes Policy, which includes criteria for excused absences.

Audit Option

The Audit Option provides undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity of attending a course, but carries no credit and no standard letter grade.  Participation in the course will be evidenced by the "AUD" grade designation on the transcript. The "AUD" grade designation does not affect a student's GPA. Please review the full Audit Option Policy.

Class Cancellation due to Unexpected Instructor Lateness or Absence

On rare occasions, instructors may be delayed or unable to attend a class due to unforeseen circumstances.  In the event that an instructor does not appear in class due to an unexpected delay and has not notified class of his/her expected arrival time, class is cancelled after 15 minutes of the scheduled start of class. Please review the full Class Cancellation due to Unexpected Instructor Lateness or Absence.

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 11th 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 highest course number will be asked to give a special exam for the Fall 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 at noon on Wednesday, December 16th.

Please take a moment to review the Final Examinations policy.

Grade of Incomplete (INC)

At the discretion of an instructor, the grade of "INC" (Incomplete) may be reported in place of a letter grade for any course in which the instructor deems that the work has not been completed and that the student can complete the work within an agreed upon time (which must be in accordance with University policy and the statute of limitations governing grade changes). A grade of "INC" may be entered for a student at the time grades are submitted for the course. The conditions and terms for the completion of the course are at the discretion of the instructor and are to be mutually agreed upon by the instructor and the student. It is recommended that a written agreement be developed between the student and instructor to clarify expectations and process. If the grade is not submitted within one full academic year, the "INC" will turn into an "F" on the student's record and be reflected in the student’s GPA. The grade of "F" will be considered a permanent grade.

Grade Not Reported (NGR)

An NGR is recorded when an instructor does not report a grade normally. Typically, this should only be used if the student is known not to have attended the course.

This is not a grade, but a temporary indicator that requires prompt resolution leading either to the removal of the course from the student’s record or the assignment of a grade.

If a final grade is not reported by the end of the following term, an administrative grade of F will be reported and recorded on the student’s transcript. If the "NGR" notation is left unresolved by the last day of classes of the next term immediately following the term that the original NGR was reported, it will become an F. This grade will be calculated as a failure in the student’s GPA and is considered a permanent grade.

Late Add/Drop/Withdraw Form Submission After Week 6

All Add/Drop/Withdraw or late appeals should only be advanced in the event of exigent circumstances.  All submissions after Week 6 must be coordinated with the student’s academic advisor.  All form submissions after Week 6 should be sent by the advisor to the Office of Academic, Advising, Retention, and Diversity in Main 308.

Exceptional consideration is afforded to military veterans that are called upon for active duty. Military veterans called to active duty should coorinate with their academic advisor accordingly. For a list of academic advisors, please visit: www.drexel.edu/provost/advising/advisors.html

KEY PRACTICES

Disability Accommodations

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.

Religious Observances

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

Promoting a Diverse and Fair Learning Environment

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.

			Office of the Provost  |  3141 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104  |  215-895-2200 This message to Drexel Official Mail was approved under the authority of Dr. Mark Greenberg, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs