Departmental Teaching Guidelines

Approved by the Executive Committee, April 25, 2001.

Procedures for registering for classes prior to the first day of the semester are described in the class schedule. The department monitors enrollment and makes every effort to ensure that all students can register for the classes they need. If you hear of students being unable to register for your class bring this to the attention of the associate chair.
If your class is full we ask you to give access codes to students who still want to get into your class but have been unable to sign up in the ordinary way because the system considers the class full. On your rolls you will find codes that the students can use to add your class. It's up to you how many codes you distribute, but please keep the following points in mind: It is in the department's interest (as well as the student's) that we do not turn students away unless we have to. Usually a large number of students drop a class after a week or so. Thus even though your class may seem to be bursting at the seams on the first day, soon the number of participants will be quite a bit lower. If you have any questions or concerns talk with your course coordinator or the associate chair.
Many of our courses, particularly on the low levels, are overseen by Course Coordinators. Their responsibilities include:
1. Determine the specific curriculum for the courses in their care and maintain syllabi, sample exams and home work, and other materials, for use by instructors.
2. Establish course objectives and grading criteria and communicate these to the instructors, particularly new instructors.
3. Choose the textbook for the courses in their care, consulting with individual instructors as appropriate.
4. Consult closely with new instructors and ensure that they understand course objectives and standards, and adhere to them.
5. Assist the associate chair in responding effectively to student complaints.
If you are new to teaching in our department, or new to teaching a specific course, consult with the course coordinator about expectations, standards, and grading schemes that are appropriate for your course.
Before you begin teaching your class you need to decide on a grading scheme, involving projects, Home Work, Exams, Quizzes, and the final exam. Be sure to communicate this scheme clearly to your students at the beginning of the semester. Grades range from A through E. Note that there is no A+, E+, or E-. Consider the following points:
1. Your students should have sufficient opportunity to show their ability. So your grade should be composed of sufficiently many different items.
2. A minimum grade of C is required for majors. Failing a student by giving a lower grade is a serious matter for the student. You should not do it lightly, but you also should not hesitate to do it when it is appropriate. Usually this means that the student is not sufficiently prepared to take classes for which your class is a prerequisite. If in doubt consult the associate chair or your course coordinator.
3. Occasionally instructors use only a subset of the grading scale, like A, B, C, D, E. This is inappropriate since by crossing the border between two such grades a small performance difference in the class makes a huge difference to the student's record and grade point average. Use the scale from A through E fully. This may also reduce the intensity of grading disputes you may have with your students.
4. If a student is signed up for your class but does not participate in it give them an EU rather than an E. This is an " unofficial withdrawal" which makes it easier for the student to withdraw retroactively.
Grading should be based on established criteria. These criteria vary from course to course and are specific in terms of the subject matter of the course. Details are announced by the course coordinators. If you are new to a certain course you should consult with the course coordinator for specific guidelines. University policy defines letter grades as follows:
- A: Excellent performance, superior achievement.
- B: Good performance, substantial achievement.
- C: Standard performance and achievement.
- D: Substandard performance, marginal achievement.
- E: Unsatisfactory performance and achievement.
Based on your best judgment about a student's performance in the current class someone receiving the grade of A, B, or C should be able with the same amount of effort to continue on the same level in a class for which this one is a prerequisite. This implies that the student understands the subject of the current class well enough so that with the appropriate instruction and effort on the student's part the subject of the following class can be understood by that student, without having to go back to the current class. If on that basis a student will not be able to comprehend the subject matter of a subsequent class it is crucial that he or she receive a grade of D or E. Don't be moved by false sympathy. Not the student, nor other students in the next class, nor anybody else, will benefit from a student passing a class unless this is fully justified by the student's performance. Consider that in particular the student him or herself is better off repeating the current class rather than going on to the next one, only to flounder more thoroughly.
While we do not encourage an artificial normalization of grades, students have a right to expect that grading in different sections of the same course, or the same course taught during different semesters, is reasonably consistent. To achieve this consistency please observe the following:
1. If you are teaching a course for the first time, consult with the course coordinator before the semester starts and obtain all materials and guidance you need.
2. Your expectations must be consistent with the stated course objectives, the numbering level of the course, and the prerequisites of your course. Consult with the course coordinator about specific expectations before you teach a course for the first time.
3. The average grade in all of our classes, of all students who enroll in the class and do not formally withdraw by the end of the semester, is approximately halfway between a B and a C. Note that this figure does include students who are no longer participating in your class, but who have not withdrawn. If it becomes apparent that the average grade in your class is going to be a B or better, or a C or worse, consult with the course coordinator to see if you need to adjust your grading.
You may be asked by a student to give an I, for "incomplete". That grade is reserved for students who do passing work up to almost the end of the semester and then are prevented from finishing the course work by circumstances beyond their control. Typically this means someone is sick during the final exam or has an accident. If you give an incomplete, you and the student need to agree on a procedure by which the student can make up the incomplete, and you should record that agreement on the back of the grade sheet. Incompletes are frequently abused and overused. Under no circumstances should you give an Incomplete that the student will make up by retaking the course. If you are new or the matter is at all doubtful, the grade of Incomplete requires approval of the Associate Chair. In your discussion with the student you can make things easier for yourself by pointing out that you don't have the authority to give an Incomplete on your own and referring the student to the Associate Chair.
On the first day of classes give your students a syllabus and tell them how they will be graded. Then stick to your procedures and make sure you treat all students equally. The most difficult complaints for us to resolve are those that involve changes in procedures and criteria during the semester, or application of different procedures to different students. For example, do not say you won't accept late assignments, refuse some, and then accept others.
Final exams frequently lead to arguments between students and their instructors. To avoid any arguments follow this policy:
1. Comprehensive written final exams should be given in all undergraduate classes (through the 5000 level) at the appointed time. "Comprehensive " means that the exam covers the entire semester, not just the latter parts of it.
2. Any deviation from the official university final exam schedule requires the approval of all of the students in the undergraduate class, and reservation of a room for the alternative time. Practically speaking this means you cannot have the exam at any time other than the scheduled time.
3. We don't recommend it but you may make a final exam optional. However, students believing that their grades can be improved by their taking a final exam must be given a chance to prove their claim. You must provide that opportunity and spell it out to the students.
4. Final exams in graduate classes are given at the discretion of the instructor. They may be written or oral, in class or take-home. If they are written in class during examination week they must take place at the officially scheduled time.
5. Students unable to attend the final exam may be given a make-up exam at the discretion of the instructor. The make-up exam may be oral or written. Instructors should accommodate students' reasonable requests.
Disabled students certified by the University Disability Services may require certain accommodations. When there is a problem with physical access we change rooms. Otherwise accommodations typically take the form of letting the student spend more time for a test, or take the test in a quiet room, at the Center for Disabled Students. Such accommodations are prescribed by the Center and we simply follow their instructions. Disabled students must be given the same treatment as other students in all material respects. Exams must be identical, and any requirements (e.g., calculator/no calculator, open/closed books or notes) must be spelled out and applied equally to all students. If you give hints or clarifications during a test you need to inform the Center for Disabled Students so they can give the same information to the disabled student.
Arrive on time and dismiss class on time. Students have paid for your time, and they have to go to another class after yours. In case of illness or emergency find a replacement instructor. If there is no time for this call the front desk (1-6851) so that someone can dismiss your class.
Treat students with respect. Realize that they really don't understand yet what you are trying to teach them. Be well prepared for each class, both for your lecture and to answer questions and work homework.
Give students a chance to ask questions, and encourage them to do so. Plan time for this activity. Repeat questions so the whole class knows what the question is and can benefit from your answer. After you've answered a question ask the student "Did I answer your question." Never imply that a question is stupid.
Don't just lecture the class, periodically check their understanding by asking questions yourself.
For your time management have more material planned than you think you will cover, so you don't run out of things to say. Leave optional material to the end where you can just omit it if you run out of time.
You may want to refuse to give any hints, corrections, or clarifications during an exam, to avoid distraction, jealousy, and confusion. If you make a mistake on a test be generous in grading the relevant problem and give students extra credit if they recognize and point out the error.
The performance record of individual students in your class is protected by the Educational Rights and Privacy Rights Act of 1974, and must not be revealed to anybody other than the student. Thus it is illegal to post grades in a manner that reveals the students' identity. You may post grades in a manner that protects students' privacy, e.g., by using code numbers or words. You must return exams individually to students. Don't leave them in a pile outside your office for the students to pick up.
Make yourself available to students, by holding office hours, and by being open to making appointments. Many of us welcome students just dropping in.
At the end of the semester you will receive a packet of course evaluation forms. Appoint a student in your class to organize completion of these forms. The student should explain the procedure to the class, collect the forms, and deliver them to the math department office. The process should take about 10-20 minutes of your class time. You must leave the class room during that period. The forms will be recorded by university staff. After that is done, and the forms have been returned to the department, you may (and should) read the students' comments. Most of us find them to make very interesting reading. At no time should the completed forms be in your possession prior to them being recorded. Course evaluations are kept on file in the front office and are available for perusal to the public. Students use them to find out about their instructors or to decide which courses to take. They are also used for various departmental purposes including deciding on teaching assignments and awards, and retention, promotion, and tenure decisions.
Very occasionally, students complain. If possible, a complaint should be raised and resolved between the student and the instructor. If that stage fails, or is inappropriate because the student is concerned about confidentiality, complaints should be directed to the associate chair. He may visit your class, unannounced or after consulting with you, to gather information in response to a complaint. He'll discuss all formal complaints with you.
Absence from campus during times your classes are scheduled for professional purposes such as attending conferences or job interviews is usually possible, subject to the following requirements:
- Your class is your primary responsibility and you need to ensure that your class is covered and your students do not suffer disadvantages from your absence.
- It is your (and not the department's) responsibility to arrange for someone to teach your class in your absence. Usually this means that you ask a colleague and at some convenient time return the favor.
- Absence from your class, and your proposed replacement, requires prior notification and approval by the department.
- In particular you must inform the associate chair of your plans so that we can inform students in the case that something goes wrong and they come to the front office to find out what happened to their instructor.
Teaching in this department is focused on understanding concepts and principles, not on rote learning of procedures for solving narrowly defined mathematical problems. Students should learn to think for themselves, and to apply the mathematics they have learned to problems outside of mathematics. They should understand the mathematics rather than just the procedures. This means that they can make multiple logical connections between mathematical facts and concepts, and they can determine how to apply the mathematics to problems outside of mathematics. Your assignments and tests should contain an appropriate mixture of simple skill testing problems and more complex problems, some of which require several steps for their solution and make it necessary for the student to recognize what those steps are.