Adjunct Faculty Handbook - SMU



Adjunct Faculty Handbook

SMU School of Engineering

ADJUNCT FACULTY HANDBOOK

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. INTRODUCTION 1

Purpose 1

Statement of Mission 1

Historical Background-SMU 2

Historical Background- The School of Engineering 2

Distance Education 3

Educational Distinctiveness 3

II. UNIVERSITY ACADEMIC GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS 4

Academic Accreditation 4

Freedom of Expression by Students 4

Academic Honesty 4

The Honor Code of Southern Methodist University 4

Honor Code Violation 5

Completion of Adjunct Faculty File 5

1-9 Requirement 5

The Course Syllabus 6

Textbooks 7

Class Hours 8

Cancellation of Classes 8

Student Attendance 9

Class Rolls 9

Examinations 9

Absence From Scheduled Class 10

Guest Lecturers 10

Availability to Students 10

Grading Policy 10

Appeal of Grades 11

Official Grade Reports 11

Videotape and NTU Student Grades 12

Incomplete Grading Policy 12

Instructor Evaluations 12

III. DISTANCE EDUCATION 13

I. Teaching 13

Classroom Operator 13

Television Cameras 13

Eye Contact 14

Dress Code Tips 14

II. Preparing to Teach 14

First Day of Class 14

Handouts and Mailings to Videotape and NTU students 15

IV. FACULTY ACADEMIC SUPPORT 16

Computer Science and Engineering Department 16

Electrical Engineering Department 16

Engineering Management, Information and Systems Department 17

Environmental and Civil Engineering Department 17

Mechanical Engineering Department 17

Information Technology Services 17

Science and Engineering Library 17

Campus Administrative Support 18

Payment 18

Parking 18

Mailbox 19

V. UNIVERSITY POLICIES 19

Drug Free Workplace 19

Non-Smoking Policy 19

Firearms 19

Persons with Disabilities 20

Policy Concerning Sexual Harassment 20

Non-Discrimination Policy 20

SMU School of Engineering

I. INTRODUCTION Purpose

One of the purposes of the School of Engineering is to expand the range of graduate professional educational opportunities for the adult student while emphasizing and maintaining traditional academic standards. The School perpetuates the University's long tradition of academic excellence achieved through a personalized approach to teaching. The School of Engineering is dedicated to providing its adult students with the technology and values necessary for success in public and private sector careers.

Statement of Mission

The mission of Southern Methodist University is to fulfill its promise as a private university of the highest quality. The University must maintain its traditional values of academic freedom and open inquiry as well as its United Methodist heritage.

To fulfill its mission, the University must maintain a size of enrollment and campus that maximizes educational opportunity and effectiveness, and must develop an increasingly diverse and able faculty and student body, drawn from throughout the nation and the world. The University also must secure and effectively manage resources of finance and environment that will support its instruction, research and service.

In instruction, the University must offer a broad range of high-quality undergraduate programs, committed to the centrality of liberal arts education. In addition to preparing students for graduate and professional schools for their life work, the University must enhance their social, moral, intellectual, and religious development so that they may lead worthy lives as individuals and citizens of the nation and of the world. As a comprehensive university, SMU should conduct high-quality graduate and professional programs in selected areas.

In research, the University must expect and support the continuing scholarly or creative activity of its faculty members, for the benefit such activity brings to instruction, and for the benefit it brings to the enlargement of human knowledge, understanding and appreciation.

In service, the University has as its primary responsibilities instruction and research, but it also must contribute to its wider community. Its endeavors should include service to the local community through continuing education and other outreach activities.

SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY Historical Background

Southern Methodist University (SMU) - a private, non-profit, co-educational institution located in suburban University Park in Dallas, Texas - has in its relatively short lifetime, a record of growth and achievement to match that of the dynamic region in which it was placed at the beginning of the twentieth century.

Dallas provides an ideal, supportive setting for a major university. Since World War II, Dallas has tripled in population and has recorded similar remarkable increases in the size and quality of its accomplishments.

Offering only a handful of degree programs at its 1915 opening, the University presently awards baccalaureate degrees in almost 70 programs through its four undergraduate schools and a wide variety of graduate and professional degrees through its six graduate and professional schools. Of the total 10,955 students enrolled for the Fall 2002 semester, 6,210 were undergraduates and 4,745 were graduate and professional students.

Students from all 50 states and more than 90 countries are pursuing graduate and professional studies in the University's six schools. They are drawn to SMU by exceptional opportunities to participate in individually designed research projects, internships, and independent study and to learn from a faculty that is committed to both teaching and research. The six schools of the University offer doctoral degrees in 24 fields, Master's degrees in 70 fields, and Bachelor's degrees in more than 70 fields.

At SMU - where the faculty to student ratio is 1 to 14 - students benefit from small discussion size classes. Doctoral or terminal degrees are held by 85 percent of SMU faculty members, many of whom hold respected international reputations as well. SMU graduates have won Nobel and Pulitzer prizes and many occupy positions of great responsibility and influence in numerous fields.

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING Historical Background

The School of Engineering traces its roots to 1925 when the Technical Club of Dallas, a professional organization of practicing engineers, petitioned SMU to fulfill the need for an engineering school in the Southwest. Originally an undergraduate school, The School of Engineering has since grown to become a thriving school, also offering traditional graduate programs at the M.S. and Ph.D. level in a variety of disciplines including civil engineering, computer engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, environmental engineering, environmental science, mechanical engineering, and operations research. In responding to industry's special needs, graduate professional interdisciplinary curricula are offered in engineering management, environmental science (major in environmental systems management), environmental science (major in hazardous and waste materials management), facilities management, information engineering and management, manufacturing systems management, software engineering, systems engineering, and telecommunications.

The School is a founder and charter member of the Association for Media-based Continuing Education for Engineers (AMCEE), a nationwide consortium of engineering schools that offer videotaped continuing education courses. In addition, The School of Engineering is a founding member of the National Technological University (NTU), which offers engineering education to students across the country. The School of Engineering is one of only 45 engineering schools in the United States to participate. The School also offers graduate level courses through its nationwide videotape program.

All programs of education and research in engineering and applied science are conducted through the School of Engineering. The School is administratively organized into five departments: Computer Science and Engineering (CSE); Electrical Engineering (EE); Engineering Management, Information and Systems (EMIS); Environmental and Civil Engineering (ENCE); and Mechanical Engineering (ME). In addition, there is a Center for Special Studies (SS)

Distance Education

The School of Engineering significantly contributes to the technical vitality of engineering professionals. For more than 30 years The School of Engineering has been a national leader in offering distance learning courses at the graduate level. Our graduate programs offer working professionals a convenient way to update their knowledge, advance their careers, and help companies compete successfully in the global marketplace.

Engineering schools have an obligation to be responsive to challenges and opportunities in our technological society. Unlike public universities that require state approval and funding for new initiatives, SMU is a private university and can respond quickly to challenges and opportunities with high-quality academic programs.

The School of Engineering is committed to developing guidelines and techniques that simplify the admission process, registration and enrollment procedures, and administrative and financial aid procedures that often deter interested and highly competent students from earning a degree. Embodied in this objective is the frank recognition that adult students frequently face special problems and concerns, which are not shared by traditional college students.

The School of Engineering continuously strives to respond to the industrial community's need for graduate engineering education by developing innovative, interdisciplinary Master of Science degree programs that incorporate cutting edge curricula. (Refer to Section III entitled Guidelines and Policies for Distance Education Students.)

Educational Distinctiveness

The primary objective of every university program is to educate the adult student in an academic environment, which emphasizes and maintains traditional academic standards.

The School of Engineering consistently responds to the increasing number of adults who are returning to the college classroom with well-articulated educational expectations. By the end of the decade adult students will exceed sixty percent of college enrollments. The entire

faculty of the School of Engineering is committed to educate its adult students by meeting their expectations and goals and furthering their professional development.

II. UNIVERSITY ACADEMIC GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS

Academic Accreditation

Southern Methodist University is accredited by the Commission of Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) to award baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral degrees. It is a member of the American Association of Colleges, the Southern University Conference, and the Association of Texas Colleges and Universities.

In addition, various disciplines of the University are connected with the appropriate national accrediting bodies. Engineering programs of the School of Engineering in particular are accredited at the undergraduate level by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). A number of national honorary and professional societies, including Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi, maintain chapters at the University.

Freedom of Expression by Students

Free discussion, inquiry, and expression in the classroom should be encouraged by the instructor. Student performance should be evaluated solely on an academic basis, not on opinions or conduct unrelated to academic standards.

Students should be free to take exception to the data or views offered in any course of study and to reserve judgment about matters of opinion. They should have protection through established policies against arbitrary or capricious academic evaluation. At the same time, they are responsible for maintaining standards of academic performance established for each course.

Academic Honesty

Academic dishonesty may be defined broadly as a student's misrepresentation of his or her academic work or the circumstances under which the work is done. This includes plagiarism in all papers, projects, take-home exams, or any other assignments in which the student represents work as being his or her own. It also includes cheating on examinations, unauthorized access to test materials, and aiding another student to cheat or participate in an act of academic dishonesty. Failure to prevent cheating by another may be considered as participation in the dishonest act.

The Honor Code of Southern Methodist University

Intellectual integrity and academic honesty are fundamental to the processes of learning and evaluating academic performance; maintaining them is the responsibility of all members of an educational institution. The inculcation of personal standards of honesty and integrity is a goal of education in all the disciplines of the University.

The Faculty has the responsibility of encouraging and maintaining an atmosphere of academic honesty by being certain that students are aware of its value, that they understand the regulations defining it, and that they know the penalties for departing from it. The Coordinator should, as far as is reasonably possible, assist students in avoiding the temptation to cheat. A faculty member who is unwilling to act upon offenses is an accessory with the student offender in deteriorating the integrity of the University.

Students must share the responsibility for creating and maintaining an atmosphere of honesty and integrity. Students should be aware that personal experience in completing assigned work is essential to leaning. Permitting others to prepare their work, using published or unpublished summaries as a substitute for studying required materials, or giving or receiving unauthorized assistance in the preparation of work to be submitted are directly contrary to the honest process of learning. For instance students who are aware that others in a videotape course are cheating or otherwise acting dishonestly have the responsibility to inform the professor and/or bring an accusation to the attention to the Assistant Dean for Graduate Studies.

Honor Code Violation

It is explicitly understood that cheating in any form is a violation of University policy. Should you encounter any form of student dishonesty; please (1) take whatever action you deem appropriate in cases where immediate response is necessary (i.e., student having notes during examinations) using a non-confrontational approach; (2) promptly report the incident to your Department Chair or the Assistant Dean for Graduate Studies; (3) advise the student that he/she must immediately make an appointment with the Department Chair who will transmit his/her final decision to the Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies.

Completion of Adjunct Faculty File

In order to finalize your appointment to the faculty, your file must contain official transcripts from each college or university you have attended documenting highest degree earned, a current resume, and all necessary tax forms such as W-4. Tax forms must be on file at the beginning of the semester in which you have been assigned to teach; transcripts must be on file at the time of your employment by SMU.

I-9 Requirement

All faculty, staff and students working in the University environment are required to complete an I-9 form, a federal work authorization requirement showing compliance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. No payroll check may be issued until this form has been satisfactorily completed. This form is available in the SMU Human Resources Department, 3rd Floor, Perkins Administration Building. You must personally appear and bring the necessary certification documents such as a valid driver's license, social security number, birth certificate and/or passport in lieu of a birth certificate. It is recommended that you contact the personnel department before appearing to inquire as to which items to bring for necessary documentation proof. The Human Resource Office hours are 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, telephone (214) 768-3311.

The Course Syllabus

Each instructor must have a syllabus for each course taught. Instructors should establish some means of self-evaluation to determine whether or not the goals and objectives of the course are actually achieved. This type of self-evaluation should be done in addition to the student evaluations completed near the end of each course. The more clearly a course is defined in the syllabus, the less likely the instructor will be involved in grade appeals and other administrative problems.

The following information should be included in each course syllabus prepared by instructors teaching courses for the School of Engineering and Applied Science.

▪ Course Objectives - Provide clear, concise statements that outline the course and define the specific learning goals and objectives that you wish to accomplish by the end of the course.

▪ Textbooks and Supporting Materials - Include the title, author, publisher, and edition for each major publication to be used during the course. Indicate if the textbook is required for the course, or recommended supplementary reading. If textbook materials have been placed on reserve at SMU Fondren Science Library, this should also be noted.

▪ General Instructor Information - Students should be informed of the name of the instructor, how you may be contacted during the semester, i.e. telephone, fax number, email, etc., where to leave messages, student consultation and assignments.

▪ Class Meeting Times - include room number or location of class for on-campus students, the days each week the class will meet, the starting and ending times for classes.

▪ Grading Scale - If a special grading scale will be used, the students must be informed at the beginning of the course in order to avoid confusion and grade appeals when final grades are posted. If you are using several instruments for grading students, they will also need to know the weighing that will be assigned to each instrument.

▪ Grading Expectations - Define what your expectations are in order for a student to earn each grade. The students should also be informed on what areas they will be tested, (i.e. textbook material, lecture material, lab work, etc.).

▪ Dates and times for Exams, Projects, etc. - Students must be informed when assignments are due, when tests will be given, and your policies regarding late work and make-up examinations.

▪ General Course Outline - Provide a brief outline of the subject matter to be covered each week. Indicate whether the schedule is subject to change during the semester

▪ Field Work - Indicate if any classes will be conducted outside the normal classroom environment so that students have time to make appropriate arrangements concerning travel, procurement of special materials, etc., or if distance students will be required to come to the campus, sending a videotape of a presentation, etc.

▪ List all course prerequisites. Sample Format Course Syllabus

Course Prefix and Number:

Course Title:

Semester: _

Professor's Name:

Phone Number: Fax Number:

Email address

Course time and Room Number:

1. Catalog Course Description

2. Course Objectives - provide clear, concise statements that outline the course and define the specific learning goals and objectives that you wish to accomplish by the end of the course.

a. Other information you feel is important to convey to the students, i.e., where they may leave messages, when you are available for consultations, etc.

3. Course Requirements and Evaluation

a. grading scale - students must be informed of the grading scale to be used for the course in order to avoid confusion and grade appeals. Include percentage of grade associated with work assignments and how final grades will be determined: number of homework assignments, type of examinations and projects.

b. attendance policy - specific guidelines should be established and published in the course syllabus.

c. for distance education students - maximum delay authorized.

4. Course Outline Include topics to be covered and assignments due for each class date. Textbooks

Book orders are placed on a per semester basis by the department. Adjuncts select texts after consultation with the Department Chairman or a faculty mentor. Requests for book orders are placed by the Departmental Secretary who forwards them to the SMU Bookstore before the deadline date. If you are unable to meet the necessary deadline, please notify the appropriate secretary. Please indicate which books are required for the course, which books are recommended for supplementary reading, if any.

Please note that late book orders imply late book availability and chaos at the beginning of the course. Delaying book orders is one of the major sources of irritation for the students, the departmental staff and eventually the instructor himself.

Complimentary desk copies of adopted texts are available from the publishers. A list of publishers and representatives is maintained by the departmental secretaries. The secretary who coordinates book orders will help you contact the appropriate publisher. Desk copies are generally shipped to you at the designated department in the School of Engineering.

Class Hours

Classes offered by the School of Engineering meet at varying times. This is generally determined by the Department Chairman who will work closely with the adjuncts to accommodate varying schedules. In the School of Engineering courses are held from 8:00 a.m. through 9:20 p.m. All undergraduate courses are held in the daytime. Most graduate courses are held in the late afternoon and evening to accommodate part-time students. The following is an example of class meeting times:

MWF- 1 hour class - meets three times per week for 50 minutes

TTH - 1 1/2 hour class - meets 2 times per week for 75 minutes

W - 3 hour class - meets once per week for 150 minutes of contact and one or two breaks

S - (exceptionally) two 150 minute sessions every other week

Faculty are expected to utilize the full meeting time and are discouraged from dismissing class early.

Arrangements should be made as early as possible when a faculty member knows he/she must miss a class. Program directors, department chairs and when appropriate the director of the TV operations must be notified in advance if a substitute will be teaching a class. Depending on the requirements of the substitute special arrangements will need to be made with the director of TV operations in advance. The School requires that an adjunct professor planning on using a substitute from time to time during a given semester discuss the proposed schedule with the Program Director and/or Department Chairman to apprise them of all substitutions. Whenever possible, the name and a brief biographical sketch of guest speakers/lecturers are to be famished to the Program Director or Department Chair. (Refer to Section III)

Cancellation of Classes

Should it exceptionally become necessary to cancel a class, please contact the School as early as possible. The first contact should be made with the Department Secretary who will place notices outside the classroom announcing the cancellation to the students. Whenever possible, students should be telephoned either by the instructor or the department secretaries. For this reason, it is advisable to have the students furnish you with daytime contact numbers at the beginning of the semester. The Program Director and/or the Department Chair should be notified of any class cancellation, or class relocation.

It is highly desirable to make up cancelled classes. In such cases, the make-up schedule should be discussed in advance with the students and everyone affected should be given ample warning.

Student Attendance

There is no uniform University policy on class attendance. However, regular class attendance should be demanded for on-campus students. By the very nature of class content, instructors should provide sufficient material, in addition to the required text, so that a mere reading of the text by the student will not suffice. It is the responsibility of the instructor to establish attendance policy and to publish specific guidelines in the course syllabus. Each instructor determines what constitutes an excused absence.

Class Rolls

Official class rolls are distributed the first day of each semester and placed in your mailbox in the respective department. The class rolls indicate students in the class, and the instructional delivery system: either on-campus, TAGER, Videotape or NTU. If the student is off-campus, the site location will be indicated. It is the faculty member's responsibility to pick these up before their first class begins. Changes in class rolls are initiated by the Office of the Registrar during the add/drop periods and sent directly to the departmental office.

The departmental secretaries will place any changes pertaining to course rolls in your mailbox. The faculty must work closely with the Office of the Registrar in the verification of class rolls. The timely validation of these rolls is a significant duty of all faculty. A second set of class rolls is distributed after the add/drop period is completed. Faculty should indicate the names of students attending class, but not listed on the class roll, as well as the names of students on the roll, but not attending.

Examinations

The number of tests, quizzes, or examinations should be published in the course syllabus, along with the weighted value of each. Each course should require some form of final evaluation. These may take the form of a final examination, research paper, project presentation or other method of assessment. Generally speaking, final examinations at the graduate level are held the last day of class. Monitoring exams is considered a standard part of the contract agreement and the instructor should be present during all exams. The School discourages the use of outside monitors. Inappropriate student behavior is minimized when the faculty member is present during tests or exams.

In keeping with the required contact hours, final examinations for undergraduates are to be given only during the scheduled University examination period, which is listed in the Schedule of Classes official calendar.

Exams should be graded and returned in a timely manner, usually within one week. It is important for the student to understand where he/she stands. On occasion, instructors have been tardy in grading exams, and it is our experience that this inevitably becomes a justifiable source of contention and discomfort on the part of students.

Absence From Scheduled Class

Use of substitute lecturers is not encouraged except for sound and exceptional reason. If an instructor cannot be in class, an alternative is to tape the lecture in advance for viewing at the scheduled time. This procedure should not be abused. If there is no choice but to use a substitute lecturer, instructors need to obtain special approval from either Program Director, the Department Chair or Dean. Generally, unless there are extenuating circumstances, approval will not be given for inexperienced substitutes. If it is anticipated that unplanned work obligations will conflict with several classes, it is suggested that you designate a backup individual, who is thoroughly familiar with the development of the subject material, and will be able to fill-in as necessary. Approval for your designated backup will be necessary in advance, and no more than one individual can serve in this capacity. In case the course uses the TV medium the back-up instructor will need briefing on applicable special procedures.

Guest Lecturers

Guest Lectures are encouraged when the subject material is appropriate. Advanced approval is not necessary for guest lecturers, as long as the course instructor is present in the classroom.

Availability to Students

It is particularly important to set aside regularly scheduled times for students to meet with you or reach you with their questions. The students should have either your work or home telephone number available as well as an e-mail address. Adjunct professors often use their residence, with special evenings set aside for this purpose. The student may also leave messages with the departmental secretary for faculty to return calls. It is important to respond promptly to messages. Unavailability is a particularly sensitive source of irritation to students, most especially in the case of distance education students.

Grading Policy

Clear communication of grading policies and expectations should be included on the course syllabus. The grade of a student in any course is determined by the instructor of the course. The following grades are authorized for recording on the student's official academic record maintained in the Office of the Registrar.

Grades are not posted, nor are they given out by phone. You may mail a grade to a student, if you wish, by having the student furnish you with a stamped, addressed envelope. Official grades are mailed directly to the student from the Office of the Registrar, generally within five days after final grades are due. It is essential that the faculty member work closely with the School of Engineering Graduate Studies Office regarding grade reports. Timely responses to requests are expected.

| |Grades |Description |Grade Point Average |

| |A |Excellent Scholarship |4.00 |

| |A- |Excellent Scholarship |3.70 |

| |B+ |Good Scholarship |3.30 |

| |B |Good Scholarship |3.00 |

| |B- |Good Scholarship |2.70 |

| |C+ |Fair Scholarship |2.30 |

| |C |Fair Scholarship |2.00 |

|** |C- |Fair Scholarship |1.70 |

| |D+ |Poor Scholarship |1.30 |

| |D |Poor Scholarship |1.00 |

| |D- |Poor Scholarship |0.70 |

| |F |Failure |0.00 |

| |P, CR |Pass, Credit |* |

| |I |Incomplete |* |

| |NC |No Credit Received |* |

| |WP |Withdrew |* |

* Grades not included in grade-point average

** All work attempted for the master's degree must be completed with an overall GPA of 30 or better. A grade of D obtained by a student will be figured into his/her overall GPA. but cannot be applied to his/her degree plan.

Appeal of Grades

A student who feels that an assigned grade is other than the grade earned must first discuss the matter with the course instructor to determine if the discrepancy is caused by error or misunderstanding.

If the complaint is not satisfactorily answered by the instructor, and the student feels that an error has not been corrected or that the assigned grade was capriciously or unfairly determined, the student may appeal the decision to the chair of the department in which the course is offered. After discussing the matter with the student, the chair will consult with the instructor, and the instructor will report a decision to the student

A student who still is convinced that a complaint has not received a fair determination may appeal the decision to the dean of the school of record.

Official Grade Reports

Official Grade Rosters are produced before the final examination week begins. Official grade sheets are due in the School of Engineering Office of Undergraduate and Graduate Studies within 48 hours after the scheduled final exam date. Meeting this deadline is extremely important for undergraduate students and degree candidates.

If an instructor anticipates a minor delay beyond the 48-hour deadline, the Dean's office and the Registrar's Office will need to be notified in writing. If a major delay is anticipated beyond your control (e.g. illness or death in family) the instructor should petition the Provost's Office in writing after securing approval from the Dean's Office. In both cases, please state the reason for the delay and the date final grades will be received.

Grade rosters cannot be changed. If students who have attended your class do not appear on the roster, you may not add their names. You may not cross out the names of students who ceased to attend. You must assign a grade to each student listed on the grade roster.

Videotape and NTU Student Grades

Exceptions are normally made for Videotape and NTU students as additional delays in taking the final exam often occur. In these cases, the grade sheet should be received in the Office of Graduate Studies within two weeks of the last final exam date, unless there are degree candidates (denoted by a *) on the grade sheet. Degree candidates must have their final grade turned in within the 48-hour rule outlined above --- there are no exceptions to this rule. Failure to do so would prevent the student from receiving his/her degree.

Special Note: Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) prohibits the posting of grades by social security numbers since the social security number is personally identifiable to the student.

FERPA does not prohibit the posting of grades by a code number other than the social security number provided the knowledge of the code number is appropriately restricted to school officials who have been determined to have a legitimate educational interest.

Incomplete Grading Policy

1. Incomplete Grade

A student may receive a grade of Incomplete (I) in a course if passing work has been done but for some justifiable reason, acceptable to the instructor, the student has been unable to complete the full requirements of the Course. Such is usually the case with Videotape or NTU students who normally complete the semester after on-campus students and cannot meet on-campus deadlines.

2. Change of Grades

A change of grade is initiated by the Course instructor after the student has completed all course requirements, authorized by the departmental chair and by the assistant dean of graduate studies. No grade will be changed after 13 months or after the student's graduation, except a grade successfully appealed, provided that written notice of appeal is given within six months following graduation (and, in extenuating circumstances, authorized by the academic dean and approved by the Registrar.)

3. The Grade of "WP" is assigned only to those students who officially withdraw from the University on or before the date published in the Official Schedule of Classes. The grade of "WP" is assigned only by the Office of the Registrar and will be preprinted on the Instructors' individual Grade Roster.

Instructor Evaluations

It is the policy of the School of Engineering that students have an opportunity to evaluate the quality of the course and the effectiveness of the instruction. Course/Instructor Evaluations are distributed to the faculty mailboxes during the last two weeks before semester's end. Each

class taught in the School of Engineering is evaluated separately each semester. The student feedback is a vital part of our programs. Complete instructions for administering the evaluations is included on the outside of the packet. Please be aware that the instructor should not be in the room at the time the evaluation takes place, and is not to collect the completed evaluations. A student should be assigned to distribute, collect, and deliver the evaluations upon completion to the Office of the Dean. Each faculty will receive a copy of the completed evaluation as soon as feasible after the end of each semester. (Sample Evaluation attached in Appendix.)

III. DISTANCE EDUCATION

The following guidelines and policies have been developed to better acquaint faculty members with Distance Education students; namely: videotape and NTU DVD students.

The School operates two delivery systems: SMU's Videotape Program (nationally) and National Technological University (NTU), (a consortium of universities offering graduate engineering education) of which SMU is one of the founders.

A. Teaching Classroom Operator

The studio operator sets sound and video levels and serves as off-campus students' eyes and ears by panning, tilting and zooming the cameras when necessary. Sitting in a control room located in the vicinity of the originating classroom, the operator simultaneously monitors the pictures being transmitted by all cameras. The operator selects and puts on the air the appropriate camera at the appropriate time. Usually this means that when you are speaking to the students, the camera that is aimed at you will be on the air. When you refer to what you have written on the board or the pad on your desk the cameras will focus on these objects. The operator can, and is encouraged to mix pictures (e.g. split screen, inserts...).

Coordination between Instructor and Operator is essential. You are the expert. If the operator does not have the camera where you want it, feel free to "direct" and say "focus on this, etc.", but you depend on the operator to show the right things to your students at the right times. Lack of coordination can seriously diminish the effectiveness, and credibility of your class.

You should plan to meet with your operator for a few minutes before each class hour to discuss what you want to do. If you plan special activities, such as using slides, view graphs, videotapes, or an interface with a computer display, discuss them with your operator well in advance. Be sure any equipment you plan to use is OPERATING.

Television Cameras

If you use computer generated material, use a larger font. From the control room your operator can zoom in and out on the pad, but you must:

1. Make sure that the pad is properly positioned under the camera. Cameras work on a 4x3 aspect ratio.

2. PRINT CLEARLY when you write rather than using prepared material. (Left-handed instructors have a tendency to cover up the pad as they write. Allow a few moments before removing the written page so that students have a chance to see what you have written).

The students at remote receiving locations can see only what is being "seen" by the cameras. Even the on-campus students who are right there in the same room usually look at the TV monitors rather than looking directly at you.

REMEMBER - The audience sees only what the camera sees.

Eye Contact

In order to maintain eye contact with all your students, just look directly into the camera lens. At first, you may be distracted by the presence of your own face on the monitor. If you ever get confused, just teach as you do normally and the camera will follow you.

Dress Code Tips

DO wear pastel colored shirts such as light blue, cream, off-white, etc.

DON'T wear white or very bright colored shirts.

B. Preparing to Teach

Before the semester begins, you will want to prepare yourself for television teaching and should contact your campus director and/or department chairman and arrange to:

1. Visit the originating classroom and get acquainted with the studio, your operator, and support staff.

2. Videotape a short trial run of your class to get the feel of being on TV and how students see and hear you.

First Day of Class

It helps to cover certain information with your students the first day of class. In addition - to the information you would give a regular class, you will want to:

▪ Take attendance so you know whom and where your students are located. Knowing the students receiving locations will be very important for sending materials.

▪ Tell your students how to acquire textbooks and other materials required for the course.

▪ Review holiday schedules with your students.

▪ Announce your examination policy and inform students of any required attendance on campus.

Once you have mastered the basics, use the resources available in the classroom to augment your on-campus instruction.

1. The Off-Campus Videotape Program is specifically designed to meet the needs of working professionals. Live lectures are videotaped in color as they are being taught. This classroom format includes not only the lecture but also all questions from students in the classroom, as well as the instructors' answers and comments. Tapes are forwarded on a regular basis, by second-day UPS delivery, to the student's site. Videotape students can interact with their professors by telephone, fax, e-mail, the Internet, or by post mail.

Note to Instructor: Videotape students operate about a week or two behind the live students. Students are not expected, nor can they be expected to keep up with the oncampus class. The Instructor must allow for flexibility as all assignments are received later than those completed by on-campus students.

2. NTU has its own instructional policies and guidelines. Many NTU sites tape the lectures for next day viewing by their employee/students. All NTU students take exams at their company site. NTU corporate sites have appointed site coordinators who operate independently of SMU. Some students taking courses through NTU are SMU degree - seeking students. Others are students working towards NTU degrees or any of the other participating universities.

Appointed company site coordinators administer the program on behalf of the students. Essentially this works the same as SW's own videotape program with one exception. If an instructor has a problem with a particular NTU site, the instructor is asked to call NTU rather than SMU to inform their administrative staff of the existing problems.

NTU Grade Rosters are sent at the end of the semester by NTU for all enrolled students in a particular course. You are encouraged to fill this out as quickly as possible, meeting NTU's deadlines as stated.

Handouts and Mailings to Videotape and NTU students

Handouts for the on-campus class and distance learning students should be readied early enough to reach those at a distance before the next class period. The departmental distance education liaison will make the required number of copies for on-campus students and distribution to Videotape and NTU students. Originals should be given to the departmental distance education liaison at least three days prior to the scheduled class. (In some cases more advance time might be necessary).

Ideally all handouts should be shipped at the beginning of the semester. This is by far the approach favored by students and support staff alike. Even though that might be difficult to implement with the first offering of a new course, it should definitely be a goal for repeated presentations.

IV. FACULTY ACADEMIC SUPPORT

The School of Engineering has its own in-house Computer Operations and Networks and Systems teams who have direct responsibility for the School's entire computing environment. The School of Engineering has a wide spectrum of computing resources for instructional, research and administrative computing. These resources are connected together over a heterogeneous and distributed network of UNIX and Microsoft based machines.

Engineering computer resources are protected in part by requiring the user to provide their username and password. For this reason, anyone who would like to use a computer within the School of Engineering needs an account with Engineering. This account is completely separate from all other university accounts (like Access or WebCT). Students have accounts on the SEAS-S domain which is found in all the computer labs. Multi-media classroom and TV Studio machines, however, are configured to require a password on the SEAS domain. If, as an adjunct professor, you have an engineering account but cannot seem to use it to login, contact the engineering help desk (see below).

Another way that computer resources are protected is by requiring administrative privileges to load software on engineering computers. Any software needed for class needs to be loaded on class or lab machines by Computer Operations personnel. This should be arranged well in advance of the semester. During the semester it will take a minimum of two weeks' time to arrange for the loading of new software in a lab. Proof of licensing must be provided by the instructor before any software can be loaded.

Instructors are urged to contact the Computer Operations help desk with any questions or concerns. The best way to get information is to check the web site at or email help@engr.smu.edu. For emergencies, please phone 214-768-7327.

Computer Science and Engineering Department

The CSE's computing environment has evolved into an Ethernet-based network of microcomputers and workstations. General use Unix machines consist of 14 Alpha-based machines, four SUN Spare, five DEC Stations mips, and six SGI 02 (mips). The laboratories in 214 Patterson Hall, 202 Junkins, 315 and 362 SIC have Windows-based PCs. Every faculty and graduate student office is equipped with at least one x-window terminal and one PC.

Electrical Engineering Department

The Electrical Engineering Department has labs in rooms 102, 202, 215, 217, 342, and 344 in the Jerry R. Junkins building. Rooms 342 and 344 are general access labs open to all engineering students during regular building hours (7:00am-10:00pm, Monday-Sunday). The remaining labs are available only to students who have classes associated with those particular labs. The professor teaching the course must request their students have card access by sending an e-mail to Teresa Harvey at tharvey@engr.smu.edu. Full-time faculty and adjunct faculty teaching classes in the labs or that are associate with the labs should be granted card access automatically. Research Assistants conducting research in the labs or

Teaching Assistants teaching classes are given card access as well. Any problems with accessing labs should be directed to Teresa Harvey in the Electrical Engineering Department.

Engineering Management, Information and Systems Department

The EMIS Department has labs in rooms 315 and 362 of the SIC building (above Fondren Library) and in room 320 of Caruth Hall. Labs in rooms 315 and 362 in the SIC building are available when a class is not scheduled (per posted hours on doors). Room 320 is accessible through contacting the department secretary.

Environmental and Civil Engineering Department

The ENCE Department has an open area in room 322 of Caruth Hall equipped with PCs. This room is an open area to all engineering students whenever Caruth Hall is open and the lab is not used for ENCE courses.

Mechanical Engineering Department

The ME Department is housed in the Transition Building located on the northeast comer of the campus (near the gym and Doak Walker statue). The building is closed at 5:00 p.m. but students can obtain access with their ID cards. ME labs are found in 105, 112C (Machines and Society), and the ME Open Area in 112B. 112C is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Information Technology Services

Information Technology Services is located in the Bradfield Computing Center, 6100 Ownby Drive. It provides support for the instructional, research, and administrative computing and communication environment for the campus. ITS is responsible for all voice and data communication on the campus including service for the operation of most computing equipment that is shared across campus units, for support of selected software, and for technical support of the microcomputer laboratories located in the Center for Media and Instructional Technology (CMIT).

Science and Engineering Library

The Science and Engineering Library at SMU occupies the first and second, mezzanine, and basement floors of the Science Information Center (SIC) and serves faculty and students in the areas of the sciences and engineering. Reference services available to faculty and students include:

▪ Bibliographic instruction in the library or classroom

▪ On-line computer data base searching of 500+ files

▪ Reference staff assistance in locating hard to identify material

▪ Search guidance in selection of databases or manual search tools

▪ Current awareness services

▪ Contact Disc database services for location sci-tech periodical articles

▪ Automated on-line catalog of collection holdings & locations

▪ Printed reference guides and search aids

▪ Internet access to locate off-campus materials

The library also provides compact disk searching for Applied Science and Technology Index, General Science Index, and the GPO (Government Printing Office) databases. Faculty and students may perform their own end-user searching on these files as well as the Public OnLine Access Catalog of all SW holdings including government documents, books, and periodicals.

Library Hours: (when School is in Session) Reference Services

Monday- Thursday 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m. 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Friday 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m. 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Saturday 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m. 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Sunday 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Campus Administrative Support

Photocopying services to meet your class needs are provided by the departmental secretarial staff. Please allow a minimum of 24 hours for turn-around. Items to be copied may either be delivered by the secretary to the Images Copy Center, located in the basement of Clements Hall, or copied in the department. Caruth Hall houses a copy machine on the first floor. All copy machines on campus are card controlled. Please check with the departmental secretaries for access. Each department handles professors' copying needs differently.

Should you need help with typing of syllabi or exams, please contact one of the departmental secretaries. Because of the limited number of support staff, we ask that you allow as much turn-around time as possible as same day service may not be available.

Payment

Each instructor appointed to teach for the School of Engineering will receive a contract letter prior to the beginning of the semester outlining specifics pertaining to the appointment. Payment for teaching is made in monthly installments throughout each semester at the end of each month. Checks are not mailed unless special arrangements have been made with the School of Engineering's Financial Office. Checks are given to the departmental secretaries and held in that office until picked up by the instructor.

Parking

Parking is available to all members of the University community, however, a parking decal and monthly parking fee is required. Forms are available in the Department of Public Safety,

Patterson Hall, 2nd Floor. When applying in person for a parking decal, please provide your driver's license number, as well as year, make, model and license plate number of your vehicle. Each adjunct professor is expected to make arrangements for his or her parking needs.

Mailbox

Since adjuncts are on campus for limited periods of time, we find that the mailboxes are our best point of contact. Each faculty member is assigned a mailbox by the departmental administrative staff within that department. Please check your box each time you are on campus, especially immediately prior to class. Telephone messages, announcements for classes, and other necessary information are delivered there.

As a matter of courtesy, please be certain that you leave the classroom clean. If you allow students to eat/drink in campus buildings, it is the students' responsibility to see that trash is placed in the waste cans and not left scattered about the room. It is the faculty member's responsibility to see that this is done. Please erase the boards and leave the room in good order for the next user.

V. UNIVERSITY POLICIES

Drug Free Workplace

Southern Methodist University shares the widespread national concern with the serious threat to health, safety and welfare posed by the unlawful use of drugs and alcohol abuse. As a matter of policy, and in conjunction with the University's mission and character, and with applicable Federal and State laws, the University has adopted a drug free workplace and campus policy for all its students and employees, and to prevent the illicit use of drugs and abuse of alcohol. The complete policy is available for review in the Office of the Dean.

Non-Smoking Policy

Smoking is prohibited inside University buildings. SMU is committed to the provision of a smoke-free workplace for its employees and students.

Firearms

Southern Methodist University, in response to the national concern with increasing violence in the workplace, and a desire to provide a safe work environment, reminds its faculty, staff, and students that possession of firearms, weapons of any kind, or explosive materials on University premises is not allowed.

This prohibition extends to private vehicles parked on University property. Campus police are the only personnel allowed to have weapons, concealed or otherwise, on University property. For safety of all University employees and students, any disregard of this policy will not be tolerated.

Persons with Disabilities

SMU is fully committed to the support of the Americans with Disabilities Act. A student with special needs should contact the Office of the Assistant Dean of Graduate Students prior to enrollment. An instructor with special needs should discuss those needs directly with the department chairman and/or the program director.

Policy Concerning Sexual Harassment

SMU has an explicit policy concerning sexual harassment. In general, the policy states:

Southern Methodist University reaffirms the principle that its students, faculty and staff have the right to be free of sex discrimination in the form of sexual harassment by any member of the University community. At SMU sexual harassment is unequivocally prohibited, and appropriate disciplinary actions will be imposed. In some cases sexual harassment may be considered adequate cause for termination of employment, including termination of a tenured faculty appointment. No student, faculty, or staff member will be penalized for inquiring about or reporting incidents of sexual harassment.

The full text of this policy is available in the General University Policy Manual available in the Office of the Dean.

Non-Discrimination Policy

Southern Methodist University will not discriminate in any employment practice, education program, or educational activity on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, or veteran status. SMU's commitment to equal opportunity includes nondiscrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. The Director of Institutional Access and Equity has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies and may be contacted at Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX 75275; 214-768-3601.

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