2.1 Personnel Policies
2.1.1 Appointment to Faculty
2.1.2 Faculty Mentoring Program
2.1.3 Review and Support of Tenure-track, Special Appointment and Part-time Faculty
2.1.4 Faculty Personnel Files
2.1.5 Leaves of Absence
2.1.6 AAUP Statement on Procedural Standards in the Renewal or Non-renewal of Faculty Appointments
2.1.7 AAUP Statement on Faculty Appointment and Family Relationship
2.1.8 AAUP Statement on Professional Ethics
2.2.1 Course Approval Policy
2.2.2 Requirements and Criteria for General Education Courses
2.2.3 Interdisciplinary Studies
2.2.4 The First Term Seminar
2.2.5 Honorary Degrees
2.2.6 Internships and Experiential Learning
2.2.7 Change of Grade Policy
2.2.8 Grade Appeals Policy
2.2.9 Honor Code Policy
2.3.1 Admission to/Withdrawal from Class
2.3.2 Office Hours
2.3.3 Examinations
2.3.4 Advising
2.3.5 Incomplete Grade
2.3.6 Declaring a Major
2.3.7 Student Evaluation of Teaching
2.1.1.1 Tenure-Track Positions
A. A position is authorized by the Dean of the Faculty after consultation with the appropriate faculty committee. That authorization will include information about rank and appointment status.
B. Upon receipt of written authorization, a department should organize a search. The search is normally organized by the department chair in consultation with other members of the department. A Search and Screen Committee should be formed by the department chair in consultation with the Dean. The Dean or designee will assign a diversity representative to serve on the Search and Screen Committee. National listing of the position should be made in placement bulletins and other relevant publications. A full description of search procedures may be found in the Administrative Guidelines for Academic Department Chairs.
A. A position is authorized by the Dean of the Faculty after consultation with the department. That authorization will include information about rank, appointment status, and length of term.
B. Upon receipt of written authorization, a department should organize a search. The search is normally organized by the department chair in consultation with other members of the department. A Search and Screen Committee should be formed by the department chair in consultation with the Dean. For positions of one-year of longer, the Dean or designee will assign a diversity representative to serve on the Search and Screen Committee. Strategy for posting of the position will be determined in consultation with the Dean or designee. A full description of search procedures may be found in the Administrative Guidelines for Academic Department Chairs.
2.1.2 Faculty Mentoring Program
A New Faculty Mentoring Program is conducted for all newly appointed faculty by the Dean's Office. The program includes a day long Orientation before the opening of classes and regular sessions during the ensuing year which introduce new faculty to such topics as the general education program, international education, advising, successful pedagogical techniques, diversity issues, and the role of the church-related college.
Special sessions on faculty development opportunities, faculty evaluation, and the tenure process, as well as an individual meeting with the Dean of the Faculty after the first year evaluation, are made available for those faculty with a tenure track appointment.
2.1.3 Review and Support of Tenure-track, Special Appointment and Part-time Faculty
2.1.3.1 Guidelines for Departmental Review and Support of Tenure-track (Probationary) Personnel
Departments are obligated to establish regular procedures to regularly review their tenure-track faculty members. While one purpose of this review is to provide professional advice to faculty members, such an evaluation also serves the departments and Dean as a basis for making decisions regarding the reappointment of tenure-track personnel. These faculty members need to be reviewed annually by departments except in the third year of appointment when the Personnel Committee conducts a review.
A. Normally the chair of the department will be responsible for the evaluation process. (When the chair of the department is to be evaluated, the Dean will designate a committee chair.) The committee should consist of at least two other tenured faculty members, appointed with the approval of the individual. Preferably one member should be from outside the individual's department.
B. The evaluation should include class visits and/or interviews, review of course content (syllabi or course materials), and student feedback. The committee should consider scholarly achievements, service, and professional goals.
C. The committee should function as follows:
D. A decision for reappointment is made by the Dean based upon the recommendation of the department chair and tenured members of the department. The evaluation of the annual review committee would be taken into consideration in making this recommendation. The Dean and department chair may assist the faculty member to formulate development goals, performance objectives, and career plans.
E. Unless the department sees the need for an evaluation earlier in the fall, an individual in the third year will normally undergo only the third-year review by the Personnel Committee.
2.1.3.2 Guidelines for Departmental Review and Support of Continuing Special Appointment and Part-time Faculty
Faculty on continuing special appointment and part-time contracts will be reviewed annually.
A. Normally the chair of the department will be responsible for the evaluation using a process developed by the department.
B. The evaluation should include class visits and/or interviews, review of course content (syllabi or course materials), and student feedback.
C. A decision of reappointment is made by the Dean based upon the recommendation of the department chair. The annual evaluation would be taken into consideration in making this recommendation. The Dean and the department chair may assist the faculty member to formulate development goals, performance objectives and career plans.
D. As a professional courtesy, departments should offer to include visiting faculty in the annual review process.
The stipulations set forth below address various considerations. From time to time the Administration receives unsolicited comments on faculty members' academic performances or personal activities. Also, evaluations of faculty members' performance of their responsibilities are requested in the process of granting promotions and tenure. The Dean of the Faculty and department chairs have responsibility for counseling with faculty members and helping them to understand the expected performance of responsibilities.
The administration and faculty have responsibility for protecting the academic freedom of the individual faculty member and of the collective faculty. A further responsibility is to avoid unnecessary embarrassment to the faculty and to the College.
A. When the College receives any unsolicited accusatory or derogatory statements regarding a faculty member, the appropriate administrator will:
B. Credentials presented at original employment at the College shall be retained permanently.
C. It is the responsibility of the Dean of the Faculty and Department Chairs to advise and counsel individual faculty members concerning the evaluations which have been submitted.
2.1.5.1 Compensated Academic Leaves
2.1.5.1.1 Sabbatical Leaves for Regular Professional Development
Regular professional development is a normal part of an academic career. The college affirms the teacher-scholar model of professional development as a way of valuing all legitimate professional development activities that contribute to a vital and healthy academic community. Since a sabbatical leave is a major investment in the faculty member's professional future, the individual, the relevant department, the Dean of the Faculty and the Faculty Development Committee will work together to devise a plan that is mutually beneficial to the individual and to the College.
Faculty who intend to apply for a sabbatical leave as part of their professional development must provide a coherent, well-planned proposal to the Faculty Development Committee for evaluation. The committee will review leave proposals and will forward its recommendations to the Dean of the Faculty. The college will fund all proposals recommended to it by the committee, if possible. In cases where funding is insufficient, a recommended leave may be delayed one year after the Dean has consulted with the individual and the department.
A. Duration of Sabbatical Leaves
B. Eligibility for Sabbatical Leaves
C. Application Procedures for Sabbatical Leaves
2.1.5.1.2 Criteria for Evaluation of Sabbatical Leave Plans
A. Sabbatical Leave Plans will be evaluated according to their potential impact on the professional development of the individual faculty member. They will not be weighted according to the amount of time requested or the leave location. Leave plans will be evaluated on the basis of whether the faculty member has presented a coherent, well-planned proposal that addresses the guidelines outlined in the previous section.
B. Outside fellowships won by faculty will not affect the Faculty Development Committee's evaluation of a sabbatical leave plan.
C. The number of years of continuous service at the College may be considered by the Dean of the Faculty should total funding for the College's leave program be insufficient to fund all recommended leaves.
2.1.5.1.3 Compensation, Rank, Tenure, and Benefits While on Leave
A. Those on full academic year leave will receive two-thirds of projected full base salary.
Those on one semester or one semester and January term leave will receive full projected base salary.
The faculty member may apply to the Dean of the Faculty for funds to cover travel expenses and to cover special economic needs while on leave.
B. The Dean of the Faculty and the Development Office will assist the faculty member in preparing applications or in making special presentations to foundations which may be able to provide financial assistance to the faculty member while on leave.
C. During the sabbatical leave, all rights and benefits pertaining to rank, tenure, salary increment, retirement, insurance, tuition remission, and other benefits already acquired are retained.
D. In the case of no-salaried leaves of absence, all benefits are negotiated between the faculty member and the Dean of the Faculty.
Within 30 days of resuming responsibilities at the College, the faculty member is asked to submit a written report to the Dean of the Faculty summarizing the activities and outcomes of the sabbatical leave.
2.1.5.1.5 Faculty Replacement During Leaves of Absence
The issue of sabbatical replacements is separated from the issue of a faculty member's eligibility for a leave. Replacements will be arranged between the department and the Dean of the Faculty. Generally speaking, small departments and programs will be more likely to have full faculty replacement since it would be more difficult for other members of a small department or program to cover for the colleague on leave. Faculty taking year leaves will be more likely to be replaced then those taking half-year leaves. It is the responsibility of the department and the Dean of the Faculty to consider the most cost-effective ways of handling leaves in balance with the college's program needs.
2.1.5.2 January Term Leaves of Absence
A. Each academic year a number of January Term leaves are granted to faculty. Faculty who take January Term leaves are expected to engage in research, course preparation, professional reading, professional writing, or personal enrichment.
B. Compensation for January Term leaves includes regular salary and benefits, but no extra pay.
C. January Term leaves do not impair eligibility for full year or half year leaves, but if a faculty member receives a January Term leave as part of a half- or full-year leave, it will count as that person's regular January Term leave.
2.1.6 Procedural Standards in the Renewal or Non-renewal of Faculty Appointments
In matters of renewal or non-renewal of faculty appointments, the faculty will follow the procedures outlined in the AAUP "Statement of Procedural Standards in the Renewal or Non-renewal of Faculty Appointments" (1989).
2.1.7 Statement on Faculty Appointment and Family Relationship
In matters of faculty appointment and family relationship, the faculty accepts the principles outlined in the AAUP "Statement on Faculty Appointment and Family Relationship" (1971).
2.1.8 Statement on Professional Ethics
In matters of professional ethics, the faculty accepts the principles outlined in the AAUP "Statement on Professional Ethics" (1987).
All proposals for courses to be offered as part of the curriculum of the college (including proposals for designation as general education and writing courses) will be submitted to Course Approval Subcommittee, which will recommend approval to the Curriculum Committee. The Curriculum Committee will have final approval of all courses, area and writing designations recommended by the Course Approval Subcommittee.
Closing dates for submitting course proposals to the Course Approval Subcommittee will be provided to department chairs no later than the beginning of the academic year.
Courses approved by the Curriculum Committee will enter the curriculum of the college. They need not be resubmitted unless there is a substantial change in the name, focus, or content of the course.
Approval Procedure
A. By the announced deadline, the proposing department chair will send to the Academic Dean or designee's office one electronic copy of the course proposal form, addressing the appropriate criteria for new courses, January Term courses, First Term Seminars, area and writing designations. The form can be obtained from the Academic Dean or designee's office.
B. Upon its receipt, the Academic Dean or designee's office will send the proposal to the full subcommittee, including the appropriate program director(s) (FTS, Writing, J-Term, and General Education). Copies of pending proposals are available to all faculty through the Academic Dean or designee's office.
C. The program director(s) will review the proposal, contacting the department chair or course instructor(s) for possible clarification or revision, if necessary. The program director(s) will recommend approving or rejecting their specific part of the proposal to the full subcommittee.
D. The Course Approval Subcommittee reviews and discusses all proposals at its meetings. The faculty member submitting the proposal and/or a departmental representative may be present when the Course Approval Subcommittee discusses the faculty member's proposal.
E. At the appropriate meeting, the Course Approval Subcommittee will take one of the following actions:
F. All courses, area and writing designations recommended for approval by the Course Approval Subcommittee will be forwarded to the Curriculum Committee. The Curriculum Committee will vote on approval and all courses approved by the Curriculum Committee will be reported to the faculty at its next regularly scheduled meeting. The Curriculum Committee will notify each department affected by the committee's decision.
G. A course proposal may be withdrawn at any point in the process
H. Course approval will be based on the criteria in the Faculty Handbook.
2.2.2 Requirements and Criteria for General Education Courses
1. First Term Seminar: As part of their first semester course schedule, Curriculum I students entering Gustavus Adolphus College as first-year students enroll in one course designated FTS-100: First-Term Seminar. The FTS is a small, discussion-based course that introduces students to skills and habits central to the liberal arts: critical thinking, writing, speaking, and recognizing and exploring questions of values. The FTS professor will serve as the first year academic advisor. Each FTS carries a WRIT (writing) designation; FTS courses do not carry a general education core area designation. A full list and description of FTS offerings is published for entering students before registration.
2. Completion of a non-English language requirement: Curriculum I students will pass the beginning sequence in a non-English foreign language (the first two courses constitute the beginning sequence in all such languages) or will demonstrate equivalent proficiency.
3. General Education Core: Each Curriculum I student must complete a total of nine general education courses, including at least one course from each of the following nine areas. General education courses may be offered at any level. Courses can fulfill more than one general education requirement. No more than two courses from the same department may be counted.
Liberal Arts Perspective
A Liberal Arts Perspective course teaches the principles of a particular domain of study, provides its context, questions the values of that domain, and builds bridges towards other disciplines.
Through modes of expression such as painting, sculpture, music, dance, theatre, and film, artists clarify, intensify, dramatize, and interpret the world in all of its physical, social, and spiritual aspects. Courses meeting this requirement in the visual and performing arts develop a more comprehensive understanding of the creative process and foster a lifetime involvement with the arts. These experiences enable students to recognize and value the integral role that the arts play in society; such experiences enable students to express themselves and their ideas in creative ways.
Courses in this area will:
Biblical and Theological Studies (THEOL)
The requirement of one regular semester course in the Christian tradition is a curricular expression of the College's long-standing commitment, articulated in the Mission Statement, to foster in its students a "mature understanding of the Christian faith." Included in such a mature understanding is a careful consideration of the role of religion in human life.
A course meeting this requirement explores the importance of understanding religion as part of a liberal arts education. It does so through a biblical and theological study of the Christian tradition. The study is both critically self-conscious and constructive. It also includes a critical interpretation of biblical texts.
These courses seek neither to inculcate the Christian religion nor to dismiss it. Rather, such courses help students develop a critical understanding and appreciation of the Christian tradition as an important entity in itself, and as an important element in world cultures.
Courses in this area meet the following criteria:
1. The course will be in the Christian tradition, construed to embrace, in its several variations, the developing body of communal belief, thought and action that has served to identify the
2. The course will be both critically self-conscious and constructive.
a. The course will be critically self-conscious, requiring specific attention to the methods used to analyze particular facets of the Christian tradition and presenting the Christian tradition not as an object that a student must accept or reject, but as an empirical and normative historical totality that a student can come to understand.
b. The course will be constructive, i.e., critical analysis is to be complemented by the endeavor to present coherently, as a challenging and fruitful religious option, an ecumenical understanding of the Christian tradition.
3. The course will:
a. give students an elementary cognitive grasp of some of the historical, contemporary and emerging future expressions of the Christian faith;
b. expose students to critical textual interpretations of the Bible, including the historical context in which it was written;
c. help students learn to think religiously and theologically, i.e., to recognize the religious and theological dimensions of cultural, political, and intellectual issues;
d. introduce students to the nature of religious language and symbolism and the critical interpretations of religious claims; and
e. encourage students to think critically about their own religious convictions.
Literary and Rhetorical Studies (LARS)
The purpose of the Literary and Rhetorical Studies requirement is to help students revel in the beauty and power of the word; understand and enjoy the life of the mind as embodied in books and formal oral communication; and place themselves within the human community of story-tellers, poets, orators, essayists, playwrights, satirists, and critics.
Courses in this area will:
Historical and Philosophical Studies (HIPHI)
Philosophy investigates the nature of reality, knowledge, and values. History analyzes past events and constructs narratives that seek to explain those events. Thus, courses in Historical and Philosophical Studies critically interpret records of and reflections on human thought, action, and values across time and place and among diverse cultures and peoples.
Courses in this area promote understanding of human thought in the context of historical developments, and historical developments in the context of their relation to questions of meaning and value. Historical and philosophical inquiries require that we ask fundamental questions about the construction and creation of knowledge, the roles of objectivity and subjectivity in the search for truth, and the relationship of human agency to theories of historical causation. Philosophers undertake their inquiries with awareness of the historical context in which ideas develop. Historians consider the intellectual milieu in which past events unfold and are interpreted.
Courses in this area will:
Mathematical and Logical Reasoning (MATHL)
Courses in Mathematical and Logical Reasoning introduce the student to the methods and applications of deductive reasoning. As such, they focus on underlying axioms, theorems, and methods of proof. Considerable emphasis is placed on the application of these ideas to the natural and social sciences. They also place some emphasis as appropriate on the history of the discipline, its philosophical assumptions, the strengths and limitations of its methods, its relation to other disciplines, and its relation to social and ethical problems. Students are required to take one course in Mathematical and Logical Reasoning.
Courses in this area will provide students with:
Natural Science Perspective (NASP)
Liberal Arts Perspective courses in Natural Science introduce the student to the mechanics of natural and life processes, and the quantitative basis for understanding these processes. As such, they focus on the evidence, theories, and methods of the natural sciences and place them in a historical context. They also place some emphasis on the strengths and limitations of the methods employed, the philosophical assumptions, the boundaries and connections with other disciplines, and relationships to social, ethical, and political problems.
Courses in this area will provide students with:
All courses include a laboratory component to ensure direct experience with naturally occurring phenomena; the laboratory component teaches techniques and methods that scientists use to gather evidence and test hypotheses. The laboratory component will include some elements of observation, collection and analysis of data, and/or other methods of experimentation that involve direct contact with some aspect of the natural world.
Human Behavior and Social Institutions (SOSCI)
Courses in Human Behavior and Social Institutions seek to enable students to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to understand fundamental social institutions and social characteristics of human beings. Courses in this area should systematically address the regularities and variations of human behavior at individual and group levels, including the contexts in which behavior occurs, using perspectives and methods normally attributable to the social and behavioral sciences.
Courses in this area will address the following:
Lifelong Fitness (FIT and ACT)
Students must complete both the Personal Fitness (FIT) requirement (.5 course) and the Lifetime Activity (ACT) requirement (.5 course equivalent).
A. The Personal Fitness requirement (FIT) encourages exploration of personal values and enables students to recognize and appreciate the importance of lifelong fitness. Students learn how to set appropriate goals to improve fitness, engage in regular aerobic exercise, and acquire knowledge regarding health promotion, disease prevention, and relaxation.
FIT courses (.5 course) will:
B. The Lifetime Activity requirement (ACT) encourages students to select courses across a range of activity areas based on personal interest. Courses engage students in activity designed to increase muscular strength and flexibility, improve psychomotor skills, and explore the connection between mind and body. Each course emphasizes appreciation of lifetime activity, health promotion, and reduction of risk behavior.
ACT courses (.125-.25 per class) will:
Non-Western Cultures Requirement (NWEST)
The nature of contemporary world events makes an understanding of non-western and global perspectives a necessary component of any good liberal arts education. It is increasingly necessary for people involved in business, politics, economic development, religious interaction, and everyday life to function across traditional linguistic and cultural boundaries. We are an increasingly shrinking and diverse world and that means that such goals as justice, dignity, peaceful co-existence and cooperation demand both our attention and increased skills and knowledge. Through the Non-Western Cultures requirement, the college seeks to guide students toward the competent use of epistemological models, analytic tools, and interactive/participative opportunities that form the basis for intercultural and cross-cultural perspectives and understandings. "Non-Western" includes both indigenous and non-indigenous immigrant communities residing in otherwise Western European cultures. Courses fulfilling the NWEST requirement will enable students to recognize difference in a pluralistic way while encouraging an appreciation of the importance of difference in common and cultural life.
This requirement may be fulfilled either by taking a NWEST course or by completing an appropriate study abroad experience.
A. NWEST courses will:
B. Study Abroad Experience:
Courses taken abroad may be considered to meet other General Education requirements on a course-by-course basis.
Assessment Plan for General Education (Curriculum I)
Rationale
The mission of the college is to provide all students with a liberal arts education. It is at the very core of what we do. The General Education portion of the curriculum is an important way we ensure that all Gustavus students receive a broad liberal arts education.
Recognizing the variety and diversity of student needs and choices, we have chosen to build the General Education requirements in such a way to make certain that all students have a serious exposure to what we call "liberal arts perspectives" rather than developing a set of specific outcomes or knowledge and skill sets to be acquired.
Focusing on "courses" rather than "skills" places a challenge on how we approach assessment of the General Education program. In order to ascertain that the general education requirements as well as the criteria for courses fulfilling the requirements are providing students with a serious exposure in an effective and efficient manner, and to keep alive the ongoing conversation about the role of General Education in the Gustavus curriculum, we propose that:
Course designations not be permanent, but be renewed on a rotating schedule;
Responses be gathered from students and faculty to inform periodic review of specific course criteria, leading to approval/reapproval of individual course designations;
A review of the whole Curriculum I-Liberal Arts Perspectives program follows each complete cycle of area reviews.
Process
Each area of the Curriculum I-Liberal Arts Perspectives will be reviewed separately, one or two areas per year.
Year 1 -
The Program Assessment and Development Committee (PADC), in consultation with the chair of the Curriculum Committee and the Director of General Education, will appoint a three-person committee to review each Area(s) being assessed. At least one of the three will be from outside the division or departments most responsible for delivery of the particular Area(s).
This Area review committee will:
(a) Study the Area criteria and work with the Director of General Education, the PADC, and the Institutional Research officer to develop questions to be included with the annual Senior Survey that solicits response from students relative to their experience with the particular Area under review.
(b) The area committees will ask faculty to submit representative samples of course work which they feel demonstrate how students have been exposed to this Area in their course. Examples of this work might include lecture notes, test questions, descriptions of class activities, research papers, lab reports, creative projects or student portfolios.
(c) Faculty who teach such courses will be invited to participate in a focus group meeting with the review committee.
(e) Written faculty comments regarding the Area criteria will also be solicited by the committee.
Year 2 -
The Area committee will
(a) Review the data collected.
(b) Recommend any proposed Area changes to the Curriculum Committee.
Once the faculty has approved any Area changes, all courses desiring to carry that Area designation must be resubmitted to the Area Committee, which will forward its recommendation to the Director of General Education and then on to the Curriculum Committee. For this round, course proposals must also include course syllabi that describe how the Area is addressed in the course. No previous Area designations will persist beyond this point in the process.
The Area Committee will submit a written report of its work to be kept on file by the Curriculum Committee, with copies to the Director of General Education.
The review of Areas will begin in the spring of 2009, when this year's FY students will be seniors, and hence mostly have completed their General Education coursework.
Each year, another Area (or two) will begin the process. The number of Areas reviewed each year will depend on the number of courses that hold that Area designation.
A larger committee composed of three members from the Curriculum Committee and four members at-large, will review the entire Curriculum I - Liberal Arts Perspectives program once all Areas have accomplished the individual reviews. The purpose of this larger review is to analyze what has been learned from the Area review cycle and to consider whether there are any essential changes that should be made to the General Education program.
Note: This assessment plan focuses only on the nine Area requirements and does not include the writing requirement, non-English language, First Term Seminar, Curriculum II, or any other graduation requirements. The Curriculum Committee recommends that these programs, which have missions complementary to but unique from Curriculum I, have separate assessment plans.
Timeline
The review of the general education areas could be accomplished using the following rotation and timeline:
Year Area
(2005) (First class matriculates, will graduate in 2009)
2008-09 ARTS - THEOL
2009-10 LARS
2010-11 MATHL - NWEST
2011-12 SOSCI - NASP
2012-13 FIT/ACT - HIPHI
2013-14 GENERAL EDUCATION REVIEW
2014-15 General Education Review Contd.
2015-16 ARTS - THEOL
2016-17 LARS
2017-18 MATHL - NWEST
2018-19 SOSCI - NASP
2019-20 FIT/ACT - HIPHI
2020-21 GENERAL EDUCATION REVIEW
WRITING REQUIREMENT (WRITI and WRITD)
Liberally educated students should write well and use writing both to discover and construct new knowledge and to communicate their ideas to others. Writing is a complex activity; it is a form of creative expression and critical engagement that serves practical and intellectual purposes. Since writing shapes the views of others, courses that focus on writing should help students understand the effects of their own written language. All courses that fulfill the writing requirement at Gustavus emphasize basic rhetorical principles, or the issues that guide our choices when we write to move or persuade others. Such issues include purpose, audience, context, style, and form.
Gustavus requires students to complete THREE designated writing requirement courses from at least two different departments in order to graduate. One of these courses must be taken in the first year (normally in the First Term Seminar or Curriculum II). At least one designated writing course must be taken as part of a student's major, and at least one must be Level II or higher.
Students fulfill this writing requirement by taking two types of courses, WRITING INTENSIVE (WRITI) and WRITING IN THE DISCIPLINES (WRITD). A central goal for all WRITI and WRITD courses is to ensure that students learn to become good choice-makers as writers, considering issues of purpose, audience, context, style, and form. All WRITI and WRITD courses must provide opportunities for students to revise their work and receive the feedback of their instructors and their peers, preferably before the work is evaluated by the instructor. In addition, all WRITI and WRITD courses can be supported by the use of a handbook or style manual and the
Criteria for Courses
Writing Intensive (WRITI) courses introduce students to the writing process, writing as a means of learning, rhetorical issues such as purpose, audience, and context, and narrative and argumentative strategies used most frequently by writers educated in the liberal arts tradition. WRITI courses may be offered at levels one and two. Because of the intensive nature of the revision and feedback cycle, WRITI courses should be restricted to enrollments of 20 or fewer students.
All WRITI courses should:
Writing in the Disciplines (WRITD) courses draw upon students' existing writing skills and focus their attention on disciplinary conventions and research methods, as well as the forms and genres valued most within the disciplines. Since each discipline has its own conventions of form, style, language use, methods, evidence, and citation, each department is required to offer one WRITD course. WRITD courses may only be offered at levels two and three. Because WRITD courses require substantive writing projects and intensive revision cycles, enrollments should be limited to 20 or fewer students.
All WRITD courses should:
The January "Interim Experience" (IEX)
I. Mission of IEX: The mission of the Interim Experience (IEX) is to provide ways for faculty and students to take advantage of the January interim's unique qualities in developing courses and other learning opportunities that enrich and expand upon (but do not duplicate) the College's regular semester curricular offerings. The institutional mission of the College calls for balancing educational tradition with innovation, study within a general framework that is interdisciplinary and international in perspective, and preparation of students to lead lives of leadership and service. The goals of the IEX are consistent with this larger institutional mission. IEX will provide for experiential learning both on campus and off campus through:
II. Course Approval: All IEX courses must meet the following criteria:
1. Approved IEX courses will engage students in ways that specifically capitalize on the unique opportunities provided by the January interim schedule. The course proposal will describe activities that can be better accomplished when students have the opportunity to travel or to spend extended periods of time in the laboratory, the studio, the library, or in other places conducive to discovery and creativity.
2. Approved IEX courses will engage students (alone or collaboratively) in experiential learning activities. Examples include:
3. All IEX courses will count toward the graduation requirement of two January courses. IEX courses have intrinsic value as an experiential immersion, even without the extrinsic incentive of major or general education credit. Therefore, approved IEX courses will carry major and/or general education credit only in rare cases; when the proposal demonstrates that the above criteria are met and that the goals intended by the major or general education areas are uniquely met though an IEX immersion experience.
IEX Policies:
1. IEX Course Numbers: IEX courses will be designated by departmental, NDL or IDS designation . Level I courses are entry level and are suitable for all students. Level II courses are generally accessible by all students but may require specific background. Level III courses are for the more advanced student.
2. IEX Instructors: Because of the unique nature of IEX courses, staff and administrative employees who are not regular Gustavus faculty may propose to teach an IEX course (or team-teach a course with a faculty instructor). All courses will be subject to normal faculty course approval processes, regardless of the employment status of the instructor.
3. IEX Course Length: Depending on the subject or approach of the instructor, it may be desirable to design a course that will be two weeks in duration, rather than a full four weeks in length. In the case where a person offers a course for less that the full four weeks duration, normally that course will be repeated (2 x 2 week course) and will be packaged by the IE Office with another partial-term offering so that each student's registration will be for the full four-week period
4. IEX Credit: Satisfactory participation is required in two full January interim terms (grade of P, or for courses with a letter grade, an A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, or D). If a student takes courses for more than two full interim term courses, these credits will not count toward graduation. Students will not receive credit for an interim course (4-1-4 exchange included) if the course is similar one they've already completed for credit.
5. Major/Area Credit: Any Interim term course approved to fulfill a major or a general education area requirement cannot be taken on a pass/fail basis and will not count toward graduation as part of the required 32 semester course credits. It will count toward the two required January interim credits.
6. First-year students: First-year students are strongly encouraged to enroll in an IEX course. First year students may take a Gustavus Travel Course (GTC) or UMAIE course. First year students may not take career Explorations and Independent Studies.
7. Grades: Grades not calculated in the grade-point average are: P (pass), I (incomplete), W (withdrawal). A student may withdraw from an IEX course anytime prior to the end of the third day without having their course participation recorded on the transcript. Withdrawals after this time will be recorded as a "W". In courses with a grading option, students will select (with their instructor) their option by the end of the third day of the interim term (the drop-add deadline). A student may not withdraw from a month-long course after the third week of the interim term. A student may not withdraw from a two-week course after the first week of the course. Courses for which a student is registered after this time will receive a final grade. Non-Gustavus interim term courses accepted in transfer shall not be calculated in the grade-point average (UMAIE courses are an exception). Gustavus IEX letter grades, including failing ("F") grades, are included in the grade-point average calculation.
8. Cancellation: Courses may be subject to cancellation if they enroll five or fewer students per faculty member teaching the course.
9. Participation:
Students on academic probation are not permitted to participate in internship, career exploration, or study abroad programs, or in off-campus January Interim courses. Students who register for such programs and courses accept the financial risks associated with being barred from participating should they be on academic probation or suspended when the term begins. This financial risks include, but are not limited to, unrecoverable deposits, fares, reservations, and pro-rated group travel costs. The College reserves the right with 24-hour notification to suspend students if their academic performance is regarded as undesirable during the semester in which they are on academic probation.
Students on disciplinary probation are not permitted to participate in internship, career exploration, or study abroad programs, or in off-campus January Interim courses. Students who register in such programs and courses accept the financial risks associated with being barred from participating should they be on disciplinary probation or suspended when the term begins. These financial risks include, but are not limited to, unrecoverable deposits, fares, reservations, and pro-rated group travel costs. The College reserves the right to remove a student on disciplinary probation from a course or program if it deems such action to be in the best interest of the student, the College, or the program/course. Parents of dependent students are notified when a student is placed on Disciplinary Probation.
10. Registration: IEX course registration follows the same procedure as regular registration (i.e., priority by class year), with exceptions: first-year students register first, followed by sophomores, juniors, and then seniors.
11. Overloads: Students may enroll in a maximum of 1.25 courses during the interim term. However, fractional courses beyond 1.0 may not be used to reduce the requirements that each student be enrolled for a normal one-course load in at least two interims. A pro-rated overload fee based on $1,000 for a full credit overload will be added to a student's account.
12. Course By Arrangement: There will be no provision for a regular semester course to be offered as a Course by Arrangement in the interim term, since IEX courses are deemed to be non-equivalent to regular semester courses. If a major or minor program requires a thesis or project, that requirement may be fulfilled in January term.
13. Independent Study: Independent study courses will be counted as fulfilling an IEX requirement, but will not count for major or general education credit or toward the 32 semester courses required for graduation. If a major or minor program requires an independent study, that requirement may be fulfilled in January term.
14. Travel Courses: International or domestic travel study courses, including UMAIE courses, will be counted as fulfilling an IEX requirement, but will not count for major or general education credit, except when such a credit exemption is granted in advance.
15. Housing Policy: While Gustavus requires only two IEX credits to fulfill graduation requirements, students are allowed to enroll for the interim term each year. Out of courtesy and respect for those who are enrolled, the College has established a policy that non-registered students may not occupy campus housing during the interim term. Exceptions for special circumstances may be granted on a case-by-case basis by appealing to the Director of Residential Life.
16. Career Exploration (CE) is an academic program of the College. Course credit must by sponsored by a faculty member from an academic department whose discipline is related to the career exploration. The course shall be graded on a pass/fail basis. See the
17. Transferring to Another 4-1-4 Institution: Students who would like to attend another 4-1-4 college during Interim term may choose from approximately fifty institutions in the
18. Students Visiting Gustavus During Interim Term: Contact the IE Office for 4-1-4 transfer policies and procedures.
2.2.3 Interdisciplinary Studies
General Criteria:
Interdisciplinary study at Gustavus is designed to nurture a holistic approach to the study of topics of concern to more than one of our traditional academic disciplines. This may involve interdisciplinary programs and/or interdisciplinary courses. Interdisciplinary courses or programs are particularly well suited to address issues or questions that are considered too broad to be adequately considered within the boundaries of a single traditional academic discipline. Because the
Interdisciplinary Programs with approved majors and/or minors are:
Specific Criteria for Interdisciplinary Courses (listed in the Academic Bulletin as "IDS"):
Individual courses may be approved for interdisciplinary studies if they meet the following criteria:
(a) The course proposal clearly demonstrates that interdisciplinary study is an intentional goal of the course.
(b)
As part of their first semester course schedule, Curriculum I students entering Gustavus Adolphus College as first-year students enroll in one course designated FTS-100: First-Term Seminar (FTS). The FTS is a small, discussion-based course that introduces students to skills and habits central to the liberal arts: critical thinking, writing, speaking, and recognizing and exploring questions of values. The FTS professor will serve as the first year academic advisor. Each FTS carries a writing designation; FTS courses do not carry a general education core area designation. A full list and description of FTS offerings is published for entering students before registration.
Courses approved to be First-Term Seminars must meet the following criteria:
1. Critical thinking. Participation in the First-Term Seminar will develop in students the habits of critical thinking that are central to the liberal arts: the ability to identify and question underlying assumptions, to consider a number of contexts in which statements are made, to analyze implications, to propose alternative perspectives.
2. Writing. First-Term Seminars offer students intensive practice in the primary medium for intellectual discourse, writing. Students engage in brief formal writing exercises (usually from three to five separate assignments) which develop useful writing processes for such tasks as summary, analysis, reasoning and persuasion, and library research. First-term seminars also qualify as W courses.
3. Speaking. First-Term Seminars offer all students a small, discussion-oriented class and acquaint them with college as a place for active participation in discussion. Students will also make brief formal presentations.
4. Values. First-Term Seminars encourage students to reflect on the values inherent in a particular body of knowledge, to recognize the social, moral and ethical implications of that knowledge, and to move toward intellectual, emotional and relational commitments.
5. First-year advising. First-Term Seminars serve as first-year advising groups. Faculty will help students plan coherent general education programs, advise them in exploring possible majors, and direct them to advisors in their proposed majors as necessary. First-Term Seminars could also appropriately encourage students to see that the College has concern for more than required courses and grades by engaging the class in discussion of campus events and issues.
This set of guidelines suggests normal practices, but need not be regarded as inflexibly binding under all circumstances:
A. In order to preserve the high value of honorary degrees, not more than four degrees each year, except in extraordinary circumstances, will be granted. In addition, honorary degrees will also be awarded to Nobel laureates who participate in the Nobel Conference.
B. Honorary degrees will be awarded during the academic year on occasions of significance to the College community and the recipient.
C. Honorary degree recipients should represent a diversity of fields. The choices should reflect achievements at the local, national, and international levels.
A. The President will receive nominations and supporting documents for honorary degrees from faculty, administrators, alumni, trustees and other interested persons. The President will forward nominations he/she deems appropriate to the Senate.
B. The Senate Vice Chair will serve as advisor to the Senate for honorary degrees, and will receive nominations from the President.
C. The advisor for honorary degrees may undertake the search for additional supporting data that will be provided to the Senate within a designated time period.
D. Deliberations of proposals will not involve the knowledge or participation of the candidate.
E. Among the honorary degrees that may be awarded by the College are the following:
The advisor will recommend the degree that is appropriate for conferral upon the candidate.
F. The advisor will submit nominations to the Senate for evaluation.
G. The Faculty Senate, acting on behalf of the Faculty, recommends the candidates for honorary degrees to the President of the College. Three-fourths majority vote of the full membership of the Faculty Senate is required for forwarding of the recommendation to the Board of Trustees.
H. The Dean of the Faculty will present nominations accepted by the President to the Board of Trustees.
I. The advisor for honorary degrees will keep a file of the nominations and the committee actions and will deposit the file with the Dean of the Faculty at the end of each academic year. An active file on the continuing activities and achievements of degree recipients will be maintained. The College will endeavor to maintain an active relationship with the degree recipient by informing him/her of College events and concerns and by inviting participation whenever possible.
2.2.6 Internships and Experiential Learning
Experiential learning theory holds that student learning can occur in an internship setting when: students establish clear, thoughtful learning objectives; students have an opportunity during the internship to analyze and synthesize information, problem-solve, research, and write; and students reflect on the experience during and after the internship.
The Internship Program at Gustavus Adolphus college provides these conditions as it offers students learning experiences in a variety of business, arts, social service, government, scientific, and other settings. The program consists of two components--Semester/Summer Internships and January Term Career Explorations.
Semester and summer internships provide students with entry-level pre-professional experiences, designed to enhance and build skills. Career Exploration is designed to give students an opportunity to work and observe in a professional setting, clarify major and career goals, and plan future course work. Both forms of internship frequently make subsequent course work more meaningful and often lead to increased class participation.
2.2.6.1 Internship Program Policies
2.2.6.2 Responsibilities of the Internship Faculty Sponsor
In addition to being informed about the policies and practices of the Internship Program, and providing feedback on the program to the Internship Director, a faculty sponsor assumes the following responsibilities during an Internship or Career Exploration.
Prior to the Internship:
During:
After:
The mark of "I" (Incomplete) is the only grading option available which keeps a course open for additional student work beyond the termination of the semester. Once a grade other than "I" has been recorded on the student transcript, it becomes part of the institutional record and can be changed only to correct an error in the original computation. A grade change cannot be made because additional coursework has been turned in after the end of the term. A change of grade may not be made more than one year after the grade was officially recorded in the Registrar's Office.
Students have the right to be protected against prejudiced or capricious academic evaluation. A student who wishes to appeal a final course grade on these grounds should first appeal to the instructor. This action should end the matter in most cases, but if not, the student should appeal to the department chair (or a senior faculty member in the department if the Chair is the person giving the grade). If that does not resolve the issue, the student may appeal to the office of the Dean of the Faculty who will convene the Grade Appeals Board to assist in determining an appropriate resolution. If the Grade Appeals Board determines that the grade should be changed it would provide the instructor with a written explanation of its reasons and would request that the grade be changed. The instructor should either make the recommended change or provide a written explanation to the Grade Appeals Board for not doing so. Only then, the Dean of the Faculty, upon the written recommendation of the Grade Appeals Board, would have the authority to effect a change in grade over the objection of the instructor. The Grade Appeals Board will consist of five faculty members, one from each Division, nominated by the Academic Operations Committee and appointed to staggered three-year terms by the Faculty Senate. A member of the Grade Appeals Board may ask to be recused from hearing an appeal if the member perceives a conflict of interest. The student appellant may also request to disqualify a member perceived as being potentially biased from hearing the appeal. In the event that a member of the Board is recused or removed, that person will be replaced by another faculty member from the same Division, to be appointed by the Dean of the Faculty in consultation with the Chair of the Academic Operations Committee.
A grade appeal must be initiated within one year after the grade was officially recorded in the Registrar's Office.
Every
"As a community of scholars, the faculty and students of
Through information provided in syllabi and/or other means, faculty members will explain to students how the Honor Code will operate in their respective courses. The following statement is suggested as a pledge for students to sign on all graded assignments and projects:
"On my honor, I pledge that I have not given, received, or tolerated others' use of unauthorized aid in completing this work."
A similar statement may be signed by students at the beginning of a course, indicating that their work for that course will comply with the academic honesty policy and the Honor Code.
Under the academic honesty policy, the instructor informs "...the student and the office of the Dean of the Faculty of the nature of the offense, the penalty within the course, and the recommendation of the instructor as to whether further disciplinary action by the Dean is warranted." The in-course penalties and notification of the Dean's office should end the matter in most cases. However, if a student disputes the allegation of academic dishonesty, the student can request an Honor Board hearing.
A six-member Honor Board panel (three students and three faculty) will investigate and hear the case. Both the accused student and the instructor have the right to submit statements and documents and/or be present for the proceeding. A 4-2 vote is needed to decide that the student is indeed guilty of an academic honesty policy violation. If the Board rules that a violation occurred, all other provisions of the academic honesty policy will apply, including the instructor's in-course penalties, and possible probation or suspension for repeated offenses. If the student is not found guilty it will be presumed that no violation occurred, and the faculty member will not penalize the student for an honesty violation (honesty aside, the quality of the student's work is still subject to the instructor's professional judgment).
The Honor Board pool is comprised of six students and six faculty members. From this pool of twelve, three students and three faculty will be appointed by the Office of the Dean of the Faculty to investigate and adjudicate cases involving the academic honesty policy. Potential student members are required to complete an application, and are interviewed and nominated each spring for the next academic year by the Student Senate Academic Affairs Committee. After receiving the nominations the Student Senate Cabinet appoints the student board members. The faculty members are invited to indicate an interest in serving on the board, and are then nominated by the Academic Operations Committee. The Faculty Senate makes the appointment of faculty board members each spring. Each Honor Board member participates in an orientation session, and is instructed on the importance of confidentiality and proper investigation procedures.
The proctoring of exams will be at the discretion of the instructor.
An integral part of the honor code is non-tolerance of violations. This non-tolerance policy recognizes that we are not only responsible for our own ethical conduct but are also members of a vital community with obligations to contribute to its ethical climate. Under this code students are not expected to police others' actions. Rather, students agree to report violations of which they become aware and failure to do so would constitute an honor code violation. Maliciously making a false accusation will be considered a violation of the honor code.
2.3.1 Admission to/Withdrawal from Class
At the beginning of each semester, the instructor receives lists of students who are registered in his or her course. Students whose names do not appear on a class list are not officially registered for that course.
After a student is once registered in a particular course, he or she can change only through official channels; notice to the instructor of any such changes comes from the Office of the Registrar.
Any change in registration is made on a Drop-Add Slip which the student obtains from the Office of the Registrar. Starting with the second week, the student must obtain the signature of the instructor of any course he or she adds, or drops. Starting with the third week, the student must obtain the signature of the instructor of any course he or she drops. Students enrolling in Independent Study courses must complete an Independent Study Proposal Sheet from the Registrar's Office, as well as the regular Drop-Add Slip during the first three weeks.
Withdrawal from a course may be done any time prior to the beginning of the third week of the fall and spring semesters and the fifth day of January Term without having that course participation recorded on the transcript. Withdrawals after this time will be recorded as a "W." Withdrawal from a course is not possible after the 10th week of a full semester course, the fifth week of a half semester course, or the third week of a January Term course. Courses for which a student is registered after these times will receive final grades.
Each instructor should inform his or her students early in the semester concerning his or her availability for office conferences or consultations, whether he or she intends to reserve certain hours each week or be available for appointment.
The last test for a course shall not be given during the 14th week of the semester. The last test for a course--whether a comprehensive final exam or a partial last unit test--shall be given in accordance with the test schedule issued by the Registrar.
Each new student is assigned a faculty member to act as academic advisor during the freshman year. Reassignment of advisors is made when student and advisor believe such a step to be in the best interest of the student.
The academic advisor, in addition to conferring with the student about academic, career, and life goals, is responsible for approving the student's course program prior to registration each semester. The advisor will encourage the student to enroll in courses satisfying the student's needs and interests, the objectives of the major field of concentration, and the general education requirements of the College. Students normally should select a major by the end of their sophomore year.
All students should be advised early in their academic careers to consider opportunities for graduate and professional study. Advisors are urged to encourage students considering graduate school to investigate the possibility of applying for national graduate fellowships such as Fulbright, Mellon,
"I" (Incomplete) is a temporary grade and is given at the discretion of the instructor when a student is unable to finish course work because of medical disability or problems of comparable seriousness beyond the student's control.
This additional time to complete course work may not extend beyond the close of the following semester, and earlier limits may be set at the discretion of the instructor. The grade "I" is reported on the official grade roster. If before the end of the deadline the instructor reports a final grade to the Registrar, that grade will replace the "I" and the grade point average will be computed accordingly. When the deadline has passed, an "F" will replace the "I", will be computed in the grade point average, and will become a permanent part of the transcript record.
All first-time college students at Gustavus Adolphus enroll in the Bachelor of Arts program without a declared major, and they are advised in the first year by the instructor of their First Term Seminar or a faculty member teaching in Curriculum II. Subsequent enrollment in a major is accomplished by completing a declaration of major form, normally by the end of the sophomore year, in consultation with a major advisor. Students may select the major requirements of any academic catalog during the years of their institutional enrollment.
2.3.7 Student Evaluation of Teaching
Faculty will be responsible for evaluating the effectiveness of their teaching for each course, each semester.
Copyright 2007, Gustavus Adolphus College. All Rights Reserved.
As last amended: May 22, 2008 Last modified: September 18, 2008, by Barbara Simpson