Faculty Handbook

UNDERGRADUATE CLASSES & CATALOGUE

• Introduction and Evaluation of New Courses
• Class Meetings
• Reports by Undergraduate Faculty Members
• Grades
• The Catalogue

     The approval of the undergraduate faculty Courses and Degrees Committee shall be secured in the following matters: (l) before the introduction of a new course into the curriculum; (2) before the substitution of one course for another in major or degree requirements; (3) before substantive course changes are made; and (4) in the evaluation of a student’s independent major. The action of this committee is subject to review and final action of the undergraduate faculty.

     1. Schedule. The schedule of class meetings is set by the undergraduate faculty. Classes meet on weekdays in various combinations of hours. The following informal letter code has developed over the years to refer to class hours:

A 8:00- 8:55        F 1:00- 1:55

B 9:00- 9:55        G 2:00- 2:55

C 10:00-10:55      H 3:00- 3:55

D 11:00-11:55       I 4:00- 4:55

E 12:00-12:55       J 5:00- 5:55

    2. Exceptions. Exceptions to the above schedule may be made by action of the undergraduate faculty or by the Faculty Executive Committee acting for the undergraduate faculty.

     3. Change in scheduled time. Heads of departments (or, for the Williams School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics, the Dean) may on occasion require the attendance of a class at a University lecture not scheduled at the hour of class meeting. The same authority may permit class meetings at other than scheduled hours on occasions when the faculty member, for good reasons, wishes to meet a class in his or her home, or in the library, or for the showing of films. It is understood that such shifts shall be infrequent and that they are not to interfere with other classes or work undue hardship on the normal routine of the University community.

     4. Duration. Classes are scheduled at 60-minute intervals with five (5) minutes between class periods. Failure to dismiss a class at the moment the bell rings may cause a student to be late for the next class and may encroach on another faculty member’s class time.

     5. Class Attendance. A student’s participation in the work of a course is clearly a precondition for receiving credit in that course. Because of the wide variety of courses and teaching methods at Washington and Lee, the University recognizes that the nature of a student’s participation in the work of a course cannot be prescribed on a University-wide basis. For this reason classroom attendance is not a matter subject to regulation by the University. Rather, attendance in class and laboratory is a matter between the student and the faculty member in that class or laboratory.

     Members of the undergraduate faculty may require a previously registered student to drop a class if the student misses the first class meeting of the term without the prior approval of the instructor. In such cases the student is responsible for the appropriate forms and fees. Students may alter their schedules after the drop/add period, before the end of the third week of a term, with permission of the instructor and the adviser and payment of the fee. Upon recommendation of a student’s academic adviser, discretionary adjustments for a freshman may be permitted by the appropriate dean before the end of the third week of a term and without charge. Students who wish to make any change after the time designated for making changes must petition the Faculty Executive Committee for a waiver of the deadline and pay the appropriate fee.

     6. Pledged Homework. All work at Washington and Lee, unless otherwise stated, is considered pledged. Faculty members should take the greatest care to make sure that students understand clearly and exactly pledged homework assignments and the meaning of the pledge.

     7. Tests and Examinations. No student shall be permitted to take a regular or make-up examination or test at any other place than the college building or room designated by the faculty member. The faculty member, or a colleague, is not required to remain in the room during a test but should be available.

     8. Final Examinations. Students set their own final examination schedules within the period of time prescribed by the faculty. (See the Catalogue for details.) Final examinations are given in classrooms designated by the departments and are subject to the provisions of the Honor System.

     9. University Policy on Accommodating Students with Disabilities. Washington and Lee University is committed to providing equal access to educational opportunities to qualified students with physical or mental disabilities, in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Students requesting accommodation will need to provide appropriate documentation of: (1) a disability, which is a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities; and (2) a need for accommodation, by virtue of the specific functional limitations of the disability, to have equal access to educational opportunities. The University intends that these procedures will facilitate an interactive process of dialogue and timely exchange of information between the student and the Offices of the Dean of Students and/or Dean of the College.

     It is the responsibility of a student with a physical or mental disability who may require any type of accommodation to make the accommodation request in a timely manner. In order to ensure sufficient time for the eligibility and accommodation decision process and to make arrangements for appropriate accommodations, the student should contact the Office of the Dean of the College, Washington Hall 24, Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Virginia 24450, (540) 463-8746, within one week of the start of the academic term. The student will need to complete a "Request for Accommodation of Disability" form and an interview with the Dean of Students or Associate Dean of the College (depending on the nature of the disability/accommodation requested), after which the appropriate Dean will inform the student about any further specific documentation required for the particular disability and accommodation requested. Untimely requests may result in delay, substitution, or denial of accommodation, though the Deans will make a reasonable effort to accommodate such requests.

     Upon receipt of all required information and documentation from the student and his/her diagnosing/evaluating professional, the Deans will make decisions on requests as follows. The Dean of Students will make eligibility and accommodation determinations on requests solely pertaining to accessibility of grounds or resources (e.g., wheelchair access). The Associate Dean of the College will make eligibility and accommodation determinations on requests solely pertaining to academic accommodations. The Deans may jointly make the eligibility and/or accommodation determinations on requests pertaining to disabilities that may involve both accessibility and academic accommodations. Either Dean may consult with other educational, medical, or psychological professionals, as he/she deems necessary for appropriate evaluation of disability/accommodation, on a case-by-case basis. As soon as possible, preferably within two school weeks of receiving all required documentation on a request, the Dean(s) will issue a written response, either outlining offered accommodations or explaining why the student was found ineligible. A student who disagrees with the decision of the Dean(s), or who seeks clarification of the decision, may, within three (3) school days of the decision, request an informal meeting with the Dean(s) for clarification or to request reconsideration of any aspect of the decision. Following the meeting, the Dean(s) will notify the student in writing of any change in his/her/their decision, preferably within five (5) days of the informal meeting. Thereafter, if the student still disagrees with the decision, he/she may appeal the decision, in writing, to the President of the University or designee within five (5) school days of the written notification from the Dean(s), stating in detail the basis for the appeal and furnishing all documentation in support of the appeal. The President or designee will then review the appeal, the decision of the Dean(s), and all supporting documentation, may meet with the student and the Dean(s), and may obtain any additional information he/she deems relevant. The President or designee will render a decision to the student as soon as possible, preferably within two (2) school weeks of receiving the appeal. The decision of the President or designee is final.

     1. Class Rolls. Prior to the beginning of each term the faculty member will receive from the University Registrar a class roll indicating the students who have enrolled in each class. Within two weeks of the beginning of classes, a corrected roll that accounts for all drops and adds will be distributed. The faculty member should report to the University Registrar’s Office any error in this report (to include students who are not registered but are attending and those not attending who are registered).

     2. Midterm Grade Reports. A report of midterm grades for freshmen shall be submitted to the University Registrar’s Office when requested.

     3. End-of-Term Grade Reports. Fall and winter term grades shall be reported to the University Registrar not later than 12:00 noon of the second work day after the last day of final examinations. The grades of all graduating seniors and of those students being considered for scholarships must be filed in the University Registrar’s Office not later than 9:00 a.m. two days before graduation. Other spring term grades are due at 3:00 p.m. the day after graduation.

     4. Other Reports. Other reports may be requested by the President or the appropriate dean and shall be submitted by undergraduate faculty members.

D. Grades

     1. System of Grading. The Catalogue describes the system of grading. Grades are assigned only at the end of the term. Freshman midterm grades are unofficial and are to be used for advising purposes only.

     2. Pass/Fail Grades. The Catalogue describes the policies concerning pass/fail grades. According to faculty regulations, a grade of "D-" is considered to be passing.

     3. Incompletes. The Catalogue describes the policies concerning Incompletes. Students may not register if they have four or more Incompletes on their record. Students may not graduate with an I grade remaining on their record unless there are extraordinary circumstances satisfactory to the Committee on Courses and Degrees.

     4. Questions concerning grades and grading may be discussed at mutually convenient times with the appropriate dean or department head.

     5. It is the responsibility of each faculty member to:

     a. provide at the beginning of each course a tentative schedule of assignments and a description of how the final grade will be determined;

     b. be willing to discuss and review all aspects of a student’ s grade within a reasonable time after receipt of the grade; and

     c. retain throughout the next term all graded material not returned to the student.

     6. Any student believing that class work has been unfairly evaluated has the right to bring the matter to the attention of the head of the department concerned. The head of the department may then discuss the grade with the faculty member involved. However, the final determination of the student’s grade remains the responsibility of the faculty member teaching the course.

E. The Catalogue

     1. Curricular Material. So far as possible, curricular material in the Catalogue is to be prospective, looking forward to the subsequent session rather than being a record of the current session.

     2. Listing of Courses. Immediately following the material covering the degrees, all courses offered toward these degrees are to be listed alphabetically. All departments and sub-departments, including such divisions as Public Speaking, are to be listed alphabetically.

     3. Listing of Faculty. The listing of the faculty in the Catalogue follows the rules set forth above in Article III, section d.

Revised May 2003