1. Faculty Responsibilities in Teaching and Advising

Counseling and Advising Students

Graduate Students: In addition to teaching, research, and service, faculty members are required to maintain office hours for counseling and advising students in their respective academic departments. The schedule and number of hours faculty members dedicate to counseling andadvising are usually determined by the academic department chair.

Undergraduate Students: In most programs, undergraduates are advised by their assigned professional program advisor although some programs rely on faculty to also serve as academic advisors. Undergraduate program directors also assist with advising in addition to their other responsibilities.

The dean with endorsement by the chairs, strongly suggest that all faculty receive the Graduate School Mentor Training.

Teaching Courses

Faculty teach a wide variety of courses, according to specific disciplinary needs. Among the different types of courses offered in SPHHS are lectures, laboratories, discussion sessions, internships, independent studies, honors thesis, colloquia, etc. Teaching is a primary mission of the faculty. Specific teaching loads are set at the departmental level subject to the approval of the dean. Course assignment is the responsibility of the department's chair, subject to the approval of the dean.

All new courses must be approved by the Faculty Senate. Experimental courses require approval by the department chair, school curriculum committee and dean, faculty senate secretary, provost and registrar. Permanent courses also require review by the department curriculum committee and senate councils.

Further information on the process for course development can be found here.

SPHHS Faculty and Staff Resources Teams Site

The school maintains a Microsoft Teams site for communication with faculty and instructors. A single place for current resources and relevant news and information, it includes announcements from the dean, contact information for school leadership, a school calendar of events, classroom communications, etc. There is a separate channel for sharing resources in each of the following areas: business center; human resources; information technology; diversity, equity and inclusion; research; teaching; student success. You will be given access to the Teams site when you are hired; please contact Carey Simos if you are unable to access the site.

Course Websites

UMass is transitioning to Canvas as its sole learning management system for both on-campus and online courses. While you have the option to continue using Moodle or Blackboard during AY23-24, we strongly recommend setting up your courses in Canvas. If you wish to use Canvas for your course, you need to request a Canvas course each semester through SPIRE. When the course’s Canvas page is set up, you have the option to import and reuse a previous course (either your own or a colleague’s, with their permission). Information on getting started in CANVAS can be found here: https://www.umass.edu/it/services/learning-management-systems

Course Requirements, Term Papers and Examinations

The syllabus for each course must include the following elements: course objectives, expectations/requirements, attendance policies, grading criteria including how the final grade is calculated, examination schedule and make-up policies, academic honesty policies, disability/accessibility policies, and contact information for the instructor. A template syllabus for SPHHS instructors is available through the faculty/staff Moodle page. The UMass Center for Teaching and Learning has resources for developing your syllabus following university guidelines: https://www.umass.edu/ctl/resources/how-do-i/how-do-i-write-inclusive-syllabus

Additionally, syllabi within SPHHS must include a statement of commitment to diversity:

Valuing, Recognizing, and Encouraging Diversity: Promoting and valuing diversity in the classroom enriches learning and broadens everyone’s perspectives. Inclusion and tolerance can lead to respect for others and their opinions and is critical to maximizing the learning that we expect in this course. Our own closely held ideas and personal comfort zones may be challenge. The results, however, create a sense of community and promote excellence in the learning environment. Diversity includes consideration of (1) the variety of life experiences others have had, and (2) factors related to “diversity of presence,” including, age, economic circumstances, ethnic identification, disability, gender, geographic origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, social position. This class will follow principles of inclusion, respect, tolerance, and acceptance that support the values of diversity.

Syllabi for courses in accredited programs must also include a listing of any competencies and/or learning objectives met in the class.

All course requirements, including textbooks, papers, and examinations, should be clearly indicated to students in the syllabus at the beginning of the semester. If there are changes, announcements should be made so that all individuals enrolled in the course are informed. The Academic Regulations, which are updated and published each year, provides guidance on when and how final examinations should be administered and when evening mid-terms can be scheduled. The Regulations also provide guidance on how instructors should handle absences due to illness, the observation of religious holidays, and other circumstances that will require students to miss classes or examinations. The link to Academic Regulations is here.

Finally, the Academic Regulations provide guidance for when a student can be given a grade of Incomplete in a course. INC grades should only be assigned if a student is passing the course at the time the Incomplete is requested, and usually only when one or a small number of assignments remain to be completed. An Incomplete contract (available on the SPHHS faculty & staff Moodle page) should always be completed and signed by both the student and the instructor, and a copy should be maintained in the department/program office. Students that do not qualify for an INC should have their final grade reported following the usual procedures and timeline.

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