3.3.12 A. Faculty Responsibilities to Students

Policy

1. Faculty members should encourage the free pursuit of learning by all students. They should strive to exemplify the highest scholarly standards of their discipline.
2. Faculty members should foster the highest standards of academic honesty. Faculty should make reasonable efforts to guard against all forms of academic dishonesty, including cheating and plagiarism, and should have clear policies regarding academic dishonesty stated in their syllabi.
3. Membership in the academic community imposes on faculty members an obligation to respect the dignity of others, to acknowledge their right to express differing opinions, and to foster and defend intellectual honesty, freedom of inquiry and instruction, and free expression. The expressions of dissent and the attempt to produce change may not be carried out in ways which injure individuals, damage institutional facilities or disrupt the classes of one's colleagues. Faculty members should not incite students to acts of violence to individuals, acts of destruction of property, or acts which interfere with academic freedom.
4. Faculty members should organize and teach their courses in a manner that is consistent with the intent of the course as described in the university catalog.
5. Faculty should provide students access to a written syllabus (printed or electronic) in a timely fashion, normally on the first day of class, for each course that they teach. The syllabus should include specific course information, office hours and location (or other means of faculty availability appropriate to the teaching assignment), objectives of the course, tentative assignment and examination schedule, attendance and other course policies. Faculty members should clearly explain to their students methods of evaluation for the final grade. Faculty should reasonably adhere to the course syllabus and should announce and explain to the class all changes to the syllabus as far in advance as possible.
6. Evaluation of students is an important part of the learning process and should add to students' understanding. The course and the evaluation process exist to enhance students' intellectual development. Grades and criticisms of papers, projects, and examinations should be returned to the student for inspection and discussion in a timely manner. Final exams, term papers and other academic products should be returned to the student or retained for one term, permitting the opportunity for student review with the instructor if the student desires. It is expected that the faculty members will collect sufficient data on the performance of students to justify the final grade. Evaluation of students and award of credit must be based on professionally judged academic performance and not on matters irrelevant to that performance, as detailed in the Illinois State University Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Policy (Policy 1.1.1).
7. Faculty members should meet their assigned classes as scheduled. Faculty members who are absent from their duties because of illness should report the fact immediately to their department chairperson/school director. Faculty members who are absent for any reason other than illness, as for attending a professional meeting, should complete a Faculty Notice of Absence from Scheduled Duties form and file it with their department/school chairperson/director for prior approval.
8. Faculty members should be available to students on a regular basis outside of class. Ordinarily this will mean posting and observing a reasonable number of regular office hours during which the faculty member will be available for student conferences. Additional appointment time should be made available when mutually convenient to faculty and students in instances where student schedules conflict with regular office hours. Other means of student consultation appropriate to the teaching assignment may be used. Office hours and/or other means of consultation should be announced to classes through syllabi. Departments/schools should define the appropriate number of regular office hours and the means of student consultation based on student need and the nature of discipline(s) in the department or school.
9. Faculty should prepare adequately for each class and strive to develop within students the motivation to excel.
10. Faculty members should respect the confidential nature of their relationships with students. All information about student views, beliefs, activities, and political association which is acquired through the teacher-student relationship should be kept confidential. Information about grades and other confidential indicators of academic performance should be provided in a secure manner consistent with law.
11. Faculty members should avoid exploitation, financial, intellectual or otherwise, of students for private advantage both in and outside the classroom. Students' assistance in any scholarly endeavor, research, or the writing of a book, article, paper, etc., must be properly acknowledged.