Ombud's Memorandums

    The university ombud issues 2-3 memorandums on average each semester.  I will post them as I receive them.

Beginning of the Semester Reminders

From: Ombud Services <ombud@pop.uky.edu>
Subject: Fall Beginning of Semester Reminders

MEMORANDUM

TO:  Faculty, Department Chairs, Deans, and Administrative Officers

FROM:  Jeffrey B. Dembo, Academic Ombud

DATE:  August 25, 1999

RE:  Fall beginning of semester reminders

PLEASE DISTRIBUTE TO ALL TEACHING ASSISTANTS AND PART TIME FACULTY AND
CONSIDER POSTING IN A CONSPICUOUS LOCATION

Welcome back!  It is my pleasure and privilege to work again with you this
year as Academic Ombud.  Please remember there is an open invitation for
you to call or e-mail our office regarding anything pertaining to academic
life at the University.  Michelle and I will always try our best to answer
your questions, help find solutions to a problem, or direct you to others
who can assist.  As we did last year, we are sending beginning and end of
semester reminders by e-mail -- please contact is if there is any problem
regarding receipt of the memos. 
Please take a moment to review these reminders -- they may help prevent
future misunderstandings or conflict. "An ounce of prevention..."  While
the text of this reminder remains fairly constant each time, I have added
some new text or commentary - these are marked with asterisks (***).  The
abbreviation "S.R." refers to the relevant Senate Rule, which can be found at:
        http://ukcc.uky.edu/%7Esenate/

SYLLABUS: The syllabus is the most important indicator of a teacher's
expectations of his/her student -- it is much like an academic "contract."
 The syllabus should be as specific as possible, avoiding imprecise, vague,
or ambiguous phraseology.  This syllabus must be provided free of charge
(S.R.6.1.1), and each student must receive the syllabus during the first or
second class meeting.  
Syllabi can be distributed electronically (e.g. e-mail, web sites, etc.)
IF the electronically distributed syllabus contains the necessary
information AND is made available at the first or second class meeting AND
can be accessed by all students.  A student who feels s/he needs a hard
copy might incur expenses for printing it, thus violating the spirit of
providing syllabi "at no cost to the student."  A reasonable compromise is
to offer printed paper copies to students on an "as needed" basis.

At a minimum, the syllabus must outline the following:

A.  Course Content: this should accurately reflect what will be covered in
the course and conform to the description published in the official
Bulletin.  It is possible that even a well constructed syllabus may be
lacking something obvious, such as the instructor's name.  Having a
meticulous individual proofread this important document may prevent these
omissions.

B.  Evaluation: activities to be evaluated and the relative importance
given to each activity should be explicitly stated. (Example:   Midterm -
30%; Term Project - 20%; Quizzes - 10%; Comprehensive final - 40%).  List
the dates of all major exams,  assignment due dates and date/time/place of
the final exam.   
Remember that no final examinations are to be given the last week
preceding finals (Dead Week - S.R. 5.2.4.6).  To help reduce confusion and
frustration during the last week, clarify your expectations at the start of
the semester for activities that will occur during that last week.  Regular
course activities, such as homework, quizzes, or laboratory practicals may
continue as usual.

C.  Grading Criteria: specify the numerical scales to be used and their
relationship to letter grades.  Discuss  how unexcused absences or other
requirements may affect the final grade.  If factors affecting evaluation
must be revised during the semester, students must be given reasonable
warning.  ***In summary, there should be no question about what a student
must accomplish to earn a particular grade - any vagueness can and will be
challenged by students.***

D.  Midterm evaluation: all teachers must inform the undergraduate
students in their courses of their current grade based on the criteria in
the syllabus by October 22, 1999 (University Senate Rule 5.1.0.1). ***In
some courses, midterm progress will be self evident because students can
calculate the average of their tests and quizzes to date.  In other courses
students may honestly have no idea what grades have been recorded for them
(participation, unreturned homeworks, projects). The spirit of this policy
is to give students a sense of their success in the course (or lack
thereof) prior to the withdrawal deadline.

E.  Policy on unexcused absences and late submissions: be as precise as
possible in describing the penalties.

EXCUSED ABSENCES: The following are acceptable reasons for excused
absences: 1) serious illness; 2) illness or death of family member; 3)
University related trips (see S.R. 5.2.4.2.C); 4) major religious holidays;
5) other circumstances you find to be "reasonable cause for nonattendance."
Students anticipating absence for a major religious holiday during Fall
semester must notify instructor in writing prior to the last day for adding
a class, August 31, 1999.  Information regarding dates of major religious
holidays may be obtained through the religious liaison, Mr. Jake Karnes
(257-2754).
When there is an excused absence, students must be given the opportunity to
make up missed work and/or exams.  ***It is the student's responsibility to
inform you of the absence preferably in advance, but no later than one week
afterwards (S.R. 5.2.4.2.D).  The burden of proof is on the student to
provide sufficient documentation about the nature of an excusable absence,
and you retain the right to ask for such proof.***  It will be advantageous
to clarify your expectations for verification of excused absences in the
syllabus.  

OFFICE HOURS: Academic conflicts can often be avoided by ensuring that
lines of communication between student and faculty are established at the
start of a course.  Encourage students to contact you before a small
problem becomes a large one.  Clearly state the office hours and room
number during which you will be available for consultation and/or explain
how an appointment is made to see you.  Providing your e-mail address is
also recommended.

CHEATING AND PLAGIARISM: ***Cheating and plagiarism continue to be
significant problems on campus, and it appears that honest students are
becoming more vocal about the degree to which they perceive academic
infractions occurring on campus.***  In many cases, students who
contemplate committing breaches of academic integrity are unaware of the
seriousness with which the University views the offenses or of the
potential consequences.  We should, therefore, try to eliminate
misunderstandings regarding definitions and interpretation.  You should
stress that, according to University Rules,  the minimum punishment for
either of these offenses is an "E" in the course.
There is more than one way for an instructor to act upon a suspected
academic infraction, and the whole process can be unsettling and stressful
for both instructor and student.  Often, talking with colleagues or the
Ombud can help provide guidance prior to taking specific action.
If a teacher chooses to administer an exam that students may not copy or
keep afterwards, consideration should be given to labeling it in some way;
for example "RESTRICTED EXAM - NO COPIES TO BE MADE -- POSSESSION
CONSTITUTES CHEATING."  This way, no student will be caught unaware that
s/he was in possession of or studied from such an exam.

***A separate memo regarding academic integrity will be sent later in the
semester.***

CLASS ENROLLMENT:  Students who are attending class but are not on the
class roll (i.e., not enrolled) should be directed to the registrar.  The
University has no obligation to instruct students who participate in class
without enrolling or whose enrollment becomes nullified during the
semester.  It is the responsibility of the instructor in each class to
certify that the final roll is correct.
When a student is taking the course as a visiting student or auditing the
class, that student's status and the instructor's expectations of the
student it should be clearly agreed upon at the start of a course

Adrienne McMahan
Assistant Dean, Student Affairs
College of Arts and Sciences
257 Patterson Office Tower - 0027
606-257-4023
606-323-1073 (fax)
http://www.uky.edu/ArtsSciences

Cheers,
Craig C. Douglas

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