03:04:01:00 Course Requirements

Purpose:

The purpose of this policy is to outline the procedure for scheduling classes, requirements for course syllabus, defining classroom safety measures, requirements for attendance reporting, and requirements for administering test and examinations.

Scope:

This policy applies to all full-time and adjunct DSCC faculty members.

Policy:

Scheduling of Classes:

All academic classes are to be scheduled in Banner in accordance with the timeline provided each semester by the Office of Admissions and Records. In the event it becomes necessary to move a class once a room has been assigned, the change must receive prior approval through the Dean’s office. The Dean’s office will coordinate the move with the office of the Vice President of Academic Affairs and Student Success.

Course Syllabi

Accessible, up-to-date copies of course syllabi must be loaded in the course shells in DSCC’s learning management system for each course by the Discipline Coordinator or instructor every semester.

Each faculty member should prepare a course syllabus for each class which includes the following items:

  1. name and number of course and instructor’s name;
  2. course description as approved by Instructional Council;
  3. textbook to be used in the particular course;
  4. any supplementary materials or books to be used in the course;
  5. learning outcomes as approved by Instructional Council;
  6. the methods of teaching to be used in the course;
  7. the types of evaluation to be used in the course;
  8. the method of scoring and weight given to each evaluation;
  9. course requirements, such as term project, parallel reading, number of tests to be given, and approximate dates;
  10. additional requirements for that particular course;
  11. a link to the Dyersburg State Code of Honor and Citizenship;
  12. a link to the safety and security reports;
  13. a link to the instructions for reporting fraud, waste, and abuse;
  14. the statement from the common syllabus template advising students with disabilities to contact the ADA Coordinator;
  15. the statement from the common syllabus template pertaining to DSCC’s expectation of academic honesty.

The individual faculty member and the Discipline Coordinator or Division Dean are
responsible for making sure that the course syllabus is up to date

Classroom Safety

Faculty and adjunct faculty are asked to adhere to the following standards of classroom safety.

  • Classroom doors should be shut and locked during the official class period.
  • For classes needing to relocate permanently or temporarily, the appropriate Dean’s office must be notified before the move is made. Permanent moves must be approved through the appropriate channels and entered into Banner.
  • Faculty should inform students of DSCC emergency procedures during the first-class period

Class Rolls and Attendance Reporting

Faculty members are responsible for keeping accurate and up-to-date attendance records. Class rolls are accessed electronically. At the beginning of each semester, and throughout the semester, faculty members should regularly and routinely check class roles for accuracy. Any discrepancy in a class list should be reported immediately to the Office of Admissions and Records.

Faculty members must update the online Attendance Reporting feature in Self-service Banner each time a request is emailed from the Office of Admissions and Records, if not more often. An electronic list of students who have been reported as “Stopped Attending” is received in the Office of the Dean of Student Services for follow up with an email and a telephone call. Faculty members are accountable for verifying attendance of students for Financial Aid, Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), and the Veterans Administration

Last Day of Attendance Requirements

Each semester, DSCC is required by the U. S. Department of Education to document the last day of attendance (LDA) of students receiving federal financial aid. The federal government requires that each full- and part-time faculty member provide documentation of LDA when requested to do so. To be sure that DSCC is in compliance with federal regulations, faculty members must provide the last day of attendance for any student on their class roster who receives a final grade of “F,” ,”FA” “E” (learning support), or “I.” Even if the student completed the semester with an “F” grade, the last day of attendance must be indicated on the report. Students who complete the semester with a grade of “F” are not liable for repayment of financial aid. However, students who complete less than 60 percent of the semester are liable for repayment of some or all of their financial aid. If a faculty member is unable to document the last day of attendance, the College may be liable.

Documentation of LDA must be provided no later than the date for submitting grades to the Office of Admissions and Records. LDA may be entered on the class roster using Self-Service Banner. In the meantime, faculty members should continue to report attendance in Self-Service Banner. The Office of the Dean of Student Services will attempt to contact students with excessive absenteeism and determine the reason for the absences.

Administering Tests and Examinations Faculty members are responsible for assessing student learning outcomes. In cases where an emergency prevents a faculty member from giving an examination, the Division Dean is notified. The faculty member will provide a suitable proctor, an alternate date for testing, or alternate method to deliver the examination.

Compliance:

All regular, full-time and adjunct faculty members must adhere to this policy.  

Definitions:

Revision History:

Policy written December 1994.  Policy Revised October 2012; approved by Administrative Council on 02/22/2013. Policy Revised October 2016; approved by Administrative Council on 11/30/2016; approved by Administrative Council on 02/23/2023.