Dear Colleagues,
The WSU Provost’s Spring 2021 Quick Teaching Guide (PDF) contains information to assist instructors with navigating the changes imposed by WSU’s response to the public health emergency caused by COVID-19. It also provides some key resources for both faculty and students.
Syllabus requirements: Current required syllabus elements and statements are available on the WSU Syllabus website.
Academic Integrity statement: This is one of the required elements in the syllabus. Please articulate your expectations, particularly about what types of collaboration, if any, is allowed in a HW, project, or other assignment. Also include specific sanctions you would impose for violating WSU’s Academic Integrity Policy. Having this in the syllabus will help students understand your expectations. In the event a student is in violation of the policy, having clearly articulated statement in the syllabus would help defend any student appeal of a faculty imposed sanction.
Class-free days: Feb. 15, Feb. 25, March 17, April 13.
Please do not schedule assignment due dates or tests immediately after these days-they are intended to be mini-breaks to lessen stress for our students and provide zoom breaks for instructors.
Final examination week: The final examination schedule provides for the administration of two or three-hour final examinations outside the regular class period in a way that minimizes conflicts for students. The Spring 2021 final exam schedule will have an additional hour added to finals timeslots so that students and faculty have a time buffer for technical issues. The extra time is not for adding additional content to the exam.
Final examination week and the week(s) prior are often busy for most students. The academic regulations (stated below) around examinations are intended to ensure students have adequate time to prepare. Having major course projects due by Friday of the last week of instruction (closed week) would enable students focus on scheduled exams during the final exam week.
Finally, I want to emphasize a few academic regulations surrounding examinations (see Provost’s memorandum on key policies (PDF)).
Instructors wishing to schedule examinations outside of normal class periods have two options: common examinations (Rule 80) and out-of-class examinations (Rule 81). Both options must yield priority to officially scheduled class meetings, including lectures, labs, and studios.
Rule 78 (Closed week): No examinations or quizzes (other than laboratory examinations, make-up examinations and make-up quizzes) may be given during the last week of instruction.
Rule 79 (No Early Examinations) A student will not be granted special examinations for the purpose of leaving the institution before the close of the semester.
Rule 77 (Three or more in one day) During final examination week, if the scheduled arrangement results in students having three or more examinations scheduled for any one day, any one of their instructors is authorized to excuse the students from the regularly scheduled examination and give a final examination to the students during the special exams time blocks. In cases of difficulty in arriving at a solution, students shall refer the matter to the chairpersons of their departments or to their academic advisors.
No regulation requires a final examination, and no policy prevents the introduction of new material during closed week. Any departure from rule 78 or 79 should have the prior written approval of the college dean.
Please feel free to contact me anytime if you any questions or concerns.
K. Sivakumar
Associate Dean, Academic Affairs
Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture
Washington State University
Email: siva@wsu.edu
Phone: 509-335-4969