Freedom in research is fundamental to the advancement of truth. Academic freedom in its teaching aspect is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the teacher in teaching and of the student to freedom of learning. It carries with it duties correlative with rights.”
"Teachers are entitled to freedom in the classroom in discussing their subject, but they should be careful not to introduce into their teaching controversial matter which has no relation to their subject."
(Policy Documents & Reports, 10th ed. Washington, D.C.: American Association of University Professors, 2006.)
Academic freedom is essential to fulfill the ultimate objectives of an educational institution – the free search for the exposition of truth – and applies to both teaching and research. The Board of Trustees of the College of Southern Idaho recognizes the principle of academic freedom, pursuant to which:
Implicit in the principles of academic freedom are corollary responsibilities of the faculty who enjoy that freedom. Incompetence, indolence, intellectual dishonesty, serious moral dereliction, arbitrary and capricious disregard of standards of professional conduct and other shortcomings (see Termination of Employment: 3.05.04) may constitute adequate grounds for dismissal or other disciplinary sanctions against faculty members.
2.02 Responsibilities of Instructional Personnel
All CSI instructional personnel are expected to be professional in their duties and to be loyal to the institution, its ideals, and its personnel. Part-time instructors should participate in institutional self-study and strive to maintain or raise the standards of the College through constructive criticism and suggestions to appropriate faculty and staff. The College expects part-time instructors to be willing to support administrative and group decisions and to work toward common goals.
All instructors should consider it a duty to help preserve and protect College property in every aspect of their professional endeavors.
2.03 Curriculum Committee
All new curricula or substantive changes to existing curricula must be approved by the Curriculum Committee.
2.04 Assemblies and Faculty Meetings
Faculty are required to attend graduation at the end of the academic school year and the President’s State of the College address during in-service week prior to the start of each semester.
Tuesday afternoons from 1:00 to 1:50 have been set aside throughout the institution for the sole purpose of providing a common time for meetings. This time should be left open in a faculty member's schedule for this purpose. (See Committees: 6.08.)
2.05 Program Advising
Every degree-seeking student at the College is assigned an advisor from among faculty teaching in the student’s major field or, in the case of liberal arts majors, from the advising center. The faculty advisor for each major is assigned by the chair of the pertinent department, who also ensures that the advisor receives the training and resources that they need to carry out their advising responsibilities.
Faculty advisors must be available during their regular contract period, including in-service weeks, to assist advisees with early, official, and late registration. If an advisor must be away from campus during one of these times, the advisor should arrange for coverage of their advising responsibilities and notify their immediate supervisor.
Faculty advisors should be knowledgeable of:
When meeting with an advisee, the advisor should recommend appropriate courses of study, initially assist in the mechanics of scheduling, review the educational progress of the advisee through their academic records, and make appropriate and timely referrals as needed.
The following links provide helpful advising resources:
2.06 Class Rolls and Attendance Reports
The Admissions and Records Office provides official class lists online at MyCSI. Official class lists may also be obtained through the Jenzabar EX program. Instruction in the use of these programs is available to all instructional personnel during in-service week each semester. At other times, please contact your immediate supervisor.
Any student who is attending class and whose name does not appear on the current class list should be referred to the Admissions and Records Office to resolve the problem.
For academic purposes, attendance and record keeping pertinent to instruction are left up to the individual instructor. However, for institutional purposes, each instructor shall check the class list for the names of students who do not attend in the first week of the course. Such names must be brought to the attention of the registrar at the end of that week, using the current protocol provided by the Admissions and Records Office. It is extremely important for all instructors to make a personal commitment to report those names in a timely manner. If they do not, those names appear at the end of the semester as a loss to the course, and have a negative effect on the institutional attrition report.
After the fifteenth day of classes in a regular semester, instructors should attempt to identify and contact any student who is registered for their class but who has not attended or participated in any way (“no-show”). If the student cannot be contacted, or, being contacted, indicates that they do not intend to participate in the class, the instructor should withdraw the student using the current protocol provided by the Admissions and Records Office. For short or late-start courses, consult the Admissions & Records Office for guidance.
Instructors must report to Financial Aid the names of students who cease participating in a class prior to the last regularly scheduled class meeting. These names should be reported as soon as the date of last participation is known. However, if a student does not officially withdraw from the course, the instructor may have to wait until course completion to determine the date of last participation for that student.
2.07 Classroom Scheduling
Master scheduling at the College is coordinated by the Office of Instructional Administration. Classes are to meet in assigned rooms at assigned times. Instructional personnel are not to change classrooms or meeting times without the approval of the Office of Instructional Administration.
The room assignment for each class is listed in the Course Schedule.
2.08 Course Changes and Withdrawals
See the CSI Catalog > Becoming a Student > Registration.
2.09 Course Syllabi
Course syllabi shall reflect current course content, and shall be updated each semester that the instructor teaches the course. Guidelines and a checklist for syllabus development are available.
Copies of syllabi for all courses shall be on file with the Office of Instructional Administration or its designee (commonly the department chair). In any case, department chairs should always have access to course syllabi for all courses offered through their department.
2.10 Faculty Absences
Faculty members are expected to conduct classes as scheduled. Faculty who must be absent from class must notify the department or division chair in advance. Department and division chairs will recommend arrangements to cover absences of faculty.
It is the responsibility of faculty, department and program chairs, and the Vice President of the Instruction to provide maximum instructor time each semester. Efforts are to be made to provide a substitute instructor only when an instructor is gone for an extended length of time.
If the instructor is absent due to illness or leave without pay, the substitute is eligible for compensation. Substitutes for persons attending professional meetings at their own request will not normally be compensated by the College. Permission to pay substitutes under certain other circumstances may be approved by the Vice President of Instruction. (See also Leave Policies: 3.14.)
2.11 Faculty Senate and Senate Executive Committee
The general faculty elect seven representatives to serve as the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, and the Executive Committee then elects officers from the committee (three one year, four the next). The Executive Committee is the liaison between the faculty, the administration, and the board, providing input on policy and procedure issues pertinent to instruction and faculty personnel matters. Currently two members of the Executive Committee attend the monthly board meetings of the CSI Trustees. A term on the Executive Committee lasts two years; there are no term limits. (See also Faculty Senate Constitution and By-Laws: 8.00)
2.12 Final Examinations
A grade sheet for submitting final grades will be provided to the faculty at final examination time. Final examinations will be given based on the finals schedule published each semester. Exceptions require the consent of the Vice President of Instruction.
In general, students absent from any written test shall be regarded as having failed that test. However, if such absence is caused by some unavoidable circumstance (the burden of proof lies with the student), the instructor shall give a comparable test to the student at a later date.
Final exams (except unit tests and lab tests) may not be given during the week immediately preceding finals week.
2.13 Final Grades
Final grades are recorded on official forms distributed by the Office of Admission and Records and must be filed in that office at a time so designated for each semester. Once a grade has been submitted, it may be changed by the instructor through the Office of Admission and Records (see Grading System: 2.14).
2.14 Grade Appeal Policy
A student may appeal a grade that he or she feels is unfair through the grade appeal process. The entire grade appeal process focuses on fairness and due process for students and faculty. There are specific guidelines and procedures which must be followed in each grade appeal, and this detailed information is available from the Office of Admission and Records. Also see the CSI Student Handbook.
2.15 Grading System
Grades are earned upon successful completion of a course in the following categories:
A (4 grade points) outstanding achievement
B (3 grade points) above-average achievement
C (2 grade points) average achievement
D (1 grade point) below-average achievement
F (0 grade points) unsatisfactory achievement
NC no credit granted (to be reviewed in FY96)
IP in progress
I incomplete
2.16 Instructional Materials
Faculty members should work cooperatively with the department or program head and interested teaching staff in the selection of texts required for courses. General criteria for text and instructional material selection are as follows:
1. The number of required texts should be minimal. Additions to the minimum must be approved by the department or program chair.
2. Texts should not be changed more than once every two years (six semesters) unless the text is clearly been outdated.
Instructors should request desk copies of textbooks directly from the publishing company or salesmen. If a desk copy is not available, it can be purchased from the bookstore and charged to the department on the same basis as any other bookstore purchase. Instructor materials (i.e., instructor's guides) are not available from the bookstore. Instructors should request these materials from the publisher. (Check with the area secretary for request forms.)
Bookstore Purchases: Purchases at the bookstore must be requested on a bookstore requisition form and must be approved by the appropriate department/program head/director. (See form following this policy.)
Book Orders: To insure an inventory of books when classes begin, the following dates must be observed:
Books for fall semester--order by April 15th
Books for spring semester--order by October 15th
Books for summer semester--order by April 15th
Changes of Editions or Required Class Materials: At least one semester's notification of intention to change editions or to delete or change required materials for a class should be given to ensure proper turnaround time.
Bookstore Hours: vary by semester/summer session (Monday through Friday). Generally: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with extended hours prior to school. Students can purchase textbooks online through the CSI web site.
2.17 Office Assignments and Office Hours
Limited office space on campus necessitates sharing of offices. Faculty office space is arranged by each department head in conference with the Executive Vice President's office and the President of the College.
Administrative offices are open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Faculty are expected to schedule office hours so that they may be available to conference with students. The teaching schedule, preparation time, and office hours must total 30 hours a week on campus with at least one office hour a day, five days a week not counting overload. In other words, office hours will be arranged on a daily basis and with at least one office hour a day. The office hour schedule should be observed as conscientiously as that of a class. Each faculty will file a copy of his or her office hours for a semester with the Executive Vice President and Instructional Dean. A copy of the scheduled office hours must be posted on each instructor's door. Faculty will also post their office hours on the CSI Web site.
2.18 Teaching Schedules
Each semester, teaching schedules are decided cooperatively by the faculty member, the department or program chair and the Vice President of Instruction based on the supply of students, the demand for classes, and faculty availability. (See also Office Assignments and Office Hours: 2.16 and Faculty Load: 3.11.)
2.19 Plagiarism and Cheating (Rev: 1/98)
In general, the burden of proof of student plagiarism or cheating lies with the faculty member. The following is the current CSI Honesty Policy found in the CSI Student Handbook available in the Student Information Office:
Honesty
Students are expected to be honest in all aspects of their college education. All work is evaluted on the assumption that the work presented is the student's. Anything less is unacceptable is subject to initial disciplinary action at the teacher's discretion. For student appeal, refer to the section on Discipline Appeal. Examples of dishonest practice include but are limited to:
Plagiarism--Submission or presentation of a student assignment as one's own in which any portions are paraphrased without documentation or are identical to published or unpublished material from another source (including another student's work). An assignment is defined as "any materials submitted or presented by a student for credit in a course."
Faculty members are not prohibited from active campaign work in a political race as candidate or in support of a candidate. However, before making political commitments, it is advisable for a faculty member to discuss the situation and implications with his or her supervisor and the President. Any political activities must reflect the faculty member's own private life and feelings and not be representative of the College. No political activity should involve the College or its staff by implication or otherwise.
2.21 Professional Organizations
It is anticipated that faculty members will belong to professional and related organizations which reflect their academic background and interests at their own expense. When possible, the College may financially assist faculty members in attending meetings of these professional organizations with conference fees, room and travel costs and per diem.
2.22 Student Placement Exams
All degree- or certificate-seeking students, whether part-time of full-time academic or vocational, are required to take a skills assessment test before registering. In addition, non degree-seeking students who plan to take a college-level math or English class are required to test prior to registration.
The test results are used for the following purposes:
1. To provide the student with an indication of his or her scholastic achievement levels.
2. To provide the student and his/her adviser with information that will aid in the process of educational planning and advising for appropriate class placement.
3. To bench-mark descriptive information about the college's student population, specifically scholastic achievement.
NOTE; Students transferring from other colleges will not be required to take the assessment if they have passing grades in college-level English and have passing grades in college-level math appropriate to their major.
NOTE: In addition, students who have taken the ACT and received a score of 21 or above in the English section will not be required to take the language usage (English) section of the placement test to determine placement. However, final English 101 placement depends on an departmental evaluation of a first-day writing sample. Students with an ACT of 26 or higher may waive English 101.
Students with an ACT score of 27 or above in the Math section can be directly placed in Calculus I.
Additional specialized tests for professional and educational planning, academic ability, career exploration (interest and ability), etc., are available on the CSI campus. Resource offices include the Academic Development Center, Counseling Center, the Center for New Directions, and specific academic/vocational departments. A complete list of tests offered on campus is available through the Counseling Center. GED/High School Equivalency classes and testing are available through the Academic Development Center.
2.23Tutoring
Tutoring of students by faculty on college property is prohibited by Board policy. Faculty are not allowed to accept tutoring payment from students who are currently or have formerly been enrolled in their classes. The Board also questions the propriety of faculty members soliciting tutoring assignments or joining any organization for the purpose of procuring tutoring assignments.
2.24 Release of Student Information
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) was designed to protect the privacy of a student's educational records, to establish the right of students to inspect and review their educational records, and to provide guidelines for the correction of inaccurate or misleading data through information and formal hearings. Proper identification is required before a student can view his or her records. Students have a right to file complaints with FERPA concerning alleged failures by the institution to comply with the act. Questions concerning FERPA should be referee to the Director of the Office of Admission and Records. NOTE: Student names and addresses are not protected by FERPA.
The Office of Admission and records maintains a records file which contains the Application for Admission, ACT/SAT profile, high school transcripts and/or GED scores, CSI placement test scores, transcripts from other post secondary institutions attended, correspondence to and/or from them, and student requests for release of transcript. School officials who have legitimate educational interests are permitted access to all of these files.
2.25 Information Technology (Added: 12/00)
The CSI faculty senate recognizes the importance of information technology both in education and in society. To help prepare our students to meet the challenges they face, a computer-literate faculty is essential to their college experience. To this end, all faculty are encouraged to integrate appropriate information technology into their classes and demonstrate the level of computer literacy expected of their students