CHAPTER III. Faculty Responsibilities (2012)

3.1.    Academic Advisement
3.2.    Chapel / Convocation Attendance
3.3.    Class Rosters
3.4.    Code of Ethics Policy
3.5.    Committee Assignments
3.6.    Course Syllabi
3.7.    Coursework Accommodations for Athletes and Debaters
3.8     Office of Student Accessibility
3.9.    Faculty Organization
3.10.  Final examinations
3.11.  Grade Dispute Policy
3.12.  Graduation
3.13.  Independent Study
3.14.  Meeting Classes
3.15.  Midterm Progress Report
3.16.  Office Hours
3.17.  Online Evaluations
3.18.  Outside Employment
3.19   Photocopy Guidelines
3.20.  Registration
3.21.  Sale of Required Course Materials to Students
3.22.  Teaching Load
3.23.  Testing and Grading
3.24.  University-Wide Faculty Conference
3.25.  Workload Allocation

3.1 ACADEMIC ADVISEMENT
(Included since 1978; modified 1988; updated 2006, 2012)

Seaver College considers academic advising to be a collaborative effort between faculty and staff. As it is important for students to be advised effectively in their general education requirements as well as in their major, each student has at least three advisors during the course of her/his Pepperdine experience. The following outline briefly describes the program of advisement.

1. Incoming first-year students will be advised by their first-year seminar professor and/or academic advisor in One Stop for the first semester of enrollment. After completion of the first semester, students who have declared a major will be assigned an additional faculty advisor within their discipline (major). Those students who have not declared a major after the completion of the first semester will continue to be advised by the first-year seminar professor and
academic advisor in OneStop.

2. When students change majors, OneStop will work with the division offices to assign a new faculty advisor.

3. Credit summaries (Degree Audit Reports) are maintained electronically in PeopleSoft and are accessible to all faculty members via Wavenet.

4. The faculty advisor may monitor the continued career of each advisee, utilizing semester grade reports and noting the student's progress toward graduation on the Degree Audit Report through WaveNet.

5. When a student submits an application for graduation, OneStop will assume responsibility for approving the application, taking into account (1) general education requirements, (2) total units requirements, and (3) grade point average.

6. During academic advisement, or at other times, a faculty member may conclude that a particular student needs additional counseling concerning personal problems. Faculty members are encouraged to develop mentoring relationships with students in which they provide support and advice. At times, professional counseling also is needed. If a student’s personal problems seem severe, impact health or safety, and/or do not seem to be improving in time, faculty are encouraged to refer students to the Counseling Center.

3.2 CHAPEL ATTENDANCE
(Included since 1978; language modified in 1988 and 1998; modified 2010)

Regular attendance at the weekly chapel held on Wednesday at 10 a.m. is a professional responsibility at Seaver College. The faculty demonstrates support for the special mission of Seaver College by attending these programs which affirm Christian faith and values. Faculty members are especially encouraged to participate in the weekly assembly at the Firestone Fieldhouse, where the majority of students choose to attend. In addition, regular chapel programs provide faculty members the opportunity to worship with students and colleagues. Other opportunities include Club Convos and other special activities which may be faculty led.

3.3. CLASS ROSTERS
(Included since 1978; modified 2012)

Faculty members have access to their class rosters through WaveNet. Following the add/drop period, a second class roster will be sent to faculty via electronic mail from the Registrar. Instructions accompanying this roster must be followed promptly and explicitly. Discrepancies between the second roster and the students actually in attendance must be reconciled immediately so that the final grade roster will be accurate. Photo rosters are also provided through WaveNet.

3.4. CODE OF ETHICS POLICY
(Adopted Jan 2, 2007; modified 2010, 2012)

Pepperdine University is a Christian University committed to the highest standards of academic excellence and Christian values. Members of the Pepperdine University community-faculty, staff, students, administrators, members of the Board of Regents, members of the University's advisory boards, and volunteers-are responsible for maintaining the standards of the institution and of the various communities in which they live. We value integrity, honesty, and fairness and strive to integrate these values into our daily practices.

Our ethical expectations are found in Holy Scripture, the University Mission Statement, the founding vision of George Pepperdine, and the University Affirmation Statement. Holy Scripture provides the ultimate source for our ethical standards, including the two great commands taught by Jesus: the duty to love God and love one's neighbor as one's self (Matthew 22: 37-40).

In this spirit, we commit ourselves to the highest standards of ethical conduct. We act with integrity; we treat others with respect and dignity; we carefully steward the University's resources; we avoid conflicts of interest or commitment; we maintain confidentiality; and we comply with legal and professional obligations. We are individually accountable for our own actions, and we are collectively accountable for upholding these standards of behavior and complying with all applicable laws, policies, standards, and regulations. While human and therefore fallible, we constantly strive to meet our ethical expectations. Moreover, because the Pepperdine community is composed of many distinct constituencies, we understand that, beyond the general ethical principles outlined in this document, we may be subject to additional rules of conduct specific to our respective roles within the community.

The University Code of Ethics Policy, along with instructions on how to report a violation of the Code of Ethics, is found at http://community.pepperdine.edu/hr/policies/ethics.htm.

3.5. COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS
(Included since 1978; updated language in 1988, 1991, 1998, and 2006)

1. Pepperdine University encourages participation by faculty on a number of SFA, Seaver administration, and University standing and ad hoc committees. Participation in committee work is an important part of a faculty member’s responsibilities in the broadly cooperative endeavor of a residential, liberal-learning college and is a vital part of each faculty member’s contribution to the University and Seaver College.

2. Representatives to the SFA Executive Committee, the Rank, Tenure and Promotion Committee, and the University Grievance Committee are elected by vote of the entire Seaver faculty. Committee assignments for remaining standing SFA committees are made by divisional elections or by SFA Executive Committee appointment. A list describing SFA faculty committees is found in the Appendix of this handbook and is available on the SFA website at http://community.pepperdine.edu/seaver/sfa/[BROKEN LINK].

3. A separate list of faculty committee assignments for any given academic year will be provided by the Dean’s Office and is available on the SFA website at http://community.pepperdine.edu/seaver/sfa/[BROKEN LINK]. The following procedures are in place to ensure effective committee activity:

a. A regular Wednesday morning meeting schedule is published at the beginning of each academic year specifying the dates reserved for SFA faculty meetings, SFA Executive Committee meetings, and SFA faculty committee meetings.
b. The SFA Executive Committee assigns one of its members to act as a liaison for each SFA Faculty Committee. The appropriate committee liaisons report Executive Committee concerns to the relevant faculty committees, report to the Executive Committee on issues arising in faculty committees, and make committee progress reports to the Executive Committee.
c. SFA faculty committees present proposed solutions and reports to the Executive Committee, to appropriate administration officials, and/or to the Seaver faculty.

3.6. COURSE SYLLABI
(Included since 1988; language edited in 1998; modified 2010; 2012)

A syllabus is simply an outline of the academic content of a course, but it also serves to communicate course organization and process. Syllabi are distinctive, following the personality of the professor and the course itself; thus, there are no strict formulae for creating a syllabus. However, it is required that faculty develop syllabi that communicate effectively to students key areas of course organization and content. The following is intended to aid the process of syllabus development in order to facilitate effective communication with Seaver College students.  The following was prepared using syllabus guidelines approved by UAC on April 20, 2012. 

 Faculty must include the following content on the course syllabus.

1. Instructor Information

• Professor name and professional title
• Professor contact information
• Office hours and office location. You must hold office hours at regular times at least three days per week. (https://seaver.pepperdine.edu/dean/faculty/handbook/responsibilities/#A17).
• Course Information

• Course title and catalog number
• Course Description/Purpose
• Meeting time and meeting place
• Any required course materials (textbooks, lab manuals, etc.)
• The Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs).  Each SLO must be linked to the appropriate Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs). 

• Support of the University and College Mission.  A brief statement on the relationship between the course and the Mission of Seaver College (https://seaver.pepperdine.edu/about/our-story/seaver-mission/) and Pepperdine University. (https://www.pepperdine.edu/about/our-story/mission-vision/).

• Course Calendar and Topical Content
• Grading. 

• The methodology used for assessing student learning and the assignment of a course grade should be clearly defined.
• Late and attendance policies also should be clearly defined.
• Final Examinations

• The date and time of the final examination.  You may access this information at https://seaver.pepperdine.edu/academics/schedule/. 
• All courses must have a final examination or concluding experience.  All final exams (or concluding experiences) must occur during the scheduled exam period.  Please review the policy on final examinations (https://seaver.pepperdine.edu/dean/faculty/handbook/responsibilities/#A11).
• All students enrolled in the course must take the final examination at the scheduled time.  Exceptions are only granted if a student has two exams scheduled at the same time or three examinations scheduled on the same day.
• Course Evaluations

• Online course evaluations are conducted for all Seaver courses. 
• The course evaluation period opens at 5 p.m. on the WP/WF deadline day (Friday preceding the last week of classes) and closes before final exams begin (3 a.m. on the Monday of final exam week). 
• Please encourage all students to complete the course evaluation.
• Students with Disabilities

• A statement concerning the Office of Student Accessibility[BROKEN LINK].  See the Office of Student Accessibility for an exemplar statement.
• Academic Integrity

• A statement regarding Academic Integrity.  The required material is posted at https://seaver.pepperdine.edu/academics/integrity/policies/code.htm.
• The process to be enacted upon violation of course standards also should be referenced (catalog or appropriate school web page).

Faculty may wish to include the following on the course syllabus. This content is optional.

1.  Intellectual Property.  A statement regarding intellectual property of the course content. 

You may use one of the follow statements on intellectual property or compose your own statement.

A.  Course materials prepared by the instructor, together with the content of all lectures and review sessions presented by the instructor, are the property of the instructor. Video and audio recording of lectures and review sessions without the consent of the instructor is prohibited. Unless explicit permission is obtained from the instructor, recordings of lectures and review sessions may not be modified and must not be transferred or transmitted to any other person. Electronic devices other than laptops (e.g., cell phones, PDAs, calculators, recording devices) are not to be used during lectures or exams without prior permission of the instructor.

B.  Copyright 20XX [Name of Professor] as to this syllabus and all lectures. Students shall not sell notes (or receive remuneration for taking notes) during this course to or by any person or commercial entity without the express written permission of the professor teaching this course.

C.  My lectures are protected by state common law and federal copyright law. They are my own original expression and I record them at the same time that I deliver them in order to secure protection. Whereas you are authorized to take notes in class thereby creating a derivative work from my lecture, the authorization extends only to making one set of notes for your own personal use and no other use. You are not authorized to record my lectures, to provide your notes (including any presentations, handouts, guides, outlines made available to you in this class) to anyone else or to make any commercial use of them without express prior written permission from me.

2.  Student Behavior.  You may wish to include comments related to respectful classroom discourse or standards of behavior.

3.  Dates. Indicating the following dates on the syllabus may benefit students.

• Classes, begin and end
• Final exams, begin and end
• Last day to submit Change of Final Exam form
• Holiday periods - Thanksgiving & Christmas
• Holidays - Labor Day & Martin Luther King Day
• Faculty Conference and Spring Break
• "W" and "WP/WF" days
• Graduation 

3.7. COURSEWORK ACCOMMODATIONS FOR ATHLETES AND DEBATERS
(Included since 2002; updated 2006)

1. When students are required to be absent from class for NCAA intercollegiate athletic competitions, debate team trips, or other co-curriculum activities sponsored by the College, the University has an obligation to help the student negotiate these conflicting responsibilities. In such cases, professors will make reasonable efforts to accommodate those absences. These accommodations may include, but are not limited to:

2. It must be acknowledged that for some classes, the class time or lab time learning experience is irreplaceable and some course requirements cannot be compensated. If a significant number of class hours are to be missed because of required competition in NCAA intercollegiate athletic competitions, debate team trips, or certain co-curricular activities, students will be encouraged to take the course during a semester when such conflicts do not exist.

3.8. DISABILITY SERVICES
(Included since 2012)

It is the policy of Pepperdine University to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and state and local regulations regarding students and applicants with disabilities. Pursuant to these laws, no qualified individual with a disability shall unlawfully be denied access to or participation in any services, programs, or activities of Pepperdine University.  Faculty are expected to make reasonable accommodations to accommodate students with disabilities.  The Office of Student Accessibility is provide to support faculty as it helps to maintain an environment that guarantees students with disabilities full access to all University educational programs, activities, and facilities. All services through the Office of Student Accessibility are kept strictly confidential.

The Office of Student Accessibility website is http://www.pepperdine.edu/student-accessibility/[BROKEN LINK].

Information specific to faculty may be found on the Office of Student Accessibility[BROKEN LINK] website.

3.9. FACULTY ORGANIZATION
(Included since 1988; updated in 2006; modified in 2012)

1. All full-time faculty members are voting members in the Seaver Faculty Association (SFA). The SFA Constitution is found in the Appendix of the handbook. Faculty-wide meetings are called by the SFA president a minimum of one time per semester to present committee reports and discuss concerns of the faculty.

2. The SFA through its Executive Committee presents the faculty’s position to the appropriate administration officials on proposed policies and concerns regarding academic matters such as teaching, research, and scholarship, as well as matters relating to faculty welfare.

3.10. FINAL EXAMINATIONS
(Included since 1978; modified 1989 and 2002)

1. A final examination or concluding evaluative activity must be held for each regular course at the time and place published in the finals schedule. EXCEPTIONS MUST BE APPROVED IN WRITING BY THE ASSOCIATE DEAN. Failure to comply is a serious dereliction of duty as a member of the Seaver faculty, subject to disciplinary action.

2. All students are required to be present during the final exam period. Exceptions may be granted only in case of emergencies or very special circumstances. Faculty members are not required to give a student permission to take a final at any time other than the time scheduled. However, in exceptional cases, such as when a student has
three exams scheduled on the same day, students may obtain a form from the divisional office or the Seaver Dean's Office to petition to change the time or day of their exam. Students must obtain the faculty member's approval prior to submitting their petition to the Dean's Office.

3. Final reports of student grades are due in the Registrar's Office the first Monday following the last day of finals. For spring term graduation, grades of graduating seniors must be turned in on Friday at noon of finals week. Grades must be turned in online via WaveNet.

4. The grade of "I" may be given only (1) when the student is passing the course at the time an illness or emergency arises; (2) when the student does not have excessive unexcused absences; and (3) when the only work unfinished by the student is the final exam or a final major project. An incomplete grade is not intended to give students with poor grades additional time to improve their grades. Faculty-initiated grade changes (other than mere computation errors) must be submitted to the Credits Committee in writing, with justification for the change and the division chairperson's signature.

5. Faculty members who consistently award an unusually large percentage of high or low grades, when compared to colleagues will probably wish to reevaluate their grading standards. A statistical analysis of grades given by instructor, course, and division, is maintained and made available in the Dean's Office.

3.11. GRADE DISPUTE POLICY
(Included since 2000; modified 2012)

1. A full-time contract at Seaver College requires most of the faculty member’s working time for teaching, scholarly research and writing, counseling, committee work, and administrative duties. Salary increments and promotions are dependent on the fulfilling of these responsibilities.

2. Limited outside employment, counseling, professional private practice, etc., are sometimes possible, especially during the summer months. However, academic responsibilities to Seaver College must receive priority in time management. Furthermore, all outside employment must be reported to and approved by the relevant division chairperson and the dean of the College. This includes teaching assignments undertaken in other schools within the University.

3.19. PHOTOCOPY GUIDELINES FOR CLASSROOM AND RESEARCH USE
(Included since 2012)

Current copyright law grants a copyright owner certain rights regarding that owner's work. The copying, by photocopying or other means, and use of copyrighted materials can only be done subject to those rights. The University has adopted these copying guidelines for faculty and staff in an effort to achieve greater certainty of procedure, reduction of the risk of infringement of copyright, or allegations thereof, and the maintenance of a desirable flexibility to accommodate specific copying needs.

The importance of these guidelines is underscored by three common misconceptions. One misconception is that the duplication of copyrighted materials without permission for non-profit educational purposes is always permissible as a "Fair Use". This is not true. There are some very well defined limits to such uses. The second misconception is that a copyright owner is not likely to undertake efforts to protect a copyright. This is also untrue, and the penalties for copyright infringement can be very severe. The third misconception is that the absence of a copyright notice (©) signifies the absence of a claim of copyright. This is also not necessarily true and it should be assumed that a work may be protected, despite the absence of notice.

Copyright law applies to all forms of copying, whether it is done, for example: (i) at a commercial copy center, (ii) at the University's copy facilities, (iii) at a self-service copy machine, or (iv) by computer (i.e. by posting copyrighted material on the University's computer network or the Internet, or by emailing materials via a class distribution list). If you use the services of a commercial establishment, you may be asked to provide documentation of permission from the publisher.

The University encourages faculty members to exercise good judgment in the use of copyrighted materials, and to carefully and efficiently balance the following guidelines with the best interests of the students when making use of copyrighted materials.

The complete photocopy guidelines are found on the Provost's web site at http://www.pepperdine.edu/about/administration/provost/content/policies/copying-guidelines.pdf.

3.20. REGISTRATION
(Included since 1988; modified 1989; updated 2006; 2008; 2012)

1. OneStop and representatives from each academic division work together to register all incoming first-year students prior to the students’ arrival and faculty members from each division will register all incoming transfer students (by major/division) during New Student Orientation. During pre-registration periods in the fall and the spring, students may register themselves on WaveNet or in person at OneStop. No faculty member may register a student for classes without the student’s express written permission.

3.21. SALE OF REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS TO STUDENTS
(Included since 2002 upon vote of SFA.)

1. Pepperdine University encourages its faculty members to develop instructional materials as a part of their professional responsibility for scholarship and teaching. The University also considers the selection of required course materials to be primarily the right and responsibility of the faculty. However, when faculty members require students enrolled in their classes to purchase materials they themselves have developed, issues arise regarding both academic responsibility and real or perceived conflicts of interest. Therefore, except as provided below, it is the policy of Seaver College that no faculty members shall receive compensation from the sale of instructional materials that they require students to purchase. The term “instructional materials” includes, but is not limited to, syllabi, outlines, custom-published coursepacks, workbooks, books, CDs, audio or videotapes, or material accessible on the Internet. Furthermore, all sales of such materials should be handled by either the University or the divisional offices and never by the faculty member directly.

2. An exception is recognized for the receipt of ordinary royalties earned from the sale of traditionally published textbooks or their equivalent, i.e. works of scholarship in any medium that are available outside as well as within the University and that have been subjected to some form of independent review generally recognized within the scholarly community. In order to avoid even the slightest appearance of conflict of interest, faculty members are encouraged to consider returning to the students, or contributing to the University, any such royalties earned by sales to students enrolled in their classes.

3.22. TEACHING LOAD
(Included since 1978; updated 1998 and 2008; updated 2010; updated 2012)

Barring unforeseen financial difficulties, pre-tenured assistant professors at Seaver College have a full-time, two-semester teaching load of twenty units (three courses one semester and two courses the other semester) for the six pre-tenure years. The teaching load for all other faculty members is twenty-four units or three courses each semester. Some members of the faculty receive reduced teaching loads to conduct research activities or perform special administrative tasks. Reduced teaching loads (3/2 or a one course reduction) are available by application for tenured faculty members. Criteria for awarding and the application procedure for a course release are found in Chapter IV of the handbook, Faculty Development in the section titled Course Release for Tenured Faculty.

The success of the first phase of the "3/2 teaching program" requires the following administrative parameters:

i) Released time for administration must be strategically curtailed. All released time for administrative purposes must be approved by the Dean of Seaver College.
ii) Divisional chairs and academic deans will teach at least two courses per academic year, excepting the Dean of the college, who will teach one.
iii) Faculty members receiving released time during any one year under the 3/2 program cannot expect additional released time for administrative duties unless authorized by the dean, although a stipend might be appropriate in case the need arises.
iv) Under no circumstances will a tenured faculty person, excepting deans and chairs, teach less than four courses per year.
v) Visiting faculty will have a teaching load of four courses per term.

3.23. TESTING AND GRADING
(Included since 1978; modified 2002; 2012)

Grades must be assigned accurately and fairly. Careful records of student progress should be kept on file. All records pertaining to students’ work should be retained for one semester following conclusion of a class. Students deserve a clear understanding of their status and progress. This requires a systematic evaluation program on the part of the instructor. Evaluation should begin early in the semester and continue at reasonable intervals. Students may appeal grades to the relevant divisional chairperson, but only with a charge of incompetence or malicious intent. (Please refer to the Grade Dispute Policy at https://seaver.pepperdine.edu/dean/faculty/handbook/responsibilities/#A12).

3.24. UNIVERSITY-WIDE FACULTY CONFERENCE
(Included since 1988)

Pepperdine University encourages wide participation of the faculty in decisions related to all of its academic processes. In order to facilitate this wide involvement, the University faculty participates in a faculty conference, scheduled once a year and arranged by the provost. All full-time faculty members are expected to attend this University-wide conference as a part of their professional and personal responsibility to the University. The faculty is informed of the date and place of the faculty conference in writing. Classes held on the day of the conference are cancelled.

3.25. WORKLOAD ALLOCATION
(Included since 2006; updated 2008)

1. The typical faculty contract at Seaver College is for nine months. Tenure-Track Faculty, however, will be paid in twelve monthly installments. During the course of the contract, each tenured or tenure-track member of the faculty is responsible for allocating her/his time toward three basic activities: teaching, research, and service. In the allocation of their time, faculty members should remember that the Seaver College Rank, Tenure, and Promotion Committee in its periodic reviews assigns a value of 50% to teaching and 25% each to research and service. Visiting faculty members are not expected to devote time to research or service and thus will generally be assigned more teaching duties.

2. With nine-month contracts, faculty members have summers free to pursue personal and funded research as well as other activities.