The School of Arts and Sciences & The School of Engineering Faculty Handbook

TUFTS UNIVERSITY

Tufts Faculty Handbook for Arts, Sciences and Engineering

Chapter 3: Faculty Responsibilities

All full-time faculty members of the Faculty of Arts, Sciences and Engineering, in the unmodified professorial ranks, are expected to participate in all four of the broad areas of activity noted in the various faculty, administration, and Trustee statements on tenure and promotion: teaching and advising, scholarship, and University service. Although the proportion of time and energy devoted to each area may vary from individual to individual and from time to time even for the same individual, each faculty member is expected to contribute in each of the four areas.

Teaching. Tufts has a strong commitment to the liberal arts tradition in undergraduate and graduate education and to excellence in teaching in the classroom, in the laboratory, in advising sessions, in tutorials, in informal contact with students, and through experimental modes (e.g. interdisciplinary endeavors). Innovative teaching is welcomed and celebrated, along with a flair for exposition, explanation, and intellectual stimulation. (See below for further information on teaching responsibilities.)
Advising. The academic advising of students is an important faculty responsibility, closely related to and complementing classroom teaching. Because advising is part of the normal professional activity of a faculty member, it does not entitle him or her to additional financial compensation. The extent and quality of a faculty member's service as an advisor is considered a proper topic for consideration when his/her professional performance is being evaluated. New members of the faculty, although ineligible for freshman advising the first year, are expected to become familiar with the advising system in order to assume the duties of advising in the second year. (See below for further information on advising responsibilities.)
Scholarship. Tufts expects of its faculty clear and sustained excellence in scholarship, as judged by professional peers nationally and internationally. In addition to advancing knowledge, such scholarship is critical in sustaining high quality teaching through the active learning and disciplined self-reflection that it fosters. The teacher as scholar provides a role model to students for the life of the mind, for the importance of challenging assumptions and ideas, as well as in advancing the frontiers of knowledge.
Service. University service includes, but is not limited to, various administrative duties, such as committee work, at both the departmental and university levels. A commitment to service should be demonstrated through contributions at various levels: departmental, University, to one's profession, and to the wider community beyond the University.

Faculty should consult the Trustee Conflict of Interest Policy, which can be found at http://www.tufts.edu/trustees/bylaws/art12-1.shtml. This policy prohibits Tufts employees from occupying positions or becoming involved in situations which place him/her in a conflict of interest with the University, and requires prompt and full disclosure, in writing, as soon as an individual believes that he or she may have such a conflict of interest.

Tufts University is committed to advancing a global perspective through its curriculum, recruitment of students and faculty, and research activities. Faculty are encouraged, both within their own disciplines and in collaboration with colleagues in other disciplines and schools, to pursue international activities that further their research and teaching.

TEACHING RESPONSIBILITIES

Faculty are responsible for ensuring that their conduct as members of the University community is consistent with the University policies on discrimination and harassment. The manner in which faculty teach their students, in particular the pedagogical techniques and course content, has always been regarded as central to academic freedom. However, conflicts may arise when the teaching methodology or subject matter violate students' rights to freedom from discrimination or harassment. The University has striven to include diverse populations within its community, and such members should not be subject to intimidation or harassment.

With the approval of the department chair, faculty may make substitute provisions for their own anticipated absence from class to attend professional meetings or for equally important professional reasons. Absences from class should be made known as promptly as possible to the department chair and the students, and every effort must be made to provide satisfactory alternative arrangements. (The department chair should inform the School Dean of such absences.)

Not all student policies and procedures are covered in this handbook. Faculty members should consult the student handbook, The Pachyderm, for additional information.

Syllabus

Certain aspects of the faculty/student relationship in class are "contractual" agreements between the student and the institution. The syllabus, for instance, serves as an implied contract between student and faculty member. Normally, at the beginning of each term, faculty are expected to distribute to their classes a detailed syllabus, indicated required course work, examinations, readings, and other expectations. By the middle of the semester at the latest, faculty should make clear to students what their requirements or expectations for course work are for the remainder of the semester. Faculty should adhere to the syllabus as closely as possible and to any standards for grading that they have established.

Religious Holidays

The faculty does not suspend classes solely because of religious observances. To enable students to observe their religious days, however, the faculty has voted not to schedule work that must be performed or is due on those days, and has agreed to provide opportunities for students to make up, without penalty, any work missed on such occasions. To this end, a list of the major religious days is appended to the academic calendar for the convenience of the faculty in planning assignments.

Final Examinations and Reading Period

Faculty proctor and grade examinations in courses for which they have responsibility, or, if the size of a course makes assistance in grading examinations and papers necessary, the faculty member reviews the grading done by an assistant. Special or make-up examinations may be given at the discretion of the instructor. Such examinations are normally permissible for reasons of legitimate absence from an examination, unavoidable absence from class, or to remove a conditional grade. The time, place, and conditions of a special or make-up examination are fixed by the instructor, who is responsible for informing the student of the details.

The reading period set by the University for preparing for final examinations may not be used for giving examinations or for extra class meetings (other than voluntary study sessions). Faculty should adhere to the schedule of final examinations prepared by the Registrar's Office. If a faculty member wishes to offer an earlier or later examinations, that is acceptable, so long as an examination is also offered at the originally scheduled time.

Students at Tufts are not required to take more than three final examinations on any one day. The block schedule used at Tufts for scheduling courses implicitly prevents such an occurrence so long as faculty adhere to the times scheduled for examinations in their courses.

Grading Policies

University policy states grades in any course are based on all evidence available to the instructor. This evidence includes a final examination, unless the instructor decides that other evidence may appropriately be substituted for the examination. To maximize the educational character of grading, faculty should provide written or oral comments on papers and examinations indicating problems and areas of improvement and return the papers and examinations to students in a timely fashion. (A timely fashion normally means within two weeks of the final examination).

Faculty members who encounter an instance where substantial evidence of academic dishonesty exists must report the situation to the Dean of Student Affairs office. This policy assures consistency in the treatment of academic dishonesty and allows the institution to identify repeat offenders. The Dean of Student Affairs office will work with the faculty member in applying university and departmental policies and assist in determining an academic outcome. The grading and disciplinary guidelines for academic integrity violations follow:

Grading & Disciplinary Guidelines for Academic Integrity Violations

	OFFENSES	GRADING CONSEQUENCE	DISCIPLINARY CONSEQUENCE
LEVEL I OFFENSES	Plagiarism: Inadequate paraphrasing or direct borrowing of others' words (without use of quotation marks) that affects a small portion of the paper, but the source is cited in the bibliography and/or in the body of the paper. (Benefit of the doubt is given that the student didn't know better) Unauthorized collaboration when the work is a small % of the course grade Lending your paper or work to another student and knowingly facilitating another's dishonesty	Reduced grade for the work (or) "Zero" or "F" on the work with the possibility to resubmit it for a replacement grade There is no automatic course grade consequence for a Level I Offense	Probation Level I (Warning) (No transcript notation) Required meeting with Academic Resource Center
LEVEL II OFFENSES	Plagiarism: Inadequate paraphrasing or direct borrowing of others' words (without use of quotation marks) that affects a large portion of the paper, but the source is cited in the bibliography and/or in the body of the paper. Plagiarism: Direct borrowing of others' words (without use of quotation marks) that affects a small portion of the paper, and the source is not cited in the bibliography or in the body of the paper. Inventing or falsely attributing the sources used in a paper or other work. Unauthorized collaboration (the work is a large % of course grade) Unauthorized collaboration on a lab report Submitting one work for two courses without permission of both instructors (The work will count for one course only) A second Level I Offense	"Zero" or "F" on the work without the ability to resubmit it for a replacement grade (or) Automatic course grade consequence of anywhere from one letter grade reduction to "F"	Probation Level II (Transcript notation - expunged after four years)
LEVEL III OFFENSES	Falsifying data Submitting an exam for re-grading after altering original answers Submitting a fraudulent excuse for coursework missed Cheating during an exam (including bringing unauthorized materials into the exam room) Enlisting another to take an exam for you Plagiarism: Direct borrowing of others' words (without use of quotation marks) that affects a large portion of the paper, and the source is not cited in the bibliography or in the body of the paper. Little or none of the paper is the student's own original work. Submitting a paper as one's own that has been wholly or mostly written by someone else, whether that paper has been purchased, borrowed, found, stolen, etc. A second Level II Offense	"F" in the course (or) "Zero" or "F" on the work without the ability to resubmit it for a replacement grade	Suspension or Expulsion (Transcript notation - permanent)

Notes:

Once accused of academic dishonesty, a student may not withdraw from a class
A student accused or found responsible for academic dishonesty has the right to continue in the course regardless of the grading consequence
The student judicial process allows for appeals of the disciplinary consequence on the basis of inconsistency, new evidence or denial of fair process. There is no appeal of grading consequences.

Prompt reporting of grades is necessary so that degrees may be certified in the very limited time between final examinations and when the faculty votes on honors and degrees.

All final grades must be entered online by the date listed in the Academic Calendar for each term. Please note grades for all degree candidates must be submitted within 48 hours of the final exam. Grades for degree candidates with no final should be submitted by the first official day of exams. (See Academic calendar at http://ase.tufts.edu/faculty-info for specific dates)

Grades are submitted online through SIS Online. It is the responsibility of the faculty member to submit grades for each of their courses. Department chairs have the ability to submit grades if a faculty member is unable to do so for any reason.

All faculty need to have access to SIS Online and be linked to the course(s) they are teaching. It is important for departments to submit the course listings to the registrars office with the name of the instructor teaching the course. You can apply for SIS Online access at the following site, https://aseonline.tufts.edu/information/sis_access.htm. This form is to be completed by any new faculty, teaching assistant or visiting lecturer and sent to Dowling Hall.

A grade must be entered for every student on the class list. Do not leave any grades blank. The following are grade options:

Letter grade
NG - student never attended class
Y - year long course
I - incomplete (need to print and fill out incomplete form)

The following link provides step by step instructions for online grade post and some FAQ's: https://aseonline.tufts.edu/information/grading.htm.

Student Withdrawals from a Course

Lack of adequate information concerning student withdrawals and leaves of absence works to the disadvantage of applicants on the waiting list. Although the responsibility for informing the Dean of Undergraduate Education or the Dean of the Graduate School concerning withdrawal and leaves of absence rests with the student, students frequently do not carry out this responsibility. Therefore, faculty members who are aware of a student's plan to withdraw or leave the University are requested to report this information, in writing, to the Dean of Undergraduate Education or the Dean of the Graduate School, as appropriate.

Student Attendance in Class

While formal attendance records for students are not required, faculty members are asked to report excessive absences to the appropriate academic dean's office as a matter of information. Absence from more than three class hours is normally deemed excessive. In the case of deficiencies arising from absences, determination both of the reasonableness of the circumstances and the need for special work to remove the deficiencies must be made by the individual instructor. A faculty member should require documentation from the Health Services or the Dean of Students for extended absence or absence from an examination.

Safety

Faculty must exercise reasonable care regarding the safety of students in classes and laboratories, they should be aware of the location of all safety devices (such as eye-rinsing facilities, fire extinguishers). Faculty should consult their departments for information specific to their discipline. Faculty should also be familiar with the policies and procedures of the University regarding field trips; they should take adequate precautions in planning and conducting such trips.

Student Evaluation of Courses

Student course evaluations are intended primarily as a means for improving the quality of teaching. They are considered in decisions regarding tenure and promotion and also in annual faculty salary reviews. The Faculty of Arts, Sciences and Engineering has approved a Uniform Course Evaluation form to be used in all courses.

In discussions on contract renewal or promotion, a summary of the evaluations accumulated during the faculty member's time of service at Tufts shall be prepared by the department. The department chair should discuss the course evaluations with the faculty member in order to help the faculty member improve his or her teaching techniques or effectiveness.

Faculty members may ask additional questions or solicit open comments using the first page of that form. In order to obtain a maximal response, the Educational Policy Committee strongly recommends that the evaluation form be filled out during class time. It is preferable that the instructor be absent for a reasonable length of time while the students are completing the forms. In the event that a course includes multiple instructors, a separate form should be used for each instructor, with the proviso that students only fill out Section A of the quantitative portion of the evaluation.

It is important for students to be aware that instructors do not see these forms until after the grading period. One student or a number of students (depending on class size), should be asked to distribute and collect the forms which should then be placed in a box or envelope and sealed. The box or envelope should NOT be handled by the instructor. They should be returned to the department for processing, tabulation, and retention in a secured area. Forms are NOT to be returned to the instructor until after the final grading period.

Departments are encouraged to maintain forms in a secure archive. It is important to remember that these are confidential records. However, it is the intent of an Arts, Sciences and Engineering Faculty vote to provide the T.C.U. Senate with each course's aggregate statistics for the purposes of a university-wide student course booklet. Access to the written comments on each form is left to the discretion of the individual department and instructor.

ADVISING RESPONSIBILITIES

A faculty member assigned to serve as freshman/sophomore advisor is responsible for the academic advising of a student until that student declares a major or requests a change of advisor. If the faculty advisor will be on leave for one semester, the advising responsibilities of freshmen will rest with the department; for a leave of two semesters, the Advising Coordinator at the Academic Resource Center will assist in finding a new advisor.

For students who have not yet chosen a field of concentration (i.e. all freshman, and most sophomores in Arts and Sciences), the entire faculty of the appropriate college is collectively responsible. The responsibility for advising students who have chosen a field of concentration rests specifically with faculty members associated with the corresponding department or program.

To fulfill their advising function well, advisors must be familiar with the requirements and policies governing programs of study. Detailed information, reflecting changes in requirements and policies each year, is found in the following publications:

Arts, Sciences and Engineering Bulletin, especially the introductory general information section;
The Academic Year, distributed to students and advisors;
Advisor's Handbook, distributed to faculty advisors;
The student handbook, The Pachyderm

There are periodic workshops on advising, sponsored by the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Education for Arts, Sciences and Engineering, which freshman/sophomore advisors are expected to attend. Advisors should be familiar also with University services and resources such as the Academic Resource Center, Financial Aid Office, Experimental College, Career Planning, and Counseling Center, and should refer students as appropriate.

In the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Education, there are associate deans responsible for each class (i.e. freshman, sophomore, junior, senior); pre-law advising; the Internship Program; commuting, adult, and transfer students; the BA/BFA program and joint programs with the Museum School and the New England Conservatory of Music; the Experimental College; Freshman Explorations; and study abroad. In addition, the office assists students applying for Rhodes, Marshall, Fulbright, Mellon and other post-graduate fellowships and scholarships. The office also provides oversight of student academic performance, certification of degrees, and staff support and guidelines to faculty committees.

Advisors to graduate students should maintain close contact with the Office of the Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) on matters pertaining to admission, satisfactory degree progress, and degree requirement completion.

Special Resources

Students come to Tufts from a variety of backgrounds and may find themselves intimidated by the diversity at Tufts, or find that they are the victims of stereotyping and discrimination. There are resources on campus devoted to providing support for members of specific constituencies: Asian American Center, Africana Center, Latino Center, Women's Center, International Center, and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Center. In addition, Tufts chaplains may be consulted by faculty as well as by students.

If a student's problems seem to stem from personal crisis or emotional stress, the Office of the Dean of Students should be consulted. The staff can offer assistance and advice on a variety of problems: excessive absences from class; suspected drug or alcohol abuse; inappropriate behavior (e.g. threatening or intimidating behavior toward others).

Tufts also has a Counseling Center that is available (without charge) for short or long-term treatment. A faculty member may discuss a student's problems, without committing him/herself to a particular course of action, and it is not necessary to divulge the name of the student when seeking advice.

If there are questions or concerns about a student with a disability, consult with the Office of Undergraduate Education on academic matters (e.g. learning disability) and with the Office of the Dean of Students on non-academic matters (e.g. physical handicap).

ANNUAL UPDATE

In the spring of each year, faculty members are asked to report their professional activities and accomplishments to their department chairs, including, but not limited to, current information on teaching and advising, research, departmental, and university service, as well as professional activities, such as participation in professional meetings and colloquia, publications, grants, lectures, and other activities appropriate to the individual's discipline. This information is used as a part of the annual professional review.

COMMENCEMENT

Faculty members are required to attend the commencement and matriculation exercises of the school(s) in which they teach. The academic procession at these events is formed by order of rank and date of first appointment. Faculty are asked to wear caps and gowns for the occasion.

FACULTY OFFICE HOURS

In an institution such as Tufts that values teaching, a faculty member's regular presence on campus and accessibility to students are important. Faculty office hours should be posted on the office door and placed on file with the chair of the department. Provision for an hour or an hour and a half of office time per course, per week is recommended, although large courses may require more office time. Faculty are also expected to be available during early and regular registration of courses, for consultation with their advisees and with those students making inquiries about their courses. Additional office hours may be necessary at these times during the semester, and immediately before and after important examinations, when students need more time for consultation.

OUTSIDE PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

It is both appropriate and desirable that many Tufts faculty members be involved in professional and other outside activities, in the practice of their profession, in consulting, guest lecturing at other institutions, and serving in professional and community organizations. Such activities extend the faculty member's professional competence, enrich the teaching he or she can provide at Tufts, and contribute to the advancement of the profession.

Occasionally, however, questions arise about the extent of such involvement or the appropriateness of certain activities. The guidelines below are provided to assist individual faculty members and senior academic administrators in identifying possible problems.

The guidelines apply to full-time faculty members and pertain to the period of their university contracts (nine-month, twelve-month, or other). So long as part-time faculty members fulfill their obligations to the University, the way in which they spend the balance of their time (and the way in which faculty members on less than full year contracts spend their non-contract time) is not a proper concern of the University, so long as those activities do not conflict with university obligations and do not reflect unfavorably on the University.

The guidelines are general in nature and are intended to apply to the entire University. School deans may wish to form advisory committees to develop or interpret guidelines as required. Where necessary, questions may be referred to the Provost/Senior Vice-President.

The principal professional commitment of full-time faculty members is to the University. It is recognized that the University-related education, research, service, and related activities are such that it is neither feasible nor desirable to attempt to establish narrow time and location regulations on how faculty members fulfill these responsibilities.

The University encourages outside professional activity on the part of faculty members when it furthers their professional development, and especially when it enhances their teaching and research capabilities. It is expected, however, that faculty members will arrange any external activities they may engage in so as not to interfere with their primary commitment.

Faculty members must get the approval of the Dean of the School or College before engaging in any significant outside professional activity. Activities may be significant even though they involve comparatively little time. A single guest lecture or a one-time consulting visit would not normally be considered significant, but a lecture series or an on-going consulting relationship would be. Where there is disagreement about the propriety of an activity, the School Dean and the faculty members involved shall make their best efforts to arrive at a resolution consistent with the mission of the school. The School Dean will make the final determination, however, given his or her ultimate responsibility to the University for the performance of the School.

As a rule, faculty members should not take on substantial teaching or other commitments in another educational institution. Exceptions would include guest lecturing, participating in invited seminars, and similar activities.

Faculty members should not engage in external activities that are not consistent with good professional practice; that impose restrictions on the freedom to publish University-based work; or that involve any significant use of university facilities, materials, services, personnel, or restricted university information without specific advance written permission from the University and, where needed, appropriate compensation.

During the academic year, no more than 20% of one's total professional effort during normal working hours of a five-day week may be directed to outside work. The intent of this guideline is to avoid situations where the time or creative energy that a faculty member devotes to extramural activities compromises the amount or quality of his or her participation in the instructional, scholarly, or administrative work of the University.

The following activities are examples consistent with these guidelines:

Acceptance of royalties for published scholarly works or other writings, or of honoraria for commissioned papers and occasional lectures.
Service on committees or boards of organizations, public or private, which does not conflict with University obligations. The payment of honoraria or reimbursement for expenses in these cases would not be an issue.
Consulting with outside organizations or clients, provided that it does not conflict with his/her obligations to the University or the practice or policy restrictions of the school or college.

The following activities need to be examined on a case-by-case basis:

Service as a principal consultant or director of an outside concern.
Service as a consultant to a firm, which in turn sponsors the faculty member's work, or related work, at the University.
Relationships that might enable (or appear to enable) the faculty member to influence the University's dealings with an outside organization in ways leading to personal gain or to other conflicts of interest.
Activities that appear to conflict with university policies governing research funded by an external agency and with funds administered by the University.
Activities, which directly or indirectly involve students in anything other than their normal academic pursuits.

The following activities are probably unacceptable:

Service involving executive responsibility for an outside concern working in areas related to the faculty member's professional activities.
Situations where research or service activity that could and ordinarily would be carried on with the University is conducted elsewhere to the disadvantage of the University and its legitimate interests.
Any outside activity that involves a level of commitment, dedication or time that prejudices the individual's primary responsibility to the University.

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