College Policies on Attendance and Academic Honesty:

The College policies on attendance and academic honesty are printed in their entirety in the College Catalog and the Student Handbook and faculty members should read each policy before the start of the semester to ensure that consistent standards are used throughout the college. Faculty are required to track attendance and report via PrideNet. While instructors may not wish to print the entire policy statements included in these documents in their syllabus, (they are lengthy!), each instructor should print a statement concerning these matters in their syllabus, and should refer students to the College Catalog and Student Handbook for the complete text of each of these college documents. Since each instructor may not have a copy of the College Catalog readily available when they are developing their syllabus, an excerpt of each policy is provided below for the convenience of our instructors:

College Attendance Policy:

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Springfield College students are expected to attend all class sessions for which they are registered; they are also responsible for the material covered in each class session and the completion of assigned work by the announced due dates. Certain situations are recognized as college-excused absences from class, including participation in an athletic activity, participation in a curricular or co-curricular activity, and observance of religious holidays. A student who anticipates an absence of this nature must provide adequate notice and documentation to his/her instructor regarding the nature of the absence. Given this notice, the instructor may allow the student to make up the class work or complete an alternative assignment. Should the instructor feel that the proposed absences will interfere with the student’s ability to successfully complete the objectives of the course, the student must seek to reduce the absences or withdraw from the course.

Absences Due to Illness or Emergency:

In the event of illness or emergency, the student should notify his/her professors as soon as possible and discuss the options available for obtaining missed material. If the student cannot contact the professor directly, they should leave a voice-mail or e-mail message for the professor.

College Academic Honesty and Integrity Policy:

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Springfield College students are expected to be academically honest. Misrepresentation of facts, omissions or falsifications in any connection with the academic process, (including both course work and official college documents), are violations of the Academic Honesty and Integrity Policy.

Misunderstanding of the Policy will not be accepted as an excuse for dishonest work, and students are advised to read the complete College Policy on Academic Honesty and Integrity printed in the College Catalog and the Student Handbook.

A student’s name on any exercise, which term shall include, but not be limited to, a theme, oral report, notebook, report, computer program, course paper, quiz, examination, or any other assignment related to a course or internship thereto, is regarded as assurance that the exercise is entirely the result of the student’s own thoughts and study, stated in his or her own words, and produced without assistance, except as quotation marks, references, and footnotes acknowledge the use of printed sources or other outside help. In some instances an instructor or department may authorize students to work jointly in solving problems or completing projects.  Such efforts must be clearly marked as the results of collaboration.

In addition to fraudulent uses of sources as described above, dishonesty includes a number of offenses that circumvent procedures set up to produce a fair grade.  Students are not allowed to present the same “exercise” previously or concurrently completed for another course, without the permission of the instructor(s) of the current course(s) in question. And, the use of the services of commercial “research” companies is cheating and a punishable offense.

In cases of academic dishonesty, the course instructor is authorized to enact any of the following sanctions that he/she feels are appropriate in the situation: reprimand, repeat of exercise or assignment, loss of credit for the exercise/assignment, or removal of the student from the course with an automatic grade of F.    In such latter cases, the instructor will notify the Dean of Students Office of the offense for inclusion in the student’s permanent file.

Cancellation of Class

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A faculty member should not cancel a class without prior notification and approval of the chairperson. (Classes should always be held whenever possible.) The responsibility and supervision for all assigned courses lies with the faculty member.

When a faculty member is unable to meet his/her class for any reason, the department chairperson or designee should be notified concerning arrangements which are proposed for covering the class.  These arrangements, whether involving the securing of a substitute instructor, administration of special assignments, or the cancellation of the class, must be approved by the department chairperson. If for any reason the department chairperson or designee cannot be reached, the Dean should be notified.

A faculty member who arrives at class more than ten minutes late is considered to have missed the class unless he/she has made acceptable arrangements in advance.

On the days when the start of class is postponed (a.k.a. “snow days”), classes should start when the postponement is over. If a faculty member believes that coming to or remaining at the College when it is in session is dangerous, s/he should notify the department chair/program coordinator and should expect to use all or part of one of the floating holidays or sick days available per year.

Faculty have an obligation to hold all classes scheduled, particularly prior to the Columbus Day Weekend, the Thanksgiving Break, the February long weekend and March Spring Break. In addition, faculty need to hold a final examination or an alternative academic experience during their regularly scheduled exam times as posted by the Registrar.

A faculty member who is called to serve on jury duty must notify the department chair and the school dean at the time he/she receives the call to serve. Discussion will occur to determine the impact of such service on one’s assigned responsibilities. If it is deemed that the absence of the faculty member will have a negative impact on the unit and result in a “hardship”, the College will seek to gain a delay in jury service for that faculty member. This policy is particularly relevant for “grand jury” service that currently entails 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. three days a week with a three-month commitment.

The Career Center staff is available to visit or host classes and even to fill in if faculty need to be away. They can present programs on a wide variety of topics including: “Overview of Career Center Services”, “Writing a Resume or Cover Letter”, “Acing the Interview”, “Graduate School Planning” and “Job Search Strategies”. To arrange/request a program from the Career Center please complete the Program Request Form found on the Career Center website: http://www.springfieldcollege.edu/student-life/career-center/faculty/request-a-program-or- classroom-visit/index or call the Career Center for more information at X3222.

School and Department Meetings:

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Schools and Departments hold regularly scheduled meetings for the purposes of communication, discussion, and action on school, department and College issues. Faculty are expected to attend all regularly scheduled department meetings. Adjunct faculty and teaching assistants are invited to attend regularly scheduled school and department meetings. If a faculty member is unable to attend a scheduled meeting, he/she must notify the department chairperson in advance of the meeting.

Class Schedules:

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Class schedules and classroom assignments for the regular academic year are established by the Registrar. No change of class time or location of class meetings is authorized without the approval of the Registrar.

Book Orders:

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Faculty are expected to submit book orders prior to each semester, and summer school.  Book order forms are distributed by the College Bookstore. Book order forms must be submitted by the due date to insure availability at the beginning of the semester. Please order carefully as there is a strict return policy with some publishing companies. Information can be obtained from the Springfield College Bookstore.

Weather Emergency Nofication

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The Springfield College Weather Emergency Notification Web page (accessible from springfieldcollege.edu and PrideNET) will provide updates regarding weather-related class and event cancellations and office closings before and during inclement weather occurrences.

In the event that inclement weather or other emergencies present a risk to commuting members of the College community, the senior vice president of administration and finance, in consultation with the campus chief of police, the superintendent of grounds, and the president, will make a determination on whether to cancel or delay classes and/or to close certain offices and campus services. The essential factor in the decision will be the safety of our commuting students, staff, faculty, and visitors.

Typically, determination on whether a closing, cancellation, or delayed opening is necessary will be made by 6 a.m. with notifications in place by 6:15 a.m. Broadcast media usually post the information shortly after that. Please keep in mind, however, that every situation is unique.

When a snowstorm or other weather event occurs during the workday, updated information regarding cancellation of the remainder of day classes, evening classes, and campus activities will be posted on the weather emergency notification page during the day.

Forms of Notification:

When inclement weather necessitates that the main campus of Springfield College close, cancel, or delay events, the College undertakes the following forms of notification:

1. The Springfield College Weather Emergency Notification page
2. Springfield College website
3. The Springfield College internal website, PrideNET
4. Springfield College Weather Emergency Telephone (413) 748-5999
5. Facebook
6. Twitter
7. Instagram
8. Local television and radio stations (Radio – WHYN 560AM, KIX 100.9FM, WAQY 102.1FM, WMAS 94.7FM, WHMP 1400AM, WTIC 1080AM, WHCN 105.9FM, WELI 960AM Television – WWLP-NBC TV 22, WGGB-ABC TV 40, WSHM-CBS TV 3, WGGB-FOX TV 6, and WFSB-CBS (Hartford) TV 3.)
9. All-campus email

The SC Alert emergency notification texting system will be reserved for life- threatening emergencies only (such as a shooter on campus or a tornado), not storm closings.

For School of Social Work students, faculty, and staff:

Closures, cancellations, or delays specific to the School of Social Work Springfield and Worcester campuses are posted on the School of Social Work home page.

For School of Professional and Continuing Studies students, faculty, and staff:

Closures, cancellations, or delays specific to one or several regional PCS campuses are posted on individual campus home pages of the School of Professional and Continuing Studies. A phone message is also recorded on phone system of the affected campus.

Athletic Events

The cancellation of athletic events will be determined by the Director of Athletics or her/his designee. The determination is made independently of a decision about classes. The safety of students, staff, and faculty will be factored into all decisions regarding travel.

Academic Calendar:

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The official calendar for each academic year is prepared by the Chief Academic Officer, and is posted in the Faculty Resources section of PrideNet. The Academic Calendar can also be found in Section I of the Faculty Handbook.

Professional Memberships:

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All faculty are encouraged to become active members of appropriate professional organizations. As professionals, faculty serve as role models for our students. To encourage professional development in students, faculty should demonstrate professional development and commitment. Active involvement in organizations contributes to the achievement of this objective.

Classroom Safety Issues:

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Please insure that the back door emergency exit in your classroom is not blocked. It would be helpful to check the exit doors of your classroom every time you start to teach.  Prior to the start of each class, remove chairs or tables blocking the doors.  Fire drills and building evacuations are conducted periodically on campus. You are expected to know the evacuation route from your classroom. At the beginning of each new class session/semester, please take a moment to note the locations of the exits in the rooms and nearest exit from the building for your students. Faculty who have questions about evacuation routes should contact Facilities, Campus Services, or Public Safety.

Please respond quickly to the fire alarm, and, in an orderly fashion, move your students and yourself out of the building to a location away from the building. Insure that all students who were in class are with you prior to going back in the building or dismissing them, as the case may be. Please do not allow anyone from your class to re-enter the building until after a campus authority, has given an all clear for the location. A copy of the College’s Emergency Procedures Manual is posted in each classroom. In addition, a copy will be posted to the college web site with links on the Public Safety, Facilities, Human Resources, Marketing and Communications, Residence Life, Faculty, and Student Life web sites, directing interested parties to the information. Print copies will be supplied to all of the locations listed above, and upon an email request to the Public Safety Office.

SC ALERT:   

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SC Alert is where the College sends emergency notifications to your mobile or smart phones and e-mail addresses.

Safety continues to be the highest priority of Springfield College. The College has contracted with the emergency notification system company Rave Mobile Safety to provide the service, which enables students, faculty, and staff to be notified via text message, email, or phone call in the event of an emergency or a security alert.

The system enhances and improves the College’s existing campus communications to effectively send time-sensitive information-wherever you are. SC ALERT will be used only for emergency contact purposes. SC ALERT will not be used to distribute advertising or other unsolicited content and will not be used to communicate routine notifications.

Subscribers to SC ALERT will pay no fees for the service, other than any regular fees associated with text messaging services by your provider. Springfield College has already signed you up for SC Alert.  Manage your account and update your current SC Alert contact information at https://www.getrave.com/login/springfieldcollege.

Teaching Assignments:    

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Teaching assignments are made by department chairpersons and approved by the School Dean. In structuring workload schedules, the College assumes that a full-time faculty member is available for teaching appointments five days a week, mornings, afternoons and evenings. (SHS and SSW include Saturday, Sunday). In practice, consideration is given to special needs and preferences of individual faculty members to the degree that the interests of the College, its students, and department colleagues make this possible.

Non-Teaching Assignments and Responsibilities:

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Faculty members are required to carry a fair share of committee responsibility and accomplish assigned administrative duties; to be available for consultation by students during, as well as outside of, regular office hours; and to attend departmental and College meetings. It is also the policy of the College to encourage individual study and research of a type that will result in continuous improvement of the faculty member as a scholar and teacher.      To this end an attempt is made to protect the faculty member from unreasonable overloads.

Office Hours:

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All full-time faculty are expected to establish and post office hours. A minimum of five hours per week should be designated as office hours to enable students and colleagues to make contact with each faculty member. A copy of the designated office hours should be submitted to department offices at the start of each semester. This information shall be supplied to the Dean, as well as to other College offices upon request.

Outside Employment:

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According to the Faculty Personnel Policy, the College has first claim on the working time of the faculty member. Outside employment or activity is permitted so long as it does not interfere with the faculty member’s College responsibilities.

Departure Checklist:

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Upon termination, resignation, or retirement from the College, the faculty member will receive a Departure Checklist from the Office of Human Resources. The checklist will be completed by the faculty member and returned to Human Resources with all College assets in the faculty member’s possession. Failure to return College assets will require reimbursement to the College.

Examinations/Examination Schedule/Term Papers:

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Each faculty member is responsible for determining the nature and content of mid-term and final examinations, subject to departmental regulations.  Students are entitled to know at least a week in advance that an examination is scheduled during the semester. Students are entitled to know at the beginning of the course the weight which the faculty member will give to examinations, term papers, the final examination and other assignments in determining the final course grade. With the exception of final exams which are allowed a two-hour block, exams given during class time in the semester should be designed so that they can be completed within the standard class meeting time.

Final Examinations:

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The Registrar is responsible for preparing and announcing the Final Examination Schedule. No change may be made in this schedule to the date, hour, or location unless authorized by the Registrar. Any such change should be reported to the Department Chairperson and the Dean. Final examinations in the form of a written test are not mandatory. Faculty are expected to meet with their classes during scheduled final examination periods. If you do not expect to administer a final examination during the scheduled time, faculty must meet with their class during the exam period and plan an appropriate alternate learning experience for students. If you will not be participating in coursework with students at a scheduled final examination time and place, please inform the Dean in advance of the reason(s). Failure of some faculty to meet with classes during final examination periods “shortchanges” students and disadvantages faculty who do meet their obligations. Any student requesting a change in the time announced for an examination due to exceptional circumstances may be referred to the Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students for verification, if so warranted. It is recommended that the week before the final examination period be kept free from tests.

Reporting Grades:

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Grade rosters are available throughout the semester via PrideNet.  Both midterm and final grades are entered via PrideNet according to dates designated by the Registrar during the course of each semester.  Due dates for grades are important as grade information is available to students immediately upon grades being entered by faculty. Grades are generally due within forty-eight hours after the last class meeting or the final exam, whichever comes later. Any grades not submitted by the due date will be posted as “NR” (not reported), and Deans and Department Chairs will be notified by the Registrar’s Office. Any student questioning a posted final grade will be directed to the respective faculty member. Please adhere to the following grading guidelines:

1. A grade must be issued to each student listed on the grade roster
2. If a student’s name does not appear on the list, the student must see the Registrar before an official grade can be issued.
3. Valid letter grades that may be given by the instructor as appropriate are: A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, F,I.
4. Instructors may not issue grades of ‘W’ (Withdrawn) or ‘X’ (Audit). The ‘W’ grade will be printed on the grade roster, grade report and transcript if the student is officially withdrawn from the class between the third and twelfth week of class. The ‘X’ notation will be printed on the grade roster, grade report and transcript if the student registered to audit the course or changed to an audit status between the third and twelfth week of class.
5. An instructor may give a grade of incomplete following a student’s request in situations where incapacitating illness or exceptional circumstances beyond the control of the student prevent the student from completing course requirements as determined at the sole discretion of the instructor. A student must complete the incomplete work and have a valid grade entered by the instructor no later than the last day of classes subsequent to the term in which the “I” was received. All work must be completed prior to graduation. A contract for incomplete grades must be completed by the faculty member and submitted to the Registrar’s Office within five days after the submission of on-line grade entry. A copy of this contract will remain with the student, the instructor, the registrar, and the academic department offering the course.  If the student does not meet the conditions of the contract for the completion of the incomplete by the time specified or prior to graduation, the registrar will automatically change the ‘I’ grade to an ‘F’ grade or an alternate grade designated by the instructor that is based on the work completed.
6. The College’s Extra Credit Policy indicates that extra credit opportunities, if offered, must be offered to all students in the class. No extra credit can be awarded after the class has been completed.

Academic Progress ~ Mid Semester Grades:

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During the 6th week of the semester, faculty must submit mid-semester grades for all undergraduate students. (See academic calendar for actual dates.) These mid-semester grades are submitted on-line through PrideNet according to dates posted by the Registrar’s Office in accordance with the Academic Calendar. The same grading guidelines apply to the entry of mid-semester grades as listed for final grades with the following exceptions:

1. A grade of ‘I’ should not be entered as a mid-semester grade.
2. For students who are failing at mid-semester due to non-attendance, a grade of ‘FN’ should be entered.
3. Although graduate mid-semester grades are not required for graduate students, they may be entered at the discretion of the instructor. An exception to this is that any graduate student deemed to be failing at mid-semester due to non-attendance should have a grade of ‘FN’ entered.

Attendance Tracking

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In accordance with Federal financial aid regulations, the College is required to track, and report on as necessary, students who are registered, but not attending or actively engaged, in classes.  In addition, we need to be made aware of students who may be attending classes but are not registered.

To address these issues in an efficient and effective manner, there will be three checkpoints throughout the course of each semester to gather this information. Based on feedback from faculty, the Registrar’s Office will maintain the data, communicate to students and report to Financial Aid as necessary.

Checkpoint #1

For the first checkpoint of the semester, all faculty are required to report attendance using the following steps:

• Logon to PrideNet via the College Web site.
• Select the “My Profile” Tab
• In the left hand column, select the “My Attendance” tab.
• A “My Attendance” screen will appear displaying a link to each of the courses for which you are listed as the instructor. Please note that the Main Campus courses will appear under the “Main Campus Attendance Portlet”.
• When you click on the link for a class, the screen will display a default of today’s date and a link to “Continue..”
• When you click on “Continue”, a screen will appear displaying the selected class list including the student’s ID and Name.  The grade column will be blank unless the student has withdrawn from the course. You do not need to report attendance for students who have withdrawn from your course.

• Note that the “Enter Attendance” defaults to a status of “Attending”. For each student on the roster who has been attending regularly, open the drop down box and click on the appropriate status. Clicking on the arrow next to “Attending” will display a drop down box that includes options of “Not Attending” (Student has attended at least one class but has not been attending regularly) and “Never Attended”.
• When you have completed your entries, click on the “Submit Attendance” link at the bottom of the page.
• Upon clicking the “Submit Attendance” link, an email, noting an “Attendance Warning” will be send from you, the instructor, to any student noted as “Not Attending” or “Never Attended” providing them with direction to speak to you or take the necessary steps to withdraw from the course.  In addition, an email will be sent to the Academic Success Center so that steps may be taken to assist students academically as necessary.

Due dates for the information to be submitted will be announced in advance by the Registrar’s Office.

Checkpoint #2

All faculty will be required to submit midterm grades for all undergraduate students during the 6th week of the semester. There will be a special grade in effect for midterm grading, denoted as ‘FN’. This grade will be used to identify students who are failing due to non-attendance.  This will allow the Registrar’s office to extract information on students who are registered but not attending and communicate and report as necessary.

Faculty will be required to report midterm grades on graduate students who are not attending or not actively engaged in a registered course by reporting a midterm grade of ‘FN’. At this checkpoint, the Registrar’s Office will also ask for any updated information on students who are attending classes but still are not appearing on a faculty member’s official class list.

Checkpoint #3

The final checkpoint of the term will occur during the week of 10th week of the semester (approximate) and will follow the same process as Checkpoint #1.

Enrollment Status

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In compliance with Federal Financial Aid regulations and present reporting practices, Springfield College only counts courses toward enrollment for a student in a term if the courses are actively registered or billed for that term. A student is not considered to be actively enrolled if their only connection with the College in a given term is working on an incomplete course or project that was carried forward from a prior term, typically, but not limited to, practicums, fieldwork and internships.

Those courses also do not count toward enrollment status (full time/part time) if a student is actively enrolled in other course(s) during that term. Students with concerns about their financial aid, student loan deferments, etc. should be directed to the Financial Aid office to discuss what options may be available to them.

Course Information File:

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A file of all accepted and proposed courses, with correct titles and numbers, semester hour credits, and prerequisites is maintained in the Office of the Registrar upon approval by the Faculty Curriculum Committee and the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Commencement:

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Although a student may graduate following Fall, Summer or Spring semester, graduation ceremonies are held only in the Spring. Application for Spring graduation must be made in accordance with the dates established by the Registrar as published in the catalogs.

• Graduate student guidelines
  • Degrees are conferred once each year at the annual commencement ceremony following spring semester. Students who complete degree requirements during the spring semester or by the previous August or December are eligible to participate in the annual commencement ceremony. All students must complete a Degree Application with the registrar in order to be eligible to participate in the May commencement ceremony. Degree applications for the May ceremony are generally due to the registrar by the beginning of February.
  • Students may request permission to march in the Commencement ceremony in May if the only remaining requirement for the degree is the completion of a fieldwork, internship, or practicum course for which the student will enroll in the next summer session. Students must have a current cumulative academic index of 3.00 or better. While students may be granted permission to march in May, conferral of the degree will occur in August if all degree requirements are completed.
  • The petition to march is available in the office of the registrar and must be signed by the student, the student’s academic advisor, and program director/department chair, and approved by the Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs.
• Undergraduate student guidelines
  • Degrees are conferred three times each year, in May, August and December. Degrees are recognized at the annual commencement ceremony following the spring semester. Students who complete degree requirements during the prior December or are scheduled to complete in the spring semester are eligible to participate in the commencement ceremony. Students who plan on completing in August are eligible to participate in the May commencement ceremony only if they are within 12 credits of completion and have a minimum GPA of 2.0. All students must complete a degree application with the registrar in order to be eligible to participate in the May commencement ceremony. Degree applications for the May ceremony are generally due to the registrar by the beginning of February.

Notwithstanding the foregoing and the successful completion of all academic requirements, a student may not be entitled to participate in commencement exercises and/or receive a diploma if he/she is involved in any disciplinary proceedings, and is sanctioned as such.

Transcripts:

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An official copy of a student’s Permanent Record at Springfield College will be released only upon written request of the student.  A student desiring to have a transcript mailed must file a transcript request form with the Office of the Registrar. Transcripts may also be ordered through the National Student Clearinghouse, accessible from the Registrar’s Office home page, heading Transcripts and Diplomas.  Transcripts will be issued only for students whose financial obligations to the College have been met. For academic advisement purposes, a faculty member can get access a student’s permanent record by logging onto PrideNet.

Term Papers:

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Accepted practice at Springfield College regarding term papers is as follows:

1. If term papers are required in a course, that fact should be announced near the beginning of the course. It is recommended that a term paper not be assigned after the middle of the term unless it is to take the place of a final exam.
2. In assigning term papers, the faculty member should keep in mind the length of the semester and the fact that most students are taking three or four other courses which may also require term papers.
3. Term papers should not be received later than the scheduled date of the final examination.

Transportation of Classes:

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The educational benefit of off-campus offerings, trips, observations or other academically sound experiences is acknowledged and encouraged.  The group travel motor vehicle fleet is managed by the Transportation Coordinator and is overseen by the Department of Public Safety. The Transportation Coordinator is responsible for scheduling and maintaining a vehicle pool of College- owned vehicles and supplementing the pool, when necessary, by arranging services with an authorized commercial rental agency. Vehicle safety is the responsibility of every driver. All drivers of vehicles are expected to follow the rules and procedures established by the Transportation Committee and to abide by all campus regulations and all local, state, and federal laws.

Vehicles are available for use by faculty, staff, and students in order to facilitate official academic, athletic, and student life activities. Personal use is not allowed. The vehicles are for official College business only. Official College business includes community service transportation, academic class trips/projects/needs, authorized student groups, and intercollegiate athletics.  A driver’s safety program is provided by the Department of Public Safety. All drivers must contact the Department of Public Safety and complete all required paperwork and driver history forms prior to attending the Defensive Driving Program. Completion of this program is mandatory for all faculty, staff, students, or volunteers who operate any college owned, rented or leased passenger vehicles.

Policies governing student transportation to such off-campus experiences are as follows:

1. When seeking transportation, all vehicles should be requested through the Office of Transportation (Group Travel) by filing an online Transportation Request Form.  Any questions regarding a request should be directed to the Transportation Coordinator at ext. 5553 or e-mail at transportation@springfieldcollege.edu
2. In arranging for transportation for large groups to one location, the use of student owed and/or operated vehicles is not encouraged. The recommended means of transportation is by way of public carriers (buses) to insure professional equipment, operation and insurance coverage for the entire group.
3. Vans are available for transportation of smaller groups (usually less than 14 people total).  College vans may only be driven by individuals authorized to drive by the College in accordance with the Transportation Policy.
4. When the course or course-related experience involves small groups or transportation to several different locations, the legal responsibility for transportation must rest with the individual providing the transportation. That is, the driver and/or owner of the vehicle is obligated to assume all responsibility for his or her actions related to transportation.