CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
All members of the faculty are entitled to academic freedom as defined in the 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure formulated by the Association of American Colleges and the American Association of University Professors, the text of which follows.
As this statement makes clear, the protections of academic freedom afforded faculty are limited and specific.
Effective Spring Term 2010, student absences will be recorded from the first day the class meets. Regular and punctual attendance in all classes and laboratories, day and evening, is required. Students who are absent for any reason should always consult with their instructors. Course syllabi must provide specific information regarding attendance, including, for courses involving the internet, online activity that constitutes “attendance.” Also, both tardiness and early departure from class may be considered forms of absenteeism. In all cases, students will be held responsible for completion of course requirements covered in their absence. Additionally, it is the student’s responsibility to drop a course for nonattendance.
Course instructors establish policy with regard to attendance in their respective syllabi and may drop a student for excessive absences. Absences are considered excessive when more than 12.5 percent of the total contact hours of instruction in a semester, including lecture and lab, are missed. For example, in a three-credit-hour lecture class, students may be dropped after more than six contact hours of absences. In a four-credit-hour lecture/lab class, students may be dropped after more than eight contact hours of absences. Absences are counted regardless of whether they occur consecutively. In special programs with additional accreditation or certification standards, additional attendance requirements may be enforced but faculty must clearly explain these policies in their syllabi.
Students who stop attending class for any reason should contact the instructor and the college registrar to officially withdraw from the class. Students may be required to consult with an advisor or designee before dropping. Failure to officially withdraw may result in a failing grade for the course. It is the student’s responsibility to withdraw officially from a class by submitting a completed Withdrawal Form to the Admissions and Records Office.
The following table shows the number of missed class meetings that make up an absence rate approximating 12.5%.
Source: San Antonio College 2009-2010 Academic Catalog - Academic Standards
Instructors must distribute a syllabus to each student in their classes at the beginning of each semester and give one to the appropriate chair. Departmental syllabi developed by the faculty in that discipline contain descriptions of the course content, which must be directly linked to the catalog course description, and expectations of the students. These departmental syllabi can be individualized with specific information.
Components which are required for each syllabus are indicated with an asterisk (*).
Components of a Syllabus [ Official San Antonio College Syllabus Format ]
Disruptive behavior means behavior that interferes with normal academic functions. Examples include persistent interruption of other speakers, behavior that distracts the class from the subject matter or discussion, physical threats, harassing behavior or personal insults, or refusal to comply with faculty direction. Expression of disagreement with the course instructor is not in itself disruptive and is not prohibited. Although disruptive students may have emotional or mental disorders protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act, they are held to the same standards of conduct as other students.
A faculty member may ask a student to leave the classroom or other academic site, dismiss the class, and/or call the campus police if the faculty member deems it necessary. For detailed information on dealing with disruptive students, consult the Guidelines for Assisting Students in Emotional Distress and Responding to Disruptive Behavior. Additional resources on assisting students in distress can be found at Important Documents & Resources - Campus Violence.
Any student objecting to being removed from the classroom may file a complaint as outlined in the Student Non-Academic Grievance Procedures noted above. For additional information, see the following ACCD Board policies:
Faculty are required to administer final examinations and to administer those final examinations during the time period listed in the college bulletin.
Formal faculty advisement varies by discipline. All faculty have a responsibility to advise individual students on their academic progress and methods of improvement in the course in which they are enrolled. District Procedures specify that faculty "should maintain a posted minimum of ten office hours a week..." [ See Teaching Faculty Position Description: Duties & Responsibilities - DDA LOCAL [ ACCD Procedures ]
E-Campus faculty need to be accessible to their students through on-campus or online office hours. The office hour schedule should be published in an online format that is easily available to the students and which accommodates their needs. The office hour schedule should comply with the policies of the college and the department in which the individual instructor teaches.
Faculty who know they will be missing a class session need to arrange for substitution beforehand. Substitution lists are maintained at the departmental level. Full-time faculty substitution pay is covered by the district. Adjunct substitution pay is not.
Substitute faculty for an Internet class must be certified.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), also known as the Buckley Amendment, is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education. FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children's education records, rights which transfer to the student when he or she reaches the age of 18 or attends a school beyond the high school level. Students to whom the rights have transferred are "eligible students." Certain provisions of this act apply to classroom management, specifically the privacy of student grades.
Generally, schools must have written permission from the parent or eligible student in order to release any information from a student's education record. FERPA does allow schools to disclose those records, without consent, to School officials with legitimate educational interest.
For additional information, consult the FERPA section that appears on the SAC Faculty Senate's Important Documents & Resources page.
Guest speakers for individual classes are at the discretion of the faculty member, keeping in mind that the speaker needs to be germane to the course content and educational purpose. Speakers who receive honoraria or remuneration are subject to the rules outlined by the District purchasing office.
An employee who conceives, creates, discovers, invents, or develops intellectual property may own or be awarded any amount of equity interest or participation in, or, if approved by the Board, serve as a member of the board of directors or other governing board or as an officer or an employee of, a business entity that has an agreement with the state or a political subdivision of the state relating to the research, development, licensing, or exploitation of that intellectual property without creating a conflict of interest. Such an employee shall report to the appropriate person or persons at the College the name of the business entity in which the person has an interest or for which the person serves as a director, officer, or employee.
The Board shall include in the appropriate annual report required by Education Code 51.005 the information provided to it under this requirement during the preceding fiscal year.
On July 14, 2000, the College Academic Council adopted a document entitled The Internet and Intellectual Property.
The Teaching with Technology Committee will periodically review Internet courses that have already been developed to ensure that they comply with established criteria, e.g. the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). These criteria can be identified at the following site: < http://www.alamo.edu/sac/itic/intcoord/inet/criteria.rtf >. A training series has been developed for Internet faculty that results in an Internet-based instruction certification. For additional information, consult Online / Blended Course Development and Blended Courses Information.
The College Health Center is located in the CAC ( Chance Academic Center ) Room 119. The telephone number is 486-0222. A nurse is available during the following hours:
If the nurse is not available, call the campus police at 222 -0911. If the emergency is serious, call 9-1-1 ( greater San Antonio area emergency telephone number ).
When ACCD property is needed off campus to conduct official business for the District, the requesting official must submit an approved "Off Campus Property Request Form" to the District Inventory Control Manager before the property is removed from its assigned location. This form must be signed by the requestor and approved by the PROPERTY CUSTODIAN and the next level administrator. The requestor is responsible for the care and security of the property while it is off campus, and for ensuring that it will be used solely to perform official ACCD business. Once the property is returned to its permanent location, the District Inventory Control Manager must be notified by the requestor so the item can be removed from the ACCD Inventory Control suspense file. THE PERSONAL USE OF ACCD EQUIPMENT IS PROHIBITED REGARDLESS OF WHETHER ON OR OFF CAMPUS.
Source: ACCD Inventory Control Guidelines - Revised May 2000
With detailed campus and building maps, this document notes "the procedures for responding to an emergency situation," and provides instructions for dealing with various types of campus-wide emergencies.
A student enrolling at San Antonio College assumes an obligation to conduct him/herself in a manner compatible with the college's function as an educational institution.
Any recognized misconduct, violation of regulations, or socially unacceptable behavior of students or non-students is subject to administrative disciplinary action by the President or his / her designee, action by a student-faculty disciplinary review committee, or possible arrest and charge by authorized campus or other peace officers of the city or state.
Specific disciplinary responsibilities of institutional officials, classification of offenses and sanctions appropriate to each disciplinary offense, and disciplinary procedures are set forth in the official Student Code of Conduct published in the San Antonio College Academic Catalog.
The San Antonio College Student Handbook outlines the following grievance procedures:
Policies on previewing, selection, ordering, etc. of course textbooks are determined on a departmental basis.
Last Modified: Wednesday, October 21, 2009
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