Policies and Procedures for Adjuncts
Welcome to the Department of Movement Science (MOV or MOV SCI)! The following is offered as information only and is intended to serve as a broad operational guideline in conducting your course(s). Hopefully, these guidelines will inform you of your responsibilities as a faculty member and aid you in conducting an interesting and informative course. You should contact the Department Unit Head or the Program Coordinator if you have specific questions about the course(s) you are teaching. Any questions regarding policy or responsibilities should be referred to the Department Unit Head.
Topics on This Page
- Absence from Class
- Academic Calendar
- Blackboard Ultra
- Class Enrollment
- Clerical Support
- Course Evaluations
- Course Syllabus
- Department Contacts
- Emergency Related Issues
- Examinations
- Grading
- Grants
- IT Help
- Office Hours
- Parking Permits for Faculty
- Pew Faculty and Teaching Learning Center (FTLC)
- Prerequisite and Registration Override Requests
- Printing
- Record Retention and Proper Disposal
- Responsibility of Faculty
- Standards (GVSU) on Human Subject Research
- Student Attendance Policy
- Steps for Entering Midterm and Final Grades into Banner
- Student Relations
- Teaching Assignments
- Textbooks
Faculty members are responsible for meeting all classes for which they are scheduled. If faculty members are absent from teaching responsibilities due to illness, they should notify the Department Unit Head and Department PSS. The Department PSS will try to post signs by the classrooms. Students should be notified through Blackboard or other electronic means as early as possible.
In those cases where absences can be anticipated, approval for such absences must be obtained from the Department Unit Head. Simply email the Department Unit Head for approval. It is always good to copy the Department PSS on the email so that they can note the day of the planned absence and post signs on those days. The faculty members are then responsible for arranging for substitutes or otherwise covering their teaching assignments. Simply complete and return to the Department PSS for Department Unit Head approval.
Classes must be held for the duration of the semester on the days listed in the schedule and for the scheduled amount of time. Final exams or a culminating experience must be held on the scheduled final exam day. You can see the schedule of final exams that the Registrar publishes here: Final Exam/Culminating Experience Schedule.
The University operates on a semester system, providing for fall and winter semesters and a spring/summer session. Each semester is a minimum of 15 weeks in length, including days required for final examination. The spring/summer session will be 12 weeks in length, including two 6-week sessions. Some classes are scheduled for established Part-of-Term durations.
Current & Future Academic Calendars
Academic Freedom and Expressive Activities
For clarification on Academic Freedom and Expressive Activities, refer to the following University's policy statements. Expressive Activity at GVSU may be a helpful resource from the Dean of Student's Office along with Additional University Policies Related to Expressive Activity.
The University provides "Blackboard Ultra", a highly customizable course management program that allows you to post documents and interact with your students online. Blackboard is very user-friendly, and many MOV faculty have found it be a very effective tool. Blackboard Ultra can be accessed by using most web browsers. You may also find it by selecting the Bb icon located on the banner at the top of the Grand Valley homepage. Use your network username and password to log in to your Blackboard site.
A course will appear on an instructor's Blackboard Ultra site once Human Resources and Records have received the proper paperwork assigning a professor to the class. If an instructor chooses not to use Blackboard Ultra, it can be left "unavailable". Once its made available, the content is visible to and accessible by students to the degree the professor chooses.
GVSU Information Technology (IT) offers training classes on the use of the Blackboard program. Registration for classes is done using Learning in Workday. Your Department PSS can help you find information about IT training classes. The eLearning and Emerging Technologies group also hosts Drop-In Open Office Hours providing assistance with Blackboard and providing instructional design support. Faculty teaching in-person, hybrid, or online courses are welcome to attend.
Change of Instructor, Time, or Place of Meeting
Change of instructor, time, or place of meeting for a scheduled class may be made only with the approval of the Department Unit Head and the Dean of the College. Any changes should be initiated with the Department PSS or the FIT Course Coordinator.
Instructors should download a copy of their preliminary class list from Blackboard or from Banner. This list should be checked against those students attending class to ascertain that all are properly enrolled. If you have difficulty downloading your class list, please seek guidance from your Department PSS. Final class lists can be downloaded after the seventh day of the semester. Students who are not registered for class by the end of drop/add week should not be allowed to continue to attend class. You can check the enrollment on Banner if you have any questions. Students requesting closed class permits should be directed to Banner and the Override Request. Decisions are based on time to graduation and classroom size.
Department Professional Support Staff (PSS) are employed to facilitate the instructional program. The PSS are directly supervised by the Department Unit Head, and are primarily responsible for assignments related to the operation of the department. If you need help with copies, cancelled classes, etc., you may wish to contact the PSS for assistance. We also have student workers who may provide assistance, as well . The Department PSS are typically available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Confidentiality of Student Information - Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) prevents you from sharing information about your students with interested parties – including parents and spouses – without appropriate approvals (see below for a more detailed explanation). Please immediately refer such inquiries to the Department Unit Head.
Each individual granted access to data and information holds a position of trust and must preserve the security and confidentiality of the information he/she uses. Individuals are required to abide by all applicable Federal and State guidelines and University policies regarding confidentiality of data including, but not limited to, the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). FERPA protects student information and may not be released without proper authorization. Requests for information/documents should be referred to the Registrar’s Office or the Legal, Compliance & Risk Management Office.
Individuals with authorized access to Grand Valley State University’s computer resources, information system, records or files are given access to use the University’s data or files solely for the business of the University. Specifically, individuals should:
- Access data solely in order to perform his/her job responsibilities.
- Not seek personal benefit or permit others to benefit personally from any data that has come to them through their work assignments.
- Not release University data other than what is required in completion of job responsibilities.
- Not exhibit or divulge the content of any record, file or information system to any person except as it is related to the completion of their job responsibilities.
Additionally, individuals are not permitted to operate or request others to operate any University data equipment for personal business, to make unauthorized copies of University software or related documentation, or use such equipment for any reason not specifically required by the individual’s job description.
It is the individual's responsibility to report immediately to his/her supervisor any violation of this policy or any other action, which violates confidentiality of data.
LIFT (Laker Impressions of Faculty Teaching) is GVSU's university-wide system for collecting student feedback about courses and instructors. Typically, during the last two weeks of the semester, every MOV instructor is anonymously evaluated by his/her students. Faculty who teach Part-of-Term classes will have the release of the LIFT forms accordingly. Faculty will receive an email (from "<your LIFT Coordinator> via IASystem Notification") as soon as a LIFT survey has been scheduled for your course. That email will list the dates and form to be used, and it will include the URL your students will use and a link to the LIFT faculty portal. If faculty want to review the questionnaire and/or add questions, they can do that via the faculty portal (using their network ID and password).
On the opening day of the survey, each of your students will receive an email message with instructions and a link to the questionnaire. Faculty will also get an email notice that the survey is open.
Students who haven't completed the survey will receive up to three email reminders during the survey period. Faculty will receive reminders on those same dates to apprise them of the current response rate.
After grades for the semester have been submitted, faculty will receive an additional email to notify them that the report is available.
You should request a sample syllabus for the course you will be teaching from your program coordinator. The PSS can also give you copies. It is the policy of each unit/department that every student receives a syllabus at the first regularly scheduled class meeting. You may post your syllabus in Blackboard or print and distribute it class. The Department PSS will keep an electronic copy on file. Adjuncts teaching FIT classes will have a FIT syllabus template to follow. Adjuncts teaching other classes may use the template below that includes recommended syllabus statements. The syllabus must contain the following information:
- Title, department, and number of the course
- Prerequisites to the course, if any
- Instructor name, office number (when possible), office phone number, GVSU e-mail address, and office hours of the instructor teaching the class
- Policy relative to student absences
- Learning objectives and requirements of the course
- Course outline that indicates topics to be covered
- Dates or percent of classes (maximum 15%) that will be taught online (requires special training)
- Basis for grading in the course
- Required text and/or other materials required for the course
- Assignment sheet or course requirements/assignments
- Date and time of final examination
Recommended Syllabus Statements (also in the Syllabus Template)
Sally Ross, Department Chair
- 616-331-8879
- KHS 4400 C
Will Clark, PSS
- 616-331-3246
- KHS 4400 A
Heather Groen, PSS
- 616-331-3515
- KHS 4400 A
Movement Science Student Worker
- 616-331-3515
- KHS 4400 A
Grand Valley State University provides its faculty, staff, and students with electronic mail intended for university-related purposes including direct and indirect support of the university's instructions, research, and service missions; of university administrative functions; of student and campus life activities, and the free exchange of ideas among members of the university community and between the university community and the wider local, national, and world communities. The university issued email is the preferred address you should use.
If the University closes due to extreme weather conditions or any other emergency situation, official notice will be posted on the home page of the GVSU website (www.gvsu.edu) and broadcasted on local radio and television stations. In most cases, the university will not cancel classes, but shift to remote status, whenever feasible. Classes that cannot be delivered remotely will not be held. Staff will shift to remote/work from home whenever possible. If a decision is made to cancel classes while classes are in session, you will be notified by staff or Campus Security. To receive immediate notification from GVSU, it is recommended you sign up for this service. The GVSU Alert System is a mass, urgent notification system designed to notify students, faculty and staff of a campus emergency via a variety of methods including: text messaging (SMS), e-mail (automatically enrolled) and voice message. Link to the GVSUALERT!
Please share with your students the tornado safety location information as you review your syllabus. The University has designated safety locations for the sheltering of the campus community during inclement weather. Green placards have been placed at the designated safety locations throughout campus. When a tornado siren or GVSUAlert! is activated, you should seek shelter immediately. The GVSU community is encouraged to know the nearest safety location to their office, classroom or living area. Places to avoid during a tornado warning: all outside walls, elevators, and windows of buildings. Any low-lying area that could flood. Vehicles - do not use for shelter. Building areas with a large roof span.
Disclaimer: Because the tornado safety location list has not been certified by engineering or scientific study, GVSU does not warrant the ability of any shelter to protect against all possible storm threats. The shelters noted here are what could be reasonable expected to provide some shelter for the average weather situations expected to be encountered in Michigan.
The homepage for Campus Safety has many good resources to review.
Proctoring Exams and Quizzes
The instructor is responsible for the proctoring of all quizzes, tests, and final examinations, including any that require special arrangements for individual students.
- Proctoring Classroom Examinations – Faculty members are responsible for proctoring all of their classroom examinations. When faculty members know in advance that they cannot be in the classroom to administer the exam, they should communicate to the Department Chair the name of the faculty member (Affiliates, Visitors and Part-Time faculty are eligible) who will proctor the exam. Ordinarily, Department PSS’s and graduate assistants are excluded as proctors. Under no circumstances may an undergraduate student proctor an exam. In those rare situations where absence is a last-minute development, such as an auto accident or sudden onset of illness, the faculty member should contact the Department Chair (alternatively the Department PSS if the Chair cannot be reached) for advice on how to proceed.
- Make-Up Examinations – Faculty members are responsible for administering all of their make-up examinations. Department PSS’s may not provide this service. Faculty members should seek help from other faculty members either within the department or their Department Chair.
Final Examinations
Instructors are expected to provide a culminating experience for each course. This meeting could be the final exam, turning in a take-home final and discussion of correct answers, class presentations, or some other type of class activity. This experience should be held at the same time and location scheduled by the Registrar. Any exceptions must be approved by the appropriate academic dean. NO FINAL EXAMINATIONS ARE TO BE GIVEN DURING THE LAST WEEK OF CLASS. FIT classes are the exception to this as all FIT courses conclude the final week of classes and should hold all of their final/culminating experiences that last week of classes.
Final Examination Schedule
Examination periods are scheduled on the basis of the first lecture of the week for the course. Courses not fitting this schedule will have examinations arranged by the instructor in consultation with the Dean's Office. Examinations will normally be held in the same rooms in which lectures are given. Take-home exams are due at the time scheduled for a final examination for the course in question. To determine your final exam date and time, visit the Final Exam Schedule on the Registrar's website.
Midterm and Final Grades should be entered using Banner, GVSU's records system.
- Midterm grades are reported by the Registrar mid way through each semester. Midterm grades are reported for all students new to GVSU (freshman and transfers), international students, and for any undergraduate student in other than good standing. Midterm grades will be available on the web and not recorded on the student's official transcript. See Entering Midterm and Final Grades in Banner.
- Final or End of Semester - Final grades are reported at the conclusion of each academic term and become part of the official record of the student. Final grade reports are available on the web within one week of the last day of the examination period unless interrupted by university closure for holidays. See Entering Midterm and Final Grades in Banner.
- Part-of-Term classes may have different midterm and final grade due dates.
- Please note all due dates for midterm and final grades. The MOV Department and CLAS Dean's Office will have an earlier deadline than the Registrar. Please make sure to honor and meet this date.
Recommended Grading Scale
93-100% - A
90-92.9% - A-
87-89.9 - B+
83-86.9 - B
80-82.9 - B-
77-79.9 - C+
73-76.9 - C
70-72.9 - C-
63-69.9 - D+
60-62.9 - D
Below 60 - F
Credit/No Credit
Undergraduate students may elect certain undergraduate course work on a credit/no credit basis. A maximum of 10 semester hours of major, minor, or cognate courses may be taken on a credit/no credit basis only with the consent of the student’s major department. A maximum of 25 percent of a student’s hours of Grand Valley courses earned to fulfill graduation requirements may be taken on a credit/no credit basis (Credit = “C” or above). Changes from a grade to credit/no credit and vice versa will not be allowed after the first week of the semester. All FIT classes are graded credit/no credit with 80% or better earning credit.
GVSU Incomplete Grade Policy
The grade of I, Incomplete, indicates that a student was doing satisfactory work, but due to non-academic reasons beyond the student’s control, the student was unable to complete the remaining requirements of the course. A student cannot graduate with an Incomplete on their record. The grade of Incomplete is only appropriate when all of the following conditions are met: (a) the student is doing satisfactory work in the course and the unfinished requirements can be clearly delineated, (b) the unfinished requirements constitute a relatively small part of the course, and the Incomplete is requested in the last 20% of the semester, (c) the student has justifiable reason(s) why the work cannot be completed by the end of the semester. An Incomplete grade should be used only in extenuating circumstances.
An incomplete grade form must be submitted to the Department Unit Head and to the CLAS Dean’s Office. A student is expected to complete course requirements according to the following schedule: fall semester Incompletes, end of winter semester; winter and spring/summer Incompletes, end of fall semester. Instructors are required to file a change of grade form or request an extension of the I grade at the end of each semester. An extension may be granted by the instructor under exceptional circumstances, such as illness or call to military service. Grade Change forms are available on the Registrar website.
Withdrawal
A student may withdraw from a course and receive a grade of “W” when the completed and signed drop form is presented to the Registrar by the end of the eighth week. Students who do not withdraw before the deadline must accept a grade other than “W” depending on the instructor’s judgment of their performance in the course(s) and any mitigating circumstances. It is important that you return to students some graded components of the class before this date so they have some indication of how they are doing in the class.
System of Grading
Above is a possible grading scale. Please note there are special requirements for awarding “other” final grades, such as F, No Credit, Incompletes, and Withdrawals (see below for explanations).
Grade - Significance
CR - Credit, reference description on page
NC - No Credit, reference description on page
I - Incomplete, reference description on page
W - Withdrawal, reference description on page
AU - Audit, reference description on page
X - Deferred
NR - No Report
Grants - Pew Faculty Teaching and Learning Center - Grand Valley State University
If you find yourself needing assistance while teaching, call IT directly at 616-331-2101. It is best if you work directly with the IT Service Desk on any technical problems you are experiencing. Be sure to let IT know your location (room number and campus) and describe the problem you are having as best you can. Let them know you need their assistance immediately. If you need IT help when you are not teaching, you can also call the same number.
Members of the faculty are expected to publish office hours. For a standard teaching load, instructors should be accessible to students for a minimum of one hour per week for every three credits taught. Availability can be a combination of in-person office hours and online communication, including virtual office hours. Each instructor must be reasonably available to meet with students in person. Place your office hour(s) on your syllabus and announce them in class. Arrangements for office space can be arranged by your Department PSS.
When Human Resources forwards your G# to Parking Services, you will need to register your vehicle(s) in the Citizen Portal by creating an account. You may have up to two vehicles registered.
If you decide to have a guest speaker at any time during the semester, the guest will need to have an e-parking permit in order to park on any of the GVSU campuses or the guest may use a metered parking spot in which they will have to pay to park. If your guest parks without an e-parking permit, he/she will receive a costly ticket. You may request a guest permit from the Parking Services page. Look for the Request a Guest Permit link. You will need to know the email address(es) of your guest(s).
Pew Faculty Teaching and Learning Center (FTLC)
The FTLC serves as a catalyst for promoting a culture of teaching excellence at Grand Valley State University; is an advocate for innovative teaching and student-centered pedagogies and partners with faculty as they prepare students to contribute meaningfully to their professions and societies. All the resources of FTLC are available to you as an adjunct instructor. If you would like assistance with any aspect of teaching or assessment, we highly recommend that you take advantage of the FTLC orientation for new adjunct faculty and other teaching resources available on the website or in workshops across the year. The Pew Faculty Teaching and Learning Center website link.
Prerequisite and Registration Override Requests
Students can request an override for a class that is full (closed class) or if there is a prerequisite issue. Have students submit these requests on the Override Request form from the Registrar. Please do not tell students that they may over enroll your class. If the override is approved, your program coordinator will check with you as a part of the approval, but please don't tell students they may get into your class until the department does review of all the criteria.
You can print at any GVSU lab on campus during their open hours. Open hours are posted here as well as the location of the labs. GVPrint is a cloud based printing solution that allows GVSU students, faculty and staff to send documents to the cloud and release the print jobs at specified locations around campus. You may also make a class set of copies in the MOV workroom on the fourth floor of KHS (4540B).
A Copy Center is also available (please ask your Department PSS or Program Coordinator for the passwords for this service). You may also ask the PSS to submit your order for you. Student workers may be available to deliver completed copy orders to your office or to the shared office (FH 153) in the fieldhouse. GVSU Copy Center
Record Retention and Disposal Policy
Examinations, tests, quizzes and term papers, etc. used to demonstrate student’s knowledge of materials learned in a particular course are to be kept for one complete academic year by the instructor/department. Proper disposal of documents that have a student’s name and/or G number as identifiers must be either placed in a designated West Michigan Shredding box supplied by each academic department or shredded manually. Instructors should not place unwanted documents that have identifying student information on them in a normal wastebasket at the instructor’s desk or any public wastebasket.
The primary responsibility of faculty is excellent teaching. Course evaluations by students, colleagues' opinions, and evaluations by the Department Unit Head are utilized to help determine teaching effectiveness. Evidence of excellence in teaching is a significant factor in decisions on contract renewal.
Standards (GVSU) on Human Subjects Research
If you are contemplating incorporating any class assignment that would entail human subjects research (includes having students conduct surveys), please be aware that GVSU has some strict guidelines for that type of activity. Before incorporating this type of assignment into your class and listing it on the course syllabus, please discuss what you propose to do with your Department Unit Head.
At Grand Valley, regular class attendance is considered an essential part of the students’ educational experience and a requirement for an adequate evaluation of student academic progress. It is believed that college students, as mature individuals, will recognize the need for regular class attendance and will comply with this requirement. Check with your department's representative for specific policies regarding student attendance.
Steps for Entering Midterm and Final Grades into Banner
- Log in to Self-Service Banner (SSB) using your GVSU network login and password.
- Click on the Faculty Services tab and select Faculty Grade Entry.
- Select the section you wish to grade by clicking on the row of the corresponding section (midterm or Final). The section will appear in the pane below.
- Enter grades using the drop-down in the Final Grades column. Be sure to enter the LDAA in the Last Attended Date column (MM/DD/YYYY) if posting an F or NC grade for a FINAL grade. Dropped students will be listed as Not Gradable.
- When you enter an LDAA grade for a student receiving an F or NC grade successfully, you will receive a green message confirming that the student is still enrolled in the class.
- If you enter the LDAA using the incorrect format, you will receive a red error message.
- Once you have entered your grades, click on the Save button to submit your grades. Click Save often during grade posting. Any grades entered but not saved can be reset to blank by clicking the Reset button.
- On saving your grades, you will receive a green Save Successful message.
- Make sure to check for a second page of student names in each section. The first page will typically only list the first 24 students. it is good to double check that you do not have a second page.
- Once you have graded each student in the section and clicked Save to save your entered grades, click on the row of the desired course to select your next section to grade.
- When you have finished grading, click on the person icon and click on Sign Out. After signing out, be sure to close your browser windows to ensure you have signed out of SSB completely.
Entering Midterm and Final Grades into Banner step by step directions with pictures.
- Process for entering Final grades is exactly the same as for Midterm grades
- Grades can ben entered and reentered as many times as necessary until changes are locked down by the Registrar
- CAUTION: Grades entered and not submitted before a 30-minutes timeout will be lost. SUBMIT OFTEN!
Faculty should be aware of the following resources and policies pertaining to students:
- CLAS Undergraduate Advising Center (UAC) - offers advising to CLAS students on graduation requirements, course scheduling, transfer equivalencies, internships, and scholarships. This office also provides registration services, which complement web registration and handles course overrides for classes that are full. The main office is located in C-1-120 Mackinac Hall (616) 331-8585). “Drop-in” advising is available to answer a quick question. Appointments may be using Navigate 360..
If a student talks to you about academic advising, let the student know to contact the CECI UAC office and make an appointment.
CLAS Undergraduate Advising Center
- GVSU Career Center - offers career counseling to help students choose a career. Career seminars and career development courses are offered each semester. The Center assists students in preparing résumés, credentials, and graduate school applications, sets up interviews and notifies students of positions available in their field.
GVSU Career Center
- The Counseling Center - provides personal counseling to students with such problems as social adjustments, self-awareness, anxiety, depression, and adjustment to college. The main office is located in the Student Services building on the Allendale campus.
University Counseling Center
- Student Conduct - is governed by the Student Code. Students or faculty may obtain a copy of this code by using the link below. To report all incidents of academic integrity, please use the incident reporting form below.
STU 6.0 - University Policies Student Code Student Conduct Academic Dishonesty Incident Reporting Form
- Students with Disabilities - If there is any student in the class who has special needs because of learning, physical or other disability, please contact Student Accessibility Resources (SAR) at (616) 331-2490.
Student Accessibility Resources
- Student Academic Success Center - offers success coaching and a number of resources for students to help with time management, study skills, etc.
Student Academic Success Center
- The Tutoring Center - provides tutoring appointments, Structured Learning Activities, and other assistance to student academic achievement so that students can have help to overcome barriers to learning and navigate obstacles.
Tutoring Center
Teaching assignments are the responsibility of the Dean who normally delegates that responsibility to the Department Chair. Assignments are ordinarily made on the basis of an instructor's competency and experience and the department's timely offering of major, cognate, and general education courses. Please note that course assignments are dependent upon adequate student enrollment. As an adjunct professor you are limited to teaching assignments that would collectively require you to work no more than 27 hours per week across the university.
Textbooks and related course materials continue to be essential to the delivery of knowledge. For various reasons, the cost of those materials has continued to rise. The goal of the university is to provide the best quality educational resources at the lowest possible cost to the students by minimizing the cost of textbooks and course materials used at the university while maintaining quality of education and academic freedom. Typically, for classes taught by part-time faculty, the Department Chair or Program Coordinator determines the textbook to be selected.