Teaching Policies

The DWR Teaching Policy directory contains all policies related to teaching Writing and Speech classes at the University of Mississippi.

Some of these policies include passages that should be included verbatim in each syllabus; in other instances there are suggestions for how teachers should address particular issues.

In every case, these policies are supported by the Chair, Assistant Chair, and the Core Faculty, who are available to handle questions and provide further interpretations.

The purpose of these policies and procedures is to improve the teaching and learning of writing and speech, and in the event of any ambiguity, decisions should be made in light of this common goal.

The details box for each polocy includes the type of policy, its audience, and the date of its last revision.

Non-teaching policies are located in DWR Policies and Procedures.

Assessment 

Details

Policy Name: Assessment
Policy Type: Teaching
Applies to: WRIT Faculty
Revised: Aug 2016

We require all W&R teachers to collect major assignments from their classes in an electronic format for purposes of assessment. The QEP directs the W&R to collect materials from WRIT 100/101/102 and WRIT 250 courses and to assess annually whether curricular changes are meeting learning outcomes. In order to fulfill this directive, we need materials from all classes currently taught.The assessment is for course and assignment changes, not an assessment of individual instructors. All identifying marks (including the names of instructors) will be removed from student work. As an internal assessment, student permission need not be asked unless we publish orpresent specifics from this study. Such permission will be asked for if the need arises.

For instructions on how to download student essay files and transmit them to the W&R for program assessment, go to Document Uploads

Attendance Policy for First-Year Writing 

Details

Policy Name: Attendance Policy for First-Year Writing
Policy Type: Teaching
Applies to: WRIT Faculty
Revised: May 2019

Instructors should regularly take attendance in all DWR courses.

In the case of first-year writing courses, instructors should follow the policy below:

Students are expected to attend all class meetings; improving writing skills takes time, and is a process unlike learning content alone. In acknowledgment of the fact that students may experience some circumstances which prevent complete attendance, the following policy is in effect:

MWF Courses

5 days missed: final course grade lowered by one letter grade.
6 days missed: final course grade lowered by two letter grades.
7 days missed: final course grade lowered by three letter grades.
8 days missed: failure.

T/TH and M W Courses

4 days missed: final course grade lowered by one letter grade.
5 days missed: final course grade lowered by two letter grades.
6 days missed: final course grade lowered by three letter grades.
7 days missed: failure.

There will be no excused or unexcused absences.

Scholarship Clause

If a student is attending UM with a scholarship requiring course absences (e.g, athletics, band), the following exception applies: students will not be penalized for required absences alone, as long as the student presents to the instructor by the end of the course drop/add period an official letter from the scholarship-issuing program declaring the required absences for the entire semester. If a scholarship student accrues absences beyond those designated by the letter, he or she will incur the penalty listed above. (For example: A scholarship student who documents a requirement to miss 5 T/Th course meetings for a scholarship and is absent 5 times will suffer no penalty; a student who documents a requirement to miss 5 T/Th course meetings for a scholarship and is absent 6 times will have the final course grade lowered by three letter grades). Students who miss 8 MWF or 7 T/Th classes for any reason will fail the course regardless of scholarships, and students who plan to miss 10% of the course should enroll in the course during another semester. Students whose scholarship-issuing programs cannot produce such a letter, or determine a schedule in advance, should take the course during another semester. Letters cannot be amended.

If a student is absent from a class, he or she must seek permission from the course instructor as to whether or not the missed work can be submitted for a grade. In general, students who notify an instructor of an absence in advance will be afforded the ability to submit their coursework.

Instructors of first-year writing courses should copy the attendance policy verbatim onto their syllabi. Questions, concerns, clarifications, thoughts, and appeals should be forwarded to the DWR chair (smonroe@olemiss.edu).

Additional Attendance Policy Considerations

First Day Absences: Students absent from the first day of class may be dropped from the course. Instructors who wish to drop a student who has missed the first meeting should email the DWR communications coordinator (jsmitch1@olemiss.edu) with the subject line: Drop Request: Student Name. In the body of the email, instructors should include the course name and section, the student’s name, the student’s ID number, and the student’s email. Most drop requests are completed within 24 hours. Instructors will receive a confirmation email.

Class Cancelation 

Details

Policy Name: Class Cancelation
Policy Type: Teaching
Applies to: All Teachers
Revised: Aug 2018

Classes in the DWR should not be canceled if at all possible. In times of unavoidable absence, instructors should adhere to the following procedure.

At the start of the semester, instructors should exchange phone numbers/email addresses with a few colleagues whowould be willing to cover their classesin the event of an absence.
If instructorsknowthey will miss a class for a conference or other professional development, they shouldarrangefor a colleague/guest lecturer or assign work students can complete independently or virtually.
If instructors are ill or have an emergency, they should send anemail to students lettingthem know class has beencanceledand providinginstructions for the students regarding work. Instructors should copy the DWR Chair (smonroe@olemiss.edu) and Administrative Coordinator (gschove@olemiss.edu) on the email.

Disabilities 

Details

Policy Name: Disabilities
Policy Type: Teaching
Applies to: All Teachers
Revised: Sept 2018

SDS Syllabus Language

Instructors should copy the policy listed below onto their syllabi verbatim. Questions, concerns, clarifications, thoughts, and appeals should be forwarded to the Chair (smonroe@olemiss.edu).

Disability Access and Inclusion: The University of Mississippi is committed to the creation of inclusive learning environments for all students. If there are aspects of the instruction or design of this course that result in barriers to your full inclusion and participation, or to accurate assessment of your achievement, please contact the course instructor as soon as possible. Barriers may include, but are not necessarily limited to, timed exams and in-class assignments, difficulty with the acquisition of lecture content, inaccessible web content, and the use of non-captioned or non-transcribed video and audio files. If you are approved through SDS, you must log in to your Rebel Access portal at https://sds.olemiss.edu to request approved accommodations. If you are NOT approved through SDS, you must contact Student Disability Services at 662-915-7128 so the office can: 1. determine your eligibility for accommodations, 2. disseminate to your instructors a Faculty Notification Letter, 3. facilitate the removal of barriers, and 4. ensure you have equal access to the same opportunities for success that are available to all students.

Required Communication with SDS

Because the timely provision of approved accommodations is a civil rights issue, it is necessary that faculty communicate closely with SDS. Upon receiving email notification from SDS that a student has requested accommodations, faculty should use the Rebel Access Faculty/Instructor Portal on the SDS website (https://sds.olemiss.edu/faculty/) to acknowledge that they have read the accommodations requests and communicated with the student. Additionally, faculty should answer emails and return telephone calls from SDS in a timely manner, as well as reaching out to SDS if there are questions or concerns about the provision of accommodations.

The full UM policy on Students with Disabilities can be accessed here: https://policies.olemiss.edu/ShowDetails.jsp?istatPara=1&policyObjidPara=10881938..

FERPA 

Details

Policy Name: FERPA
Policy Type: Teaching
Applies to: All Teachers
Revised: Sept 2018

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) 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. These rights 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.”

Parents or eligible students have the right to inspect and review the student’s education records maintained by the school. Schools are not required to provide copies of records unless, for reasons such as great distance, it is impossible for parents or eligible students to review the records. Schools may charge a fee for copies.

Parents or eligible students have the right to request that a school correct records which they believe to be inaccurate or misleading. If the school decides not to amend the record, the parent or eligible student then has the right to a formal hearing. After the hearing, if the school still decides not to amend the record, the parent or eligible student has the right to place a statement with the record setting forth his or her view about the contested information.

Generally, schools must have written permission from the parent or eligible student in order to release any information from a student’s education record. However, FERPA allows schools to disclose those records, without consent, to the following parties or under the following conditions (34 CFR § 99.31):

School officials with legitimate educational interest;
Other schools to which a student is transferring;
Specified officials for audit or evaluation purposes;
Appropriate parties in connection with financial aid to a student;
Organizations conducting certain studies for or on behalf of the school;
Accrediting organizations;
To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena;
Appropriate officials in cases of health and safety emergencies; and
State and local authorities, within a juvenile justice system, pursuant to specific State law.

Schools may disclose, without consent, “directory” information such as a student’s name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, honors and awards, and dates of attendance. However, schools must tell parents and eligible students about directory information and allow parents and eligible students a reasonable amount of time to request that the school not disclose directory information about them. Schools must notify parents and eligible students annually of their rights under FERPA. The actual means of notification (special letter, inclusion in a PTA bulletin, student handbook, or newspaper article) is left to the discretion of each school.

For additional information, you may call 1-800-USA-LEARN (1-800-872-5327) (voice). Individuals who use TDD may use the Federal Relay Service.

For the UM policy statement on FERPA, visit the UM Office of General Counsel’s website (https://legal.olemiss.edu/legal-issues/family-educational-rights-and-privacy-act/).

Grades 

Details

Policy Name: Grades
Policy Type: Teaching
Applies to: All Teachers
Revised: Aug 2018

The University of Mississippi uses a plus/minus grading system. DWR instructors should use the following grade percentages and post the grade designations on their syllabi.

Letter	Percent
A	93-100
A-	90-92
B+	87-89
B	83-86
B-	80-82
C+	77-79
C	73-76
C-	70-72
D	65-69
F	64-below

The Undergraduate Catalog defines grades as follows: A Excellent, B Good, C Satisfactory, D Lowest Passing Grade, F Failure. Please note that meeting assignment requirements is not equal to excellent work but rather equal to average work.

Incompletes

The “I” grade is assigned when “for unusual reasons acceptable to the instructor, course requirements cannot be completed before the end of the semester” (UM Undergraduate Catalog). In order to assign an Incomplete in all DWR courses, the student, instructor, and Chair must all three sign a grade contract which will detail what work is missing, why the work cannot be completed before the end of the semester, why the student could not foresee this event, when the work will be submitted, when it will be graded, who will grade it, what grade the student has earned without the missing component, and when the final grade will be submitted. Incompletes must be replaced by the 25th day of class (the drop deadline) in the next regular semester (skipping summer semesters) or the grade will convert to an “F.” (N.B. This is the deadline for the changed grade to be entered – not the deadline by which the student must submit the work to the instructor – meaning that students must submit work in time for instructors to assess it well in advance of the drop deadline of the next semester.) Incompletes may only be issued for one missing course assignment or for multiple missing assignments due to one discrete event. Incompletes may never be assigned after the submission of final grades. Incompletes may not be assigned as a method to circumvent attendance policies or course failure.

Midterm Grades

All DWR teachers must complete midterm grades in a timely manner. It is essential that the university intervene as early as possible when students are struggling academically.

Grade Appeals

Course grade appeals are addressed through ACA.AR.600.002. Please consult the M Book for procedures.

Instructor Promotion Policy 

View the DWR Instructor Promotion Policy

Observations 

Details

Policy Name: Observations
Policy Type: Teaching
Applies to: All Teachers
Revised: Aug 2018

The DWR maintains a teaching-centered culture and wants every teacher to be successful. As faculty, we learn from each other and share ideas. We value academic freedom, appropriate levels of standardization, research-based pedagogies, and deliberate innovation. We believe teaching can be improved through purposeful reflection. Regular classroom observations help to improve our teaching practices. We learn as much from observing others as we learn from being observed. This ongoing exchange of ideas strengthens our culture by showcasing and improving the unique contributions we each bring to the profession. As a routine of support and collegiality, we expect that teaching observations will protect and enhance our high pedagogical standards.

All faculty, regardless of rank or position, must be observed during their first semester of teaching at UM. These formative observations (through which colleagues provide feedback to one another) should be conducted by a core faculty member, the assistant chair, or the chair.

All other faculty, regardless of rank or position, must be observed once per cycle of every three regular (fall/spring) semesters. These formative observations should be conducted by a full-time DWR faculty member, the assistant chair, or the chair.

All graduate instructors, regardless of experience, must be observed before midterm of their first semester of UM teaching and once more at any point during the remainder of their first year. In the second year of teaching and beyond, graduate instructors must be observed once per year. These formative observations should be conducted by a core faculty member.

All faculty seeking promotion should be observed in the year prior to promotion. These summative observations (through which instruction is evaluated) should be conducted by the chair, the assistant chair, or a core faculty member who is senior in rank.

Faculty who teach online should submit each distinct course taught for evaluation once every three regular (fall/spring) semesters. These holistic evaluations should be conducted by the DWR instructional designer and/or online faculty members designated by him or her in conjunction with the Division of Outreach Online Course Enrichment program. For teachers who also teach face-to-face classes, this evaluation is in addition to their regular observations.

Faculty members and graduate instructors schedule their own observations. After the observation, the observer will submit an observation report through the Teaching Hub. The report will be distributed to the observer, the observed faculty member, and optionally the core instructor the course observed. Online course evaluations, in addition to being shared with the above-referenced individuals, are shared with the Division of Outreach. The schedule for online course evaluation is maintained by the DWR instructional designer in coordination with the Division of Outreach.

The department recognizes that various methods of peer observation are effective. Faculty and observers work together to choose a method from the list below. Materials for these methods are available in the DWR document library.

DWR Observation Checklist
DWR Observation Short Narrative
Small Group Instructional Diagnosis (SGID)
Online Course Evaluation
TPEG/Pro-Teach Model (pilot)

Best Practices

To establish trust and reciprocity, create teaching observation partnerships or triads with colleagues.
Build variety by partnering with different colleagues and using different methods over time.
If you have trouble finding a partner or group, reach out to the communications specialist for names of faculty members who have not yet been observed.
Keep the observation forms and their content private. Share the forms only with the faculty member observed, the DWR communications specialist, and, for online course evaluations, the appropriate curriculum committee chair.
Keep in mind the distinction between formative observations (to provide feedback to a colleague) and summative observations (to evaluate instruction). Remember that summative observations only occur in the year prior to promotion.
Pre-observation conversations via email or in person allow colleagues to pinpoint areas for focused observation.
Post-observation conversations via email or in person allow colleagues to share ideas and learn from each other.
Be mindful that teaching observations have limitations, including unforeseen circumstances, collegiality issues, and biases about pedagogy, subject matter, etc. They are a snapshot of one teacher in one class on one day.

Office Hours 

Details

Policy Name: Office Hours
Policy Type: Teaching
Applies to: All Teachers
Revised: Aug 2018

Teachers in the DWRare expected to hold regular office hours for the purpose of supporting the teaching mission through student conferencing. All teachers are asked to hold a minimum of one weekly office hour per section taught, but no less than two hours per week. Please submit your office hours no later than three working days prior to the first day of classes each semester via the DWR Teaching Hub.

Open Door Policy 

Details

Policy Name: Open Door Policy
Policy Type: HR
Applies to: All Teachers
Revised: Jan 2019

The DWR is committed toopencommunication, feedback, and discussion about any matter of importance to department members.Department members should feel free to contact core faculty, the assistant chair, and/or the chair at any time for instructional guidance. For urgent issues, sensitive matters, or conflicts, faculty should seek out the assistant chair or chair.

Campus-wide, the UM Ombuds Office and Department of Human Resources provide assistance to employees in the areas of workplace and interpersonal issues as well as family/life balance, wellness, and career development.

Permission to Use Student Work 

Details

Policy Name: Permission to Use Student Work
Policy Type: Teaching
Applies to: All Teachers
Revised: Aug 2018

Instructors are required to obtain student consent to publish their work, including publishing student writing online, showcasing student work in future classes, or using student work in public instructional materials. A student work release is not required to submit work to the DWR assessment archive or to use in class or for departmental purposes.

A digital student work release is available.

Persons of Concern 

Details

Policy Name: Person of Concern
Policy Type: Teaching
Applies to: All Teachers
Revised: Sept 2018

A person of concern may be a member of any UM constituency (faculty, staff, or student) dealing with an emotional, psychological, or physical crisis that may interfere with his or her ability to continue attending classes or working at UM.

Instructors who are concerned about the safety or health of a student or colleague should use the information and reporting portal found at: http://umatter.olemiss.edu/.

Plagiarism 

Details

Policy Name: Plagiarism
Policy Type: Teaching
Applies to: All Teachers
Revised: Sept 2018

According to the UM Academic Catalog “in the College of Liberal Arts … faculty members handle cases of academic dishonesty in their classes by recommending an appropriate sanction after discussion with the student. Possible sanctions include: failure on the work in question, retake of an examination, extra work, grade reduction or failure in the course, disciplinary probation, or suspension or expulsion from the university. An appeals process is available to the student.”

When an instructor believes a student may have committed an act of academic dishonesty, he or she should discuss the alleged violation with the student as soon as possible and give the student a chance to explain. Whenever possible, an instructor should meet in person with the student. Instructors of first-year students should bear in mind that many students come to campus with little knowledge of appropriate citation and may be prone to sloppy citation rather than intentional plagiarism.

Following that discussion, if an instructor still believes the student committed an act of academic dishonesty, the instructor may recommend an appropriate sanction as listed in the Catalog statement above. It is a best practice to summarize the discussion and decisions in an email to the student. This practice creates clarity and a timestamped record. Note that if the student does not respond to communications from the faculty member after a reasonable period, the matter may still proceed.

If an instructor chooses to initiate a formal academic discipline case through the Academic Discipline Committee, the instructor must follow the procedure outlined in the UM Student Academic Conduct and Discipline policy.

Instructors of writing courses should copy the policy listed below onto their syllabi verbatim. Questions, concerns, clarifications, thoughts, and appeals should be forwarded to the Chair (smonroe@olemiss.edu).

According to the University of Mississippi Academic Conduct and Discipline policy, “[t]he University is conducted on a basis of common honesty. Dishonesty, cheating, or plagiarism, or knowingly furnishing false information to the University are regarded as particularly serious offenses.” The following language should clarify what academic dishonesty and plagiarism mean in the context of WRIT or LIBA courses. All work that you submit under your name for credit in Department of Writing and Rhetoric courses should be your original work. If you would like to use your original work in multiple courses, you must have permission from your writing course instructor before proceeding. Similarly, you may not turn in work previously submitted for credit, even if it is in the same course number, without first receiving permission from your teacher.

Plagiarism is using others’ words and/or ideas without properly crediting them. Instructors may ask you to incorporate outside source material in your composing, and you must credit others’ work when you use it. In your written assignments there are only three methods for properly importing the work of others: quotation, paraphrase, and summary, including proper attribution of outside

The penalty for academic misconduct or plagiarism in any WRIT or LIBA class may include an “F” on the assignment, an “F” in the course, suspension or expulsion from the university, and/or other sanctions determined by the UM Academic Discipline Committee.

Upon determining academic misconduct or plagiarism, the instructor will notify the student and the Chair of the Department of Writing and Rhetoric in writing as part of the process of opening an Academic Discipline Case. The instructor will also make a recommendation for the penalty he/she finds most appropriate for the offense. Students may appeal this finding and/or penalty by notifying the UM Academic Discipline Committee within 14 days of the instructor’s decision.

The applicable full UM policy is ACA.AR.600.001 and should be consulted by any student concerned with academic misconduct or plagiarism. In most cases, academic misconduct and/or plagiarism should be completely avoidable: if you are ever uncertain whether or not you are committing academic misconduct or plagiarism, ask your instructor before submitting work for grading.

Instructors of speech courses should copy the policy listed below onto their syllabi verbatim. Questions, concerns, clarifications, thoughts, and appeals should be forwarded to the Chair (smonroe@olemiss.edu).

All work that you submit under your name for credit at UM is assumed to be your original work. While you should incorporate the thinking of others in your work, you must credit others’ work when you rely upon it, in writing and out loud. In your speeches, there are three methods for properly using the work of others: quotations, paraphrase and summary. No presentation should contain more than 10% quoted material. If you are adapting work or using research generated for a previous class or context, inform your instructor and discuss your options (if any).

The penalty for plagiarism in Speech 102 and 105 is considered by the instructor on a case-by-case basis and may result in failure of the assignment, failure of the course, and/or additional UM penalties. Upon determining plagiarism, the instructor will notify the student and the Chair of the Department for Writing and Rhetoric in writing, as well as open an Academic Discipline Case. Students may appeal this finding and/or penalty by notifying the UM Academic Discipline Committee within 14 days of the instructor’s decision. The applicable full UM policy is ACA.AR.600.001 and should be consulted by any student concerned with plagiarism.

Religious Holidays 

Details

Policy Name: Religious Holidays
Policy Type: Teaching
Applies to: All Teachers
Revised: Sept 2018

Instructors must accept a student’s assertion of the need to be absent from class for religious reasons, but students are required to notify instructors in advance that they will miss class in order to observe a religious holiday. Students shall be temporarily excused from any academic work or examinations conducted during that class and will be provided an opportunity to make up such examination or work requirements which may have been missed because of such absence on any particular day. Unless otherwise stipulated, the work which would have been due during that class will be due during the next regular class meeting. It is the burden of the student to provide the instructor with notification that he or she will miss a class due to observance of any recognized religious holiday. A good resource to research the date(s) of a holiday is https://www.timeanddate.com.

Syllabi 

Details

Policy Name: Syllabi
Policy Type: Teaching
Applies to: All Teachers
Revised: Aug 2018

Completed syllabi should be submitted electronically via the DWR Teaching Hub no later than three working days prior to the first day of classes each semester. Instructors can find syllabus templates posted in the DWR teaching guides on the Teaching Hub.

Mandatory Language

All course syllabi should contain the mandatory DWR policies regarding attendance, disabilities, grade percentages, and plagiarism. (See those policies and the required language above or below this policy in the DWR policy directory.) In addition, all syllabi must contain the Subject to Change statement below. Copy the statement verbatim. Questions, concerns, clarifications, thoughts, and appeals about mandatory language should be directed to the Department Chair (smonroe@olemiss.edu).

Policies Subject to Change

All information in this syllabus is subject to change at any time, especially during the first weeks of the semester. I will announce changes to our schedule during class time and also via [olemiss.edu email / BlackBoard]. You are responsible for changes to the schedule as they arise, regardless of whether or not you attend class.

Suggested Language

Below are some suggested statements for teachers to consider including in their syllabi.

Classroom Decorum

Please consider including a statement in your syllabus about the need to maintain classroom decorum. We challenge students to express and interrogate ideas, some of which can be dearly held and deeply defended, both spoken and written. At all times, however, we need to proceed from a basis of mutual respect. Below is one such statement:: The classroom is a place of learning; others are paying to be here too. Please make sure not to distract others from learning, and to respect the opinions of others. From time to time we will review each other’s writing, either in peer review sessions or by workshopping an essay. Please follow the guideline of being a “critical friend” in all of your reviewing of classmates’ work. Students who cannot adhere to these behavioral expectations are subject to discipline in accordance with the procedures described in the M Book.

Cell Phone Policies

Many instructors have developed policies prohibiting the use of cell phones and/or texting in class. Cell phones may distract from the goal of the class, but be wary of crafting harsh policies which leave little leeway for judgment when an inconsequential cell phone incident occurs. Consider that you always have the ability to address a student individually under a more general classroom decorum policy.

olemiss.edu e-mail

Designate the official communication channel as olemiss.edu e-mail.

Tardiness

Individual instructors will determine policies on encouraging students to attend class punctually and publish their policy in the course syllabus. Please do not create policies which conflate tardies with absences; find another method to encourage timely arrival to class. This often translates into penalties on course assignments or deductions from the course participation grade. Be sure to note that students who arrive to class late are responsible for verifying that they have been recorded as present.

Late Work Penalties

Individual instructors will decide what penalties are to be assessed to course work submitted late. Be sure to post this policy in your syllabus

Office Hours

Teachers in the DWR are expected to hold regular office hours for the purpose of supporting the teaching mission through student conferencing. All teachers are asked to hold a minimum of one weekly office hour per section taught, but no less than two hours per week. Please submit your office hours through the DWR Teaching Hub no later than three working days prior to the first day of classes each semester.

Teaching Development 

Details

Policy Name: Syllabi
Policy Type: Teaching
Applies to: All Teachers
Revised: Aug 2019

The DWR is committed to supporting instructors. To that end, the following resources are available:

Instructional Technology

The DWR instructional designer, Andrew Davis, is happy to serve as a resource for all faculty technology concerns. Instructors should feel free to stop by his office, Lamar B22, to discuss any questions or concerns related to technology in the classroom, digital composition, or online pedagogy.

In addition to coordinating workshops throughout the year, the instructional designer provides support on any technology issues arising from using courseware and teaching multi-modal assignments. He can also come to classrooms as instructors try new assignments.

Teaching Circles, Communities of Practice, IAPs

Every faculty member participates in a self-selected development opportunity that is documented through the Teaching Hub each semester.

Faculty Activity Reporting System (FARS)

In the spring, DWR faculty complete an annual report through the Faculty Activity Reporting System (FARS), accessed through MyOleMiss, in preparation for an annual review with the Chair (or the Chair’s designee). Graduate instructors email the Chair (or the designee) an updated version of the portfolio they prepared in English 617.

Timeline

Faculty activity reports or portfolios are submitted for the Chair’s (or the designee’s) review at least two weeks before an instructor’s annual review meeting. Dates for the annual review meetings will be announced shortly after the beginning of the spring semester.

Teaching Hub 

Details

Policy Name: Teaching Hub
Policy Type: Teaching
Applies to: All Teachers
Revised: Aug 2021

The DWR Teaching Hub includes assignments, rubrics, calendars, and related materials –including various exercises and handouts as well as sample student papers. New assignments are reviewed by the appropriate course committee prior to being added to the hub to ensure they are in accord with DWR learning outcomes and do not duplicate existing assignments. Please contact the appropriate course committee chair or core faculty member to contribute a new resource.

Tenure-Track Promotion Policy 

View the DWR Tenure-Track Promotion Policy