Stonehill College Faculty Handbook

Teaching Loads and Assignments

Teaching is the primary responsibility of Stonehill faculty.  Teaching responsibilities and specific course assignments for a faculty member are established in consultation with the appropriate Dean, the department chair or program director and the faculty member.  For full-time tenure-line faculty, the normal teaching load is 18 credits over a two-semester cycle.  For professors of practice, the teaching load is typically 24 credits over a two-semester cycle.  A faculty member receives three (3) credits for teaching a lab section.  For term-renewable faculty, teaching loads vary and are specified in their terms of appointment letter.  There may be exceptions to these  loads based on class size, significant research or administrative responsibilities, external grants, historical teaching loads, etc. These exceptions are negotiated between the faculty member, department chair, and the appropriate Dean. Teaching loads for Visiting Professors are negotiated at the time of hiring.

Through the work of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL), academic departments and the Office of Academic Affairs, the College seeks to support effective and innovative teaching. Faculty are encouraged to participate in the activities of CETL, attend the August and May Faculty Professional Development Says, and avail themselves of the other resources available in the areas of pedagogy and technology, and library resources.

Course Management

Each member of the faculty is responsible for:

• Ordering books and other required teaching materials in advance of the beginning of the semester and communicating with the Bookstore in a timely manner to ensure best pricing for students.
• Faculty must have a syllabus for each course section either in Simple Syllabus or as a downloadable file (i.e., Word, PowerPoint, or PDF file) with, as of spring 2024, a file name that follows this convention so it can be archived by semester and then easily identified and retrieved when needed: Spring_2024_BIO_211_A_Kelley_Syllabus.
• Meeting classes at scheduled times and locations.
• Honoring the College’s reading and examination periods. Faculty members must inform their department chairs or program directors and the Registrar’s Office if they do not hold an in-class final as scheduled by the Registrar. Please refer to the College’s Online Policy Manual, Policy 2508.
• Evaluating students’ work, including providing adequate and timely feedback to students.
• Submitting grades by the dates established by the Registrar’s Office.

Syllabi

Every course taught at Stonehill must have a syllabus that summarizes for the students the key elements of the course. For accreditation and other purposes, the Office of Academic Affairs must have access to the syllabi for all course sections. Faculty must have a syllabus for each course section either in Simple Syllabus or as a downloadable file (i.e., Word, PowerPoint, or PDF file) with, as of spring 2024, a file name that follows this convention so it can be archived by semester and then easily identified and retrieved when needed: Spring_2024_BIO_211_A_Kelley_Syllabus.

When faculty are designing a syllabus, they should keep in mind course credit value and try to follow the recommended guidelines of minimum work expectations of students based on the definition of the credit hour as defined by NECHE:[1] “an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is consistent with commonly accepted practice in postsecondary education and that reasonably approximates not less than:

• One hour (50 minutes) of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out of class student work each week for approximately 15 weeks (about three and a half months) for one semester or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time.
• At least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1) of this definition for other academic activities as established by the institution including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.” 

In determining the amount of work associated with a credit hour, Stonehill may consider a variety of delivery methods, measurements of student work, academic calendars, disciplines, and degree levels. 

To be most useful to students, a syllabus should contain the following elements:

• Course number and title
• Semester, year
• Information about the instructor:
• Instructor’s name
• Instructor’s office, extension, email
• Instructor’s office hours
• Information about the course:
• Course Description (from catalog or departmental website)
• General overview of the course content
• Student learning objectives
• Information about student expectations and evaluation
• Plan for assignments and examinations
• Detailed explanation of grading policy
• Expectations for students in terms of attendance, class participation, etc.;
• Statement of policy on academic integrity
• Statement regarding disabilities accommodations
• Statement regarding available academic student support

You can access suggested wording for the statements on academic integrity, disabilities accommodations, and academic student support in the Syllabus Guidelines document on the Academic Affairs myHill webpage, and other resources and policies can be found on the Faculty Resources Guide webpage.

Copyright Permissions

For those materials you print from other sources to give to your students (either as hand-outs or as part of a course pack), please make sure all of your materials have copyright permission or can be copied under “Fair Use,” see the Copyright Guidelines in the Library’s website under Information for Faculty.  The Library is willing to review your course pack materials and will obtain the proper copyrights through course reserves. Once they obtain the copyright you will be able to add the items to your Canvas course site. At this point you will be able to make them accessible to your students via your Canvas course site or print them to create a course pack.

When the copyright permissions are obtained, your materials can be submitted to Print & Mail Services Office in the Roche Commons to be printed and sent to the Bookstore.

NOTE: Advance preparation is encouraged to prevent bottlenecks. It takes time to get the copyright permissions (approximately two weeks for reserves processing), it takes a couple of days to get the copies done in the Print & Mail Services depending on demand and on a first-come first-serve basis. When the course packs get to the Bookstore, it takes a couple of business days to determine price based on the document copying cost and price approval from their central office before they are placed on the shelves.

The Library’s website has instructions about posting materials on the Canvas site. These instructions also apply to printing them for distribution to students. You may scan and post to Canvas or print material from books and print journals as long as it meets the requirements for fair use. For each item:

(a) You must include a copy of the page containing the copyright statement from the original publication, a complete citation, and a statement that the material is covered under Title 17 of the US Code.

(b) You should keep in mind the substantiality considerations of fair use in deciding how much of a work to post. However, the law does not specify a limit. As noted above, it is widely accepted that one article from a journal or no more than 10% of a book meet the substantiality requirement (i.e., 10% represents a “safe harbor”), but fair use would usually allow larger excerpts.

Student Attendance

Students are expected to be regular and prompt in their class attendance. In case of absence, students are responsible for all class work, assignments, and examinations. Any student who misses an examination (other than the Final Examination), a quiz, or any required classroom activity to which a grade is assigned, must consult the instructor as soon as possible regarding the opportunity to make up the work missed. In such cases, it is the instructor who determines whether the absence was legitimate or not; if it was, the instructor has the obligation to give a make-up examination or a quiz, or to provide the student with an equivalent basis for evaluation. If the absence is deemed not to have been legitimate, the instructor has the option to decide whether to provide an opportunity to make up the work.

For the College’s policy on attendance for student-athletes, consult the Student-Athlete Handbook.  Generally, student athletes should not be excused from classes to attend practices, but faculty members are encouraged to make reasonable accommodations for game attendance. Student athletes are expected to notify instructors of game schedules prior to the beginning of the semester and to work with instructors to satisfy the attendance and assignment requirements of the course.

If, due to prolonged illness or any other reason, any student misses three consecutive weeks of classes, the instructor has the right to decide whether the student will be permitted to make up the work missed.

After the Add/Drop Period, faculty must contact the Registrar’s Office when a student is attending class, but their name does not appear on the class roster.  Faculty also need to report a student whose name continues to appear in the roster but is not attending class.  A student may be added to a class after the Add/Drop Period has ended with the permission of both the instructor and the Standards and Standing Committee.

Any student who is unable, because of their religious beliefs, to attend classes or participate in any required activities related to the course shall be provided at no extra cost with an opportunity to make up any of these activities as long as it does not create an unreasonable burden on the faculty or the school. No adverse or prejudicial effects to the student shall result because of their use of these provisions.

Office Hours

Faculty should be generously accessible to their students and to the community outside of scheduled class meetings. Sufficient office hours can serve as an important extension of the learning environment. Office hours must be communicated to students in course syllabi and preferably also be posted in Canvas and on faculty doors.  Faculty are encouraged to be regularly available during their office hours and at other times of the academic schedule for meetings with students and colleagues and institutional committees. At least four hours a week of scheduled office hours are recommended for full-time faculty either at their offices or virtually, with availability at other times by appointment.

Class Times and Locations

After consultation with Department Chairpersons and Deans, the Registrar schedules the times and locations of all courses. Several standard time blocks are available. Requests for non-standard time blocks require the permission of the Registrar’s Office.

Faculty members may request a specific classroom; however, all classroom assignments are determined by the Registrar in order to maximize space and utilization.  Individual requests will be accommodated when possible. 

Once the schedules are issued, the times and/or locations of courses may not be changed by faculty members without the approval of the Registrar.  Time changes also must be approved by the Department Chairperson. No change in time will be allowed if such would force a student to withdraw from a course.

To avoid inconvenience to others, classes must begin at and end by the assigned times.

Class Meetings and Cancellation Policy

A faculty member is expected to hold all class meetings throughout the semester, at the time and location scheduled by the Registrar’s Office.  This is important not only for student learning but also for accreditation purposes.  In addition, if the College needs to contact a student in an emergency, their course schedule is used to locate them.

If a faculty member is unable to meet a class due to illness, emergency or other unexpected reason, they are expected to try to find a colleague to cover the class.  If that is not possible, the faculty member must attempt to contact their students, the chair of the respective department and the Office of Academic Affairs (508-565-1311; academicaffairs@stonehill.edu). In the event they are unable to contact their students, they should inform the office of Academic Affairs. If time permits, your class will be notified.  If there is advanced knowledge of an absence, a faculty member may choose to contact Career Development, Office of Health Services, or Office of Intercultural Affairs, which have implemented a program entitled “Don’t Cancel That Class.”  A professional in one of those offices will meet with the class in the faculty member’s absence to discuss an agreed upon topic.

If an instructor has not arrived ten minutes after the beginning of a class period, students should assume that the class has been cancelled unless they have been otherwise notified.

Evaluative Criteria/Grading/Final Examinations

Faculty members are encouraged to view exams, quizzes, and papers as learning experiences and not merely as grading opportunities.  The criteria for the grading of examinations, quizzes, and papers are to be determined by the individual faculty member in accordance with usual and accepted professional standards (See Policy 2713  in the College’s Policies). The faculty is reminded of its responsibility in grading and promptly returning student work/assignments.

Faculty are required to enter a Mid-Semester Assessment for every student by the midpoint of the semester. The mid-semester assessment policy and grading system used by the College are found in the Hill Book and in the College’s Policies 2713 and 2706.

Final grades must be submitted by the deadline established on the Academic Calendar.  Once a student’s semester grade has been submitted to the Registrar’s Office, should a grade need to be changed, the faculty member (the only person authorized to change the grade) must submit a Grade Change form to the Registrar’s Office for processing. Grade changes that are older than one semester require the additional approval of the Dean in which the course is offered.  Although it is very rare, a student has the option to dispute a grade, the process followed in this case can be found in the College’s Policy 2703.

Research on learning suggests that some type of comprehensive examination or relevant assignment or project will facilitate a student’s integration and synthesis of knowledge and/or skills.[2]  Therefore, faculty are expected to give final exams in their courses, or an equivalent type of cumulative learning experience.  Obviously, the nature of the examination or project is left to the discretion of the faculty member and will be influenced greatly by the discipline and specific course.  Final examinations are scheduled by the Registrar’s Office and are to be administered only during the Final Exam Period (see the Academic Calendar for the dates of the Final Exam periods.)  It is not acceptable to reschedule a final exam because of student or faculty preference.

If a faculty member chooses not to give the conventional two-hour final examination, they must notify the department chair and the Registrar’s Office. See Policy 2121 of the College’s Policies.

If a student indicates to the faculty member ahead of time that they will not be able to take a final examination at the scheduled time due to an urgent or compelling reason such as illness or a death in the family, the student must notify the Academic Advising.  The examination will be administered at an alternative time set by the Academic Advising.

Under FERPA regulations, faculty are expected to keep student grades and graded assignments in confidence. Only students have the right to see their individual grades or graded assignments.  Graded assignments should not be left in a public place for students to pick up.  FERPA provisions are summarized in the College’s Policy 2115.

• Incomplete Course Work

A faculty member can submit the grade of “I’’ or Incomplete.  This grade will be given to the student only when the failure to complete the work of the course is due to a serious reason as approved by the faculty member.

When a student receives an Incomplete grade, they are granted a period of 30 days, beginning from the last day of final exams, to complete the course work.  Failure to complete the course work during this period results in a grade of “IF” or Incomplete/Failure.  Once all course work has been submitted to the faculty member, a final grade must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office by following the Grade Change process within 14 days.

For serious reasons, a faculty member may grant the student an extension beyond the 30-day requirement by notifying the Registrar’s Office.  However, an extension must not be granted beyond the semester following the one in which the Incomplete grade was given.

Students who are issued an Incomplete in their final semester will not be eligible to graduate until the final grade is submitted and may not receive their degree until the next official College graduation date.

For the Policy regarding students withdrawing from a course after the Drop/Add period see the Hill Book and the College’s Policy 2909.  For the Policy regarding dismissal of a student from a course see the College’s Policy 2516.

Course Activities Off-Campus

For documentation purposes, faculty members are asked to provide notification prior to traveling off campus with students by completing the Travel Notification Form.

Due to safety and liability issues, faculty and staff members should avoid traveling alone with a student or using a personal vehicle for travel whenever possible.  In cases where travel in a personal vehicle with students is considered necessary and proper by a faculty member, during their duties, the faculty member’s insurance will be the primary carrier in the event of an accident.  Any faculty member performing their duties off-campus remains indemnified under article VI of the Bylaws of Stonehill College.

Off-campus activities should not conflict with course schedules of enrolled students.

Retention of Course Records

A faculty member must preserve all pertinent course records for at least one full year following the completion of a particular course.  Course records include:

• Student Work: Any student work such as papers, projects or examinations that remain in the possession of a faculty member may be discarded after one year.
• Assigned Grades: All grades for course assignments should be retained for at least one year after the course is offered.  It is the responsibility of faculty members to maintain a copy of all assigned grades for the requisite one year. Mid-semester assessments and final grades for every student are permanently maintained by the Registrar’s Office.
• Course Artifacts: The retention of course artifacts such as the syllabus (see section B.1), assignments and tests are left to the discretion of the faculty member; however, course artifacts are necessary for annual, pre-tenure, tenure and promotion reviews.  See College Policy 2508. on the requirement to submit syllabi each semester.

Stonehill College Academic Honor Code, Policy and Procedures

All faculty have the responsibility to be familiar with, to support, and to abide by the College’s Academic Integrity Policy 2123.

Academic Honor Code

In the context of a community of scholarship and faith and anchored in a belief in the inherent dignity of each person, the students, faculty, staff and administration of Stonehill College maintain an uncompromising commitment to academic integrity. We promote a climate of intellectual and ethical integrity and vigorously uphold the fundamental values of honesty, trust, fairness, and responsibility while fostering an atmosphere of mutual respect within and beyond the classroom. Any violation of these basic values threatens the integrity of the educational process, the development of ideas, and the unrestricted exchange of knowledge. Therefore, we will not participate in or tolerate academic dishonesty.

Academic Integrity Policy

All members of the College community have the responsibility to be familiar with, to support, and to abide by the College’s Academic Honor Code. This responsibility includes reporting knowledge of or suspected violations of this policy to the appropriate faculty member or to the Executive Director for Student Success (EDSS) or designee.

Violations of the Academic Integrity Policy include but are not limited to the following actions:

• Presenting another’s work as if it were one’s own;
• Failing to acknowledge or document a source even if the action is unintended (i.e., plagiarism);
• Giving or attempting to give unauthorized assistance or information in an assignment or examination;
• Receiving or attempting to receive unauthorized assistance or information in an assignment or examination;
• Fabricating data;
• Submitting the same assignment in two or more courses without prior permission of the respective instructors;
• Having another person write a paper or sit for an examination;
• Unauthorized use of electronic devices to complete work; or
• Furnishing false information, including lying or fabricating excuses, for incomplete work.

Each year, the Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA) is responsible for maintaining and publishing a set of procedures relative to the Academic Integrity Policy. These procedures are available through Academic Advising.

Authority

The VPAA is responsible for the overall administration of the Academic Honor Code. Under the direction of the VPAA, the EDSS or designee has been charged with the day-to-day responsibility for the administration of the Academic Honor Code, including the development and execution of all procedural rules related to academic integrity. The EDSS or designee is also responsible for protecting the rights of all parties involved throughout the entire hearing process. All Academic Integrity Reports will be held in confidential files in the Navigation Center for Student Success.

The EDSS or designee gives each faculty member the right to approach a student suspected of violating the Academic Integrity Policy to determine if a violation has occurred, and if so, decide the appropriate sanction for the violation.

The EDSS or designee gives authority to the Academic Integrity Board (AIB) to conduct hearings on alleged violations of the academic integrity policy when an agreement cannot be reached between the faculty member and student regarding the violation or the sanction.

The EDSS or designee gives authority to the Academic Appeals Board (AAB) to hear appeal cases regarding violations of the academic integrity policy.

Academic Hearing Boards

The purpose of the Academic Integrity Board (AIB) is to review statements from a charged student, the faculty member, and witnesses with knowledge of the incident when there is a dispute over either the alleged violation or sanction. The AIB determines if the charged student violated the academic integrity policy and determines the nature of the sanction if the charged student is found responsible.

The AIB contains representatives from students, faculty, and administrators. Because these hearings must occur soon after the alleged event, a group of faculty and students will be trained so that a quorum of five AIB members can be present to conduct a hearing. The Board will be comprised of two faculty, two students, and the EDSS or designee who serves as chair of the Board. The Director of Community Standards serves as an “ex officio” member of the Board, ensuring appropriate procedures are followed. Members of the College community may nominate student members of AIB. The Faculty Senate will appoint two faculty members from each division and additional volunteers will be solicited from general faculty to serve in instances when the appointed members are unavailable. Members of the AIB may not serve on the Academic Appeals Board.

The Academic Appeals Board (AAB) is charged with hearing all requests for appeals resulting from an AIB hearing. A quorum of three AAB members must be present to conduct a hearing. The AAB is comprised of one faculty member and one student representative, chaired by the Associate Vice President for Academic Operations. From these nominations, the Student Government Association will appoint students to serve on the AAB for the following academic year. The Faculty Senate will appoint faculty from each school and fill any vacancies during the year by appointment. Members of the AAB may not serve on the Academic Integrity Board. It is expected that all hearing board members be impartial. All decisions by the AIB and AAB will be arrived at by a simple majority vote. The chairperson will vote only in case of a tie. All board findings are reviewed by the Vice President of Academic Affairs before being released.

To participate on either board, all members must complete a training process. The term of office for appointed AIB and AAB board members will be two years for faculty members and one year for students. There are no specific term limits for board members. Student members of the AIB and AAB must be full-time students in good academic and disciplinary standing. If a student member does not maintain good academic or disciplinary standing, they will be removed from the AIB or AAB for that academic year. A member of the AIB or AAB may be removed from the Board for non-fulfillment of duties essential to the position. A majority vote of the members is required for removal.

Charged students are required to attend all hearings related to academic integrity violations. Hearings are not open to the public and are confidential in nature. Therefore, friends, parents, siblings, or legal counsel may not be permitted in the room where the hearing takes place but may wait nearby for support purposes. However, charged students are encouraged to be advised by an advocate during the process, which is defined as a faculty member, staff member or member from the student body who is not an attorney.

In the absence of a functioning AIB or AAB, such as before the appointment of members or at the end of an academic semester, the EDSS or designee may appoint an impartial group of faculty, administrators, and students to review the case.

Academic Integrity Procedures

When a faculty member suspects a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy, the faculty member meets privately with the student (in person, or by phone with email documentation, if a face-to-face meeting is impossible, as can happen at the end of a semester) as soon as possible but within five business days of discovering the alleged violation, presents the evidence, and asks for an explanation. Specific time limits within the process may be extended for reasonable cause at the discretion of the EDSS or designee. Faculty who are aware of a prior violation either directly or indirectly must limit their navigation of the procedures below to each individual infraction or make no reference to a prior offense. The Faculty member and the student may arrive at one of the following conclusions:

(a) Both agree that a violation did not occur, and the case is dismissed. No written report is necessary.

(b) Both agree that the action was an unintentional matter resulting from miscommunication or lack of understanding. The Faculty member and student agree to a limited sanction (e.g., a reduction in the grade for the assignment, a requirement to rewrite and resubmit the assignment and/or the requirement that the student schedule an appointment with Tutoring Services personnel for assistance on proper procedure, etc.) within five business days of their initial meeting. Reporting of the incident to the EDSS is left to the discretion of the faculty member. If reported, the faculty member provides an informal/formative or formal letter to the EDSS or designee who will review all reports to determine if a repeat offense has occurred. Refer to sections C and D for additional information on informal/formative and formal letters.

(c) Both agree that an academic integrity incident did occur but that the incident is not serious enough to be considered a formal academic performance or conduct violation.  Within five business days of their initial meeting, the faculty member imposes developmental, educational, and course outcomes, and provides an informal/formative letter, which describes the incident and outcomes to the student and to the EDSS.

An informal/formative letter is a temporary record created by a faculty member and does not constitute action by the College.  The letter allows the faculty member to address an academic integrity incident through guidance and accountability within the faculty-student relationship. An informal/formative letter is not considered part of a student’s permanent academic record and is destroyed either after graduation or one year after the student has voluntarily withdrawn from the College.  If the student authorizes the release of college disciplinary records to a third party (such as an undergraduate college, graduate school, employer, etc.), an informal/formative letter is not disclosed. Prior to its being destroyed, an informal/formative letter is disclosed only under the following circumstances:

1. With the relevant members of the Academic Integrity or Academic Appeals Board in the case of a repeated violation of the Academic Integrity Policy; or,
2. When disclosure is appropriate or necessary under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA; e.g., upon request from law enforcement, in conjunction with the issuance of a valid subpoena, etc.).

(d) Both agree that an academic integrity incident did occur and that the incident is serious enough to be considered a formal academic performance or conduct violation.  Within five business days of their initial meeting, the faculty member imposes developmental, educational, and course outcomes, and provides a formal letter that describes the incident and outcomes to the student and to the EDSS.

A formal letter is an academic discipline record that is destroyed seven years post-graduation.  Prior to its being destroyed, a formal letter is disclosed only under the following circumstances:

1. With the relevant members of the Academic Integrity or Academic Appeals Board in the case of a repeated violation of the Academic Integrity Policy;
2. Upon request of the student (often as part of the application and/or admission process to graduate and professional schools, jobs, service programs, etc.); or,
3. When disclosure is appropriate or necessary under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA; e.g., upon request from law enforcement, in conjunction with the issuance of a valid subpoena, etc.).

• The faculty member and student are not able to reach an agreement about either the violation or the sanction. The faculty member is then required to submit, within five business days from when the initial meeting occurred with the student, an Academic Integrity Incident Report to the EDSS or designee who will send a copy of the report to the student. The EDSS or designee will refer the case to the AIB.

• In the case of a repeat violation, the Executive Director for Students Success or designee will call a hearing of the Academic Integrity Board. The AIB will be charged with reviewing all relevant facts and documentation from each infraction to determine the appropriate sanction.

In cases where the personal safety of a faculty member is a concern, the faculty member may either request a third party to be present when meeting with the student or may report the violation directly to the chair of the AIB or designee without prior discussion of the incident with the student.

The student and faculty member involved will be contacted by the chair of the AIB to arrange a date, time, and place of the hearing through a written notice. During this contact, the faculty member and student can recommend witnesses.

At the discretion of the Chair of the AIB, the details of the violation and incident report can be shared with recommended witnesses.  The Chair of the AIB has the authority to reject recommended witnesses as well as invite other witnesses deemed only to be relevant to the case in question.

Formal AIB hearings will be conducted as soon as possible but no sooner than two business days nor more than ten business days after the charged student has been notified.

Specific time limits within the process may be extended for reasonable cause at the discretion of the EDSS or designee.  A notification of an extension in the allowed timeline will be shared with all faculty, witnesses, victims, and the accused student by email.

Based on the guidance provided by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), faculty members must respect the student’s right to privacy during this process. Discussion of any matters related to the event that would violate the student’s privacy should be avoided. Faculty members seeking advice from others should not use the names of the alleged students and should be careful not to reveal confidential information. Faculty are permitted to share relevant details of the alleged infraction on a need-to-know basis with other instructors who are considered partnered with the course where the violation took place, such as in the case with a Learning Community, lab/lecture paring or other team-taught environments.  Designated staff members in Academic Advising are available for confidential consultation.

During the investigative period before an AIB or AAB hearing, the EDSS as well as the designated Chair of each committee has the right to share information about the case with relevant parties on a need-to-know basis as defined by FERPA.

Students Rights to Formal AIB and AAB Hearings

A charged student will be considered notified of the charges once the Academic Integrity Incident Report has been mailed to the student’s local, campus, or home address on file with the College.

A student charged with allegedly violating the Academic Integrity Policy will be entitled to:

• Be notified of the date, time and place of the formal discipline hearing, as well as the names of the witnesses (if applicable) called to the hearing;
• Receive notice of the fact that failure to appear for a formal hearing may result in the hearing being conducted in the absence of the charged student;
• Provide in writing the names of witnesses with knowledge of the incident that may appear at a formal discipline hearing on their behalf to the Director of Academic Advising or designee, within twenty-four hours of the hearing. Character witnesses are not permitted;
• Be notified of the fact that they may request additional information about the Academic Honor Code;
• Challenge the composition of the hearing board with cause;
• Present their case;
• Decline to answer any questions or make any statements during a formal board hearing. Such silence will not be used against the charged student; however, the outcome of the formal hearing will be based upon the information or lack thereof presented at the hearing;
• Be advised by an advocate, who is defined as a faculty member, staff member or member of the student body who is not an attorney.
• Be informed in writing of the decision and sanction, if any, within three business days of a hearing; and,
• Request an appeal of the decision resulting from an AIB hearing within five business days of receiving the decision in writing. A charged student is entitled to one appeal.

In cases where the AIB is meeting as a result of a student’s second (or repeat) infraction, the AIB will meet independently with the student to review all prior violations and determine the appropriate sanction.

In cases where the personal safety of a faculty member is a concern, the faculty member may either request a third party to be present when meeting with the student or may report the violation directly to the EDSS or designee without prior discussion of the incident with the student.

The student and faculty member involved will be contacted by the chair of the board to arrange a date, time, and place of the hearing through a written notice. During this contact, the faculty member and student can recommend witnesses.

Formal hearings will be conducted as soon as possible but no sooner than two business days nor more than ten business days after the charged student has been notified.

Academic Integrity Board Hearings Procedure

The order of Academic Integrity Board hearings will proceed as follows:

• Introduction of the Board Members and hearing participants;
• Charged student’s opportunity to challenge member(s) of the Academic Integrity Board for bias;
• Review and signing of the Honesty Statement;
• Reading of the alleged violations(s);
• Charged student’s plea;
• Faculty member’s statement;
• Charged student’s statement;
• Witness’ statement(s) (If applicable);
• Person who believes they were the victim of the student’s Academic Integrity Violation (If applicable);
• Faculty member’s closing statement;
• Charged student’s closing statement;
• Dismissal of hearing participants;
• Discussion and decision making in closed session; and,

Sanctions

Faculty members and hearing boards review cases on their own individual merit and determine appropriate sanctions. Possible sanctions can include but are not limited to one or more of the following: warning, reduction or loss of credit for the assignment, rework of the assignment, failure of the course, informal letter, formal letter, separation from the College, and dismissal from the College.

Sanctions of separation or dismissal from the College may only be imposed by the AIB and AAB. For an egregious academic integrity violation, the Board may separate or dismiss the student from the College. The Board may also separate the student from the College because of repeated academic integrity violations. If a student has already been separated for an academic integrity violation, has been re-admitted, and has committed another academic integrity violation, the AIB may permanently dismiss the student from the College. In the case of a student with repeated academic integrity violations, these violations will only be considered when a decision has been made about the current violation and a sanction for the current violation has been determined.

The EDSS or designee may impose interim restriction(s) upon a student pending a formal board hearing. Interim restrictions become effective immediately without prior notice whenever the EDSS or designee believes the student may cause serious disruption to the College community. Interim restrictions may include separation from the College; restriction of communication with named individuals within the College community; or the restriction from attending a particular class.

Whenever reasonably possible, a meeting between the charged student and EDSS or designee will be held prior to the imposition of interim restrictions. The charged students will have the opportunity to meet with the EDSS or designee to present their version of the facts, and to indicate why interim restrictions should not be imposed. Following this meeting, the decision of the EDSS or designee will be final.

Appeals

If a student and faculty member both agree that a violation did occur and they are able to come to an agreement on an appropriate sanction, then this outcome may not be appealed. A charged student or faculty member may submit a request for an appeal of a decision or sanction resulting from the AIB hearing no later than five business days after receiving written notice of the decision or sanction. Then the following process will be used:

1. A request for an appeal is to be submitted in writing to the EDSS or designee.
2. The EDSS or designee will refer the request within ten (10) business days to the Associate Vice President for Academic Operations.
3. Appeals will be considered based on the following criteria:
   • Failure to follow the stated processes or procedures that significantly prejudices the outcome;
   • Insufficient or inappropriate evidence used to justify a decision; or,
   • Unjustified sanction.
4. In reviewing the request, the AAB may:
   • Determine there are no grounds for the appeal, thus upholding the AIB decision;
   • Refer the case to the AIB that originally heard the case for re-consideration of special issues;Change the original decision or sanction after reasonable review of the appeal request and the decision rationale of the AIB; or,
   • Determine the appeal request merits a formal appeal hearing and schedule a hearing no later than 10 business days from the date the request is reviewed. Typically, a formal appeal hearing would not be granted unless significant prejudices result from deviations of designated procedures.
5. All decisions, once realized by the AAB, are binding.

Academic Discipline Records

Academic discipline records are educational records maintained in the Navigation Center for Student Success. A formal letter is a discipline record that is retained for seven (7) years post-graduation.  Prior to its being destroyed, a formal letter is disclosed only under the following circumstances:

1. With the relevant members of the Academic Integrity or Academic Appeals Board in the case of a repeated violation of the Academic Integrity Policy;
2. Upon request of the student (often as part of the application and/or admission process to graduate and professional schools, jobs, service programs, etc.); or
3. When disclosure is appropriate or necessary under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA; e.g., upon request from law enforcement, in conjunction with the issuance of a valid subpoena, etc.).

Academic discipline records are not considered to be part of a student’s permanent academic record maintained by the College. However, a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy that results in a sanction of college separation or college dismissal is considered part of the student’s permanent record.

Interpretation and Revisions

Any questions of interpretation or application of the Academic Integrity Procedures will be referred to the EDSS or designee for determination.

Course Evaluations

Every semester, students will be asked to complete online evaluations for each of their courses.  The online evaluations are used for student feedback and faculty self-evaluation and as such, faculty will have the option to add questions to the evaluations for their eyes only.  The evaluations (without the faculty-added questions) will also be available to department chairs, deans, and the Rank & Tenure Committee for evaluation of programs and faculty.  For first-year faculty, course evaluations are formative only.

In addition to using the formal evaluations, faculty members are encouraged to experiment with soliciting feedback from their students at other times during the semester. This can be particularly useful at the point of mid-semester. The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning provides a number of confidential services meant to assist faculty in developing and administering effective mid-term evaluations for the purpose of formative self-assessment. The Center additionally offers confidential assistance in interpreting and usefully implementing student feedback.” See the CETL’s website for more information.

Tenured faculty who have been on the faculty for longer than six years have the option to evaluate their courses every third semester and must notify the Associate Vice President for Academic Operations if they wish to exercise this option.

Faculty members who plan to apply for tenure and/or promotion must choose the course evaluations for four out of the last five teaching semesters immediately preceding the semester in which the tenure and/or promotion evaluations are to take place to be reviewed by the Rank & Tenure Committee. Candidates applying for tenure and/or promotion in the Fall 2024 semester may choose four out of the last six semesters. Discuss with your department chair or program director or the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning Faculty Director methods for increasing participation and evaluation process. Course evaluations shall be solicited for all courses being taught for the first time.

Mentoring and Advising Students

Mentoring

Close faculty-student interaction is an important characteristic of the Stonehill academic experience.  This interaction can be an important aspect of mentoring and can take many different forms, influenced by factors such as the discipline, the faculty member and the students.  For example, in the sciences mentoring is often accomplished through collaborative research.  In other disciplines, students work closely with faculty through Directed Study courses, research, and student interest groups.  In all areas, faculty are asked to encourage students to meet with them during office hours and other times to discuss course material, other topics of interest, career opportunities, etc.  These interactions are often described by students as one of the most important aspects of their undergraduate experience.

Academic Advising

Academic advising helps students to understand their goals, values, interests and abilities; discuss majors, minors, and course work that coincide with their abilities and interests; choose appropriate courses and develop an efficient course schedule; explore possible career paths, graduate or professional schools, and other post-graduate efforts that meet their goals, values, interests and abilities.

Typically beginning in their second year, all full-time faculty are expected to serve as academic advisors or to perform comparable departmental service, at the discretion of the department chair.  If possible, the department chair should try to balance advising loads across the faculty within a department.

Accessibility Compliance

Audio-Visual Media

Both to maintain Stonehill’s compliance with ADA expectations and because of Stonehill’s commitment to creating an inclusive campus that treats all individuals with dignity, faculty must ensure that all students have access to audio-visual materials used for instruction, such as film, DVDs, streaming digital media, video files, and any other material that includes an audio portion accompanying the video portion.  This policy applies to all videos shown to students enrolled in Stonehill College courses.

• When purchasing new media, captioned versions of that media must be purchased when available.  If no captioned version is available, faculty will consult with Accessibility Resources (see C3 below).
• When choosing to assign or use media in a course, faculty must ensure that it will be accessible to the students in that course.  Faculty can either:

1. Choose materials that are already captioned;
   • Request that captioned versions of the materials be purchased by the Library;
   • Consult with the Office of Accessibility Resources as to which of the following is the most suitable solution:
2. Submit materials for captioning
3. Request an interpreter
4. Provide a transcript

• When a faculty member has a clear pedagogical need that requires that no captioning be used (for example, when teaching hearing comprehension of a foreign language film), that faculty member should meet with the Assistant General Counsel to discuss reasonable accommodation alternatives.
• In the spirit of universal design (which seeks to create environments that are already accessible for the largest range of individuals), faculty are encouraged to always use captioning, even when no student has requested it as an accommodation.  Captioning is not only useful for students with hearing loss; students with learning disabilities, students who are second language speakers, and students who are “visual” learners can all benefit from captioning.
• The faculty member will ensure that students requiring captioning will be seated to ensure that the line of sight and lighting supports the captioning.
• All media equipment and computers used in classrooms must be capable of displaying captions when using media. 

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[1] Taken from the New England Association of Schools & Colleges, Inc. Commission on Institutions of Higher Education- Fifth Interim Report Manual

[2] Dixon, D. D., & Worrell, F. C. (2016). Formative and summative assessment in the classroom. Theory into Practice, 55, 153-159. doi: 10.1080/00405841.2016.1148989

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