When professional matters require an absence from campus, classes must be covered by a member of the faculty or by an approved teaching assistant.

Implementation
Department heads should strictly enforce this policy.

Policy
http://bulletin.uga.edu/bulletin/acad/Examinations.html

Policy
http://bulletin.uga.edu/bulletin/acad/Examinations.html

Term papers and final examinations are important educational tools which can provide feedback to students about their academic work.

If faculty members do not return such papers to their students at the conclusion of the course, they are asked to retain them for a minimum of one semester in order to provide an opportunity for review and discussion.

Textbooks authored by the course instructor may be ordered with the approval of the department head. Prior to approving such orders, the department head should be satisfied that the work is equivalent in quality to other texts available for that course. Textbooks should not be ordered from companies in which the course instructor or a family member owns a substantial interest.

Please see https://reg.uga.edu/faculty-governance/academic-affairs-policies/#row13

 

Policy
http://www.bulletin.uga.edu/bulletin/acad/Grades.html

Policy
http://www.bulletin.uga.edu/bulletin/acad/Courses.html#Auditing

Policy
http://www.bulletin.uga.edu/bulletin/acad/Courses.html#Pass

Policy
http://www.bulletin.uga.edu/bulletin/acad/Courses.html#Numbers

Determining Transfer Equivalency

Minimum requirements
Courses must be taken at an institution that has been accredited by its appropriate regional association or, in the case of a course taken at a foreign university or through a study abroad program, at an institution/program specifically approved by the Office of Global Engagement or the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

Equivalent course
A course taken at another institution that transfers into UGA as a credit course with a UGA course number.

Non-equivalent course (write-in course)
A course taken at another institution that transfers into UGA as a credit course but does not transfer with a UGA course number.

Policy for determining whether a write-in course is equivalent to a UGA course:
The faculty members in the department in which the proposed equivalent course is taught ultimately determine whether equivalency exists. Each department will designate a contact person to facilitate transfer equivalency requests. The departmental contact person will confer with the appropriate faculty member with expertise in the relevant course or discipline. The faculty will also note whether the equivalency is limited to that single petition or if the equivalency should apply to that course at that institution for an extended period of time. In the latter case, equivalency will only be valid for a maximum of 5 years, after which equivalency must be reestablished either by a new student petition or request of the appropriate academic department.

Process for determining whether a write-in course is equivalent to a UGA course:
Process for a student to request that the write-in course be recorded on the transcript with a UGA course number:

• The student should complete the Transfer Equivalency Form: https://advising.uga.edu/student-resources/credit-eval-survey.
• Students must provide, at minimum, a course description and a syllabus with the Transfer Equivalency Form.
• The departmental contact person will notify the student and the Office of Undergraduate Admissions of the decision.

For courses taken at a foreign institution or as part of a study abroad program, the student must first contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions or Office of Global Engagement to seek transfer credit approval prior to initiating the process for write-in course equivalency.

 Determining How Write-In Courses Satisfy UGA Requirements

 Except under certain circumstances mandated by the Board of Regents, the ultimate responsibility for determining if transfer courses satisfy university requirements rests with the faculty.

Courses that are used to satisfy Areas I, II, III, IV, or V of the General Education Core Curriculum requirements
Board of Regents policy mandates that students who satisfy General Education Core Curriculum areas at one USG institution must be permitted to use those courses to satisfy the General Education Core Curriculum requirements at all USG institutions. Therefore, if a USG course transfers to UGA and there is verification that the course satisfies Core requirements at the originating institution, UGA will approve the course for use in the appropriate area of the core. A transfer course judged to be the equivalent of a UGA course that currently fulfills the Core requirement can also be used to fulfill the Core requirement.  A course not currently approved as fulfilling an area of the General Education Core Curriculum can be approved only by the General Education Subcommittee of the University Curriculum Committee.

Courses that are used to satisfy Major Requirements, Major Electives, or Area VI of the General Education Core Curriculum requirements Course requirements to satisfy a student's major are determined by the faculty in the department of the major. The student requesting credit must provide the appropriate departmental contact person with any course-related information requested in order to assist in determining if the course can be used to satisfy a major requirement.

Courses that satisfy school/college degree requirements
If a school or college has school-wide or college-wide degree requirements, the school or college’s policy for substituting a transfer course for a required course should be used to make decisions. In the absence of such a policy, the Dean’s Office will make such decisions.

Courses that satisfy University-wide degree requirements
The University Curriculum Committee will determine whether or not a course may be used to substitute for any University-wide degree requirement.

Appeals Process
The route of appeals for major requirement, major elective, or Core Area VI substitutions or waivers is 1) the major department, 2) Dean’s Office of the student’s school/college, 3) Educational Affairs Committee, 4) University of Georgia President, 5) Board of Regents.

The route of appeals for school/college requirement substitutions or waivers is 1) Dean’s Office of the student’s school/college, 2) Educational Affairs Committee, 3) University of Georgia President, 4) Board of Regents.

The route of appeals for Core Areas I, II, III, IV, or V substitutions or waivers is 1) General Education Subcommittee of the University Curriculum Committee, 2) Educational Affairs Committee, 3) University of Georgia President, 4) Board of Regents.

The route of appeals for University-wide requirement substitutions or waivers is 1) University Curriculum Committee, 2) Educational Affairs Committee, 3) University of Georgia President, 4) Board of Regents.

 

1. References

1. Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), Principles of Accreditation, Standard 6.2a.
2. UGA Academic Affairs Policy 4.07-13, Instructor of Record Credentials

2. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to ensure accurate accounting of the instructional responsibility in all course sections. This policy allows for accurate reporting of institutional data at local, state, and national levels; the ability to accurately account for instructional activity of graduate teaching/laboratory assistants; data consistency across schools/colleges allowing for accurate resource allocation and comparative data analysis; appropriate accountability in academic dishonesty and grade appeal processes, and data integrity for documenting instructor credentials as required by SACSCOC.

3. Policy

Academic units must identify all instructors for all course sections. The instructor is defined as the person(s) responsible for delivering the academic content of the course, including conducting the day-to-day classroom/instructional activities and/or the assignment of grades.

Instructors of record must be appointed as a UGA faculty member, or hired as a UGA graduate assistant or post-doctoral research and teaching associate, and they must have appropriate qualifications. Classified staff are not eligible to serve as instructor of record unless they are also appointed as UGA faculty and have appropriate qualifications. Appropriate qualifications for all instructors of record are defined in UGA Academic Affairs Policy 4.07-13, Instructor of Record Credentials. All instructors of record who are paid to teach must be supported by a funding source that allows for instructional responsibilities.


4. Assignment of Percentage Instruction Responsibility

More than one instructor may be listed for each course section. Assignment of appropriate instructor percent responsibility must be determined by each academic unit using the following guidelines:

1. Regular classroom instruction: sections taught for credit, whether taught by faculty, graduate assistant(s), or post-doctoral research and teaching associate(s), must include all instructors contributing to the instructional activity. Each instructor must be assigned the appropriate percent responsibility.
2. Credit-bearing laboratory sections: the person conducting the day-to-day classroom activities, whether faculty, graduate assistant(s), or post-doctoral research and teaching associate, must be listed as the instructor. If a faculty member is primarily providing oversight of a graduate assistant, the faculty member may be assigned a maximum of 10% instructional responsibility, and the graduate assistant a minimum of 90%.
3. Non-credit laboratory sections: the person conducting the day-to-day classroom activities, whether faculty, graduate assistant, or post-doctoral research and teaching associate, must be listed as the instructor. If a faculty member is primarily providing oversight of a graduate assistant, the faculty member may be assigned a maximum of 10% instructional responsibility, and the graduate assistant a minimum of 90%.
4. Study abroad sections taught by foreign faculty for UGA credit: the foreign faculty conducting the day-to-day classroom activities must be listed as the instructor of record and assigned 90% instructional responsibility. The local UGA faculty member serving as program coordinator who provides primary oversight of all local matters concerning the course sections will be assigned 10% instructional responsibility.
   
   

1. References

1. Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), Principles of Accreditation, Standard 6.2a
2. Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), Faculty Credentials Guidelines
3. UGA Academic Affairs Policy 4.07-12, Instructor of Record
4. University of Georgia Teaching Assistant Policy
5. Academic Affairs Policy Manual Section 1: Faculty

2. Purpose

Qualified, effective instructors are essential to carry out the mission of the institution and to ensure the quality and integrity of its academic programs. The purpose of this policy is to define credential standards and other requirements for all UGA faculty, graduate assistants, and post-doctoral research and teaching associates assigned as instructors of record under Academic Affairs Policy 4.07-12, Instructor of Record.

3. Policy

Each academic unit has the responsibility to ensure and document that the instructor of record assigned to each course offered by the unit has appropriate credentials, overall qualifications, and required approvals to teach the specific content of the course assigned.

4. Credentials

Instructor of record credential standards apply to all faculty members, graduate assistants, and post-doctoral research and teaching associates who are assigned responsibility for delivering a course’s academic content. These standards apply to all courses listed in the UGA course offerings system, regardless of format, location, or mode of delivery. The emphasis is on overall qualifications of the instructor, rather than simply academic credentials. While academic credentials in most cases are the standard qualification for instructors, alternative types of qualifications may prove to be appropriate.

1. Academic Credentials – The tables in section six of this policy list the academic credentials and other attributes required for all course levels and instructor types. For the purposes of evaluating the appropriateness of academic credentials for instructor assignments, “teaching discipline” is defined as the same discipline as the course, or a discipline closely related in content and/or scholarly method to the course discipline. If an instructor does not meet the academic credential standards, alternative credentials are required and must be documented by the unit (see section 4.b below)
   
   
2. Alternative Credentials - Instructors may be qualified to teach a course based on credentials other than an earned degree or graduate course work, such as research expertise, professional experience, certifications, professional licensure, honors, awards, publications, creative work, etc. Alternative credentials must be supported with documentation (for example, a CV detailing research publications and presentations in the course area), which is kept on file in the academic unit. Academic units must be able to supply written justification for alternative credentials when needed.
   
   

5. Exceptions

1. Faculty Appointments—Degree Exceptions
   In keeping with the appointment guidelines for each faculty career track, appointment to a faculty rank at UGA requires a master’s degree or a terminal degree appropriate for the discipline in which the faculty member is hired to teach, conduct research/scholarship, and/or provide service. This requirement ensures that at the time of hire faculty members at minimum have the academic credentials to teach undergraduate courses in the discipline. Degree exceptions based on professional or other qualifications are sometimes made at the time of hire. Per Academic Affairs Policy 1.09-2, Degree Exception Requests, all degree exceptions for faculty appointments are approved by the Provost’s Office and documented in the faculty member’s file in the Office of Faculty Affairs. Faculty with approved degree exceptions also must meet the credential standards (section 4.b above) for each course in which they are assigned to serve as instructor of record. Documentation submitted for a degree exception may be used to document Alternative Credentials if appropriate to the course assignment.
   
   
2. Graduate Assistants — Individual Exceptions
   Exceptions to credential requirements for individual graduate assistants may be made for persons of special learning or ability, or to address temporary emergency situations. Requests for these exceptions must be made by the academic unit prior to the semester of instruction, or as soon as an emergency need is apparent. Individual exception requests must be submitted in writing to the Office of Faculty Affairs, and approved by the Vice President for Instruction. Documentation will be maintained in the Office of Faculty Affairs.
   
   
3. Graduate Assistants—Course Exceptions
   Exceptions to credential requirements may be made for graduate assistants assigned an appropriate, limited percentage of instructional credit to facilitate discussion or laboratory sections in specific courses under the following conditions:

• The faculty member assigned to the course has overall responsibility for the course, including:
  • Pedagogical design,
  • Course content,
  • Policies and criteria for assigning grades;
• Departmental processes are in place to ensure the following:
  • Each graduate assistant has the appropriate discussion skills and appropriate knowledge of the course content to supervise the discussion section;
  • Each graduate assistant has appropriate training in instruction of the discussion section;
  • Each graduate assistant is under ongoing and direct supervision of the faculty member assigned to the course; and
• Course exceptions must be approved in writing by the appropriate Dean and by the Vice President for Instruction using the Request for Graduate Assistant Credential Exception to Lead Laboratory or Discussion Sections of UGA Courses Documentation will be maintained in the Office of Faculty Affairs.
  
  

6. Requirements for Instructors of Record by Instructor Type and Course Level

Faculty

Undergraduate Courses (1000-5000 level courses)

Faculty Type	Credential Standards	Additional Requirements
All faculty who serve as           instructors of record in     undergraduate courses	Must have a faculty appointment    and at least one of the following    that is appropriate for the teaching    discipline:· a master’s degree (section 4.a), a terminal degree (section 4.a), an approved degree exception (section 5.a), or·  alternative credentials (section 4.b)	None.

 

Lower Level Graduate and Post-Baccalaureate Courses (6000-7000 level courses)

Faculty Rank/Hire Status	Credential Standards	Additional Requirements
Assistant Professor   Associate Professor   Full Professor	Must have at least one of the     following that is appropriate for    the teaching discipline: a terminal degree (section 4.a), an approved terminal degree exception (section 5.a), or alternative credentials (section 4.b)	None.
Academic Professional   Clinical   Lecturer   Instructor   Administrative A   Librarian   Public Service   Research Scientist   Staff Physician	Must have at least one of the    following that is appropriate for    the teaching discipline: a terminal degree (section 4.a), an approved terminal degree exception (section 5.a), or   alternative credentials (section 4.b)	Written approval from the    unit’s dean to teach specific     graduate-level courses prior    to the semester of instruction.
Limited-term   Part-time   Retire-rehire   Emeritus   Adjunct (including      Classified Staff with      adjunct faculty       appointment)   Visiting	May teach courses appropriate    for their faculty rank and    overall qualifications, as required    above.	Written approval from the unit’s   dean to teach specific   graduate- level courses prior to   the semester of instruction, as      required above by rank.

 

Upper Level Graduate and Post-Baccalaureate Courses (8000-9000 level courses)

Faculty Rank/Hire Status	Credential Standards	Additional Requirements
Assistant Professor   Associate Professor   Full Professor	Must have at least one of the       following that is appropriate for    the teaching discipline: a terminal degree (section 4.a), an approved terminal degree exception (section 5.a), or alternative credentials (section 4.b)	Faculty with terminal degree         exceptions (see section 5.a),    or alternative credentials    must also have written    approval from the unit’s dean    to teach specific graduate-    level courses prior to  the    semester of instruction.
Academic Professional   Clinical   Lecturer   Instructor   Administrative A   Librarian   Public Service   Research Scientist   Staff Physician	Must have at least one of the     following that is appropriate for    the teaching discipline: a terminal degree (section 4.a), an approved terminal degree exception (section 5.a), or alternative credentials (section 4.b)	Written approval from the    unit’s dean to teach specific    graduate-level courses prior    to the semester of instruction.
Limited-term   Part-time   Retire-rehire   Emeritus   Adjunct (including       Classified Staff with       adjunct faculty        appointment)   Visiting	May teach courses appropriate    for their faculty rank and overall    qualifications, as required above.	Written approval from the    unit’s dean to teach specific    graduate-level courses prior    to the semester of instruction,    as required above by rank.

 

Graduate Students 

Undergraduate Courses (1000-5000 level courses)

	Credential Standards	Additional Requirements
Graduate Assistants	Master’s degree appropriate for    the teaching discipline,OR18    graduate credit hours in the    teaching discipline.	Must complete TA Orientation     offered by the Center for           Teaching and Learning.    Must complete GRSC 7770    or an approved equivalent.     International graduate         assistants  whose native       language is not English must       also meet the English    language requirements         specified in the     UGA Teaching Assistant     Policy.

 

Graduate and Post-Baccalaureate Courses (Course Numbers > 6000 level courses)

Credential Standards & Additional Requirements

Graduate Assistants

With the exception of GRSC 7770 and approved equivalents,    LLED7768, LLED7769, WIP7001, and PHYS7111/2-L, graduate    assistants are not approved to be instructors of record or grade    assignments for graduate course sections, including course sections    that are split-level with an undergraduate course. Graduate assistants    may only be listed co-instructor of record for GRSC 7770 and approved    equivalents, LLED7768, LLED7769, WIP7001, and PHYS7111/2-L,    with a qualified faculty member.

Post-doctoral Associates

Undergraduate Courses (1000-5000 level courses)

	Credential Standards	Additional Requirements
Post-Doctoral Associate	Must be hired as a post-doctoral         research and teaching associate    and have at least one of the    following that   is appropriate for    the teaching discipline: a master’s degree (section 4.a) a terminal degree (section 4.a), an approved terminal degree exception (section 5.a), or alternative credentials (section 4.b)	None.

 

Graduate and Post-Baccalaureate Courses (> 6000 level courses)

	Credential Standards	Additional Requirements
Post-Doctoral Associate	Must be hired as a post-doctoral         research and teaching associate    and have at least one of the    following that is appropriate for the     teaching discipline:· a terminal degree (section 4.a), an approved terminal degree exception (section 5.a), or   alternative credentials (section 4.b)	Written approval from the     unit’s dean to teach specific    graduate-level courses prior    to the semester of instruction.

The dean of each academic unit (college/school) is responsible for maintaining a balance between the instructional costs incurred by the unit and the minimum fee charged to each student. Academic departments wishing to add or modify Lab/Supply Fees on the Bursar’s Office List of Approved Courses must provide a written justification that includes documentation of the costs incurred in teaching the courses and a response to the basic criteria outlined below. An electronic form to request a new lab/supply fee can be found by accessing http://busfin.uga.edu/bursar/forms_lab_supply_new.pdf. If an increase or decrease of an existing fee is required, please access http://busfin.uga.edu/bursar/forms_lab_supply_increase_decrease.pdf. The department head must forward the justification to his/her dean for approval. Requests approved by the dean should be forwarded to the Office of the Vice President for Instruction for final approval.  The OVPI will send approved requests to the Bursar.

1. Items covered by the fee must be clearly identifiable, and they must be essential to the student’s completion of the course. Specifically, absence of the items covered by the fee would prevent student success in the course.

2. There must be equivalent treatment of all students, so that no disparity exists between courses that use the items and charge the fee and courses that use the identical items and do not charge the fee.

3. Items covered by the fee must be unique and unavailable through other practical means for use in the specific course, and all students enrolled in the course must be required to pay the fee.

4. The same fee should apply to all sections of the course within a given semester. Students in May session sections should be charged the same fee as those in the regular and short summer sessions.

The approved list of courses requiring Lab/Supply Fees will be maintained in the Bursar’s Office as well as in a data table in the OASIS Registration system. The fee is the actual cost expended to provide supplies, materials, and maintenance of specialized instructional equipment in undergraduate, graduate, and professional courses. It is not intended as a means of recouping ordinary and usual costs related to the instructional process. Examples of allowable and non-allowable fees are listed below.

Examples of Allowable and Non-Allowable Lab/Supply Fees

Allowable Fees

1. Items given to students in lab/supply kits (e.g., art supplies, test tubes).
2. Items consumed by students during a course (e.g., chemicals, paper, toner).
3. Yearly maintenance contracts on specialized equipment dedicated solely to instruction (e.g., magnetic resonance spectrometer, rapid prototype printer); the added cost per student may not exceed $25 per course.
4. Any tool or device used in a course that has an expected life of one year or less, is an operational item (no property tag), and is used to transform expendable items to a product needed for success in the course (e.g., sculpture chisel, electronic components).
5. Instructional computing site license fees not eligible for Student Technology Fee funds.

Non-allowable Fees

1. Items eligible for Student Technology Fee funds.
2. Items costing over $5,000 and carrying a property tag.
3. Furnishings,  utilities costs (e.g., telephones) and similar items covered by state funds.
4. Salaries or stipends for personnel.

The University requires that all off campus field trips must be approved by the Department Head and Dean.  It is advisable to secure this approval prior to scheduling a field trip and before the drafting of a waiver.

Waivers of liability for voluntary field trips are generally upheld by courts in the State of Georgia.  Key elements involved with waivers include that the participant enters into the waiver voluntarily and that the participant is well aware of the activities and possible risks involved in the field trip. Therefore, each waiver, although similar in content, must be specifically customized to fit the specific facts of each field trip.

All participants in voluntary field trips in which the University provides transportation should be required to sign a waiver of liability as a condition of participation.  In other situations which may involve potential dangers or the University provides items such as meals, housing, equipment, etc. the instructor should consult with the Office of Legal Affairs about the advisability of using waiver forms. The Office of Legal Affairs drafts the waivers once the instructor provides the necessary information. This information includes:

• Name of the department and the faculty/staff member who is requesting the waiver
• The dates of the field trip
• The name and number of the course associated with the trip
• All activities associated with the field trip
  • Include what will be provided (transportation, meals, etc.) by the University
  • Include detailed description of the activities
• Any possible risks that you might foresee associated with the field trip (no matter how trivial you feel the risk might be.)

Instructors who need a waiver drafted by the Office of Legal Affairs, or who have any questions regarding waivers of liability, should contact Brooke Savage, Assistant General Counsel, Lustrat House at 706-542-0006 or at b.savage@uga.edu. A request for a waiver should be made at least three (3) weeks in advance of the date of the trip to ensure that the waivers are available in time.

After receiving your requested waiver from the Office of Legal Affairs, please have all participants sign an original for you to keep in the instructor’s files and also make the participants a copy of the signed original for their records.

Students must be given the opportunity to complete an end-of-term course evaluation.

Common Course Evaluations and Use of Common Scale

Instructors will include the following items in their end-of-term course evaluations and use a common scale:

1.  Was this course required for your degree?

(1) No, not required

(2) Yes, required

2.  On average, how many hours per week did you devote to this course outside of class?

(1) 0-1 hours

(2) 2-3 hours

(3) 4-5 hours

(4) 6-7 hours

(5) 8 hours or more

3.  Assignments and activities were useful for helping me learn.

Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
1	2	3	4	5

4.  This course challenged me to think and learn.

Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
1	2	3	4	5

Procedure

• Instructors may include additional items designed to measure teaching effectiveness in their disciplines.
• All items will use a common scale from 1 to 5, 5 being highest.
• Items on the questionnaire should be positive statements.

Rationale

One of the Task Force for General Education and Student Learning recommendations (II.2.4) was to establish an online course evaluation system and a uniform set of questions for all University undergraduate courses. The Task Force expressed concern over the lack of uniformity among different departments’end-of-course evaluations and the lack of questions on academic rigor.  Establishing comprehensive and uniform end-of-course evaluations, but allowing for course-specific questions, will provide an effective tool to assess undergraduate courses and the degree of academic rigor.

Results of the End-of-Term Course Evaluations

Recommendation:
During the one-year trial period the numerical results for the common questions in end-of-term course evaluations will not be published online.  Course evaluation comments will not be published online.

Procedure:
An online process will be developed to facilitate collection of the common questions.  The results will be available internally for initial assessment. Results will be available for individual courses but not for individual faculty. After results have been compiled for two semesters, the results will be available to UCC for evaluation and consideration. The UCC will determine how to proceed and whether or not to publish numerical results for the common questions.

Rationale:
The University would like a measure of rigor for all courses and to be able to compare results from the course evaluations with the NSSE results. Students want to be able to see the common course evaluation results.

Instructors are encouraged to administer midterm evaluations in their courses each semester. Questions for that evaluation might include:

• What’s working?
• What’s not working?
• How can we make it better?

Procedure

The midterm course evaluation:

• Will be administered by the instructor (proctors are not necessary)
• Will be used only by the instructor to improve the course
• Will not be used to evaluate the instructor during the promotion and tenure process or annual evaluations
• Will not be kept as a record

Rationale

The midterm evaluation can provide instructors with feedback on how to improve their courses and allow students an opportunity to provide input before the academic period is complete. This process may have a positive effect on the end-of-term course evaluation.

See Board of Regents Policy, 3.19, Academic Textbooks for details.