course offering and syllabi
Course offerings are planned and decided upon by the department or school involved. It is the responsibility of the chair to call a meeting each year so that the faculty members of the department or school can discuss and determine the course offerings for the next year. All course offerings should be in accord with the general requirement of the Institute, the needs of the department’s or school’s majors, and the needs of the general student body. New course proposals must be presented to the curriculum committee, or the chair/dean, after consultation with the Registrar, and then sent on to the senate academic program and policies committee and to the deans council for approval by both bodies.

In the fourth week of the spring semester, the registrar will submit a request for the next year’s course offerings to each chair. Chairs will comply with these requests after consultation with department or school faculty members, assuring that current descriptions of regularly offered courses are available for inclusion in the Institute catalog.

By the first meeting of each class, each semester, every faculty member will have prepared and distributed a written syllabus (course goals, list of topics/projects, requirements, assignments, evaluative mechanisms with percentage, reading and viewing lists, etc.) for each of his/her courses for the forthcoming semester. These syllabi will reflect adequate coverage of departmentally developed curriculum basics for each course. The chair/dean will be responsible for assuring that a copy of all syllabi for the courses offered by the department or school within a given semester will be on file in the department office and the dean’s office prior to the end of the first week of class.

course offering
The instructor is responsible for planning and presenting the course material, establishing course objectives and requirements, in accordance with curriculum guidelines, and making this information known to the students; selecting and ordering texts and supplementary materials; preparing, administering, and grading projects, examinations, and papers; and assigning and reporting grades in a timely fashion.

academic calendar
Each year, the academic calendar committee determines and publishes the academic calendar for the following year. The calendar includes days on which classes will meet but administrative offices will be closed. Students should be informed by their faculty that classes will meet, but offices and other support services will not be available.

Academic Schedule
Faculty at the Institute have an academic year obligation unless their appointments are for other time periods. The academic year includes semester obligations but is not limited to these obligations. It includes periods of time before the start of classes, periods of time after final examinations, and a time period between the fall and spring semesters. Such obligations may include, but are not limited to: preparation for teaching, including formulation of syllabi; review of transfer credits and placement tests; incoming student studio portfolio reviews; and freshman and student orientation responsibilities.

The schedule of each faculty member is arranged by the chair in consultation with the faculty member. The total department or school schedule is subject to the approval of the appropriate dean.

Class Meetings
Classes officially end at least ten minutes prior to the next class regularly scheduled in the lecture room, lab, or studio. This provides an opportunity for the next faculty member to set up for his or her class and for students to move from one class to the next. Faculty members are expected to meet their classes punctually and to conduct them at a level appropriate for undergraduate or graduate education.

If for some valid reason, the instructor cannot meet a class, the instructor should make alternative arrangements; he or she should contact the department, or the office of the appropriate dean, or, failing that, the office of the provost so that students can be notified, and a substitute arranged, if appropriate. For classes meeting after established administrative office hours, the instructor has the responsibility for notifying the students before the cancellation, and/or arranging for a substitute teacher.

Class sessions to be held in alternate locations must be reported to the chairperson’s office and the office of the provost in order to provide coordination of efforts in case of any emergency that may arise.

Hours on Campus
The Institute recognizes that artists and scholars must on occasion be absent from campus pursuing professional activities (appearances, conferences, etc.). It is expected, however, that faculty members will meet all their Institute obligations. In the case of a faculty absence or need for coverage, notification should be made directly to the chair.

Office Hours/Appointments
Each faculty member should establish regular and adequate office hours so distributed throughout the week as to be of maximum convenience to the students. One office hour per course per week is considered the minimum. Additional office hours will normally be needed during registration, advising, and examination/crit periods. Established office hours and/or procedures for appointments must be brought to the attention of students and a copy filed with the appropriate department chair or dean.

Examinations/Final Critiques
The Institute requires that a final examination/critique be administered in every course, although the structure of the final examination/crit is at the discretion of the faculty member. The Institute also requires that every class meet at the official examination/crit time established by the office of the registrar. Waiver of final examination/crit requires the approval of the chair and the dean.

Classes by Special Arrangement
Subject to review and approval by the chair and/or dean, faculty members may offer special studies (tutorials in regularly established courses), independent studies (tutorials in special fields or topics not covered in established courses), and experimental courses (scheduled courses in special fields or topics not listed in the catalog). Policies and procedures for independent study already exist in the office of the school dean or provost, and are published in the Institute catalogs. The current CBA also governs independent study parameters.

Deadlines
Each faculty member is responsible for meeting the appropriate deadlines established by the Office of the Provost and the Office of the Registrar. Grades are due from the faculty to the Registrar’s Office no later than two business days after the last scheduled class meeting/exam.