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Batten School Graduate Academic Policies (UREG) 
Graduate Academic standing 
To remain in good academic standing in a graduate degree program of the Batten School, MPP students must: 
1) Earn a final grade of B minus or higher in all core courses of the degree program**,  
2) Earn no more than 6 credit hours with final grades lower than a B minus in elective courses required for the degree,  
3) Maintain a cumulative grade point average of B (3.00) or higher in all courses required for the degree, including elective courses taken in other schools at the University of Virginia, and  
4) Make satisfactory degree progress. 
5) In the final year of the program, students must earn a CR on the Applied Policy Project to receive the MPP degree. If a student fails to fulfill this requirement, the Academic Standards Committee will consider options on a case-by-case basis.  

Batten School Undergraduate Academic Policies (UREG)
Undergraduate Academic standing  
Batten BA candidates are considered to be in good academic standing at the end of a semester if, in that semester, they have: 
1) Completed at least 12 credits of course work; 
2) Earned a minimum grade of C in all courses taken to fulfill the core major requirements**; 
3) Earned a minimum Batten GPA of 2.500; 
4) Have no more than one grade below C minus. 

​​​​​​**Any student who does not receive the minimum required grade in a core course will be required to retake the course. Graduate minimum grade in core courses is a B minus, and the Undergraduate minimum grade in core courses is a C.  While both grades will appear on the transcript and are used to calculate the student’s GPA, the Batten School will only allow degree credit for the course in which the appropriate passing grade (or higher) is achieved. 

Students are expected to meet minimum standards to progress in either the BA or MPP program. However, there are times when students do not reach those standards and require remediation.

Standard academic progress in core courses for each of our programs is defined as:

• BA program - the minimum grade to pass a course is C.
• MPP program - the minimum grade to pass a course is a B minus.

Batten strives to provide students with the tools to successfully complete your courses. If you identify a student who is likely not meeting standard academic progress standards in your core course, please notify the Assistant Dean of Academic Programs as soon as possible.

COURSE PLANNING SUGGESTIONS

• Consider these recommendations when planning courses and drafting syllabi: 
  Diversity and Inclusion Course and Syllabus Suggestions
  shared by Batten School’s Director of Diversity and Inclusion Sophie Trawalter and colleagues
   
• Field Trips
  If your course will include an off-Grounds field trip: Visit the Office of Risk Management website regarding Academic Field Trips. Regardless of whether the trip is required for the course or is optional, faculty are responsible to plan ahead in order to limit the liability to the University. Required field trips must be disclosed to students on the syllabus and in the course description. Contact Kristine to notify the Academic Programs office that you are planning a trip. Discuss your plans as early as possible to ensure that all information and documents are in order ahead of time. 
   
• Plagiarism
  You can find some good information about the honor system at UVA and resources for faculty and TAs here: https://honor.virginia.edu/faculty. The Batten School feels very strongly about academic fraud. Faculty should take note that Batten supports the Honor Code and you. 

TO INCLUDE IN YOUR SYLLABUS

• Honor, Grading, Additional Time, Well-being policies to include in full: 
  Batten Syllabus Statements to include in full – Word document

• Grading
  To ensure some consistency across courses, the Batten School has a grading scale as follows:
  
  For Batten courses (Undergraduate and Graduate – elective and core), faculty are encouraged to aim for an average course GPA of 3.5.
  
  If you are teaching in the Batten School and feel a pedagogical need to deviate from this target, please let the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, currently Jay Shimshack, know no later than September 5.  He is happy to talk through any such exceptions.

CALENDAR ITEMS TO INCLUDE IN YOUR PLANNING

• Faculty Teaching Core Courses in either the BA or MPP curriculum
  Our curricula are designed so that students are put to the test academically, and we know that students will have multiple assignments due around the same time, which is part of the nature of this program.  We simply ask that if you are planning to have major assignment due in your class (48-hour project, major mid-term or other large project) please give the other faculty teaching in the core a heads up; this way everyone knows what is coming for students.
   
• Final Exam Policy
  University policy states that course final exams can only be given in class on the date and time announced by the University Registrar: U-REG Exam Schedules. At times, this date is inconvenient for students and/or faculty, but please note that an in-class final exam or other synchronous final exam cannot be given outside of the date and time announced for the final exam. Under no circumstances should class time be used for the administration of final examinations.  Faculty may choose to give a take-home final exam, asynchronous final exam, or a final test outside of the University announced date and time, but a cumulative final exam must be given on the date and time announced by the University. An instructor may, however, give the examination on a “take home” basis during the examination period. 

Student Absences

Serious illness or death within the student's immediate family, religious holidays and participation in field trips and athletic contests are all understandable reasons for missing class. We hope that students will not be penalized when they are absent for such reasons. These students have the obligation ahead of time to make the necessary arrangements for make-ups. You are not obliged to provide makeup tests for students whose absence is not warranted by the listed circumstances.

Students attending class so irregularly as to be making no progress in the course may be excluded from the class. Up to the Withdrawal deadline, the resultant grade to the student is a W; thereafter, an F. This policy is reasonable, however, only when announced to the students in advance.

Students occasionally disappear for extensive intervals from the radar screen. When that happens or you have serious concerns about the well-being of a Batten student, please alert the Assistant Dean for Academic Programs or the Senior Assistant Dean of Student Services; one of them will follow up with you in these regards. If you are concerned about a non-Batten student in one of your classes, please contact the University Office of the Dean of Students.

Validation of Students’ Excuses

No one at Batten nor Student Health provide written excuses for students; nor do we validate their reasons for absences or failure to meet course requirements. Only when a student is called out of town on an emergency or is incapacitated or otherwise unable to contact instructors, an Assistant Dean or some other University representative will notify faculty. In other instances, instructors, in responding to requests from students for accommodation in the completion of course requirements, may find it helpful to solicit from students a written statement, pledged on their Honor.

Mandatory Reporting

See the Just Report It web site for details, as well as Resource & Reporting Guide for Employees and Title IX and VAWA information.

Violence Prevention and Assignments

The University is committed to promoting a healthy community free of abuse and violence. The Hoos Got Your Back program is used on Grounds to promote a culture of sexual respect. We encourage you to take a look at the program resource page and consider scheduling a training or presentation instead of cancelling class if appropriate.

Learning Disabilities, Title 504 and Americans with Disabilities Act

The Student Disability Access Center (SDAC), located in the Student Health and Wellness building, can arrange diagnostic testing when instructors suspect the possibility of a learning disorder. SDAC makes recommendations to faculty in terms of proposed classroom accommodations for specific learning disabilities and other medical conditions covered under federal legislation. The SDAC website has a section to assist faculty. The Academic Affairs team members are always happy to work with our faculty, SDAC, and our students and assist with requested accommodations.

University Ombudsperson

Brad Holland is the University's Ombudsperson. The University Ombuds is an independent, confidential resource available to assist faculty, staff, and students in resolving problems, complaints, conflicts and other issues when normal processes and procedures have not worked satisfactorily. You can reach Brad by phone at 924-7819 and via email at bholland@virginia.edu. For further information, consult the webpage.

Policy Reminder: Events, students, and alcohol
There are numerous University policies about events to which students are invited where alcohol is served. Please review this website if you are planning an event that involves students and alcohol: https://vpsa.virginia.edu/alcohol.

Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy Honor Statement

The Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy embraces and upholds the University of Virginia’s Honor Code principles that mandate that students will not lie, cheat, or steal, and we will not tolerate the actions of those who do. Acting in a manner consistent with the principles of Honor benefits every member of the Batten School community.

We expect every student to comply fully with all provisions of the UVA Honor System. By enrolling in this course, you agree to abide by and uphold the Honor Code System of the University of Virginia. The following applies to your Batten course work and requirements, and unless otherwise specified by your instructors:

• All graded assignments must be pledged.
• Students may not access any notes, study outlines, problem sets, old exams, answer keys, or collaborate with other students without explicit permission.
• When given permission to collaborate with others, students will not copy answers from another student.
• Students should always cite any resources or individuals they have consulted to complete an assignment.  If in doubt, sources should be cited.
• Suspected violations will be forwarded to the Honor Committee, and, at the discretion of the instructor, students may receive “no credit” for the assignment in question, independent of the actions taken by the Honor Committee.
• Any questions about what is or is not permitted on an assignment should be clarified by students with their instructors prior to the completion of their work.

If you believe you may have committed an Honor Offense, you may wish to file a Conscientious Retraction (“CR”) by calling the Honor Offices at (434) 924-7602. According to Honor guidelines, for your retraction to be considered valid, it must, among other things, be filed with the Honor Committee before you are aware that the act in question has come under suspicion by anyone. More information can be found at www.virginia.edu/honor. If you have questions regarding the course honor policy, please contact your honor representatives.

Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy Grading Policy

The Frank Batten School has a grade normalization policy, with a suggested grading distribution. Batten courses should aim to have a mean grade that does not exceed a 3.5 grade point average with an emphasis on a well-distributed range of grades.

Additional Time

Additional exam time is not given automatically to students whose first language is not English. Dictionaries are permitted, at the discretion of the faculty member. Students with disabilities in need of accommodation should contact the UVA Student Disability Access Center at 434-243-5180. To preserve anonymity, students should not discuss reasons for the accommodations with the course instructor.

Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy Wellbeing and Duty to Care Statement

If you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or isolated, several individuals at Batten are ready and want to help. Both Jill Rockwell, Assistant Dean for Student Services, and Amanda Crombie, Assistant Dean for Academic Programs, are available to support all Batten Students. They are readily accessible during walk in hours or by setting up an appointment. Additionally, all Batten faculty and staff take student health and safety very seriously. Therefore, as part of their duty to care for distressed individuals, faculty and staff will refer students who threaten self-harm or suicide to appropriately qualified personnel at the earliest opportunity.

Alternatively, there are also other University of Virginia resources available. The Student Health Center offers Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) for its students. Call 434-243-5150 (or 434-972-7004 for after hours and weekend crisis assistance) to get started and schedule an appointment. If you prefer to speak anonymously and confidentially over the phone, call Madison House’s HELP Line at any hour of any day: 434-295-8255. Additionally, as part of the student comprehensive health fees, you have 24/7 virtual care through the TimelyCare app.

If you or someone you know is struggling with gender, sexual, or domestic violence, there are many community and University of Virginia resources available. The Office of the Dean of Students, Sexual Assault Resource Agency (SARA), Shelter for Help in Emergency (SHE), and UVA Women’s Center are ready and eager to help.

Professor Sophie Trawalter

Recommendations based on our syllabus audit and best practices from others doing this work elsewhere:

1. Clearly indicate your availability for consultation outside of class to students by including contact information, office hours, and a welcoming statement in your syllabus. This statement could also offer some reasons students might come to office hours (e.g., to get tips on how to study, ask follow-up questions, ask for a letter of recommendation). Not all students feel comfortable seeking out faculty members. This can help close that gap.
2. For our students (and faculty and staff) with vision impairment, post the syllabus in three formats: Word, html, and PDF, emphasize text by underlining and not italicizing, change all font to sans serif (e.g., Arial, Calibri), use a 12-point minimum font, and a 1.5 minimum line spacing. See here for more: Digital Content Accessibility 
3. Consider including a statement about preferred names and personal gender pronouns. This can signal to transgender, gender diverse, and students in general that their identities will be respected.
4. Consider including a statement acknowledging and respecting difference, and setting some general guidelines for classroom participation. This is what I use, adapted from a syllabus created by one of my mentors:
   I expect that you will attend class, having read all the assigned readings. A successful classroom community exists when we all come to class prepared and contribute to the class discussion in a thoughtful, critical, and active manner. Carefully listening to your classmates and building on their contributions will help facilitate a constructive, interactive classroom experience
   Please be respectful of your classmates’ thoughts and opinions. In this course we will explore a variety of socially sensitive topics. We will engage these topics directly but respectfully in order to explore important mechanisms and theories that underlie beliefs and behaviors with respect to policy domains. Consequently, this course will have an emotional impact on many of us. It will require an ability to listen and think, sometimes with as much dispassion as can be mustered. If you are willing to assume that everyone's perspective is likely to have some merit, however, it is my belief that you will leave this course equipped with strategies for thinking about important and complex social issues.
   In addition, please be professional in your communications. Be especially mindful of this over email, where tone is difficult to ascertain (e.g., sending me an email with “hey, I need the lecture slides” is not appropriate).
   You might also consider a follow-up discussion with students where they discuss what "respect" looks like and how we might have different interpretations of respect.
   Lastly, you might consider encouraging students to take care of their well-being when reading and discussing particularly heavy topics (i.e., step back, return when you can, come see me if you can't). 
   If you would like to write your own DEI statement for your syllabus, Clemson has a good guide and UVA CTE has some sample statements.  
5. Be mindful of who is represented in your readings and who is not.  Check to see if authors from underrepresented groups are in the final week/s and/or optional or not on the syllabus at all—this can give the impression that their work is less important. And make sure they are listed in your syllabus!
6. Relatedly, consider using full names (not abbreviated first names) to highlight female authors; people tend to assume authors are male unless otherwise specified. Some faculty even include photos of authors on their slides for this reason.
7. Check use of syllabi for terminology: avoid general use of male pronouns, academic jargon, and cultural idioms (e.g., assignment will not be a piece of cake).
8. Make attendance policies and due dates clear and avoid major changes. Tell students how they will know if you have made changes (e.g., you will time stamp your syllabi). Students with work and/or family responsibilities are disproportionately inconvenienced and even hurt by unexpected changes in schedule.
9. Avoid religious holidays for due dates or especially important class periods.