Faculty Resources

Spring 2023 Start-of-Semester Teaching Memo from Academic Programs

1. DATES AND CALENDAR ITEMS 
2. SYLLABUS ITEMS 
3. STUDENT ABSENCES 
4. USEFUL UNIVERSITY ITEMS 
5. ACADEMIC STANDING AND POLICIES 
6. TO DOs 

 

1. DATES AND CALENDAR ITEMS    

SPRING 2023     UVA Academic Calendar 2022-2023 

January 6          Syllabi due for new courses and new faculty 

January 13        Syllabi due for all other courses 

January 16        MLK Holiday 

January 18        Spring 2023 courses begin 

March 4-12       Spring break – no classes 

April 3-5           48 Hour Project for Introduction to Policy Analysis (Important if teaching 1st year MPP students) 

April 7              APP Technical Report Deadline (Important if teaching 2nd year MPP students) 

May 2               Last day of classes 

May 4-12          Exams (University Scheduled time) 

GRADES are due 48 hours (2 business days) after your final exam, and no later than 5pm, May 16.  

 

Final Exercises: Saturday, May 21 (College) & Sunday, May 22 (Batten and other Schools) 

 

DROP/ADD deadlines 

February 1            Final day to add a course 

February 2            Final day to drop a course, no grade penalty (course removed from transcript) 

March 15               Final day to drop a course with W on transcript (drop after this date will be F) 

 

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. We know 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 core courses a heads up; this way everyone knows what is coming for students and can plan accordingly. 

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.   

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.   

 

2. SYLLABUS ITEMS 

 

COURSE PLANNING SUGGESTIONS 

Consider these recommendations when planning courses and drafting syllabi:  
Diversity and Inclusion Course and Syllabus Suggestions – Word document 
as shared by Batten School’s Faculty 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. Please notify Kristine as soon as 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 January 9th.  He is happy to talk through any such exceptions.  

 

3. STUDENT ABSENCES 

Serious illness of the student or 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 the syllabus, and approved through the Academic Programs Office.  

 

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, Amanda Crombie, or the Senior Assistant Dean of Student Services, Jill Rockwell; 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 provides written excuses for students; nor do we (Kristine or Katie) 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. 

 

 

4. USEFUL UNIVERSITY INFORMATION 

 

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 will work with faculty to meet the required accommodations set forth by SDAC. 

 

University 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 the University Ombuds by phone at 924-7819 and via email at ombus@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. 

 

UVA Alerts 
Familiarize yourself with UVA’s emergency management website. UVA alerts will automatically be sent to all UVA email addresses. Faculty are encouraged to register mobile phone numbers in their UVA Alerts account to receive texts. Additional email addresses can also be added.  

 

5. ACADEMIC STANDING AND POLICIES 

 

ACADEMIC STANDING   Batten Graduate Academic Policies  |  Batten Undergraduate Academic Policies 

 

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 Amanda Crombie as soon as possible.  

 

 

FULL ACADEMIC POLICIES   Graduate Academic Policies UREG  |  Undergraduate Academic Policies UREG  

Faculty, please contact Amanda Crombie with policy questions. Please refer student policy inquiries to Katie Straight (graduate students) or Kristine Nelson (undergraduates).   

  

 

6. ACTION ITEMS  

 

Submit syllabus 

By January 13th (or January 6th for new faculty or courses), email your syllabus to Kristine. 

 

Verify Class Rosters through SIS 

You will be asked to verify class rosters through SIS (in your Faculty Center). Please do not rely on Canvas for completeness or accuracy of the class roll. SIS, and not Canvas, contains the official enrollment for instructors and students. If you have any challenges using SIS, please let us know. We are happy to help. 

 

Best wishes for a restful winter break! Please do not hesitate to contact anyone on the Academic Programs team for any assistance. 

 

Many thanks, 

 

Kristine and Katie 

 

Kristine Nelson, Assistant Director of Undergraduate Academic Programs 

Katie Straight, Assistant Director of Graduate Academic Programs 

 

Office of Academic Programs  

Frank Batten School of Leadership & Public Policy 

 

 

 

Fall 2022 End-of-Semester Teaching Memo from Academic Programs

1. ACADEMIC STANDING   Batten Graduate Academic Policies  |  Batten Undergraduate Academic Policies

 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 (please see Fall ‘22 grading exceptions below).  

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 Amanda Crombie as soon as possible. 

2. GRADING  

FALL 2022 GRADING EXCEPTIONS: As a reminder from Amanda’s email on November 22nd regarding Fall 2022 grading changes, the key implications of CR/GC/NC are: 

• Credit (CR) may be elected for a grade of C or higher. This will meet all graduation and degree requirements for undergraduate or graduate courses (core, electives and Batten prerequisites). 
• General Credit (GC) may be elected for a grade of C- through D-. GC will earn the credit hours associated with the course but will NOT meet the undergraduate or graduate requirements for any core course. GC will not affect the student’s GPA, but students will be required to retake the core course at the next available opportunity and receive a grade that meets the undergraduate or graduate requirement for core courses. 
• No Credit (NC) may be elected for a grade of F. This will not earn the credit hours associated with the course and will not meet any course requirements. NC will not affect the student’s GPA.  

GRADING POLICY of Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy (included in all Batten syllabi): 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.   

INCOMPLETES 
Students are expected to complete their courses on time.  When a student anticipates that this will not happen, they may request an incomplete grade from the instructor. The symbol IN (incomplete) is used when additional course work or examination is required to fulfill the obligations of a given course.  A student may not request an incomplete to raise their grade.  An IN is not a valid final grade and becomes an F 200 days after the grading deadline for graduate students (30 days for undergraduates), unless the student requests an extension from the course instructor prior to the end of the course and secures approval.  The time allowed to complete course requirements is determined between the student and the instructor but may not exceed one semester beyond the term in which the student took the course.   

Students must enter into a written agreement with the instructor, specifying the remaining requirements and the timeline in which to complete the work. If an extension/incomplete is to be granted, a Batten student must submit the Request for Extension to Complete Course Requirements form. (Students from other Schools complete their home school’s form.) This form will route to the faculty member for confirmation and is then sent to the Assistant Dean for Academic Programs for review.  If the student fails to fulfill the agreement, the grade automatically becomes an F unless changed by the instructor.  Grade changes from IN to a final grade cannot be made more than one semester following the end of the course.    

REPORTING GRADES 
Faculty submit grades electronically either directly through SIS or by entering them in Collab and then uploading them into SIS.  All instructors must confirm in SIS (NOT in Collab) that their grade rosters are accurate.  Please alert us to any discrepancies or problems. Final grades are due within 48 hours of YOUR final exam date.  
 

If no final exam is administered, please submit grades as soon as possible and no later than Dec 20 at 5:00 pm.  

GRADE CHANGES 
Error in calculation or transcription is the only acceptable reason for a grade change. Grades cannot be changed after a degree is conferred, or more than one semester following the end of the course, whichever comes first. Instructors may change grades electronically for winter term and spring semester through December 31 of that year, and for summer sessions and fall semester through May 31 of the following year. After this point, instructors must submit a grade change form to the Assistant Dean for Academic Programs, who will seek approval from the Dean.

3. COURSE EVALUATIONS 

Open through December 9. Please promote completion of the course evaluations to your students.  

4. FINAL EXAMS 

Final examinations are to be given only at the time announced by the University Registrar.  Under no circumstances should class time be used for the administration of final examinations.  An instructor may, however, give the examination on a “take home” basis during the examination period.    

A student who wishes to request the postponement of an examination under rare, extenuating circumstances beyond their control must contact the instructor no later than one week before classes end.  Absence from a final examination for any course offered in the Batten School may be excused only by the Assistant Dean for Academic Programs, and then only when accompanied by evidence of arrangement with the instructor for a deferred examination, to be taken within ten days after the regular examination.  An emergency that justifies extension of this period will be considered only when supported by satisfactory documentation submitted immediately after the period of emergency.  After the ten-day period, or its extension if granted by the Assistant Dean for Academic Programs, the temporary grade of IN (incomplete) will officially become a grade of F unless the deferred examination has been completed.  Absences are excused only for sickness on the day of the examination or for other providential cause acceptable to the Assistant Dean for Academic Programs.  An excused absence may be absolved by taking a special examination at a time mutually acceptable to the instructor and the student.  Special examinations are not granted for reasons other than those stated above.  

Unexcused absence from an examination incurs an automatic failure in the course with a grade of F.  

5. EVENT 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.  

6. FULL ACADEMIC POLICIES  Graduate Academic Policies UREG  |  Undergraduate Academic Policies UREG 

Faculty, please contact Amanda Crombie with policy questions. Please refer student policy inquiries to Katie Straight (graduate students) or Kristine Nelson (undergraduates).  

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.