Faculty Handbook: Class Meetings

Policy Statement

The Semester

A semester is a fifteen-week term, i.e., fourteen weeks of instruction and an examination week.  Exams must be given at the day and time listed on the published examination schedule. 

The Master Schedule

The Master Schedule reflects the method of recording classroom instruction prescribed by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

• Classes rostered for 3.0 credits, meeting three times a week, are scheduled for one clock hour, e.g., 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.  Regulations allow for a ten-minute break at the end of class to enable students to attend class in the next standard meeting time.
• Classes rostered for 3.0 credits, meeting twice a week, are scheduled for 1.5 hours, e.g., 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.  A fifteen-minute break is allowed at the end of class to enable students to attend class in the next standard meeting time.
• Classes rostered for 3.0 credits, meeting once a week, are scheduled for 3.0 hours, e.g., 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.  Break times are allowed; however, there must be a total of 2.5 hours of instructional time.  For example, if a half hour break is taken at the midpoint of a class, it must meet from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. and resume after break to meet from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m.

The Master Schedule lists assigned meeting places for courses.  Time and place of class meetings may be changed when there is sufficient reason and when the Registrar and appropriate dean are informed of the change.

Class Attendance

The University recognizes that the academic learning experience is not limited to the formal classroom setting.  This does not suggest, however, that the classroom effort should diminish in importance.  Other learning experiences extend and enhance, rather than replace, the collective study effort of the group.  All students are expected to attend class regularly.  Each faculty member will establish course attendance and participation requirements in accord with the intent of this policy and the specific educational objectives of each course.  These requirements must be clearly specified and communicated to the students in the course outline.

Procedures

Procedure when a faculty member cannot meet a class 

In an emergency situation, if a faculty member cannot meet a class, both the head of the department and the appropriate academic dean are to be notified.

In a non-emergency situation, e.g., attendance at a professional conference, the faculty member must see that another member of the faculty covers the class and instruction is provided for the group. 

Procedure followed by students when a faculty member is late 

Classes must begin and end on time.  The waiting period for a class when the faculty member is late is ten minutes.  At that time, a roll is to be signed by each member of the class and submitted to the appropriate dean.  The class is then free to leave.  The class content and materials that were to have been covered in that particular period are to be made available to the students.