Calendars and Scheduling

Semester calendars

Courses offered during the fall and spring semesters at Penn State last for 15 weeks.  Classes are offered daily, Monday through Friday, throughout each semester (except during university breaks).  In general, the fall semester begins on the last Wednesday in August, and ends on the second Friday in December.  Classes are not held on Labor Day, after 12:05 p.m. on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving Day, on Thanksgiving Day, and on the Friday after Thanksgiving Day.  In general, the spring semester begins on the second Monday in January, and ends on the last Friday in April or the first Friday in May.  To give us all a "spring break," classes are not held during the ninth week of the semester, that is, in general, during the second week in March.

Courses offered during the summer last either four weeks, six weeks, or eight weeks.  In general, the four-week "intersession" starts the second Monday in May, and ends on the first Friday in June.  Classes are not held on Memorial Day.  In general, the eight-week session begins on the second Wednesday in June and ends on the first Wednesday in August, while the six-week session begins on the last Wednesday in June and ends on the first Wednesday in August.  Classes are not held on Independence Day (July Fourth).

Depending on how the calendar days fall, the above generalities may not be completely accurate for a particular semester.  To see the beginning and ending dates for a particular semester, as well as other relevant dates, such as religious holidays and student registration deadlines, see one of the official Penn State calendars:  CAC's Penn State Calendar or Registrar's Student Action Guide Calendar

Class periods

Classes at Penn State last either 50 or 75 minutes.  Fifty minute classes begin at 8 a.m., and proceed throughout the day with 15 minute breaks between each scheduled class period.  The 75 minute classes also begin at 8 a.m., but proceed throughout the day with either 15 or 30 minute breaks between each scheduled class period.  No classes are scheduled during the dinner hour, namely, between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m..  Student trial schedules outline the specific class periods.
 

Student Enrollment and Registration

There are three ways in which a student can be enrolled in a course, namely taking the course for graded credit, auditing the course, or just visiting the course.  Registration procedures depend on which of the three ways that a student wants to take a course.

Taking a course

To take a course for graded credit, students must officially register by the tenth calendar day of the semester.  Students can register (or "add") courses at their college's advising center, at the Registrar's Office, or by seeing Sue Stewart in the department's main office.  An instructor need not be involved in the add process, unless a course is full or a student wants to add a course after the tenth calendar day .  In these cases, instructors must sign either item #2 ("course is full") or item #3 ("after tenth day") on the Drop/Add Form .  To add a course that is full, students must register by seeing Sue Stewart in the department's main office.  (Instructors can determine their current course enrollment numbers via the Registrar's on-line Schedule of Courses.)

A student who is officially registered to take a course may drop the course up to the tenth calendar day without penalty.  Students may still drop a course after the tenth day and up to the end of the twelfth week, but are penalized with late drop credits.  (Bachelor's degree candidates are only allowed 16 late drop credits, while Associate's degree candidates are only allowed ten.)  Instructors need not be involved with student drops, other than to perhaps assist individual students in their decision to drop.  Students who do not drop by the end of the twelfth week must be assigned a letter grade.  Students new to the Penn State system may not be aware that they must drop courses no longer desired.  Therefore, during the twelfth week, instructors should remind students of the late drop deadline, the specific date of which is published in the Penn State Calendar.  Using an Drop/Add Form, students may drop at their college's advising center, at the Registrar's Office, or by seeing Sue Stewart in the main office.

Sometimes, students may have been officially enrolled in a course, but then never actually attended the course or never completed the course requirements.  In these cases, students may request an Administrative Course Registration Cancellation up to one semester beyond the semester in which the error occurred.  To request a cancellation, the student completes the top portion of the Administrative Course Registration Cancellation Form  and gives it to the instructor.  Then, if the instructor agrees that the student never attended the course, the instructor signs the bottom portion of the form and returns it to the Registrar's Office.  (If the instructor does not agree, and the student still wishes to pursue canceling the class, the student must petition the Faculty Senate???)

Auditing a course

To officially register for a class without earning credit or a letter grade, i.e. to audit a course, students must process an Drop/Add Form in the Registrar's Office or by seeing Sue Stewart in the department's main office.  (In the "Course Credit" column, students should indicate "AU".)  The course requirements for the audit, which may range from just "sitting in" to participating fully, should be agreed upon by the instructor and the student at the start of the semester.  A course can be dropped for credit and added for audit, or vice versa, only during the first ten calendar days of the semester.

Visiting a course

Currently registered full-time students may request permission from the instructor to "visit" a course without officially registering.  It is purely up to the instructor, depending on course enrollment, course support, workload, etc., to accept or deny the student's request.  If the instructor grants permission, he/she should immediately convey his/her expectations of the student.  Generally, students who are not currently registered full-time at Penn State should not be permitted to visit classes.  An exception may be the occasional visit by a friend of an enrolled student, as long as the visitor does not disrupt the class in anyway.

Obtaining class lists

Instructors can either obtain current enrollment numbers or an up-to-date electronic version of their class list.  Current enrollment numbers include only the number of students officially enrolled, the number of vacancies, and an indication of whether or not the course is full.  The electronic class list , on the other hand, provides enrolled student names, majors, and class standings.  To request a class list, the instructor must have a valid Penn State Access Account and be listed on the University's employee and student records databases. Requested class lists are delivered "within minutes" to the instructor's Penn State Access Account e-mail address. 
 

Departmental Support

The departmental staff provide a number of support services, which include assisting instructors in the preparation of course materials, as well as handling course administration.

Main office staff

Currently, the main office has four full-time support staff: While each of the four staff also have non-teaching related duties, they are each available to some extent to assist instructors in the performance of their teaching duties.  To whom instructors should direct their requests depends on their needs.

Kellie Karaky (kellie@stat.psu.edu) handles the administration of all graduate and undergraduate statistics courses.  For example, instructors should see Kellie to add or drop students from a course, to obtain course evaluations, to obtain class lists, to submit and/or change student grades, and to schedule extra classrooms for exams.  While instructors are encouraged to copy as much of their own course materials as possible, Kellie is available, with sufficient advanced warning, to do some large copy jobs.

Laurie Roan (laurie@stat.psu.edu) is the department head's secretary.  Therefore, instructors needing to meet with the department head should see Laurie first to schedule an appointment.  Instructors should also see Laurie for the following: to get problems with the copy machine fixed, to get room keys, to obtain a four-digit code for access to the copy machines, to get assistance with any technical typing, and to order new office supplies.

Bonnie Cain (bonnie@stat.psu.edu) handles everyday budget tasks, schedules and arranges departmental colloquia, sorts the departmental mail, maintains the departmental bulletin boards, and handles miscellaneous requests.  Instructors should see Bonnie for assistance with faxes, mailings and letters, as well as to get office supplies, such as pens, paper, transparencies, etc.

Kathleen DiFlaviana (kmd@stat.psu.edu) coordinates all activities in the main office, as well as supervises each of the staff assistants.  Therefore, instructors should see Kathleen if they have a question and are not sure whom to ask.  Instructors should also see Kathleen regarding the following: to obtain budget approvals, to obtain foreign national visa information, to obtain, change or repair office space and/or office furniture, to handle problems with telephone service, to submit articles to the quarterly departmental newsletter, and to handle human resource issues, such as reappointments, terminations, sabbaticals, and leaves of absence.
 

Office supplies

With the exception of copy paper and envelopes, all office supplies (such as pens, pencils, pads of paper, transparencies, overhead pens, and file folders) are stored in a locked cabinet in 325 Thomas Building.  To obtain office supplies, instructors should see Bonnie Cain between 8 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.  If Bonnie is not available, ask Kellie Karaky; if Kellie is not available, ask Laurie Roan; and finally, if no one else is available, ask Kathleen DiFlaviana.  To order special office supplies that would typically not be stored in large quantities, such as calendars, desk trays, and computer diskette holders, see Laurie Roan.  Special orders are placed once a week, and take approximately one week to receive.

Computer support staff

Each instructor is provided with access to at least one computer system--either a Unix-based Sun machine or a Windows-based PC.  Each system is networked to the Stat Department's computer network.  To provide support in maintaining the department's network of computers, the department currently has three full-time computer support staff: In general, instructors who are having computer-related problems should contact the computer help desk, describing specifically what assistance they need.  In some cases, instructors may want to contact an individual computer support person directly.  To whom instructors should direct specific requests depends on their needs.

Gary Field (gfield@stat.psu.edu)
 

Jun Recta (jun@stat.psu.edu)
 
 

Teaching Assistants

For most courses, instructors are assigned a Teaching Assistant (TA) to help with various aspects of his/her courses.  There are primarily two types of TAs, namely Stat 200 Section Leaders and Graders. Regardless of the nature of their assigned duties, TAs should be expected to work as much as 20 hours per week, although TAs historically report working an average of 10-15 hours per week.  A brief description of TA duties follows:
Stat 200 Section Leader
Stat 200 is a required course for several undergraduate majors in the social and behavioral sciences. An instructor gives three 50-minutes lectures each week to a class of approximately 240 students. The larger class is then divided into 6 sections of about 40 students. These smaller sections meet twice weekly with a Stat 200 Section Leader for a "recitation lecture." The recitations' content, which is outlined by the Stat 200 Instructor, generally involves reviewing material, answering homework questions, and performing small-group activities.

Although the expected responsibilities may vary from section to section, the duties of a Stat 200 Section Leader typically entail: holding two 50-minute recitation lectures each week, holding approximately 3 office hours each week, grading student papers, keeping grade records, proctoring exams, and attending lectures. Stat 200 Section Leaders should expect to be available from the first day of the semester until the final course grades have been submitted. Stat 200 Instructors should meet with their Stat 200 Section Leaders at the beginning of the semester to discuss specific expectations.

Grader

TAs who are not named as Stat 200 Section Leaders typically serve as Graders for two different courses or for two sections of the same course. Although the expected responsibilities may vary from course to course, the duties of a Grader typically entail: holding approximately 3 office hours each week, grading student papers, keeping grade records, proctoring exams, helping the instructor prepare course handouts, maintaining course web sites, and attending lectures. Graders should expect to be available from the first day of the semester until the final course grades have been submitted. Instructors should meet with their Graders at the beginning of the semester to discuss specific expectations.
 

Student Computing Facilities

Instructors should assume that students have easy access to internet-connected computers at one of the numerous computer labs on campus or, in many cases, in their own residence.  The CAC Computer Labs are equipped with PCs, MACs, and/or Unix machines, as well as laser printers.  At least one on-campus computer lab is open to students from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.  Software available to the students is extensive.  In addition to standard e-mail, internet, wordprocessing, database, and spreadsheet applications, the following statistical software is available: Minitab 12 for Windows, Minitab 10.5 for Mac,  SAS 6.10, and SPSS 8.0.  The CAC Computer Lab Page outlines the specific types of hardware and software that is currently available in the computer labs, as well as the location and hours of each of the computer labs.

Penn State students differ greatly in their computing skills.  While most students now have at least a moderate level of comfort using computers, there are still a few students that need additional guidance when learning new software, such as Minitab.  (To help students get up-and-running quickly with Minitab, consider giving your students the department's Minitab handout for students.)   To offer hands-on computer instruction, instructors can reserve a teaching computer lab.  The teaching computer labs are equipped with a computer projection system and about 15-30 networked student computers, so that instructors can walk students through data analyses using available statistical software.

While computing facilities are fairly extensive on campus, instructors should still be aware that students may run into some roadblocks, especially near the end of the semester.  Students can print, free-of-charge, only 80 sheets of paper each semester.  Once a student has reached his page limit, he is charged $0.08 per printed page, which can quickly become costly to students.  Furthermore, at the end of the semester, lab demand is quite high, as students compete for limited resources in tight deadlines.  Instructors should take note of these potential limitations when setting deadlines for students at the end of a semester.
 

Classroom Technology

To assist in making classes flow smoothly, instructors are encouraged to use the classroom technology equipment that is available in many classrooms.  The Center for Academic Computing's Multimedia Technology Classroom Group has equipped many Penn State classrooms and lecture halls with permanent technology equipment, such as computers, VCRs, overhead projectors and document cameras.  Classrooms that are not equipped with permanent technology equipment typically can be equipped with a mobile technology cart containing an IBM or Mac computer with CD-Rom and Zip drives.

The type of equipment available depends on the particular classroom.  Classrooms equipped with multimedia technology typically have a fixed podium containing a VCR and an IBM and/or Mac computer with a CD-Rom, 3.5" diskette and Zip drives.  Classrooms typically also contain one or two overhead projectors and screens.  Large lecture halls, or auditoria, equipped with multimedia technology typically contain the same equipment as the classrooms, but also permit access to a wireless or corded microphone and a document camera that allows instructors to project paper documents on a large screen.  In either case, Unix machines can be accessed from any multimedia technology classroom or lecture hall with an IBM-compatible computer using Hummingbird's EXCEED software on the network.

Access to multimedia technology facilities

Multimedia technology facilities are automatically requested from the University Scheduling Office for all standing statistics courses.  If, at the beginning of the semester, an instructor finds that his/her classroom does not have the necessary technology equipment, she/he should ask Kellie Karaky to contact the University Scheduling Office immediately.  On the other hand, instructors assigned to use mobile multimedia technology carts in Chambers, Thomas or Willard Buildings must still confirm their schedule through Audio-Visual Services even though the classroom technology requests were originally completed and sent to the University Scheduling Office.  Contacts for technology cart scheduling are: All users of computing facilities in the technology classrooms--whether equipped with permanent technology
installations or mobile technology carts--have to logon and be authenticated using their Penn State Access Account userids and passwords for each class session. Instructors who do not have Access Accounts can apply for one at the Center for Academic Computing's Accounts Office in 227 Computer Building (phone 814-865-4772).

For security purposes, the computer podiums and computer and Audio-Visual Services cabinets in multimedia technology classrooms have combination locks.  There is also a code combination that disarms and rearms the fiber-optic alarms to Police Services on the computer podiums and cabinets.  There are several ways that instructors can get the necessary codes, including going to one of the Multimedia Technology Classroom Orientation sessions, going to the Audio Visual Service's Equipment Desk in room 26 Willard, or asking Donna Kemper in room 122 Computer Building.
 
 

Course Syllabus

The University Faculty Senate requires that instructors distribute, within the first ten days of class, a course syllabus, which minimally describes the course requirements, grading policy, and anticipated dates for exams and major assignments.  Every instructor additionally must give a paper copy of their syllabus to Kellie Karaky, so that she can place the syllabus in a public file in the main office.

The importance of a course syllabus should not be underestimated.  While a course syllabus can certainly contain only the basic requirements, it can also serve to communicate the most important aspects of a course to the students.  Appendix B of the book, Penn State Teacher II, contains a comprehensive list of potential syllabus topics, such as objectives, policies, and readings, as well as sample syllabi.

Statistics instructors are strongly encouraged to post a copy of their course syllabus on the Department of Statistics Home Page.  For assistance in doing so, contact the Stat Department's webmaster, see Stat Department's Guide to Sharing Documents on the WWW, and/or see NCSA Beginner's Guide to HTML.
 

Exams

Instructors must notify their students, in writing, in the first ten calendar days of the semester how the instructor will examine the students throughout the course.  Possible exam formats include quizzes, in class written or multiple choice exams, take-home exams, oral exams, term papers, and/or computer projects.  For additional information regarding scheduling and administering exams, see the Student Guide to University Policies and Rules on exams.

Evening exams

Instructors teaching more than one section of the same course may consider giving common exams to the sections by scheduling exams in the evening outside of class time.  To do so, an instructor should contact Sue Stewart before the semester starts so she can schedule the rooms, as well as get the required consent from the dean of the college.  (No more than four evening exams can be scheduled for one course in any given semester.)  The students must be notified of the evening exam schedule during the first week of the semester.  Since many students work and/or participate in extracurricular activities in the evenings, instructors must also schedule one conflict exam for each evening exam given.  One strategy that works well is to schedule the conflict exam for 1-2 hours just prior to the regularly scheduled exam.  With the opportunity minimized for information about the exam getting out to other students, instructors will eliminate the burden of having to create a separate conflict exam.
 

Scheduling exam rooms

An instructor may consider scheduling additional classrooms either for review sessions before exams or for the additional room to space students out to minimize the opportunity for cheating during exams.  To schedule additional classrooms, the instructor should ask Kellie Karaky (kellie@stat.psu.edu), sufficiently in advance, to schedule the necessary room(s).  To schedule the rooms, Sue will need to know: The instructor is responsible for ensuring that the rooms are left in good order.
 

Make-up exams

Students who have conflicts between course work (exams, quizzes, papers, etc.) and University-approved activities (field trips, debate trips, choir trips, athletic events, etc.) must be allowed to make up the course work without penalty.  Although not specifically mentioned (could I not just find it?) in the Student Guide to Policies and Rules, instructors should also allow students to make-up exams when they conflict with students' religious holidays.  (To minimize conflicts with major religious holidays, instructors can consult a current religious holiday calendar before scheduling the semester's required course work.)

Outside of University-approved activities and religious holidays, it is left to the instructor to determine whether to allow students to make-up an exam.  Several instructors within the department do not give make-up exams, but instead allow all students to drop their lowest exam score, thereby effectively allowing every student to miss one exam.  Other instructors allow students to make-up exams, but only for serious emergencies (hospitalization, death in the family, etc.) that can be adequately documented by the student.  To learn various other views around campus on handling make-up exams, read the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching's large class discussion on make-up exams.

To schedule a room for a make-up exam, ask Kellie Karaky sufficiently in advance of the exam.

Final exams

Instructors are encouraged to give students final written examinations, in order to allow students to integrate the course's material.  The Office of the Registrar publishes the official final examination schedule around the eighth week of classes, although preliminary schedules are also available at the outset of each semester.  University policy states that instructors are supposed to give their final exams only during their officially scheduled final examination period.  In particular, with the exception of quizzes and narrowly limited tests, an instructor should not give major exams during the final week of classes.

In spite of the registrar's best efforts, some students will still have scheduling conflicts with some of their final exams.  There are two types of exam conflicts--a direct conflict and an overload conflict.  A direct conflict occurs when a student has two or more final exams scheduled at the same time, while an overload conflict occurs when a student has three or more final exams scheduled in a 15-hour block of time from the beginning of the first exam to the beginning of the third exam.  Students with direct conflicts are required to file for a conflict exam with the Office of the Registrar.  Students with overload conflicts can either opt to take all of their exams as originally scheduled, or they can also file for a conflict exam.  Students must file all conflict exam requests during the one week period immediately following the publication of the final examination schedule.  Instructors are strongly encouraged to announce the final examination schedule, as well as the conflict exam filing period, to their classes.

As for midterm exams, instructors teaching more than one section of the same course may consider giving a common final exam.  To do so, an instructor should contact Kellie Karaky before the semester starts so she can schedule the common final exam, as well as the required conflict final exam.

Final grades must be submitted to Kellie Karaky within 48 hours of the course's final examination.  Under no circumstances can the instructor submit their final grades later than the university-wide deadline that is officially announced at the end of each semester.
 

Academic dishonesty

Methods to minimize cheating....different versions of exams, scheduling extra classrooms, removal of baseball caps

To learn various other methods around campus on minimizing cheating, read the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching's large class discussions on cheating and on ensuring test-takers are enrolled in the course.  For additional information on handling cheating, see the Student Guide to University Policies and Rules on academic integrity and dishonesty.
 

Special needs students

Every semester, an instructor may have a student, or two, who has been evaluated by the Office of Disability Services (ODS) as requiring special circumstances for taking exams.  For some students--in particular, those needing a reader or twice as much time to take an exam--ODS will make arrangements with the student to proctor the exams for the instructor.  For other students--especially those only requiring time-and-a-half to take the exam--the instructor is responsible for either proctoring the exam or for making arrangements within the department to have the exam proctored by a teaching assistant.

At the beginning of the semester, each "special needs student" is supposed to give his/her instructors a letter from the Office of Disability Services, which documents the student's special needs.  Based on the student's needs, the instructor and the student should immediately make an agreement on how to handle arrangements for the semester.  If a student is eligible for proctoring by ODS, typically, the student is responsible for notifying ODS of a pending exam.  In this situation, ODS will contact the instructor to make arrangements for pick-up and return of the exam.  In delivering the exam to ODS, the instructor should inform ODS of the expected exam circumstances, such as the allowance of an open book, cheat sheets, or calculators.  For students not eligible for ODS proctoring, instructors must make arrangements within the department.  If the situation permits, the instructor is encouraged to use their office and/or teaching assistant to proctor the exam.  Alternatively, the instructor can contact Sue Stewart in advance of the scheduled exam to reserve either 320, 322, or 326 Thomas Building.

For more information, the Office of Disability Services, located in 105 Boucke Building, can be contacted by calling (814) 863-1807, or one can browse their minimal ODS web site.
 

University Testing Services

At the request of an instructor, University Testing Services (UTS), located in 23 Willard Building, provides a number of testing services, including grading multiple-choice exams, creating test banks and, on an experimental basis, offering computerized testing.  Instructors who are interested in any of the testing services provided by UTS should plan to meet with someone from UTS in the beginning of the semester to discuss their needs.  Most of the time, UTS is prepared to meet with instructors on a drop-in basis.

Instructors who plan to have UTS grade the multiple-choice portion of their exams must ask Bonnie Cain to order the appropriate UTS score sheets.  The department must buy each sheet for 5 cents, but there is no additional charge when the sheets are graded.  The various score sheets available permit up to as many as 10 multiple-choice item responses.  When the instructor submits the exams for grading, the instructor must complete a job request form, which indicates how the instructor wants the exam graded.  Options include using a test unscrambler for different test versions, allowing for more than one correct answer, weighting items differently, and/or eliminating items.  Once the exam is graded, the instructor will receive a summary of the results by e-mail.  Then, if the instructor desires, UTS can also forward the results directly to each individual student.

UTS also provides a grading service, as described below.  For more information on University Testing Services, call (814) 863-2802, visit the UTS web site, or e-mail Ed Rosenstock or Ralph Locklin.
 
 

Grading

The following summarizes the grading system at Penn State.  For additional information regarding handling final student grades, see the Student Guide to University Policies and Rules on grading.

Grading system

The possible grades assigned to students depend on their enrollment status.  Students who are officially enrolled in and have complete the course should be assigned one of the following letter grades:  A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, D, or F.  Instructors are free to determine the appropriate cut-offs for each letter grade.  However, the following table illustrates a common cut-off scheme:
 
F D C C+ B- B B+ A- A
0 60 70 77 80 83 87 90 93
In assigning final grades to individual students, instructors might want to consider the average grade point average for statistics and science courses within the Eberly College of Science at University Park.  The nine possible letter grades correspond to the following grade point averages:
 
F D C C+ B- B B+ A- A
0 1.00 2.00 2.33 2.67 3.00 3.33 3.67 4.00
Then, illustrated below are grade point averages and total enrollments for courses given in the Eberly College of Science during the Spring 1998 semester:
 
Program 0-399 Courses 400-499 Courses 500-599 Courses
Astro and Astrophysics 2.80  (2082) 3.33  (33) 3.49  (15)
Biochem and Molecular Biology 2.73  (2758) 3.02  (1022) 3.23  (67)
Biology 2.64  (2487) 3.05  (1285) 3.66  (107)
Chemistry 2.80  (4892) 2.92  (594) 3.65  (102)
Mathematics 2.58  (6234) 3.31  (582) 3.73  (179)
Physics 2.77  (2961) 3.20  (144) 3.53  (125)
Statistics 2.97  (1671) 2.95  (690) 3.73  (278)
College of Science (Total) 2.72  (23,093) 3.06  (4386) 3.64  (873)
University Park (Total) 2.98  (118,507) 3.21  (43,120) 3.71  (9864)
 

The remaining possible grades depend on the student's enrollment status.  Students who have audited a course should be assigned an AU (if attendance has been acceptable) or a W (if attendance has been unsatisfactory).  Typically, instructors assign students who have late-dropped a course a WN (for no grade to report at time of withdrawal).  But, instructors can instead assign a late-dropped student a WP (for passing at time of withdrawal) or WF (for failing at time of withdrawal).  Students who have officially withdrawn from the university are automatically assigned a W (for withdraw) by the registrar.

In extenuating circumstances, a student may ask an instructor before the beginning of the final exam period to defer his/her final grade.  Typically instructors approve the request only if the student has completed the majority of the course work and/or the student can document an extreme situation that prevented the student from completing the course.  In general, instructors should not approve deferments for students merely interested in delaying the completion of the course without good reason.  If the instructor does approve the request, the student should be assigned a final grade of DF (for deferred).  The student then has six weeks into the next semester in which they are enrolled to complete the course work.  A deferred grade that is not changed to a passing grade by the instructor before the end of this period is automatically changed to an F by the registrar.  In extenuating circumstances, students may receive approval to complete the course by the end of the next semester, rather than the standard six-week limit.  In this situation, instructors may consider having the student complete the course work by sitting in their next semester's lectures, thereby effectively treating the student as just another student.

For additional information regarding handling final student grades, see the Student Guide to University Policies and Rules on grading.

Posting grades

Instructors can post student exam grades in several different ways--outside the instructor's office door, on one of the two departmental bulletin boards near Room 330, or on the instructor's course web site.  Regardless of the location, instructors must ensure that the identity of each student is masked.  One common method is to post grades using the last 4 digits of the students' identification numbers.  Use of students' entire identification numbers is prohibited.

Grade administration

At the end of the sixth week of classes, instructors will receive "grade bubble sheets" from Kellie Karaky for midsemester evaluations of first-year and provisional students.  One these bubble sheets, for each student listed, the instructor must indicate whether the student is performing satisfactorily (C or better) or unsatisfactorily (below a C). Instructors may also receive additional midsemester evaluation forms for special needs students and/or student athletes.  Instructors should complete the forms and return them to the requester promptly.

At the end of the semester, instructors will receive "grade bubble sheets" from Kellie Karaky.  Based on the grading system outlined above, the instructor must assign a grade to each student who is either officially taking or auditing the course.  The final grades must be submitted to Kellie within 48 hours of the course's final examination.  Under no circumstances can the instructor submit their final grades later than the university-wide deadline that is officially announced at the end of each semester.

For additional information regarding handling final student grades, see the Student Guide to University Policies and Rules on grading.
 

Correcting grades

If an error in calculating or recording a grade is brought to an instructor's attention, the instructor may change the student's grade by asking Kellie Karaky for a grade change authorization form.  The instructor must assign the corrected grade, sign the form, and return the form to Kellie.  A grade cannot be changed more than one year after the end of the semester in which the course was taken.  For additional information regarding correcting grades, see the Student Guide to University Policies and Rules on grading.

University Testing Services

At the request of an instructor, University Testing Services (UTS), located in 23 Willard Building, will store individual student grades in a computerized file. The grades can come either directly from UTS "bubble" score sheets or from work graded by the instructor.  For the last job of the semester, UTS calculates an overall number grade for each student based on the instructor's planned grading system.  If the instructor then tells UTS his/her desired grade cutoffs, UTS will translate each number grade to a letter grade, and transfer the final grades directly to the Registrar.  (This is a nice way for instructors to avoid having to fill out the grade bubble sheets at the end of the semester!)

For more information on University Testing Services, call (814) 863-2802, visit the UTS web site, or e-mail Ed Rosenstock or Ralph Locklin.
 

Course Materials

Section still under construction

Textbooks

 

Course Packets

Creating course packets vs. Web.  Look into cost differential
Copyright policy (no royalties)
 

Course Web Sites

Course Web.  Posting syllabus on department web page, submit to webmaster
Posting syllabus on Penn State course page http://www.psu.edu/Courses.html
 

Course Curricula

Section still under construction
Course coordinators
Curriculum links
Which committee responsible for which course: 3 committees 1) service, 2) major, 3) graduate
 

Teaching Techniques

Section still under construction

Presentation methods

chalkboard, web, powerpoint, overhead, computer projection
dynamic visual displays
activities
per JLR, ask Bob H to write something up on presentation

Use of computer

mail message between Bob and Jim re: using Minitab menus
Minitab, Excel, SAS, etc.

Teaching evaluation and improvement

CELT Videotaping, orientation classes, CELT large class luncheon series
Course evaluations: SRTE, midsemester evaluations,
 

Student Support Services

Section still under construction

Supplemental instruction

through University Learning Resource Center

Tutoring

Organizing study groups

Nittany Notes

Office hours

Guidelines

Review sessions

 

Other Useful Teaching Resources

Student Guide to University Policies and Rules
Penn State Statistical Education Resource Kit
Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching
Search Penn State University WWW
University Faculty Senate Policies for Students
  Please submit corrections and recommendations to Laura J. Simon: lsimon@stat.psu.edu
Last Updated: May 17, 2000