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Faculty Guide Click Here
III. Responsibilities
of the Offices of Instruction
A. Courses
B. Evaluation of Student Work
C. Course Grades
D. Course Evaluations
E. Other Responsibilities of
Officers of Instructionn
A. Courses
1. Teaching
Assignments and Class Meeting Times
Officers of instruction are assigned to courses, laboratory or studio offerings and their meeting times by the Department Chair or Program Director. Room assignments are made by the Registrar.
2.Cancellation
of Under-Registered Courses
A course may be cancelled if it enrolls fewer than five students. Instructors with fewer than seven students at the first meeting of a scheduled course should promptly inform the Department Chair, who will notify the Provost.
3.
New Courses
All new courses proposed must be submitted by the Department Chair or Program Director to the Committee on Instruction, following endorsement by the proposing department. The forms for such submissions and specific guidelines are available from the Provost/Dean of the Faculty's Office. You are urged to discuss these guidelines with the Interim Associate Dean for Curriculum and Governance before submitting a course proposal form. New courses recommended by the COI must be approved by a majority vote of the Faculty before they may be given or entered in the online catalogue. It is the responsibility of the department proposing the course to see that it is approved by the Columbia COI, as appropriate.
4. Course
Syllabi
Instructors are expected to prepare a course syllabus to be distributed at the first class which specifies required reading, course requirements (e.g., exams, papers, book reviews), and the relevant dates; the instructor's grading policy (i.e., how each course requirement is weighted in calculating the final grade); expectations regarding attendance and class participation; the instructor's office hours; and guidelines for papers, other assignments, and laboratory reports, including the degree to which collaboration is allowed, if at all. Inclusion or mention of the Honor Code at Barnard is recommended (See III. B.1 below for full text.)
From the Faculty Meeting on 5/1/06: III. Report,
that at the request of Faculty members on the Honor
Board, the Committee on Instruction strongly
endorses the recommendation that faculty members
include information about the Honor Code on their
course syllabi and on specific assignments. This
information should indicate how the Honor Code is
applicable to the particular course and its
assignments.
Rationale: while students are aware of the Honor
Code, seeing this commitment demonstrated by Faculty
in ways that are specific to each course and
assignment, will ensure that students receive a
consistent, clear message about the importance of
the Honor Code throughout their careers at Barnard.
This will also ensure that Columbia College students
who take Barnard classes are aware of Barnard's
Honor Code.
5.Posting
Grades
Please note that posting grades with social security numbers is legally inadvisable. If instructors do post grades, either on paper or online, they should use some other identifier. Both Barnard and Columbia students have computer system I.D. numbers (this is the number included on Barnard rosters and grade sheets), which do not pose the same legal problem.
6.Structural
Changes in Approved Courses
Any structural change in a course after it was approved by the Committee on Instruction and the Faculty must be resubmitted to the Committee. Such changes include altering the number of class hours, substituting on a regular basis a graduate assistant for an officer of instruction, meeting the class in other than the assigned classroom, changing the credit value assigned to the course, etc. Substantial alterations in course requirements must also be resubmitted to the Committee on Instruction. [REF: Minutes of the Faculty Meeting, September 26, 1977]
7.Class
Rosters
Rosters for all courses are available on eBear; the online rosters list both Barnard and Columbia students, with additional information such as mailbox number and e-mail address, and are frequently updated. Rosters are also posted on Columbia’s SSOL and on Courseworks. At some times of year, there are discrepancies among the online rosters.
8.Class
Attendance
Students are expected to attend classes regularly and if the quality of a student’s work is affected by frequent or prolonged absence, the instructor may deny a student the privilege of making up work or taking the final examination. Maintaining a record of absences and lateness is recommended. Please notify the appropriate Class Dean about a delinquent student in a timely way so that s/he and the student’s adviser have an opportunity to discuss options with her and determine whether there are larger issues affecting her performance. For policy on religious holidays see below or:
http://www.barnard.edu/provost/holidays.html.
9.Policy
on Religious Holidays
It is the policy of Barnard College to respect the religious beliefs of students and employees. In compliance with New York State law, each student who is absent from school because of her religious beliefs will be given an equivalent opportunity to register for classes or make up any examination, study, or work requirements that she may have missed because of such absence on any particular day or days. No student will be penalized for absence due to religious beliefs, and alternative means will be sought for satisfying the academic requirements involved.
Those responsible for scheduling of academic activities or essential services are expected to avoid conflict with religious holidays as much as possible. If a suitable arrangement cannot be worked out between the student and the instructor involved, the instructor should consult the Dean of Studies. If an additional appeal is needed, it may be taken to the Provost.
For your information in planning your syllabus the major Islamic and Jewish Holidays during the school year are listed on the Provos's
Office website.
10.Office
Hours
All officers of instruction are expected to schedule at least two hours per week as regular office hours and to observe them consistently. Office hours are normally extended during program planning periods. Faculty members should also be available to students at other times, by appointment if necessary.
11.Students
in Academic Difficulty
All faculty members at Barnard and Columbia are asked to submit online reports to the appropriate deans’ offices regarding students in academic difficulty. Instructors should describe deficiencies frankly so that students and their advisers and Class Deans have an understanding of the magnitude of problems and are, thus, able to make informed decisions about options. The report form is uploaded every semester and can be found at
https://www.studentaffairs.columbia.edu/adr/.
As an alternative to the form, phone calls from instructors to the appropriate deans are also appreciated.
12.Ordering
Books for Courses
Instructors are expected to order the books that students purchase from bookstores near the campus, among them:
Columbia University Bookstore
(854-4265) Lerner Hall, Broadway at 115th Street
Book Culture,
536 W. 112th Street (865-1588)
Morningside Bookshop,
2915 Broadway at 114th Street (222-3350)
Orders should be submitted at least one month before the beginning of the semester. Desk copies are available, subject to the policies of the individual bookstore.
13.Barnard
Library Reserve for Courses
The Barnard Reserve Room is located on the first floor of the Library in Lehman Hall. Reserve request forms for all scheduled courses are sent to faculty well in advance of each semester. Faculty who wish to place material on reserve must return these forms - via e-mail, campus mail, or fax (x46233) - by the specified date. Only required readings should be requested for reserve. Lists are processed in the order in which they are received and can take from several days to several weeks to complete. New faculty should contact the Library as soon as possible after their arrival to set up their course reserve.
Faculty may consult the Librarian about current
applications of the copyright law regarding
photocopied materials.
14.Auditors
A student or alumna may audit a Barnard course with permission from the instructor. Instructors are under no obligation to grant permission, although it is a privilege regularly extended to Barnard alumnae. No credit is given for a course taken on an audit basis and no acknowledgment is made on a transcript. Auditors are silent participants in class and may join in discussion only at the discretion of the instructor.
Columbia University’s School of Continuing Education and Special Programs may also refer auditors to lecture courses through its Auditing Programs. No more than three auditors are permitted in courses with enrollments less than 30. No more than five are permitted in classes with enrollments greater than 30. Auditors are not permitted to attend seminars, limited enrollment courses, or courses above the 4000 level. If you have questions about auditors referred to your course by Columbia, or do not wish to admit these auditors to your class, contact the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs, Continuing Education and Special Programs, Columbia University at 854-3771.
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B.
Evaluation of Student Work
1.Honor
System
Every student in registering at Barnard agrees to
maintain the following
Honor Code (established in 1912):
We, the students of Barnard College,
resolve to uphold the honor of the College by
refraining from every form of dishonesty in our
academic life. We consider it dishonest to ask for,
give, or receive help in examinations or quizzes, to
use any papers or books not authorized by the
instructor in examinations, or to present oral work
or written work that is not entirely our own, unless
otherwise approved by the instructor. We consider it
dishonest to remove without authorization, alter, or
deface library and other academic materials. We
pledge to do all that is in our power to create a
spirit of honesty and honor for its own sake.
Barnard students reaffirm their
acceptance of the Honor Code each semester as part
of course registration. Columbia students commit
themselves to the Honor Code upon registering for a
Barnard course.
Instructors are expected to promote
honesty in their courses and to report every
incident of suspected cheating to the Dean of
Studies or the Chair of Honor Board. By so doing,
instructors insure evenhanded treatment of all
offenders and make it possible to take remedial
action.
FROM FACULTY MEETING ON MAY 1, 2006:
III. Report, that at the request of Faculty members
on the Honor Board, the Committee on Instruction
strongly endorses the recommendation that faculty
include information about the Honor Code on their
course syllabi and on specific assignments. This
information should indicate how the Honor Code is
applicable to the particular course and its
assignments.
Rationale: while students are aware of the Honor
Code, seeing this commitment demonstrated by Faculty
in ways that are specific to each course and
assignment will ensure that students receive a
consistent, clear message about the importance of
the Honor Code throughout their careers at Barnard.
This will also ensure that Columbia College students
who take Barnard classes are aware of Barnard's
Honor Code.
2.Administering
Coursework for Students with
Disabilities
In accordance with federal law, it is the College's policy to provide reasonable accommodations to meet the needs of students with documented disabilities. Examples of accommodations which have customarily been requested and permitted may include exam accommodations such as extended time or modified formats, assistive technology, readers, note takers, and the use of tape recorders. Students who anticipate needing disability-related test or classroom accommodations are required to register with the Office of Disability Services (ODS), then self-identify and meet with their instructors to discuss their needs at the beginning of each semester. All students with disabilities who are registered with ODS are provided a copy of the College's policy in this matter. Faculty members who wish to receive a copy, or who have any questions, should visit the ODS website.
3.Term
Papers
The deadline for term papers in a course with a final examination is two weeks before the beginning of the final examination period. Under no conditions should papers in such courses be accepted during the examination period. This regulation is intended to relieve the instructor of the necessity of reading papers while preparing course grades. Undue leniency and other abuses of this regulation place a severe burden on the student as well as the instructor. If necessary, a student may request an extension of time for incomplete course work, though such extensions are granted only for compelling reasons. In a course without a final examination, the deadline for term papers is the last day on which the class meets.
4.Quizzes
Instructors should not give quizzes within ten days of final examinations or on major religious holidays. Instructors are expected to grade and return all quizzes to students in a timely fashion.
5.Mid-Term
Examinations
(a) Scheduling
Although students who observe religious holidays while classes are in session are responsible for the work missed and all subsequent deadlines, instructors should avoid scheduling examinations on major religious holidays. Ordinarily, an instructor should arrange work in a course so that a test will yield a tentative grade for every student not later than the sixth or seventh week of a term. Instructors normally give mid-term examinations, but papers or other written assignments may serve this purpose at the discretion of the instructor. Instructors should return all written work to the students promptly with criticism and suggestions. The Dean of Studies requests reports on all students whose work is unsatisfactory after the mid-term. It is important that instructors submit these reports so that a student with multiple academic problems may receive the timely remedial action she needs.
(b) Make-Up Examinations During the Term
Instructors are not required to give make-up examinations to students absent from previously announced tests during the term. An instructor who is willing to give a make-up test may require acceptable evidence of illness or other extenuating circumstances.
6.Final
Examinations
(a) Scheduling of Final
Examinations of All Barnard Courses
All lecture courses are required to give in-class final examinations at the end of the semester, as scheduled by the Registrar. Instructors must strictly observe the examination schedule issued by the Office of the Registrar and give examinations only during the hours scheduled for them. A take-home examination may not be substituted for a scheduled three-hour final examination unless prior permission is granted by the Committee on Instruction. Class meetings may not be extended beyond the required reading period, as designated by the College Calendar.
The final examination in any course for which a final examination is scheduled shall be no less than two hours in duration and no more than three hours.
All students begin work on the examinations at the same time; a student who is late may not have extra time. Students should sit in alternate seats wherever possible.
(b) Proctoring of Final Examinations
For regularly scheduled examinations, the instructors or their delegates (fellow instructors, laboratory or teaching assistants, but not undergraduate students) will take the roll at the beginning of the examination and remain in the assigned room for the duration of the examination.
(c) Blue Books
Instructors may obtain examination blue books for final examinations in their courses either from Purchasing or the Faculty Department Administrators. Students should be asked to use both sides of the page to minimize the number of books used.
(d) Students Leaving Scheduled
Examination Early
Students who wish to leave the examination room before the end of the scheduled period should submit their blue books to the instructor. The time of departure should be noted on the blue book. The responsibility for submitting the examination books lies with the student.
(e) Lost Blue Books
The instructor should thoroughly investigate a student's claim that a blue book has been lost; unless the student is clearly not at fault, the instructor must give the examination the grade F.
(f) Student Illness during the
Final Examinations
If a student becomes ill during the course of the final examination, the student must give the examination book directly to the instructor. The student then should be sent to the College Physician directly from the examination room. If an ill student remains in the examination for more than one hour in a three-hour examination, or more than forty minutes in a two-hour examination, she or he must be graded on the work completed; i.e., if she answered only a 30-point question and got a 27 on it, and if the exam is worth 100 points, she would received a grade based on 27/100 not 27/30. If less time has expired, the grade should be recorded DEF (deferred). Deferred examinations will be given at the beginning of the following semester for these students and for students absent from the examination (graded X) who receive approval for a deferred examination because of an illness or other emergency.
(g) Deferred Final Examinations
Deferred examinations, scheduled and administered by the Office of the Registrar at the beginning of each semester, are open only to those students who were absent from the regular final examinations because of illness or emergency and who had received authorization for a deferred examination from the course instructor and the Dean of Studies Office. The Office of the Registrar will verify whether the student has a medical or other clearance. The Office of the Registrar will request copies of deferred examinations from instructors for courses in which a request for a deferred examination has been approved.
(h) Unexcused Absences from Final
Examinations
A student who is absent from a final examination without excuse shall receive zero for the examination. The course grade will include that zero, averaged in with the rest of the work for the course. The same regulation applies to students who are absent from deferred final examinations without excuses.
(i) Conflicts of Scheduled Final Examinations
A student with a conflict of scheduled examinations may take an examination scheduled at an alternative time. The Office of the Registrar will verify the conflict and request that the student ask one of the instructors concerned to set an alternative time. Students who have four examinations within 48 hours or three examinations in a 24-hour period may also ask for a change of schedule. The Office of the Registrar will verify the hardship on a form the students then take to the instructor.
(j) Courses Exempt from Final Examinations
Courses that emphasize skills and performance, courses that meet as seminars or colloquia, and programs of independent work are exempt from the final-examination requirement. Requests for exemption for any other courses must have the approval of the Committee on Instruction before the course is offered in any given semester.
(k) Take-Home Final Examinations
All lecture courses are required to give in-class final examinations at the end of the semester, as scheduled by the Registrar. Requests for exceptions must be submitted, in advance, to the Committee on Instruction. Instructors who assign take-home examinations should consider very carefully the heavier burden that such an exercise places on students. The take-home examination should remain an exceptional alternative, bound by the following strict and explicit guidelines, established by the COI:
o
Its format must be announced at the beginning of the semester along with other course requirements;
o
Instructors who plan to administer a take-home examination must request permission of the COI within the first two weeks of the semester;
o
A take-home examination must be assigned two weeks before it is due, have a limit of no more than 2,000 words, and be due on the day a scheduled final examination would have been given;
o
Because a take-home examination should, like any final examination, be an integrating exercise, it must not require research beyond the required reading for the course;
o
The preparation and writing time that the take-home examination involves should not exceed the time the student might be expected to spend in studying for and taking a regularly scheduled final examination;
o
Specific instructions (preferably in writing) should be given to all students in the class about the nature of collaboration or discussion about the examination that may or may not be permissible;
o
The take-home examination must not be
the only written assignment in the course.
The instructor must specify her or
his understanding of these guidelines in the request
to the Committee on Instruction.
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C. Course Grades
1. Grading System
Academic standing and eligibility for graduation
are determined by both the total number of
points for the courses completed and the grades
for those courses. Grade point averages for
Barnard students are computed using the
numerical equivalent (given in parentheses
below) of the letter grade.
A+
(4.3)
A
(4) Excellent
A-
(3.7)
B+
(3.3)
B
(3) Good
B-
(2.7)
C+
(2.3)
C
(2) Satisfactory
C-
(1.7)
D
(1) Poor
F
(0) Failure
P
Passed without a specific grade on student's
election of P/D/F option.
P*
Passed in a course for which only a grade of P
or F is allowed.
I
Incomplete (Assigned only on student's written
request and instructor's written approval of
extension of time to complete course work. See
below.)
X
Absence from final examination. See III. B. 6.
f.
I/X
Incomplete and absent from final examination
Y
Grade suspended for completion of second term
W
Official withdrawal
UW
Unofficial withdrawal (i.e., no withdrawal slip
filed)
DEF
Early departure from examination for illness or
emergency. Medical deferment for physical
education. See III. B. 6. f.
2. Incompletes (I)
Instructors may grant Incompletes (I) to permit an extension of time for a student to complete course work only for compelling reasons (i.e., illness, personal emergency, or the late realization of a project's extraordinary scope or difficulty). It is the instructor's prerogative to decline in any case.
The Barnard student must arrange each Incomplete with her instructor by a written agreement on a special form available from the Office of the Registrar. The instructor retains one copy of the form; the student retains one copy; one copy is filed with the Registrar. The deadline for filing the application for an Incomplete (I) is the last day of the reading period.
Barnard students have two Incomplete options. The "early Incomplete" requires submission of unfinished work to the Registrar soon after the end of the term by the date designated in the College Calendar, and results in the removal of the "I" notation from the transcript. The second option extends the deadline to the first day of classes for the next autumn term, but the "I" notation remains on the permanent transcript and is joined by the final letter grade. The regulations that apply to Incompletes are listed on the application, which is available from the Office of the Registrar. Students who have the permission of their instructors to take grades of Incomplete are required to use the form, which is a written statement of the terms set forth in it by the student and the instructor.
If a student does not obtain an instructor's written permission for an extension by the deadline, the course grade will be computed with the missing work graded as zero.
A student who has more than two Incompletes outstanding may not be allowed to register for a new term.
The procedures for granting an extension for incomplete course work differ for Barnard and Columbia students. The Columbia student must be directed to the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs, 405 Lerner Hall, for permission. Both Colleges allow this extension only for compelling reasons.
3. P/D/F [Pass/D/Fail] Option
A student may
choose to take a course for P/D/F in accord with
the following conditions:
- A maximum of 23 points (for students entering as first-years and required to complete 122 points) or a maximum of 22 points (for students entering as transfers and required to complete 121 points) of course work may be taken for a grade of P, whether elected or mandatory;
- A grade of P will be entered on the record only if the instructor submits a letter grade of A+ through C-. Instructors are not informed of P/D/F elections and must submit regular grades for all students;
- First Year English and courses required for the major or the minor may not be taken for the grade of P. Courses in the major field that do not fulfill the major requirement may be elected only with the written approval of the department chair submitted with the request;
- Whereas P is not included in the grade point
average, the F is computed as zero;
- A student must file a P/D/F request for each
course taken P/D/F, including the second
semester of year courses;
- A request for P/D/F is irreversible and must
be filed by the deadline stipulated in the
College Calendar.
- A course may not be elected P/D/F
retroactively.
- Information on the letter grade assigned to
a course taken P/D/F will not be released by
the Office of the Registrar.
4. Grading
Instructors grade all students (Barnard and Columbia) on eBear. Instructions are also available on eBear.
5. Deadline for Reporting Grades
The Registrar sends to all instructors a summary of dates on which grades are due each semester. Instructors must abide by these dates. Otherwise, seniors may not be certified for graduation, honors may not be determined, action may not be taken on records at the academic review meetings of the Committee on Programs and Academic Standing, and transcripts sent to and on behalf of students may be incomplete. Failure to submit grades on time causes severe problems for the Registrar, students, deans, and advisers, and arouses anger in parents. It is the responsibility of all instructors to abide by the deadlines set by the Registrar.
instructors should
submit all grades on ebear before leaving campus
6. Finality of Course Grades
Course grades submitted at the end of each term (except I, X, Y, and DEF) are final. In most courses, equity requires that work done throughout the term be included along with the final examination in computing a course grade.
After a grade is officially recorded, no change may be made without authorization by the Committee on Programs and Academic Standing. Application for any change must be made to the Registrar in writing by the instructor, stating explicitly the reason for the request. The final course grade for an individual student may be changed if it is the result of a clerical or computational error on the part of the instructor. Otherwise, if the work of an individual student is reevaluated for purposes of reconsidering the grade assigned, the work of all students in the class must be similarly reevaluated.
The Dean of Studies coordinates the grievance procedure available to a student who, after consultation with her instructor, still feels she has been unfairly graded.
Barnard regulations about the finality of course grades differ from policies in effect in other schools of the University. The grading system and policies of the College in which students are matriculated are operative, not those of the University divisions offering the courses in which they may be enrolled.
7. Preservation of Course
Records
Instructors should retain final exams for one year. (After that, they may be thrown out but they should be shredded, not just put in the trash.) Students have the right to review their final exams, but not to take them away. That is, a student may look at her/his final exam, but only in the presence of the instructor, in the instructor's office. Exams should not be kept in a public or semi-public place, and a student should not be allowed to look at her/his exam unsupervised.
8. Grade Grievance
Procedures
Usually a student with a complaint about a grade consults a dean or deans in the Dean of Studies Office. The student is then informed that the steps listed below constitute the grievance process:
(a) The student initiates the process by discussing her grievance with the instructor. If the student and the instructor cannot reach an agreement, and the student continues to feel aggrieved, she may submit to the Dean of Studies a written statement detailing the reasons for her complaint, and supply any pertinent graded materials.
(b) The Dean of Studies submits a copy of the statement to the instructor and to anyone to whom a position is attributed in that statement and requests the instructor's written response.
(c) If there appear to be disparities in matters of fact, copies of all relevant commentary are sent to the student for her reaction.
(d) When both the student and the instructor have said all they care to say about the matter, the statements are reviewed and the case is adjudicated by a committee made up of the Dean of Studies, the Provost/Dean of the Faculty, and the Dean of the College.
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D. Course
Evaluations
The Barnard Faculty's commitment to monitoring teaching effectiveness was formalized in the following resolution:
Resolved, that beginning in 1989-90, all
Departments will provide enrolled students an
opportunity to make written evaluations of all
undergraduate courses taught by Barnard faculty. [REF: Faculty Meeting,
Minutes 4/3/89.]
Course evaluation forms must be provided to all enrolled students in all undergraduate courses taught by Barnard faculty. Faculty members should contact the department chair and the department assistant about procuring the forms for their courses in order to distribute them to their students before the end of the semester. Departments may design their own forms. Alternatively, the College-wide scannable course evaluation form created by the Committee on Appointments, Tenure and Promotion is available for those departments wishing to use it. When the College-wide form is used, the forms themselves and their summary statistical data are returned to each department.
Departments are expected to utilize student course evaluations to improve the overall quality of department offerings; for advising individual faculty members (especially new ones) on how they might improve their teaching; for evaluating faculty for purposes of review, retention, and promotion; and, for recognizing teaching excellence by all faculty. Completed course evaluation forms for each faculty member should be maintained in the department office until the next mandatory review or promotion, so they can be used in that assessment. Once the review or promotion has passed, the forms should be turned over to the faculty member.
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E. Other Responsibilities of Officers of Instruction
1. Schedule Information
Schedules of class and office hours for all faculty are kept on file in the Office of the Provost/Dean of the Faculty. Each faculty member is asked to provide this information, along with current address, and home and local telephone numbers, at the beginning of each semester. Emergency messages are forwarded by means of this information. Home telephone numbers will remain confidential, as requested.
2.
Absences
(a) Illnesses
If it is necessary to cancel a scheduled class without prior notice to students, whether because of illness or some other emergency, the instructor should telephone the Office of the Registrar x42011, reporting the course title, the time, and the place of meeting. A notice will be posted. As soon as possible thereafter, the Department Chair and Office of the Provost/Dean of the Faculty should be notified.
(b) Jury Duty
Teachers are not exempt from jury duty in New York City by virtue of their occupations, but deferment of duty to the summer months may be obtained on application to the New York County Clerk's Office.
(c) Other Absences
All other contemplated absences from or cancellation of a scheduled class by an instructor must have the prior approval of the Department Chair and the Provost/Dean of the Faculty. Provisions for making up the time lost will be a condition for securing such approval.
3.
Faculty Personnel Forms and
Curriculum Vitae
Pertinent biographical and professional information about faculty, including receipt of fellowships, grants, and other awards and research contracts, as well as publications, is kept in the faculty member's personnel file. Forms for recording and updating this information are distributed each spring by the Provost/Dean of the Faculty, along with a request for a current CV. These records are used by the President, the Provost/Dean of the Faculty, and the ATP Committee at their discretion. Faculty personnel forms are generally not made available to the public. CVs are made available to other offices at Barnard for official purposes.
Banks, credit agencies, financial institutions, and prospective employers occasionally request salary information about current or past officers of instruction. It is the College's policy to verify such information, but not to volunteer it without prior authorization from the officer.
4.
Letters of Recommendation for
Students
Faculty who know the work of students sufficiently well to write appropriate letters of recommendation are expected to perform this service. Completed letters of recommendation should be sent to the Dean of Studies Office, where a copy will be kept in the student's file. Letters for employment should be sent to the Office of Career Development. To avoid undermining a student's application, faculty members are asked to complete recommendations by the deadlines specified as long as the student has provided sufficient advance notice. While faculty members are not obligated to write a letter for every student who asks, agreeing to do so incurs the obligation to write and return the letter in a timely fashion.
In this connection, faculty are reminded that the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 (the "Buckley Amendment") requires that students be permitted access to their official educational records, including letters of recommendation and interdepartmental memoranda, unless they waive their right to access. Personal notes of faculty or administrative members are exempt from disclosure, as are medical records and the financial statements of students' parents.
The Act also prohibits the release of personally identifiable information without the written consent of the student. Records of all persons outside the College who examine or receive such information must be available to the student. Parents of College students may not receive information about their children without written consent unless they supply stipulated proof to the College of the legal financial dependency of their children.
Because students may forbid the release of their names to persons outside the College, the Registrar should be consulted before any such action is taken.
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