Handbook August 4

7/31/2019 Handbook August 4

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I.

First Year CompositionFaculty Handbook


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II. Useful Contacts ........................................................................... 1

III. Administrative Details ................................................................ 2

IV. The Composition Program: Description and Policies ............. 4

First-Year Composition .............................................................................. 4Student Placement and Assessment ..................................................... 4Course Descriptions .................................................................................... 5Syllabi ............................................................................................................... Syllabus Policies Wording ..................................................................... 7Textbooks ...................................................................................................... 10Classrooms ................................................................................................... 14Classroom Management ......................................................................... 14The Writing Center .................................................................................... 15Attendance and Absences (for faculty) .............................................. 16Grading .......................................................................................................... 16Writing Awards ........................................................................................... 17

V. University Policies ..................................................................... 18Inclement Weather Policy ........................................................................ 18

UALR Policy for Academic Offenses ..................................................... 18Steps Toward Redress for Academic Honesty .................................. 19Official UALR Policy on Classroom Disruptions ................................ 20

Table ofContents

FYC InstructorHandbook


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First-Year Comp Program Handbook, Updated 7/25/12Page

1

Sherry Rankins-Robertson , Director of First-Year Composition 569-3477

UALR email address

Josh Johnson , Graduate Assistant to Dr. Rankins-Robertson Preferred phone number

[email protected]

Karen Flash Palmer , Administrative Assistant 569-3160 [email protected]

George Jensen , Department Chair569-8063 (work); 501-960-4298 (cell)[email protected]

Karen Kuralt , Graduate Coordinator(Contact her to schedule your graduate courses)569-8334 (work); 352-2380 (cell)[email protected]

Allison Holland , Director of the Writing Center( Contact her to learn about the Writing Centers services and student tours)[email protected]

Chad Garrett, Director of Technology (Contact him to secure a classroom equipped with computers)[email protected]

Carol Macheak , Head of Ottenheimer Library Reference Desk

(Contact her to schedule a library tour for your students)[email protected]

Darryl McGee , Assistant Dean of Students(Contact him to resolve academic integrity and disciplinary conduct issues)

. Department Structure, Contact NumbersI. Useful Contacts


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[email protected]

Campus Security569-3400

Blackboard Support683-7622

PAY SCALE, PAYDAYS, AUTOMATIC DEPOSIT

Adjuncts

May teach one or two courses a semester.

Earn $2,400 per course with a doctorate or other terminal degree;$2,000 with a masters degree.

Graduate Assistants

May teach one or two courses a semester. Teaching one course isequal to a 10-hour graduate assistantship; you must be enrolled in at

least two graduate courses to qualify for this assistantship. Teachingtwo courses is equal to a 20-hour assistantship; you must be enrolledin at least three graduate courses to qualify for this assistantship. Also,note that you cannot hold another on-campus position if doing somakes your work total more than 20 hours per week.

Earn $1,612.50 per course, along with a tuition waiver if a full-timegraduate student.

Must complete RHET 7310, Composition Theory, prior to teaching.Must enroll in RHET 7360, Practicum, during the first semesterteaching.

Pay days

Are the 15 th and the last day of the month, or the last weekday beforethose dates if they fall on the weekend.

Will normally start the second payday after the first day of classes.

. Department Structure, Contact NumbersII. Administrative Details


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CHECKLIST FOR EACH SEMESTER

Everyone:

Attend a classroom orientation if you are teaching in a room that haspresentation equipment (All Stabler Hall rooms; Ross Hall 122 & 123; SUA102C, 102D, and 106 C; Dickinson 208; ED 210)

Get your classroom entry code if you are teaching in a room withpresentation equipment. It will be placed in your mailbox. Check it to besure it works.

Check BOSS to make sure that you know the correct time and location

for the course sections to which you are assigned. Note that classroomsare sometimes changed up until the last minute. If you know your roomhas been changed, leave a note in the old room to catch any students whomissed the change.

Sign and return a FERPA form (to FYC Graduate Assistant).

Make sure you are subscribed to the Composition Faculty Listserv bysending an email message to [email protected]. from the email accountwhere you wish to receive messages. Do not include a subject line. In thebody of the email, type: Subscribe compositionfaculty Your Name .

Print a copy of your syllabus and put it in th e Syllabi mailbox intheRhetoric and Writing office.

If you are employed at another state agency or institution (e.g. UAMS,a public school district, etc.) please let Karen Palmer know as soon aspossible; there is some additional paperwork that will need to becompleted.

Once the semester has begun, sign and return your AppointmentLetter (a document confirming your pay rate for your classes.) These willbe placed in your faculty mailbox in the Rhetoric and Writing office after the semester begins.)

New Adjuncts:


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If you have never worked at UALR, complete a new employee packet atthe Human Resources department, which is across from the tennis courtson the southeast side of campus. This information is available on theirwebsite at http://ualr.edu/humanresources

Go to the Donaghey Student Center (DSC) to have an ID card made.You can use your card to check out library books, use the gym in the DSC,and enter certain gated parking lots.

New TAs:

If you have never worked at UALR, complete a new employee packet atHuman Resources department. This information is available on theirwebsite at http://ualr.edu/humanresources

Sign and return your letter from the graduate school confirming yourassistantship.


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FIRST-YEAR COMPOSITION

ood writing skills are part of a students educational andprofessional toolbox. Accordingly, the first-year compositionprogram helps undergraduate students at UALR develop the

writing skills needed to pursue a college degree and beyond.

STUDENT PLACEMENT AND ASSESSMENT

The first-year composition sequence consists of Rhetoric 1311(Composition I) and Rhetoric 1312 (Composition II). These classes fulfillcore curriculum requirements. Beginning students are placed inComposition I based on test scores. To be placed in Comp I, students mustearn one of the following test scores:

ACT English: 19 or higher SAT verbal: 450 or higher Compass composition: 75 or higher

Students must complete Rhetoric 1311 with a grade of C or better before

enrolling in Rhetoric 1312.

In addition, Rhetoric 0321 (Academic Literacy) and Linked Rhetoric 0310(Composition Fundamentals) are offered for students who are notprepared for Rhetoric 1311 based on their test scores. Such students havetest scores as follows:

ACT English less than 19 SAT verbal less than 450 Compass Composition less than 75

Rhetoric 0321, a combined reading and writing course, will begin Fall2012. Also beginning Fall 2012, all Rhetoric 0310 (CompositionFundamentals) courses will be linked with Comp I courses for anaccelerated 6-hour sequence.

G

. Department Structure, Contact NumbersIII. The Composition Program


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Students transferring 60 or more hours to UALR who have met the first-year composition requirement at the college previously attended may beexempted from UALRs freshman composition requirement. The decisio nto exempt a student is made by the students major departmentchairperson when the student files a degree plan.In the past, the state of Arkansas has required all institutions to administerCompass at the end of developmental writing courses. This requirement isprobably ending as of fall 2012.

Description of the Compass Test (from www.act.org)COMPASS is an untimed, computerized test that helps your collegeevaluate student skills and place them into appropriate courses. COMPASSoffers tests in reading, writing, math, writing essay, and English as aSecond Language (ESL). Students will receive their COMPASS test resultsimmediately upon completion of testing, and their score reports willinclude placement messages informing them what courses they shouldtake and how to register.

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS FROM THE CATALOG

RHET 0321 Academic Literacy (starting Fall 2012)Practice in academic writing and reading with an emphasis on developingstrategies and skills for college success: reading and writing fluency,editing techniques, reading comprehension, and vocabulary development.This fulfills the requirement for developmental reading and writing, butdoes not fulfill a core curriculum requirement. Institutional credit only;final grades are A, B, C, or No Credit. This is a combined lecture/lab course.Three credit hours.

RHET 0310 Composition Fundamentals (all sections linked withRHET 1311 starting Fall 2012)Practice in writing, with an emphasis on developing fluency and editing.

This course does not fulfill the core curriculum requirement and isintended for students who are not ready for RHET 1311. Institutional creditonly; final grades are A, B, C, or NC. Three credit hours.

RHET 1311 Composition IPrerequisite: A minimum ACT English score of 19, a minimum SAT I verbalscore of 450, or RHET 0310, or RHET 0321. Practice in writing, with an


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emphasis on personal, expressive writing as well as transactional writing.Students will focus on organizing and revising ideas and writing wellorganized, thoroughly developed papers that achieve the writers purpose,meet the readers needs, and develop the writers voice. Fi nal coursegrades are A, B, C, or NC. Students must complete this course with a gradeof C or greater to take RHET 1312. Three credit hours.

RHET 1312 Composition II

Prerequisite: RHET 1311 with a C or greater or equivalent. Practice inwriting, with an emphasis on academic forms. Students will focus onanalysis, argumentation, research, and documentation writing. Final coursegrades are A, B, C, or NC. Three credit hours.

RHET 1320 Honors Composition

For students with superior achievement in English. Fulfills first yearcomposition core curriculum requirement. Admission by invitation. Threecredit hours.

RHET 3316 Writing for the Workplace

Prerequisite: RHET 1312 or the equivalent. Study and practice of workplacecommunication required of professionals who write as part of their jobs.Emphasis on developing a sense of audience and purpose, writing inteams, and learning problem solving strategies. Intensive practice writingworkplace documents such as memos, letters, e-mail, rsums, andreports. Three credit hours.


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SYLLABI[Add text]

SYLLABI POLICIES WORDINGery course is required to have a syllabus. Turn in a copy to KarenPalmer [when?]. The university and the department require that thefollowing essential information be included in your syllabus:

Contact information. Students need to reach you in case of emergencies (i.e. office phone, pager, email address, etc.). You may listyour home telephone number if you so desire, but it is not required andthe department will not release your home number under any

circumstances.

Textbook. Include your textbook choice(s) title, author, edition so that students can purchase or rent it in the bookstore.

Outcomes Statement. (see statement on following pages) Includethis statement verbatim on your syllabus.

An attendance policy. Make sure that your policy is clear to the

students at the beginning of the semester and that you apply it fairly andconsistently.

Requirements for the course. You must include all your majorassignments. To allow yourself some flexibility, you can include categorieslike quizzes or informal writing assignments.

A grading scale. Your syllabus must have a statement that describeshow you will determine the students final grade for the course.Remember that the syllabus is a contract between you and your students,so develop a policy and be consistent.

The UALR statement on plagiarism and academic honesty. (see statement on following pages) You have no choice, include it verbatim.If you encounter a situation in which you are faced with plagiarism orcheating, the statement in your syllabus is essential.

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The UALR statement on students with disabilities. (seestatement on following pages) Include it verbatim and provide anyreasonable accommodations to students who identify (with a letter fromthe Office of Disability Support Services) specific disability issues. If youencounter a situation that you feel involves excessive accommodation orin which the student had not contacted Disability Support Services andyou feel uncomfortable making such an accommodation, call me (Dr.Rankins-Robertson) and we will deal with the specific situation together.You do not have to handle these situations alone.

The UALR policy on web accessibility. (see statement on following pages) Include this statement verbatim on your syllabus.

Outcome statement that MUST be included on all first-yearcomposition course syllabi:

Outcomes for First-Year Composition: The Department of Rhetoricand Writing has adapted the following outcomes for first-year compositioncourses from the outcome statements of the Council for Writing Program

Administrators.

Rhetorical Knowledge: Students will learn how audience, purpose,genre, and content shape the meaning and effectiveness of all writing.

Critical Reading, Thinking, and Writing: Students will learn to usewriting and reading for inquiry, learning, thinking, and communicating.They will learn how to integrate their original ideas with the ideas of others.

Writing Process Strategies: Students will develop strategies for

generating ideas, revising, and editing their writing through successivedrafts. Those strategies will include collaborating with others, includinggiving and receiving feedback in peer groups.

Knowledge of Conventions: Students will have extensive practice inwriting and will develop knowledge of academic writing conventions,


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including organization, development, style, incorporation of materialsfrom sources, grammar, formats, and documentation.

Composing in Electronic Environments: Students will learn howto use electronic environments for drafting, reviewing, revising, editing,and sharing texts. They will also be able to locate, evaluate, organize,and use research material collected from electronic sources. Additionally, they will understand and exploit the differencesin the rhetorical strategies and in the affordances available for bothprint and electronic composing processes and texts.

Statements that MUST be included on syllabi for all courses:

Plagiarism/Academic Dishonesty Statement: College andUniversity regulations regarding academic dishonesty, as set forth inthe UALR student handbook and other University documents andpublications, will be strictly enforced in this class. Any student caughtin the act of cheating will be assigned a grade of zero points (F) for theassignment in question. If written work does not appear to be yourown, you will be questioned about it and appropriate action will betaken.

Students with Disabilities Statement: Your success in this class isimportant to me, and it is the policy and practice of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock to create inclusive learning environmentsconsistent with federal and state law. If you have a documenteddisability (or need to have a disability documented), and need anaccommodation, please contact me privately as soon as possible, sothat we can discuss with the Disability Resource Center (DRC) how to

meet your specific needs and the requirements of the course. The DRCoffers resources and coordinates reasonable accommodations forstudents with disabilities. Reasonable accommodations are establishedthrough an interactive process among you, your instructor(s) and theDRC. Thus, if you have a disability, please contact me and/or the DRC,at 501-569-3143 (V/TTY) or 501-683-7629 (VP). For more information,please visit the DRC website at www.ualr.edu/disability .
http://www.ualr.edu/disabilityhttp://www.ualr.edu/disabilityhttp://www.ualr.edu/disabilityhttp://www.ualr.edu/disability


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Web Accessibility Statement: It is the policy and practice of UALRto make all web information accessible to students with disabilities. If you, as a student with a disability, have difficulty accessing any part of

the online course materials for this class, please notify the instructorimmediately.


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TEXTBOOKS

Should You Use a Textbook?

A central decision to make in teaching a FYC course is whether to havestudents purchase a text. Obviously there are arguments on both sides of the issue.

The primary reason people give for not using a textbook is the expense .Textbooks even small, paperbound ones such as are used in FYC havebecome very expensive, and most of our students are reluctant to spendthe money unless they see the benefit.

Another reason not to use a textbook is flexibility . No one will write thetextbook you would have written, with the focus and material that youwant to give to the course. Additionally, if you have not committed to atextbook, you may be able to more flexibly adapt to the needs of yourstudents as the course evolves.

Additionally, we live in a world surrounded by discourse, and between theInternet and technology , it is quite possible to provide readings andinstructional material directly to the students without a textbook.

On the other hand, a textbook can be extremely useful and I strongly urgeteachers, especially novices to our program, to use a textbook when theyteach.

A primary reason is that the textbook can help provide coherence to yourcourse. A textbook is a rhetorical document, informed by values aboutwhat FYC students should know and be able to do at the end of thecourse. The texts that have been selected for the UALR FYC program areselected because they reflect the commitments of our program. Suchcoherence is more difficult to achieve if you bring in resources from manydifferent sources. (More difficult, not impossible; but you need to keep inmind when planning your course that without a textbook, you need tomake sure you are helping your students see the connections among thedifferent assignments and activities, and that they understand thedirection the course is taking.)


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Another benefit of the textbook is that it provides a common, consistentresource that can be used to prepare students for class activities andassignments and then reinforce learning you wanted to occur in thoseactivities and assignments. Students learn in multiple ways by doing, byreading, by listening and a textbook is something they can read andreview later, unlike the more ephemeral experiences of the classroom.

The textbooks we have selected provide a range of material besidesinstruction, including sample student drafts, readings reflecting differentpurposes and genres, class activities, and exercises all of which are usefulin teaching FYC. You could put together these materials on your own, butdoing so takes a lot of time (and sometimes frustration because of technology glitches) that might better be used working directly with yourstudents and their writing.

Using a Textbook

Given the expense, you should make sure that if you ask students topurchase a textbook, you actually use it. You do not have to use thewhole book, and in fact all composition books are designed so you canpick and choose among the different units and activities. But if you wantstudents to purchase a handbook like Rules for Writers so you can teachthem to document properly, then you must use class time to show them

how to use the handbook. It is not enough to say, use your handbook todo this.

Or if you want students to purchase a book like Writing in the Works,which is organized around different genres, then you need to structureyour course around the different genres reflected in the chapters. Again,you dont need to use all of the chapters and in fact should not plan to useall of the chapters. But pick 4 5 of those chapters and structure yourassignments around them.

As noted earlier, students are reluctant to purchase textbooks because of the expense. Thus, if you want to use a textbook, you need to set upexpectations early in the course that students bring their book to classwhere you will use them explicitly. Otherwise you will soon find thatstudents have returned their books to the bookstore.


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Types of Textbooks: Rhetorics and Handbooks

We select two types of textbooks, rhetorics and handbooks. The rhetorics

are comprehensive texts designed for specific courses. They are designedto be read chapter by chapter. They include reading and writingassignments and sometimes have elements of a handbook as well in theback.

The handbooks are designed to be resources you use when needed. Allhandbooks now have three basic components a section on grammar andstyle, a section on documentation of research, and a section on writing.Two handbooks are currently available, Writing: A Manual for the Digital

Age, by Blakesley and Hoogeveen, and Rules for Writers, by Diana Hacker

and Nancy Sommers . The material on writing in the Blakesley book isextremely robust (and expensive!) It contains sufficient material that youmight reasonably use it as the sole text for a course. Rules for Writers is aninexpensive handbook that provides the basics on writing and excellentmaterial on grammar and style and research documentation. It could beused as the sole textbook, which you supplement with additional material;or it could be used as a second textbook, along with another book.

The handbooks were selected with the idea that students should purchasea handbook that they can use for the rest of their college lives andbeyond. It is extremely important, therefore, that you teach students howto use any hand book youve required.

Textbooks and the Bookstore

Because textbook orders are required (by state law!) to be in thebookstore 3 6 months before a semester begins, and because most FYCsections are not assigned until a few weeks before the semester begins,the program selects and orders a variety of textbooks for each of the

courses. These are called the default texts, and individual FYC instructorsmay choose to use any of the selections.

These textbooks are available in the bookstore and should be listed aspossibilities on the bookstore website. (The website system doesnt workvery well in our situation, however, and it often gives confusinginformation to students.) There is a big sign by the Rhetoric and Writing


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All courses Rules for Writers, 7th

EditionHacker &Sommers

0-910-30506-4

Bedford/ St. Martins

All courses The Mercury Reader Custom-madefor UALR

N/A N/A

RHET 0321Read to Succeed, 1 st Edition

Rothman &Warsi 0-205-78426-

7Pearson

RHET 0321 Fusion 2, 1st EditionKemper,Meyer, VanRys, Sebranek

1-133-31250-0

Cengage

RHET 1311Writing in the Works,2nd Edition

Blau & Burak 0-547-15151-

9

Cengage

RHET 1311Joining theConversation, 1 st Edition

Palmquist 0-312-41215-0


RHET 1312Writing from Sources,8th Edition Spatt 0-312-60290-

1


RHET 1312Writing about Writing,1st Edition

Wardle &Downs

0-312-53493-0


RHET 1312 They Say, I Say, 1st

Edition

Graff,

Burkenstein,Durst

0-393-92409-2

Norton

RHET3316

TechnicalCommunication,9th Edition

Markel 0-312-48597-2



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CLASSROOMS

Access to Computer Classrooms in Stabler and Dickinson Hall

Classrooms with presentation equipment (projectors, smart boards, etc.)have keypad access. At the start of each semester, instructors teaching inthese classrooms have to get a code from Chad Garrett (who is in chargeof technology implementation for the College of Arts, Humanities, andSocial Sciences). Chad will receive a list of whos teaching in whichclassrooms and will assign the codes. He should send out an email or flyerexplaining where and how to get the codes. Teachers who have neverused one of the computer classrooms are supposed to attend trainingbefore they can get their codes.

Access to SUA 100 Office SpaceFirst-Year Composition instructors are welcome to use SUA 100 as theiroffice space. They can get the keypad code from Karen Palmer (569-3160 ) in the main Rhetoric and Writing office.

Changing Classrooms

If you desire a better classroom, you can request a different room; simplycontact Karen Palmer. If your classroom moves, either permanently ortemporarily, be sure notify the main office of the change.

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

Safety Concerns If you feel that a student or someone from outside your class is posing athreat, the best option is to dismiss class and then call campus security(569-3400). If you forget this number, you can call 911 and ask theemergency operator to contact campus security. If you teach at night, you

should inform students that they can ask for an escort to their car throughthe same number.

Policies on Student Misconduct, Sexual Harassment, and GradeAppeals


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The best source for these policies is the Student Handbook , which isavailable online. Go to the University web site (www.ualr.edu ), click onCURRENT STUDENTS, then STUDENT HANDBOOK. You will find that youmay ask disruptive students to leave your class and you may file anIncident Report on the student. Students who have had two incidentreports may be administratively removed from your class. You will alsofind a description of the grade appeal process and definitions of sexualharassment. It is important that you understand these policies.
http://www.ualr.edu/http://www.ualr.edu/http://www.ualr.edu/http://www.ualr.edu/


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THE WRITING CENTER

he University Writing Center (UWC) is dedicated to serving studentwriters at all ability levels as they strive to improve their skills at allstages of the writing process. With emphasis on writing and the

teaching of writing on and off the UALR campus, UWC provides acomfortable place to write, to receive training in working with writers, touse tools and resources in a community environment, and receiveencouragement. The UWC serves everyone as a center of encouragement,development, and growth in the pursuit of excellence in rhetoric andcomposition through individual assistance.

Graduate students and upper-level undergraduate students serve as

writing assistants in the UWC. They talk with students about whateverstage of the writing process they are working on. However, they wont doa students work or writing. From brainstorming to editing, writingassistants have a goal to help students improve their writing for the longterm. Their feedback is designed and intended to help students betterunderstand how to improve their writing so they can apply what they havelearned to future writing assignments.

Location: The University Writing Center is located in the Student Union B

(SUB) Room 116. For more information about the University WritingCenter and the services they provide, please call their office at (501) 569-8343.

Typical Hours: (check website at http://ualr.edu/writingcenter/ forcurrent semester hours)

Monday and Wednesday , 9 a.m. 5 p.m. (closed on Mondays from11:45 1:30 for a weekly meeting)

Tuesday and Thursday , 9 a.m. 8 p.m. Friday : 9 a.m. noon

Additionally, the Writing Center maintains an online writing lab (OWL) withonline resources and tutoring. Contact Allison Holland([email protected]) for assistance.

T
http://ualr.edu/writingcenter/http://ualr.edu/writingcenter/http://ualr.edu/writingcenter/http://ualr.edu/writingcenter/


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The Writing Center is happy to provide tours for first-year compositionclasses. Contact Writing Center staff (569-8343) early in the semester toget on their schedule. Additionally, they can schedule group sessions withthe computers and software.

ATTENDANCE AND ABSENCES (FOR FACULTY)

Please limit your teaching absences to emergencies or extenuatingcircumstances. If you need to miss a class, you must contact someone in-person; leaving a message is NOT permissible! You may call Dr. Jensen at501.960.4298, Dr. Matson at 350-6060, or Karen Palmer at 569-3160. If none of them can be reached, simply try calling someone else in thedepartment . This way, if time permits, we can arrange for a substituteinstructor to attend to your class.

GRADING MID-TERM AND FINAL GRADES

nstructors must enter mid-term and final grades via the FacultyServices Menu in BOSS. (The grading screens are about halfway down

the list)

The process is fairly simple. There are three columns. Only the first columnis required. But if you have a student who stopped attending, you canenter the information in the second and third columns if it's available. Inthe pull-down menu for grades, the options ending in 'X' as in NCX are forstudents who haven't been attending. Remember that comp courses aregraded A, B, C, and NC (no credit). Please use those grades for themidterms as well. After inputting grades you must click "save" so they will

be recorded. You may change these grades anytime before students areable to see them.

Mid-Term Grades

Between a certain set of dates mid-semester (see Semester Details handout), you are supposed to post mid-term grades for your courses. It is

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university policy that first-year students receive this feedback. It is not abinding grade, but it does let the students know where they stand.

It is recommended that you also interact with the students about theirgrades perhaps in a conferences or an email. Pay special attention tostudents who are at risk of receiving NC grades. Let them know concretelywhat they will need to do to receive a passing grade in the course.

Final Grades

Final grades must be entered online no later than NOON on the day theyare due (see Semester Details handout). Please enter them in BOSS in atimely fashion. D o not mail your grades to the department.

Final Exams

The final-exam schedule is available in BOSS and on the UALR website athttp://ualr.edu/records/index.php/home/final-examination-schedule/

The University requires that you administer your final exam on thedate scheduled. However, you do not have to have a final exam. If theschedule presents a problem for you, please contact Dr. George Jensen tomake arrangements for your final exam.

WRITING AWARDSThe Rhetoric and Writing Department has an annual writing contest inwhich undergraduate and graduate students can submit class writingsamples from the past year. Students may enter one sample of theirwriting from each class they are taking/have taken within a year of thedeadline. Entries are usually due in early to mid-March. Students need tobring three clean copies of their writing and one copy of the Awards EntryCover Sheet to the Rhetoric and Writing main office.

In the past, $50 has been awarded to the winner in each category. Pleasepass along the entry form to students when you request entries fromthem.


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ABRIDGED INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY(official UALR policy as of January 2011)

During inclement weather, UALR will make a decision whether or not toclose based on all available information. The UALR website, UALR email,the Universitys main telephone number (501/569 -3000), and the campusemergency alert system are the official means of communicating allinformation concerning weather-related closing. Local television and radiostations will also be notified.

Weather and road conditions vary from place to place. Employees andstudents are expected to exercise good judgment regarding the safety of travel when road conditions are affected by the weather.

OFFICIAL UALR POLICY FOR ACADEMIC OFFENSES

Cheating on an examination or quiz: To give or receive, to offer orsolicit information on any quiz or examination including (a) copying fromanother students paper; (b) using prepared materials, notes, or texts other

than those specifically permitted by the professor during an examination;(c) collaborating with another student during an examination; (d) buying,selling, stealing, soliciting, or transmitting an examination, or any materialpurported to be the unreleased content of an upcoming examination, orthe use of such material; (e) substituting for another person during anexamination or allowing such substitution for oneself; (1) bribing a personto obtain examination information.

Plagiarism: To adopt and reproduce as ones own, to appropriate forones own use and incorporate in ones own work withoutacknowledgement, the ideas of others or passages from their writings andworks.

Collusion: To obtain from another party, without specific approval inadvance by the professor, assistance in the production of work offered forcredit to the extent that the work reflects the ideas or skills of the party

Policies IV. University Policies
http://ualr.edu/http://ualr.edu/http://ualr.edu/http://ualr.edu/


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consulted rather that those of the person in whose name the work issubmitted.

Duplicity: To offer for credit identical or substantially unchanged work in

two or more courses, without specific advance approval of the professorsinvolved.


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PREVENTING ACADEMIC DISHONESTY Define academic dishonesty and explain the consequences of such

behavior. Define expectations and responsibilities. Communicate that academic dishonesty will not be tolerated and will

be reported. Encourage reporting academic dishonesty and explain the importance

or reporting. Outline the procedure for reporting academic dishonesty. Be aware of any conditions which might encourage academic

dishonesty and develop prevention techniques. Follow university policies and procedures for handling academic

dishonesty as stipulated in the student and faculty handbooks.

STEPS TOWARD REDRESS FOR ACADEMIC HONESTY

The UALR Faculty Handbook and the UALR Student Handbook outline theuniversitys policies and procedures created by the faculty and passedthrough UALR Faculty Senate for handling academic misconduct. Theprocedure is represented below:

1. Notify student, department chair and dean of students of the charge(s)by completing an Academic Offense Allegation Report Form . These formscan obtained from your department chair or the Office of Dean of Students.

2. Upon receipt of the notice, the student should schedule a conferencewith the faculty member to discuss the allegations. The student shouldunderstand the allegations and be given the opportunity to presenthis/her position. If the student admits to academic misconduct or thefaculty member still believes a violation occurred, a grade penalty can beimposed. The faculty member must notify the dean of students/designeeof the outcome of the conference.

3. Within six class days of being notified of the charge(s), the studentshould schedule a meeting with the dean of students/designee to discusshis/her due process rights and address the allegations. If the studentadmits to a violation, a sanction is imposed and any grade penalty stands.
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4. If the student denies academic misconduct, he/she may appeal to theAcademic Integrity and Grievance Committee within ten days of receipt of the Academic Offense Allegation Report Form . Failure to appeal within tendays will result in imposition of the grade penalty and/or disciplinaryaction and waiver of the right to appeal.

5. The chairperson of the Academic Integrity and Grievance Committee willconvene the committee for a hearing. (Cases rarely go to AIGC for appealand adjudication.)

OFFICIAL UALR POLICY ON CLASSROOM DISRUPTIONS

Examples of classroom disruptions: Repeatedly leaving and entering the classroom without authorization Making loud or distracting noises Persisting in speaking without being recognized Repeatedly using cell phone Resorting to physical threats or personal insults Any other activity the faculty member may deem disruptive to the

class.

Addressing Disruptions

The UALR Student Handbook, and the UALR Faculty Handbook, outline theacademic procedure created by faculty and passed through the UALRFaculty Senate for dealing with classroom disruptions. The policy issummarized as follows:

A student who persists in being disruptive should be ejected from theclass from the remainder of the period.

After the second ejection the student should be notified in writing that heor she is in violation of the classroom disruption policy and may faceadministrative withdrawal from the class.

The faculty member should meet with the student to see if an agreementcan be reached for the student to stay in the class.

If no agreement is reached, the faculty member should notify the dean of students or a designee of the situation and tell the student to meet withthe department chair if he or she chooses to appeal the decision.
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After the two meetings have been carried out with no resolution, the deanof students or a designee will meet with the student to discuss thewithdrawal of the student from the class and any additional disciplinarysanctions.

Not all classroom disruptions will warrant additional judicial consideration.

No student is exempt from the classroom disruption policy. Students whodisrupt the classroom should be handled according to the standards of the faculty member and the procedures of the university.


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Handling Disruptions

Faculty members are responsible for management of the classroomenvironment.

Classroom disruptions should be seen as a disciplinary issue as definedby UALRs Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities and Behaviors.

Both students and faculty members have some measure of academicfreedom.

Students should be allowed to ask questions but not in such a manneras to insult the faculty member or other students.

Students may not see some behaviors as rude, uncivil or disruptive. It isup to the faculty member, however, to clarify expectations and to makestudents aware that disruptive behaviors are never acceptable.

No student is exempt from the classroom disruption policy. If anystudent is disrupting the classroom, the situation should be handledaccording to the standards of the faculty members and the proceduresof the university.

Response to Disruptive Behavior Clarify standards for student conduct.

Serve as a role model for the conduct you expect. If you believe inappropriate behavior is occurring, consider a general

word of caution rather than warning a particular student. If the behavior is irritating but not disruptive, try speaking with the

student after class. There may be circumstances when it is necessary to speak to a student

during class about his or her behavior. Do so in a firm yet non-threatening manner.

A student who persists in disrupting a class may be directed by thefaculty member to leave the classroom for the remainder of the classperiod. The student should be told the reason(s) for such action andgiven an opportunity to discuss the action as soon as possible. Promptconsultation should be undertaken with the department chair anddean of students or a designee. Suspension for more than one classperiod requires disciplinary action.


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If a disruption is serious and other reasonable measures have failed,the class may be adjourned. The campus police can be summoned if necessary.

Documents

Handbook August 4