| Standing Committee | : | Academic Affairs |
| Effective Date | : | September 1, 2022 |
| Next Review | : | August 31, 2025 |
| Rector’s Decree | : | Download |
| Policy ID | : | 1.4.400 |
4.3 | Teaching and Learning Activities
4.3.1 | Teaching Preparation
Syllabus
The syllabus is the document that outlines a course and includes a summary of the topics to be covered in a semester, the learning outcomes and how learners will be assessed, as well as contact
information for the instructor, class times and location, office hours, and policies on work submission.
Each Lecturer is responsible for developing the course syllabus for each assigned course based on the Study Programs’ learning outcomes and other requirements that are described in the curriculum, using the defined template. For each topic covered by the course, lecturers should specify the learning objectives and outcomes. The syllabus will be reviewed by the Head of Study Program, the Vice-Dean, and approved by the Dean.
Lecturers should provide students with the course syllabus at the start of the semester. The syllabus will describe the dates of classes, topics and sub-topics covered in the course, the teaching materials used, and the learning activities, the means of assessment, and composition of the final grade by evaluation activities. In addition, lecturers’ contact information, office location, and office hours should be clearly provided on the syllabus.
For courses that are offered jointly with U.S. partners, courseware that provides a syllabus should be reviewed by Heads of Programs to ensure that it matches program and department guidelines. In most cases, instructors may amend the syllabus within a specific range (generally 20-25%), though instructors of different sections of the same course should align content for consistency.
Supporting Materials
Lecturers will receive guidance and supporting materials before the beginning of each semester, related to the teaching schedule, the academic calendar, academic policies, handbooks and manuals, course syllabi templates and student evaluation forms. Lecturers will be provided with syllabus development criteria and training workshop, as needed. Lecturers are required to submit their teaching materials needs (textbooks, books, journals, articles) well in advance of the start of the term to allow sufficient time for orders and subscriptions.. Teaching materials needs are approved by the Dean and submitted to the Library for acquisition, in accordance with the Library Collection Development Policy.
Course Delivery
- Lecturers should consider pace of content delivery by allocating enough time for students to learn about the relevant theories and concepts, and to practice real-life applications.
- Lecturers should understand and address variations in student learning styles: students need to engage in more interactive learning activities, such as discussions, presentations, debates, guest lecturers, field trips, simulations, etc. rather than solely instructor-fronted lectures.
- When appropriate, lecturers should engage students through educational technology, such as online learning, the use of multimedia resources, and social media.
- Lecturers should provide immediate feedback to students on their assignments and study process, and facilitate academic support when warranted.
- Lecturers should inform the students about their mode and process of giving feedback, and the criteria by which they will be evaluated at the start of the semester.
Attendance Policy
Lecturers should carry out their planned courses/classes according to their assigned workload. Lecturers may re-schedule a class once in a semester, with a prior notice and the approval of the Dean, and notify the Academic Registry of the make-up class schedule. Class re-scheduling must occur with a minimum of two-days’ notice.
4.3.2 | Examinations
Definition and Objectives
An Examination is a scheduled academic activity conducted to measure the success of the teaching/learning process. The execution of examinations is intended to:
- Evaluate whether students have understood and mastered the material presented in the lectures, assignments, and class discussions.
- Place students into appropriate groups according to observed ability. Examinations may be either written or oral, in the form of questions, seminars, assignments, essays, or other forms according to the type of subject and the specific objectives that are to be achieved
Types of examination
- Semester Examination
a. Semester examinations consist of mid-semester and end-of-semester examinations which may be conducted in the form of a test, quiz, presentation, or project.
b. The mid-semester examination is given after completing several discussion topics, while the final examination is administered after all course material has been presented for the semester.
c. Following the mid-semester evaluation, lecturers should meet with students demonstrating difficulty and refer them to the Student Success unit for appropriate intervention. - Final Project Examination
Final project examinations are a form of evaluation administered at the end of a student’s program of study. The nature of this test is holistic, covering all disciplines related to the field. The test is based on the thesis or applied project criteria established by the faculty advisor and Head of Study Program.
Examination Material
Lecturers are expected to submit the exam material to the Academic Registry a week before the examination execution.
- Examinations must be proctored by the lecturer or a suitable substitute unless planned as a take-home format.
- Students/exam participants who come late may be allowed to take the exam without extending the time of the test, unless there are specific restrictions given by the Lecturer or Program Head.
- Students/exam participants who are in the test room cannot withdraw from the examination after the distribution of the exam materials.
- Students/exam participants are only allowed to bring equipment or materials approved by the examination committee.
- Students/ exam participants who violate the test rules are subject to academic sanctions.
Grading System
Grades reported to the Academic Registry must be in letter format only, though instructors are expected to keep personal records of all graded activities and exercises culminating in the final grade
| Grades | Point Awarded | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Excellent | (90-100) | 4.00 |
| B | Good | (80-89) | 3.00 |
| C | Average | (70-79) | 2.00 |
| D | Below Average | (60-69) | 1.00 |
| F | Fall | (59 or below) | 0 |
Grade Submission
The Lecturer must input the grades and exam results of each student in the Learning Management System (currently Canvas) by the deadline set in the academic calendar, after the end-of- semester exam execution. If the grade submission period has expired but the lecturer has not yet submitted grades for any reason, the following policy must be implemented:
- If the lecturer has finalized the evaluation processes and already set the grade for all class participants, but he/she has any unforeseen circumstances such as sickness or natural calamities, the grade will set to “T” which means “Tunda” or Suspended in ACADIS for all students. The Lecturer must complete the grade submission process within ten working days after the expired submission period;
- If the lecturer not yet submitted grades for any reason outside of the unforeseen circumstances in the above point, the Vice Rector for Academic and Vice Rector for Academic Affairs will be notified, and the lecturer must present their reason for non- submission and/may face disciplinary sanctions;
- If a student has not completed a required task or assignment(s) by the end of term for a class and has an approved extension from the lecturer, their grade will be set to “I”. The missing work must be submitted by the start of the following term, or other deadline as arranged by the lecturer, or the grade will be automatically changed to “F.” If a student fails to submit work without an approved extension, the lecturer has the discretion to lower the grade accordingly for the class.
Once a grade has been input by the Lecturer, the students can immediately see it in ACADIS. During the submission period, the submitted result can be changed by the Lecturer, but after the submission period has expired, the result cannot not be changed directly.