Policies & Guidelines

As an adjunct faculty member, you are responsible for upholding the policies of the University to ensure fair and equitable treatment for all. This can be a daunting undertaking so included below are a few of the most important policies and guidelines of which you should be aware.

FERPA

Federal law and regulations require that “education records,” including almost all University records which relate directly to a student, must be held in confidence. Click here for more information.

Guidelines for the Classroom

“It is the business of a university to provide that atmosphere which is most conducive to speculation, experiment and creation. It is an atmosphere in which there prevail ‘the four essential freedoms’ of a university–to determine for itself on academic grounds who may teach, what may be taught, how it shall be taught, and who may be admitted to study.”

–Sweezy v. New Hampshire, 354 U.S. 234, 263 (1957)

A faculty member should always be prepared to articulate a rational justification for any classroom policy he or she imposes. Read more to better understand effective ways of creating and maintaining classroom policies.

Free Speech in the Classroom

It is important to understand when and how the First Amendment is applicable in your classroom. We all want students who are engaged and participate in the classroom but the rights of the professor and other students must also be kept in mind. Here’s the University’s stance.

Grade Submission

Instructors assign grades on the basis of their evaluation of the academic performance of each student enrolled in their courses. This occurs at midterm as well as for final grades. It is imperative that both are completed by the semester assigned due date. For midterm grades, an Unsatisfactory Grade Report notification is sent via email to students in the middle of each semester for courses in which the student is performing below average and a grade has been reported. This allows the student time to improve their performance. Timely reporting is also required for final grades particularly if you are teaching a prerequisite course or have graduating seniors as students.

It is suggested to review the Academic Calendar at the beginning of each semester and note these dates on your Google calendar to ensure ample completion time. Here’s more about grading at UNC Charlotte. It is also important to note that final grades are considered final and accurate. Mistyping or miscalculation may result in the need to submit a grade change request so exercise caution in this process.