Syllabus Preparation
- How to Prepare a Syllabus, includes all of the items needed on the course outline.
- Web Development - Information linked from this page is intended to assist faculty, staff, and student web designers in creating and publishing their Web pages on the central CSUN web server. A Faculty Lab is available in Sierra Hall 437-39.
- The Schedule of Classes, published for each semester, is available at your department as well as online via the CSUN Web Portal. Also, be sure to acquire the CSUN Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog, which has complete information about rules of the campus and courses of study.
- Solar/Class Rosters, Administration of class rosters, registration and grades is handled through a central web-based administration system known as Solar (or "the portal"). You can obtain real-time class rosters by logging into this system. Instructions and Support for Solar usage is provided by ITR and can be found at http://www.csun.edu/itr/solar/
- Formal class instruction ends on Friday of the last week of the semester. Semester calendars are available online.
- Final Exams must be administered the following week, during Final Exam Week. Campus policy states: "No Final Examination may be scheduled by the instructor prior to the regularly scheduled time." -- CSUN Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog. The final exam schedule is in the printed Schedule of Classes, and also available online.
- Textbook orders: To order textbooks for your classes contact the Matador Bookstore (818) 677-2832
General Education Courses
- If you are teaching a General Education Course, your syllabus should state what section of GE the course fulfills and how the course meets these GE goals. Ask your Department Chair and/or other faculty who teach the course for sample syllabi and information on GE.
- The current policy for upper division General Education is: "All upper division GE courses shall be designated writing-intensive. In each such course, students will be required to complete writing assignments totaling a minimum of 2,500 words." -- CSUN Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog
Classroom Equipment & Technology Resources
- Cabinets or booths containing projectors, VCRs, or other equipment are kept locked. Faculty usually may obtain keys from their department offices. Nearly every classroom on campus is equipped with a television monitor connected to theUniversity Video Network [UVN]. This system allows faculty to phone the Media Library in advance [ext. 2211] to request that Media Library films or videotapes be transmitted directly to their classroom monitor over UVN. The instructor has complete control by using the classroom telephone as the video remote control (including play, fast-forward, stop, rewind and pause.) Technical back-up support is available during all class hours. Faculty can schedule UVN classroom showings by calling the Media Library.
- The Media Library will also deliver films, videos, and other media, or equipment can be picked up from the office on the second floor of the east wing of the Oviatt Library. Reservations must be made.
- In addition to the audiovisual equipment permanently housed in the classroom, faculty and staff can check out equipment from Media Equipment Services, Oviatt Library Garden Level, Room 18 [ext. 6363].
- The Office of Online Instruction provides training and support for web-enhanced and online courses. Contact the current staff of Online Instruction for help and support.
- Campus-wide Computer Labs may be reserved for classes. For more information and reservations contact the Collaboratory Service desk at 818 - 677-6304, or email Eric Willis. Many departments and colleges have their own computer labs, which may be used for classes. You may need the access code to unlock the labs.
Guest Speakers for Classes
- Specialized librarians who cover your subject matter will give library tours or talks to students about research. Request this service online via the Library Instruction Request Form or call ext. 2277.
- The Office of Student Development and International Programs sponsors Student Panels for an International Curriculum and Education (SPICE), in which international students speak in classes about their native cultures and experiences. SPICE panels can be tailored to particular course content to provide international perspectives on particular topics. Contact Roopa Rawjee [ext. 3053].
- Speakers are also available from Counseling Services [ext. 2366], offering various student speaking groups such as Advocates for Cultural Talk [Project ACT] and Joint Advocates on Disordered Eating [JADE].
- The Writing Center offers talks as well (ext. 2033).
- The Distinguished Visitors Program is funded through the Office of Graduate Research and International Programs (GRIP). For information, contact Hedy Carpenter, [ext. 2138].
- Klotz Student Health Centeroffers speakers throughout the semester on various health topics important to students, including safer sex, pregnancy prevention and alcohol/drug use issues. For an overview of ongoing programs, go to their Health Education Resources page. Health educators and peer educators can tailor a health presentation to suit your classroom needs. To schedule, contact the their "Do Not Cancel that Class" program at x3690.
Departmental Policies--Speak with your Chair about the following items.
- Office Hours: Departments regulate faculty responsibilities concerning office hours.
- Duplicating/Copying: Departments supervise their own copying facilities. Special department codes are usually necessary. Check with your department regarding its copying policies, including the use of QuickCopies Service.
- Travel reimbursement: Sometimes funds are available for travel costs to professional conferences. The online Travel Expenses Manual details how such funds are processed.
- Student Advisement: Some departments have advising staff, while other departments use faculty to advise majors about what classes to take. Check with your Department Chair about advising procedures in your department. EOP's Advising Resource Center provides services to students and faculty. College-based Advising Centers offer services to majors of departments in that college, and training and advice to faculty doing departmental advising.
Grading Policy
- Basis of grading: Students may take a class for a regular letter grade or the option of Credit/No-credit. All General Education courses must be taken for a letter grade. It is up to the individual faculty member whether to use whole grades, such as A, B, C, etc. or to use + and -, such as A, A-, B+, B, etc. State your policy clearly in the syllabus.
- Incomplete: It is up to the instructor to decide whether to allow an incomplete. The student should be passing at the time of the decision. All grades must be completed in the year following the end of the semester of the assigned Incomplete; if not, the grade converts to an F.
- Cheating: There is a very clear and extensive section on the University's policy on cheating and plagiarism in an Appendix on Student Conduct in the CSUN Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog, and in the printed schedule of classes. This includes definitions and examples of, and penalties for academic dishonesty. This section has been posted on the web by many faculty; here's one source: http://www.csun.edu/~vcspc00g/303/achonesty.html . The CSUN Faculty Policy on Academic Dishonesty available online details procedures for handling offenses.
Student Enrollment and Advisement
- Add/Drop: Students enroll in classes online via the Campus Web Portal. When the class is full students will probably come to the first class and ask to be put on a waiting list. Check with your department chair or department faculty for how to handle students requesting admission to your class, and for class limits on enrollment. Students may drop classes via the Web Portal without a signature, up through the second week of class, so you should download current rosters at least once a week during this period. You can download your class rosters by logging in through the Campus Web Portal. If there is room, students may add up through the first week of class, if given a permission number by the instructor or department. The next two weeks require a signature from the instructor on the Change of Program form for a student to add. After that, dropping is normally not permitted except in dire circumstances. There will probably be a changing sea of faces in your classes for the first couple of weeks.
- Probation: Students whose grade point average falls below 2.0 (C) are placed on Scholastic Probation, which limits their credits taken to 12 units or less in a semester. Disqualification occurs when the grade point average doesn't improve. Three disqualifications means that the student can not matriculate at CSUN. Details can be read in the Schedule of Classes.
- Open University: Students who have not been admitted to the university may register in most university classes with the approval of the instructor and the academic department. This program is run by the College of Extended Learning.
- Maximum Unit Load: Students may register for 15 units during the regular registration period, and add an additional 4 units after that.
Students' Special Needs
- The Center on Disabilities provides a number of activities, programs and support services that allow students with disabilities to compete in all regular academic and professional programs at CSUN.
- The Students with Disabilities Resources office provides notetakers, tutors, and proctoring of exams, particularly where extra time and solitude are needed.
- The Learning Resource Center offers students additional help and tutorials in basic and specific subjects:
- The National Center on Deafness provides interpreting, note taking, tutoring, and counseling services to hearing impaired students.
- Student Computing offers student workshops on instructional software that may be required in their courses.
A Caveat on Parking
* You must have a valid CSUN parking decal displayed in your car on the first day of the semester in order to park in the CSUN faculty lots. Even though you purchased a parking permit, space is especially tight the first week, so arrive early. For information on fees and parking lot locations, go to the web site at Parking and Transportation Services.
You can download the application for a parking permit online at Faculty Staff Parking Information. The decal may be purchased by mail or from the Cash Services Office in the Student Services Building [SB 100]. Lines can be long, so call 818-677-2318 for their current hours and ask if they have set up a separate line for faculty. To buy your permit, you must present your Faculty Photo ID issued by Human Resources.
Year-round parking decals may also be purchased online through payroll deduction. One-day parking permits may also be purchased from one of the Information Booths.