Faculty Policies
In order to standardize academic policies and encourage best practices in the Switzerland Program, all faculty should know and follow the below policies.
Contact: Sophie Peeters is the Executive Assistant for the Switzerland Program. Please speak with her regarding any questions you might have, or email her at sophie.peeters2@pepperdine.edu.
Email: Faculty must only use their Pepperdine email to correspond with students, and must check their Pepperdine email daily during, between, and after terms. You may forward your Pepperdine email accounts to another primary account if this makes checking it easier. Please check your email after a semester has ended because if students or the Dean's Office reach out to you regarding a grade dispute, they will want you to be reachable.
Syllabi: Faculty must give students a HARD copy of the syllabus in the first class session, review the syllabus in the first class session, and not deviate from syllabus dates (quizzes, exams, papers, etc.) without first consulting the Director. The syllabus is a contract with students and should be treated as such.
Class absences: Faculty must fill in the Class Attendance Form at the beginning of each class session. Please document your absences accurately: if the absence is on the first or last class day of the academic week, it is counted as a double absence. Deliver the completed form to Sophie at the end of the final class. Attendance impacts students' final grades - this is done in all IP locations.
Student grades: Faculty must keep student grades current and calculated so that a student may know their grade at any point in the semester. Click on the "Resources" tab on the right to watch a video explaining how to set up a "Gradebook" in Courses.
Office of Student Accessibility (OSA): if students have academic difficulties (dyslexia, processing disorders, etc.), they may register with the the OSA. The OSA will work directly with the student and provide him/her with a letter of accommodation. This letter may provide the student with extended time for an exam, a distraction-free room for an exam, a note-taker, or special seating in the classroom. The professor will sign the student's letter, and then work directly with Sophie Peeters to provide the accommodation.
Student illness: all students requesting absences should be sent directly to Sophie Peeters. Students must submit an Excused Absence Form to Sophie before their class; if it is approved, professors will receive an email from Sophie informing them (and the student) that the absence is excused.
Grade dispute policy: a student may dispute their final course grade (not a specific assignment) to Seaver College up to the midpoint in the following semester. Seaver College nearly always rules in favor of the faculty member (unless the syllabus or grading rubric was not followed).
Document retention: Faculty must retain class documentation for at least one year before disposing of them (in the case of a grade appeal). We have secure storage space in the facility.
Fire alarms: in the case of a fire alarm during class, the faculty should consider themselves as charged with the safety of the students and of safety leading the evacuation of their class. To this end, faculty should treat every alarm as real. When an alarm sounds, faculty should announce, “That is the fire alarm. Please leave your belongings, and follow me as we evacuate the building.” Follow the closest emergency exits (above each main entrance door) to leave the main building.