Teaching-Related Policies and Practices

Policies related to student privacy (e.g., handing student information, securely sharing students’ grades, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act).

General Privacy Policy

The General Privacy Policy was created to set forth requirements regarding information entrusted to the university by the public and members of the KU community. Read about the definition of private information, the collection and protection of information, and disclosure of information to understand your role in protecting student’s private information and what to do if there is a breach of the privacy. For example, when connecting students to internship opportunities or other professional external agencies, you should provide contact information and details to the student allowing them to decide what information they disclose.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children's education records. These rights transfer to the student when he or she reaches the age of 18 or attends a school beyond the high school level. Read more about the protections on the U.S. Department of Education website.

Learning Management System (LMS) Policy

The Learning Management System Policy provides decision-making guidance for the use of learning management systems (LMS) licensed by the University of Kansas. Instructors are strongly encouraged to post student grades only in the secure LMS gradebook. Grades should not be posted so that students may see scores belonging to anyone but themselves (for example, in a spreadsheet uploaded to the course site).

In July 2023, the university formally approved a University-wide Syllabus Policy, developed by a working group of KU faculty, staff and students. The policy articulates that for every credit-bearing course at the University of Kansas, the Instructor of Record is required to create a course syllabus that includes, at minimum, the required elements defined in this policy. The policy identifies both required and recommended information to be included in the syllabus. Instructor must (1) provide the syllabus (either as a hard copy or online) to every student enrolled in the course by the end of the first class session, and (2) submit an electronic copy of their compliant course syllabus to the appropriate campus [i.e., the KU Lawrence and reporting campuses (KULC) or KU Medical Center and reporting campuses (KUMC)] syllabus repository by the tenth day of the semester, beginning in Fall 2024. 

The policy will be posted in the Policy Library in the coming weeks (stay tuned for a link).

More information about the policy, along with optional templates that align with the policy, can be found on the Syllabus Preparation page. 

A university excused absence is an absence for which a student cannot be penalized and shall receive an accommodation for completing the missed work. University excused absences apply to all course requirements, including any final examinations, quizzes, in class work, and tests other than final examinations. Review the policy to determine how to handle a university excused absence. 

This document provides more details about expectations and best practices for students and instructors in relation to the excused absence policy. 

Academic Misconduct

Review Article II, section 6 of the University Senate Rules and Regulations Policy to understand what constitutes academic misconduct (by a student and by an instructor) and the possible sanctions and processes associated with academic misconduct.

Writing Center: Incorporating References

To avoid plagiarism, cite everything you borrow in the text unless that information is common knowledge. Use this guide put together by the writing center to help you and your students understand what plagiarism is and how to avoid it.

Concealed Carry Policy and Information

The Kansas Personal and Family Protection Act allows the carrying of concealed handguns into most state buildings. To find campus-specific procedures related to safe possession, use, and storage of such weapons review this page of information put together for faculty. You may also find this page on what to do when… helpful. The Center for Teaching Excellence also provides resources for helping faculty and instructors approach concealed carry in their teaching. The first is a list of FAQs based on discussions we have had with faculty members. Lastly, here is some example language you might consider including in your syllabus to address how your course type (e.g., lab, performance) and course activities (e.g., field trips, exams) intersect with the state’s concealed carry law and KU weapons policy.

Conflict Resolution in the Classroom

Although we hope that you can avoid conflicts with students throughout your teaching career, it is occasionally necessary to respond to disruptive behavior and initiate disciplinary action for academic misconduct. Here are some resources from the Center for Teaching Excellence on how to stay safe, how to respond to disruptive behavior, and how to handle academic misconduct.

Final Examination (Disrupted by Building Evacuation) Policy

The purpose of the final exam policy is to describe the policies and procedures for the evacuation of university buildings and for the administration of examinations that are disrupted by evacuations. Review the policy to determine what to do in case of an evacuation during a final examination.

Inclement Weather Policies and Procedures

The purpose of inclement weather policy is to describe several policies and procedures (personnel, class cancellation, campus closing, etc.) that may be implemented when the region experiences inclement weather. Faculty and staff can subscribe to receive text messages and view/edit their cell phone number through the Employee Emergency Notification app at the myKU Portal.

Workplace Violence Policy

The purpose of this policy is to outline the University of Kansas’ commitment to providing employees, students, and visitors a safe and secure environment that is free from threats and violence and to prevent, deter, and respond appropriately to acts of violence. Review the workplace violence policy to determine what to do in case of a potential threat involving a specific student's behavior.

In this section, you will find policy information and campus resources that are related to supporting your students (e.g., considering diverse religious observances, creating inclusive learning opportunities, implementing academic accommodations, and more).

Academic Accommodations

The University Student Access Center (SAC) facilitates appropriate academic accommodations and auxiliary aids and services that are necessary to afford an individual with a disability an equal opportunity to participate in the university’s programs and activities. Read about the process to understand student and instructor responsibilities.

Accessibility

The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Guidelines are a tool used in the implementation of Universal Design for Learning, a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn. The UDL Guidelines can be used by educators, curriculum developers, researchers, parents, and anyone else who wants to implement the UDL framework in a learning environment. These guidelines offer a set of concrete suggestions that can be applied to any discipline or domain to ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities.

Care Referrals

If you are concerned about a student that may be experiencing undue stress or has needs beyond what a simple referral to another campus office can address, you can submit a care referral. For the link to the online form and specific warning signs to consider, review the Student Affairs webpage on Care Referrals.

Gender Inclusive and Affirming Language

To make your classroom a welcoming environment for all your students, use gender-inclusive and gender-affirming language. You might find these tips from the Center for Sexuality and Gender Diversity helpful in making your class an inclusive and welcoming environment for your students. Use this pronoun guide to practice using different parts of speech while using various pronouns. Lastly, here is an example of syllabus language you can use to communicate to students that you are dedicated to upholding a safe and inclusive environment for them.

Mandatory Reporting of Sexual & Intimate Partner Violence

If a student comes to you about experiencing sexual harassment or violence, you are obligated to submit a report through Office of Civil Rights & Title IX as a mandatory reporter. You can read more about the process on the Office of Civil Rights & Title IX website. In the meantime, you will likely want to do what you can to support the student. The student trusted you and came to you for a reason, know the resources on and off-campus and connect them to the resources they want.

Religious Observances

Respect the religious observances of all members of the Jayhawk community by planning for the needs of your students and colleagues. You can utilize the table of dates on this webpage when planning academic deadlines, committee meetings, events, or activities. To ensure that students, staff, and faculty are able to participate in University activities, you are encouraged to avoid scheduling scheduling in conflict with spiritual days of significance. Review upcoming religious dates put together by the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging.