Communications Archive | Undergraduate Advising Support Office

Emails sent by Molly Watkins, Dean of Undergraduate Advising, to faculty teaching and advising undergraduate students will be posted online here for continued reference throughout the semester.

Wednesday December 4, 2024: Final Exams and Grading Reminders

The below message was sent to all faculty teaching undergraduate courses in the Fall 2024 semester by Dean Molly Watkins.

To All Faculty Teaching Fall 2024 Undergraduate Courses:

As we transition from instructional days to reading and exam days, I want to thank you for all your work this semester on behalf of our students. I also want to remind you of some policies and procedures associated with the end of the semester.

Course Withdrawals and Student Use of the P/NP Grading Option. First year students have until Friday of this week (Dec. 6) to withdraw from a class or select the P/NP grading option. The deadline for upperclass students was Nov. 8th, so their enrollment should be set. Only in unusual extenuating circumstances and by special petition will the Deans Committee in Undergraduate Advising Support approve further adjustments in enrollments and grading status.

Reading Days & Final Exams. I want to remind everyone that Monday, December 9, and Friday, December 13 are Reading Days. No exams or other required course-related activities may be scheduled for those days, but it is fine to meet with students for optional review sessions.The rest of the week (Dec. 10-12) and Monday through Wednesday of the following week (Dec. 16-18) are exam days.

All in-class final exams must take place at the times scheduled by the University Registrar’s Office, and all students are expected to take their final exams at those times. Only the Undergraduate Advising Support Office can approve alterations to the final exam schedule either for a course as a whole or for an individual student. I have already written to students who qualify for alterations to their exam schedules per academic policy , and I have worked with faculty to make appropriate adjustments when needed. Similarly, the Office of Accommodated Testing & Services (OATS) has made arrangements for students who qualify for special testing conditions based on documented disabilities.

Missed Final Exam due to Illness or Personal Circumstances. Undergraduate Advising Support must approve rescheduling a final exam for students who cannot take exams at the scheduled time due to illness or other personal circumstances and will do that only with appropriate documentation, medical or otherwise. If you encounter a student in these circumstances, please direct the student to contact their four-year advisor in Undergraduate Advising Support. Similarly, if a student misses an exam because of confusion about the time of an exam, oversleeping, etc., they should be directed to their four-year advisor. If you have a question or concern about a student missing a final exam, please get in touch with me.

Academic Integrity. Students are expected to complete their own work and cite the work of others, as appropriate, when completing exams and other course-related work. Please review the academic integrity policy with your students. Research shows that reminding students of such policies at the time of an exam reduces instances. Please contact me if you have concerns that an undergraduate student may have committed an academic integrity violation.

Final Grades. As usual, final grades should be posted in SIS within 48 hours of the end of the final exam and no later than 11 AM on Friday, December 20. Timely submission is critically important to the December degree certification process and academic standing review.

Incompletes. The assignment of an Incomplete is up to the individual faculty member and must follow the procedures related to assigning a temporary grade of Incomplete as defined by the General Bulletin. “I” grades are only to be awarded when a student is in good standing in a course and is missing only a small amount of work. An Incomplete is not appropriate for a student who has not completed the bulk of the work in a course.

While the deadline imposed by a faculty member for completing the missing work can be no later than Friday, March 28, the appropriate deadline should replace the time lost due to the student’s individual circumstances. For students expecting to graduate at the end of this semester, work will need to be completed by the degree conferral day, January 17, or the student’s degree will need to be postponed to a later degree date. Other students may need to complete some or all of their work before the start of their fall courses to meet academic standing requirements.

Concerns About a Student. Four-year advisors in Undergraduate Advising Support are always interested in hearing any concerns you have about a student. Faculty can also submit a CARE Report to the Dean of Students Office when concerned about a student’s general well-being. You can identify each student’s four-year advisor on your course roster in SIS.

I wish you a successful end of the semester and a wonderful winter break.

Molly

Faculty Resources

Important Upcoming Dates
Dec. 6 - Deadline for Class Withdrawal and P/NP (first year UG)
Dec. 6 - Last Day of Classes
Dec. 9, 13 - Reading Days
Dec. 10 -18 - Final Exams
Dec. 20 - Final Grades due by 11:00 am
Dec. 24 - Jan. 1 - Winter Recess (Offices Closed)

--
Molly J. Watkins, Ph.D.

Dean of Undergraduate Advising
Undergraduate Advising Support Office
Case Western Reserve University
10900 Euclid Ave.
Cleveland, Ohio 44106-7028
216-368-0832
Email: mxw352@case.edu
Pronouns: she, her, hers

Monday November 11, 2024: Spring Registration and Final Exams

The below message was sent to all faculty teaching undergraduate courses in the Fall 2024 semester by Dean Molly Watkins.

Dear Faculty Teaching Undergrads,

As most of you know, spring 2025 course registration begins for seniors today and will continue through Friday November 22 based on a student’s expected graduation date. Students have been meeting with their advisors to plan their spring schedules. It is hard to believe that we are that close to the end of the semester.

As we near final exams, I wanted to share some important reminders regarding final exam policies that are in place to support students and you during the last days of the semester.

No Final Exams may be scheduled on Reading Days: December 9th and 13th are Reading Days. Per academic policy, no exams or other required course-related activities may be scheduled for those days, but it is fine to meet with students for optional review sessions.

Final Exam Conflicts: The final exam schedule is set by the University Registrar and is largely based on the class meeting schedule and formulated to minimize conflicts. There are special times assigned to the basic biology, chemistry, computer science, math, and physics sequences to spread out the exams in courses that enroll in common large numbers of first-year students.

Faculty may not change the date of a final exam, nor may the faculty alter the exam schedule for an individual student. If a student expects to miss an exam due to other special circumstances, please direct the student to their four-year advisor. Note that these rules apply to all exams administered during the final exam period, regardless of their length and/or whether they cover work of the entire semester.

Today I am reaching out to students with more than two exams on the same day, two at the same time, or an evening exam followed by another first thing the next morning. I will work with the student and their instructors to make reasonable alternative arrangements as needed.

Please Proactively Verify Final Exam Information in SIS. If your final exam is missing from SIS or if you have an exam scheduled in SIS but you are not giving an exam, please email courses@case.edu. This will notify the Registrar of any final exam changes, which helps alleviate potential final exam conflicts at the end of the term and provides accurate information to students. I know that many of you did this at the beginning of the term, which is much appreciated by our office and the Office of the Registrar.

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Thanks,
Molly

Faculty Resources

Important Upcoming Dates
Nov. 11 - Spring Registration Begins (staggered)
Nov. 28/29 - Thanksgiving Holidays (Offices Closed)
Dec. 6 - Deadline for Class Withdrawal and P/NP (first year UG)
Dec. 6 - Last Day of Classes
Dec. 9, 13 - Reading Days
Dec. 10 -18 - Final Exams
Dec. 20 - Final Grades due by 11:00 am
Dec. 24 - Jan. 1 - Winter Recess (Offices Closed)

--
Molly J. Watkins, Ph.D.

Tuesday October 1, 2024: Academic Integrity and Final Exam Verification

The below message was sent to all faculty teaching undergraduate courses in the Fall 2024 semester by Dean Molly Watkins.

Dear Faculty Teaching Undergraduate Students in Fall 2024:

I want to thank all of you who have reached out to the Undergraduate Advising Support Office, filled out an early alert concern about a student, or emailed me directly with concerns about our students. I am heartened by the support that you all are providing our students.

I know that many of you have begun grading the first set of major assignments or exams. We know that our students are working hard to be successful in your classes, and we hope the students are doing well. We also know that sometimes you might have concerns about academic integrity, which we take very seriously. I serve as the point of contact if there are academic integrity concerns, and my office collaborates with the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards to support both faculty and students. Please review the academic integrity policy and reporting procedures as outlined in the General Bulletin, and do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions.

We are also getting questions from faculty and students regarding final exams. The final exam schedule is set by the University Registrar. Please review our policies related to final exams and take note of some important points relevant to all exams administered during the final exam period, regardless of length and/or whether they cover work of the entire semester.

To be consistent for all students, faculty may not change the date or time of final exams for the class or for an individual student. Please reach out to me directly if you have any special concerns.
Students who expect to miss an exam due to special circumstances should reach out to their four-year advisors. Each student situation will be individually evaluated.

Finally, please proactively verify final exam information in SIS. If you plan to give a final exam, be sure this is noted in the Schedule of Classes. Similarly, if there will be no in-class final exam, make sure that none is listed. You can verify by:

Logging into SIS at case.edu/sis
Select the ‘My Schedule & Rosters’ tile from the Faculty Home
Check the term at the top of the My Schedule page to ensure it says Fall 2024. If not, select the blue “Change Term” button at the top center of the page.
At the bottom of the page, review the My Exam Schedule section.

If a final exam is missing from the schedule and should be added or a final exam is scheduled and should be removed, email courses@case.edu. I thank you in advance for proactively notifying the Registrar of any final exam changes as it helps alleviate potential final exam conflicts at the end of the term and to provide accurate information to students.

Thank you all for the great work you are doing, and please don’t hesitate to reach out if I can be of assistance.

Sincerely,

Molly

Faculty Resources

Important Upcoming Dates
Oct. 21/22 - Fall Break
Oct. 21 - Mid-Semester Grades Due
Nov. 8 - Deadline for Class Withdrawal and P/NP (upperclass UG)
Nov. 8 - Incomplete grades due from Spring 2024
Nov. 11 - Spring Registration Begins (staggered)
Nov. 28/29 - Thanksgiving Holidays (Offices Closed)
Dec. 6 - Deadline for Class Withdrawal and P/NP (first year UG)
Dec. 6 - Last Day of Classes
Dec. 9, 13 - Reading Days
Dec. 10 -18 - Final Exams
Dec. 20 - Final Grades due by 11:00 am
Dec. 24 - Jan. 1 - Winter Recess (Offices Closed)

--
Molly J. Watkins, Ph.D.

Monday September 16, 2024: Undergrad Faculty: Early Alerts/Care Reports

The below message was sent to all faculty teaching undergraduate courses in the Fall 2024 semester by Dean Molly Watkins.

To All Faculty Teaching Fall 2024 Undergraduate Courses:

As we move into the fourth week of classes, we hope that you and your students are settling into the rhythm of the semester. Hopefully, most students are doing well in your classes, but if you have any concerns about students and their success, we have multiple ways that you can reach out for support.

Early Alerts
Later this week, we will reach out to faculty teaching first-year students with instructions on how to submit “early alerts.” These “early alert” responses from faculty will allow four-year advisors to reach out to students experiencing difficulties early in the semester and help them get back on track before it is too late to be successful. I encourage you to respond and share any concerns about our new students so that we can be supportive.

Care Reports
Students, parents, faculty, staff, and other community members can identify students that may need additional support by submitting an online Care Report. The Campus Assessment, Referral and Engagement (CARE) Team, led by the Dean of Students office, is an interdisciplinary team of University professionals representing various offices and resources. Recognizing that students' concerns are multifaceted, the CARE Team utilizes a collaborative approach to connect students to individualized resources that fit their unique needs and follows up regularly to ensure those needs are being addressed.

Four-Year Advisors
Faculty can always reach out to four-year advisors with concerns as well. If you don’t know who a student’s four-year advisor is, you can email ugadvisingsupport@case.edu or call 368-2928. We will connect you with the appropriate person.

We hope these resources help as you look for ways to support our students. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Molly

Faculty Resources

--
Molly J. Watkins, Ph.D.

Thursday September 5, 2024: Undergrad Faculty Reminders: Add/Drop; Attendance Policy

The below message was sent to all faculty teaching undergraduate courses in the Fall 2024 semester by Dean Molly Watkins.

To All Faculty Teaching Fall 2024 Undergraduate Courses:

I hope everyone’s first week of classes went well. I’m excited to be working with you all as we support our undergraduate students this semester. Here are some reminders as you finish the second week of classes.

Drop/Add Deadline and Exceptions
The Drop/Add Deadline is this Friday, Sept. 6. Please encourage your students to finalize their schedules by this date. Exceptions may only be granted by the Deans Committee in the Office of Undergraduate Advising Support. Students wishing to pursue an exception to the course enrollment deadlines should be in touch with their four-year advisors.

Attendance Policy and Faculty Support
Students are expected to attend classes regularly. Each instructor is free to determine their own attendance policy and should make the policy clearly known at the start of the course. Four-year advisors do not have the authority to excuse a student from class. However, for prolonged absences due to illness, family crisis, or other significant unforeseen events, the four-year advisor can support you and the students by collecting information and documentation so that you can determine appropriate arrangements. Excused absences, with the exception of absences due to an approved accommodation for attendance from Disability Resources or the Office of Equity or religious observations, are at your discretion in accordance with your attendance policies. Please see this additional guidance on attendance expectations for more details [NOTE: link not available online; please email Dean Molly Watkins for access].

I work with an amazing group of four-year advisors who support undergraduate students through the Academic Lifecycle, from matriculation to graduation. While we have many resources on our website, please know that my colleagues in Undergraduate Advising Support and I are available to help you should you be uncertain about where to turn with a specific issue. I look forward to a great semester.

Sincerely,

Molly

Important Upcoming Dates
Sept. 6 - Final day to Drop/Add
Oct. 11 - Choices Fair (first year students)
Oct. 21/22 - Fall Break
Oct. 21 - Mid-Semester Grades Due
Nov. 8 - Deadline for Class Withdrawal and P/NP (upperclass UG)
Nov. 8 - Incomplete grades due from Spring 2024
Nov. 11 - Spring Registration Begins (staggered)
Nov. 28/29 - Thanksgiving Holidays (Offices Closed)
Dec. 6 - Deadline for Class Withdrawal and P/NP (first year UG)
Dec. 6 - Last Day of Classes
Dec. 9, 13 - Reading Days
Dec. 10 - 18 - Final Exams
Dec. 20 - Final Grades due by 11:00 am
Dec. 24 - Jan. 1 - Winter Recess (Offices Closed)

--
Molly J. Watkins, Ph.D.