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Educational Research & Professional Development

Guidelines for Course Directors
and Teaching Teams

General Information
Course Director's (CD) Functions                              Teaching Team Member's Function
Resolution of Conflicts with Course Director           Involuntary Removal of Team Members
Development of New Course
Appendices

Appendix 1: Course Evaluation by Faculty
Appendix 2: Report of Student Deficienceis
Appendix 3: Course Director's Evaluation of Didactic Teaching Performance
Appendix 4: Course Director's Evaluation of Clinical Teaching Performance

A successful course requires collegial participation by instructors and course directors and the active support of the departmental administration. The University of Texas Board of Regents Rules and Regulations assign the major role in curriculum and subject matter to the faculty. Therefore, the content, sequencing, etc. should be determined by the teaching team, i.e., the course director and assigned faculty, acting in concert with the appropriate curriculum committee, i.e., the Advanced Education, Curriculum or Dental Hygiene Advisory Committee.

The purpose of these guidelines is to promote excellence in Dental Branch courses by establishing uniform procedures for the development and progression of courses, and defining the rights and responsibilities of the chair, the course director and the teaching team members.

CHAIR’S FUNCTIONS

A successful course requires the active support of the department chair or his/her administrative designee, e.g., division head, section head or program director.
The chair:

1. appoints the course director.
2. appoints members of the teaching team in consultation with the course director.
3. approves course content, sequencing and syllabus.
4. ensures that appropriate support: financial, staff, etc. will be available.
5. chair must sign approval of syllabus and ensure submission to Office of Academic Affairs by the following deadlines:   Spring semester syllabi: Major revisions due 2nd Monday in Sept.; Minor revisions are due 2nd Monday in Oct. Fall semester syllabi: Major revisions due 3rd Monday in March; Minor revisions are due 3rd Monday is April.

COURSE DIRECTOR'S FUNCTIONS

IN PREPARATION FOR COURSE THE CD:

1. Familiarizes him/herself with the UTDB Student Guide to Academic Studies or other appropriate (DH or PG) policies, especially with regard to policies concerning attendance, examinations, grading and remediation, and the Dental Student Evaluation and Promotion Committee Policies and Procedures or other appropriate policies.
2. Produces a tentative schedule based on previous year's schedule and distributes it to teaching team for comments.
3. Meets with teaching team to consider:
    a.  general philosophy of course
    b.  student evaluations of previous year’s course.
    c.  any changes to the previous syllabus and monograph.
    d.  assignment of lectures.
    e.  new schedule with lecture, lab and exam dates, etc.
    f.  and complete "Course Evaluation by Faculty" form, Appendix 1.
4. Distributes new draft of syllabus and monograph(s) to the teaching team for review.
5. Reviews final syllabus with chair/division head.
6. And also:
    a.  verifies that textbook and other resources will be available.
    b.  requests free copies of textbook for teaching team.
    c.  arranges for or verifies room reservations.
    d.  arranges for staff assistance.

DURING THE COURSE THE CD:

  1. Provides each member of the teaching team:
        a.  a list and/or photographs of the students.
        b.  appropriate materials for the course.
  2. Introduces course and teaching team to the students.
  3. Attends course sessions.
  4. Coordinates quizzes and examinations including:
        a.  preparing tests with composition and questions agreed upon by the teaching team.
        b.  ensuring that tests are administered appropriately.
        c.  ensuring that grading is conducted in a timely manner.
        d.  reviewing test results with teaching team to verify validity of the individual questions
             and results.
        e.  providing students with test grades in a timely manner.
        f.   assuring that faculty are calibrated to evaluate uniformly and consistently.
        g.  ensuring that accurate grade records are maintained.
  5. Sends any student failing a significant number of quizzes/examinations a letter detailing the deficiencies and the remediation/ mentoring that should occur. A copy of the letter is also sent to the student’s Academic Advisor.

AT THE END OF COURSE THE CD:

  1. Meets with teaching team to discuss student performance in the course and grades to be submitted.
  2. In cooperation with the teaching team, prepares a "Report of Student Deficiencies Form", Appendix 2, for each student with deficiencies (IS, IU, F) and submits it to the chair. The report includes the nature of the deficiencies, remediation required, remediation already carried out and other recommendations the faculty deems appropriate.
  3. Meets with teaching team to discuss the course and to document any changes they feel would improve the course.
  4. Coordinates remediation or repetition of course as necessary.
  5. Prepares evaluation of course team members. (see Appendices 3 and 4)


TEACHING TEAM MEMBER'S FUNCTIONS

Team members are expected to:
     1.  Teach assigned/appropriate subject matter.
     2.  Be present for assigned lectures/laboratories/clinic sessions.
     3.  Participate in team meetings.
     4.  Familiarize themselves with the UTDB Student Guide to Academic Studies policies
          concerning student attendance, examinations and grading.
     5.  Prepare media, exams, etc. in a timely manner.
     6.  Grade exams, projects, etc. according to established criteria in a timely manner.
     7.  Promote collegiality.

RESOLUTION OF CONFLICTS WITH COURSE DIRECTOR

Conflicts between members of the teaching team and the CD should be resolved in a timely and collegial manner. Problems concerning the course should be brought to the attention of the CD at the earliest possible moment and constructive suggestions made for their resolution. Likewise, if any team member(s) perceives that the CD is not fulfilling his/her responsibilities as outlined in "Functions of a Course Director", the team member(s) should so inform the CD. If the problems are not resolved in a timely manner then it is the responsibility and right of the team member(s) to make the department chair aware of the problem. The appropriate sequence for addressing such problems is as follows:

1.
  Team member(s) should first make the CD aware of perceived problems.
2.
  If the problem is not resolved, team members(s) should make the chair aware of the           problem in writing and should meet with the chair to discuss issue(s).
3.
  Chair and CD should meet to discuss problem.
4.
  Chair, CD and team members should meet and discuss the issue(s). 
5.
  The chair should then take appropriate action and notify all concerned of any actions taken. 

INVOLUNTARY REMOVAL OF TEAM MEMBERS

Faculty members of a teaching team have a vested interest in participation in the course. This interest derives, in part, from the fact that teaching is one of the primary functions of faculty, and teaching faculty should not be deprived of the opportunity to teach without good reason. Furthermore, this vested interest derives from the time and effort faculty have expended to develop lectures, teaching materials, and the course. Therefore, a team member should not be removed without proper justification.

Faculty are assigned to a course team on the assumption that they will perform in a competent and professional manner. If they are to be involuntarily removed from the course team, it should be because they have not satisfied these expectations. However, it is incumbent on the chair to use due process to establish that the faculty member has failed to meet these criteria. This not only benefits the faculty member, but it also instills confidence in the department and administration.

Documented failure to satisfy the expected teaching team members’ functions above may be grounds for removal from the team. If a CD believes a team member does not satisfy these expectations, the CD should seek resolution in a timely manner as follows:

1.
  The CD should document any deficiencies in writing and meet with the team member to discuss the problem.
2.
  If the matter remains unresolved, the CD should give written notification of the problem to the chair and the team memberin a timely manner, consistent with the needs of the course.
3.
  If there still is no improvement, the chair, CD and team member should meet, and the CD and team members should present their sides of the matter. They should meet again within five working days to permit each to further discuss   situation. The chair should then decide if the team member is to be removed from the team or be permitted to attempt to improve his/her performance. If the latter, the chair should provide specific recommendations for  improvement

If a team member is removed from the team, he/she may appeal to the Associate Dean for Educational Research and Professional Development and/or file a grievance according to the UTHSCH Handbook of Operating Procedures (HOOP).

DEVELOPMENT OF NEW COURSE

The department chair is responsible for leading the initial process of organizing new courses. If an extradepartmental discipline or committee perceives the need for a new course, it must first consult with the chair and Advanced Education, Curriculum or Dental Hygiene Committee, or other group as appropriate, and obtains their agreement. The chair should ensure that all departmental faculty are informed that a new course is being planned, and all appropriate departmental faculty should be considered for participation in development of the course.

The course development sequence is as follows:

   1.
  Chair discusses the concept of the proposed course with department/division (or other appropriate group of) faculty so that all will be aware of and can make contributions to developing the concept of the course.
   2.
  Chair appoints CD, and they prepare goals and general outline of course.
   3.
  Chair appoints CD, and they prepare goals and general outline of course.
   4.
  Chair and CD meet (in group and /or individually) with potential team members to discuss their possible participation in course.
   5.
  CD, with Chair’s approval, selects final teaching team.
   6.
  Team develops goals and specific objectives for course.
   7.
  Proposed goals and objectives are submitted to Chair for review, and distributed for departmental faculty review. (Team modifies as appropriate)
   8.
  Team develops syllabus including course materials, evaluation, lectures, etc.
   9.
  Course syllabus is submitted to Chair for approval.
  10.
  Chair submits syllabus for approval by the Advanced Education, Curriculum or Dental Hygiene Advisory Committee as appropriate.

APPENDICES

Appendix 1: Course Evaluation by Faculty 
Course Evaluation Form ~ MSWord Format   
 Note: Upon completion, please  return the form to your Chair

Appendix 2: Report of Student Deficiencies
 Student Deficiency Form ~ MSWord Format

Appendix 3: Course Director’s Evaluation of Didactic Teaching Performance
Course Director’s Evaluation of Didactic Teaching Performance ~ MSWord Format
 Note: Upon completion, please  return the form to your Chair

The course director is expected to attend course sessions and should, therefore, be in the optimal position to evaluate performance of individual team members. Verbal constructive evaluations should be given in a timely manner. At the end of the course the CD should prepare written evaluations of all team members regardless of the amount of their participation. These evaluations should only be shared with the individual team member and the chair. The team member must be given a copy of the evaluation in a timely manner and the opportunity to comment in writing.

Appendix 4: Course Director’s Evaluation of Clinical Teaching Performance
 Course Director's Evaluation of Clinical Teaching Performance ~ MSWord Format

The course director is expected to evaluate performance of individual team members. Verbal constructive evaluations should be given in a timely manner. At the end of the course, the CD should prepare written evaluations of all team members regardless of the amount of their participation. These evaluations should only be shared with the individual team member and the chair. The team member must be given a copy of the evaluation in a timely manner and the opportunity to comment in writing.

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