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Instructional Program Policies
Class Meetings/Size
Class meeting hours at the University of Delaware follow the normal standards adopted by most colleges and universities. For a three credit class, this is typically three, 50 minute weekly meetings on a Monday-Wednesday-Friday sequence for a minimum of 41 class meetings during the fall and spring terms. Three credit classes meeting on the Tuesday-Thursday sequence will meet for 75 minutes for a minimum of 27 class meetings. Courses for other than 3 credit hours should likewise meet for the equivalent of 50 minutes per credit hour per semester week. Classes with laboratory components grant one credit for every two hours of laboratory work per week. Class meeting time during the winter and summer sessions should be equivalent to that scheduled in other academic terms.
Courses are offered and instructors are assigned at the discretion of each academic department chair in concert with the University Registrar's Office and sponsoring unit (Professional and Continuing Studies, Special Sessions, or the Center for International Studies). Fall schedules are composed in early spring; winter schedules during the summer; spring schedules in early fall; and summer schedules beginning in January. Once registration for each term is underway, department chairs will periodically be apprised of enrollment. If it is determined that enrollment is insufficient to justify a particular course section, then the decision to cancel that section should be made by the department chair in time that students can find substitute - normally no less than two weeks before the start of the academic term in question, and the academic department should make every effort to notify the affected students as soon as possible. The absolute minimum enrollment for undergraduate courses is ten students and for graduate courses (500 level and above), six students. Exceptions to these minimums require the formal approval of the Dean in each case.
Student attendance as a grading factor is a matter left to the discretion of the faculty. Students should be clearly informed of attendance policy in each class. Whatever attendance policy an individual instructor adopts, there are certain situations that should be considered "excused" absences including certain medical ones, religious holidays, participation in conflicting University events, and others (see "University Attendance Policies" in the UD Catalog). Severe weather may cause an instructor or student to be absent if in their personal judgment traveling to campus is hazardous. In this event, faculty should notify their departmental offices when weather precludes them from meeting their teaching obligations; similarly, students should notify their professors when inclement weather precludes them from class attendance. In such cases, students should be allowed to make up missed class time and, whenever possible, canceled classes should be rescheduled.
Class lists are distributed at the beginning of each term by the Registrar's Office. Faculty should verify that those attending their class are on the most current list. Students should not attend a class for which they are not registered. Responsibility for registration lies solely with the student, but faculty should make them aware when they are not registered and not entitled to attend.
Course content and expectations should be clearly stated, through the provision of a written syllabus and through a review, at the outset of each class. Modification of those initial plans is at the discretion of the faculty, but such modifications should also be communicated to students in a clear and timely way.
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