Monthly Archives: June 2018

New attendance procedure begins this fall

From Carolyn Haynes in the Provost’s office:

As you begin to prepare for the fall semester, I wanted to alert you to a new attendance procedure which will be in effect in fall 2018.

The federal government has mandated that universities confirm that students have begun attendance in all courses that count towards federal financial aid eligibility (34 CFR 668.21). Institutions must do this by verifying the occurrence of students’ “academic activity” through the 10th day of the semester. Last year, Miami received just over $104 million in federal financial aid. Failure to meet attendance regulations could result in large fines and even jeopardize Miami’s eligibility for federal Title IV financial aid.

Federal regulations (34 CFR 668.22 (l)(7) define “academic activity” as occurring when a student physically attends at least one class where there is an opportunity for direct interaction between the instructor and students.

Because we also have hybrid and online courses, the following also count as “academic activity” when a student:
· submits an academic assignment (in class or online);
· takes a quiz or exam (in class or online);
· participates in an interactive tutorial or is involved with computer-assisted instruction;
· attends a study group as assigned by the instructor;
· participates in an online discussion as part of the course; or
· initiates contact with a faculty member to ask a question about the academic subject studied in the course.

“Academic activity” does not result when a student:
· logs in to an online class but has no other “academic activity” online; or
· meets with an academic advisor.

Over the summer, the Office of the Registrar will roll out a change to the photo roster that will permit instructors to notify the University that the student did or did not begin attendance. It is anticipated that the deadline for confirming this will be the end of the second week of full semester/term courses and by the end of day 3 of sprint courses.

Prior to the beginning of the fall semester, the University Registrar will send faculty specific instructions for how to mark attendance on the photo roster. Please note that this change was designed to be quick and easy so as to avoid excessive use of your time.

Suggestions for ways to take attendance in large classes:
· Give a quiz on first or second day of class. Quiz could be on the syllabus contents.
· Have students sign in at door.
· Use assigned seating charts for students, and ask TA or undergraduate associate to note empty seats.
· Ask students to fill out index cards with name and one question or thought related to the class.
· Do an online poll using an app such as Kahoot. Ask students to use their real names on the poll.

Best wishes to you on a rejuvenating and productive summer.

Summer proposal writing workshop

From Heather Johnston, OARS:

OARS’ 6-week proposal writing workshop will be offered on Tuesdays from 1:00 to 2:30, from June 26 to July 31, in the AIS (134 King Library). Interested faculty can register here. The workshop will assist faculty in developing a grant proposal for submission to an external funding agency. It is appropriate for full-time faculty and staff who are new to external funding, value peer review, and desire set-aside time for proposal writing, development, and feedback.It is designed to:

  • Help participants identify external funding sources
  • Assist participants in step-by-step proposal development
  • Integrate peer review in the proposal development process
  • Familiarize participants with internal resources for funding, statistics, evaluation, and compliance

Support for use of course packs

From Carolyn Haynes, a new opportunity (and funds!) for those using course packs in their courses fall semester:

In our continuing efforts to address affordability issues for our students, the Miami University Libraries and Office of the Provost are partnering to provide the Course Pack Consultation Service (CPCS). Many materials students pay for through readings-based course packs may be available at no charge to them through library online resources or copyright fair use.

Library staff will work with faculty to reduce or eliminate the costs associated with readings-based course packs (e.g. articles and book chapters) by utilizing links, permission requests and exceptions found in US copyright law. Faculty participating in the CPCS will be awarded $200 in professional development funds at the conclusion of the consultation. You can learn more about this initiative and complete the program application at the link above.

Congrats to the CLAAS of 2018!

Congratulations to all of the recent graduates, and particularly members of the first cohort of PSS majors on the regional campuses (CLAAS). Three of them are featured in this video highlighting regional students and their stories. Notably, all three of them have been accepted into graduate programs; we wish them the best of luck and continued success!

 

President’s Distinguished Service Award winners in PSY

The President’s Distinguished Service Award is one of the highest honors that students can receive. It is presented to “a select group of students, whose service through campus life, community service, intellectual and cultural leadership, or as a university employee, demonstrates the spirit of being a citizen leader of uncommon quality.”

This year, our department had two among only 17 recipients across the entire university! Congratulations to Annie Weidner and Brianne Safer for this prestigious honor.

Online course design workshop

E-Learning Miami offers workshops for developing online courses, including a 10-week, cohort-based option each semester. It provides all support needed to design and teach an online course, including Instructional Design support, online resources, a cohort of colleagues, professional videography and support for designing accessible materials. If you have been thinking about teaching online/hybrid, this is a great option.

The fall semester workshop is open for registration, which closes on June 29. Accepted participants will be notified by July 13, and the workshop itself runs from September 10 – November 23.