1. Basic Plan of Scheduling

In general, the scheduling officer assumes that full-time members of the faculty will be available for class assignments between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Special schedule requests must be kept at a minimum and must be approved by the Dean of the College concerned. Furthermore, all such requests must be forwarded to the Scheduling Office before the fifth week of the quarter preceding the quarter to which the request applies.

In the event that the instructor wishes to change his/her class temporarily for one or two class sessions, for such purposes as examinations or motion pictures, such temporary arrangements should be made with the Director of Scheduling in the Registrar's Office.

2. Student Activities Hours

During fall, winter, and spring quarters, classes are not scheduled on Mondays and Thursdays from 11:35 a.m. to 1:35 p.m., because these hours are reserved for extracurricular meetings and activities. In the summer, there is a single activities period scheduled on Wednesdays, 11:35 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Instructors should plan not to use these hours for their official conference periods or for required instructional work with students.

3. Scheduling of Ell Student Center

Scheduling for the Ell Student Center is located at the Information Booth on the first floor of the building. All requests and reservations for Student Center meeting rooms, the Ballroom, cafeteria, and information/vendor tables are processed and coordinated from this location. The Ell Student Center is available for non-academic use by recognized student organizations and university departments, according to established procedures and priorities. University departments can make reservations and inquiries for available space in person, or by calling 373-2632. Seven working days' notice is requested for all events. For larger functions involving the Ballroom, Cafeteria or a combination of rooms, request one month in advance, or as soon as tentative dates are known.

4. Other Policies Relating to Conduct in Classrooms

a. Smoking: Smoking is not permitted in any campus buildings.

b. Pets in Classrooms: For public health reasons, pets (except for guide dogs) are not allowed in the classroom, and instructors are urged to enforce this regulation.

c. Alcoholic Beverages: Possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages by both graduate and undergraduate students is prohibited in the educational buildings, recreational facilities, and grounds of the Huntington Avenue campus, the Burlington campus, and the Warren Center in Ashland, except in certain specified areas; as part of a properly scheduled event; and in strict accordance with regulations covering such events.

The laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, which prohibit the sale or serving of alcoholic beverages to persons under 21 years of age, must be followed.

d. Tape Recorders: Students may not use tape recorders in the classroom without the explicit consent of the instructor. Students with disabilities are permitted to use tape recorders in situations where tape-recording is necessary. Faculty may request verification of need by contacting the Disability Resource Center.

E. Bookstore Policy

A textbook adoption form listing all textbooks and materials needed for each course should be submitted by the department or administrative unit to the Bookstore Office at least ten weeks prior to the beginning of each quarter in which the course is to be taught. The adoption form needs to be approved in advance by the head of the instructional department concerned.

Requests for desk copies of required books should be made on official University stationery, in accordance with the rules of the individual instructional departments and will be supplied by the bookstore as they become available. Such complimentary copies, as provided by the publishers, become the property of the instructor unless otherwise stated.

F. Use of Copyrighted Material in Classes^*

The copyright law, which went into effect on January 1, 1978 (Title 17, United States Code), recognizes a limited judicial doctrine of "fair use" (limiting the exclusive right of copyright owners). Moreover, guidelines have been provided to assist teachers and scholars interested in nonprofit research and/or classroom use of copyrighted printed materials.

1. Single Copying for Teachers

A single copy may be made of any of the following materials:

A chapter from a book; an article from a periodical or newspaper; a short story, short essay, or short poem, whether or not from a collective work; a chart, graph, diagram, drawing, cartoon, or picture from a book, periodical, or newspaper.

2. Multiple Copies for Classroom Use

One copy per pupil in a course may be made if the copying meets the tests of brevity, spontaneity, and cumulative effect as outlined below, and contains a copyright notice.

Brevity: a complete poem of fewer than 250 printed words; a complete article, story, or essay of fewer than 2,500 words; an excerpt from any prose work of not more than 1,000 words or 10 percent of the work, whichever is less, but a minimum of 500 words.

Spontaneity: The inspiration and decision to use the work and moment of its use are so close it would be unreasonable to expect a timely reply to a request for permission.

Cumulative Effect: The copying of the material is for only one course; not more than one short poem, article, story, essay, or two excerpts may be copied from the same author; not more than three from the same collective work or periodical volume during one class term; not more than nine instances of such multicopying for one course during one class term; the second and third guidelines under "cumulative effect" do not apply to news periodicals and newspapers and current news sections of other periodicals.

3. Prohibitions

Copying must not be used to create or replace or substitute for anthologies, compilations, or collective works. This guideline applies whether copies of works or excerpts are accumulated or reproduced, and are used separately.

There can be no unauthorized copying from workbooks, exercises, standardized tests, test booklets, answer sheets, or other consumable materials.

Copying must not substitute for the purchase of books, photographs, publishers' reprints, or periodicals; must be directed by high authority; and the same item cannot be used by the same teacher from term to term.

No charge will be made to the student beyond the actual photocopying cost.

The above considerations do not cover the educational uses of copyrighted music. For information on use of music, contact the University Copyright Officer, through the Office of the University Counsel.

To assist faculty who wish to provide students with copies of copyrighted materials within the limits of the copyright law, the University has entered into a two-year licensing experiment with the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) in which publishers who contract with the CCC for this purpose agree to permit the University to copy for its internal use portions of books and periodicals copyrighted by them without seeking individual permission to do so. Generally, the contract covers the entire University community and defines photocopying in a way that includes "all machines which exactly reproduce documents in ordinary readable form in the same location, including ... xerographic copying machines, thermalfax machines, multilith machines, intra-University telefax, and microfiche-to-print reproduction" that "result in paper copies." It defines "portions" as something less than an entire "separately bound volume or single issue of a journal or periodical." It covers portions of books or periodicals brought from home or elsewhere by members of the University community and copied for distribution within the University, as well as those acquired through interlibrary loan arrangements.

The contract does not cover copies made by other than University community members or copies made by or for anyone at for-profit copying centers outside the University. Nor does it permit documents to be stored beyond an ephemeral period or reproduced through electronic data storage. As an experiment, it does not signify acceptance by the University of any diminution of what we believe to be our rights to the "fair use" of such material or to the training or other exemptions provided for in the law.

Those wishing to check whether or not a particular publisher's works may be copied without seeking permission will find updated lists of participating publishers at Printing Services, at several service desks in the Library, and at the offices of the Custom Book Division of the University Press.

Infringement of the copyright law involves penalties. Innocent infringers, those who break the law without being aware of what they are doing, are subject to injunctive relief and to payment of actual damages and profits. Both these penalties are likely to be mild. Where the infringers can claim innocence, the burden of proof rests with the plaintiff; however, those who willfully and deliberately infringe are subject to statutory damages (ranging from $250 to $10,000) and imprisonment.

If a faculty member is unsure that his or her activities fall within this recognition by Congress of the limited and spontaneous copying of copyrighted materials for nonprofit noncommercial purpose, he or she should seek copyright clearance from the owner. Assistance can be obtained from the University Copyright Officer, Northeastern University Press, or University Printing Services.

G. Advising^*

Since academic advising is an integral part of teaching, the University expects its faculty to play a significant role in the advising of students.

At Northeastern, many formal channels of advising exist: at the University, college, departmental, and individual levels. An expanding body of research on college advising identifies the faculty member as the single most influential contributor. As an adviser, a faculty member can enhance a student's educational program and encourage individual development. This is especially true in an institution like Northeastern, where most students alternate terms of classroom learning with terms of cooperative education. Direct contact with faculty strengthens the link between academic preparation and the worlds of work and career.

At the same time, advising can enrich a faculty member's own teaching experience. This type of interaction with students has often been cited by faculty as a particularly gratifying aspect of their professional lives. An adviser serves as mentor, coordinator, source of inspiration, model, catalyst, and architect of a student's educational experience. Rewards include the inherent satisfaction of helping others as well as an enriched understanding of student development. It is not accidental that advising is considered a vital aspect of a faculty member's responsibilities.

To be effective, advising must be personal rather than mechanical. Scheduling and honoring mutually convenient office hours assures at least minimum availability. No person can be expected to have the answers to all questions. However, advisers should be knowledgeable about departmental programs as well as college and institutional requirements. Knowing where to go for additional information is vital. Evidence of genuine concern for each student remains paramount; students who feel cared about will, in turn, care more about Northeastern University.

On curricular requirements, consultation with members of the department(s) and/or the Office of the Dean of the appropriate college(s) will probably provide needed information and serve as additional resources for the student. The Office of the Dean of Students can provide initial guidance on procedural, personal, and general matters affecting students. Through that office, faculty members may be assisted directly or may help identify problems and appropriate sources of referral.

No faculty member, administrator, or other representative of the University shall make any representations to, or enter into any agreements with, or act toward any student or other person in any manner which is not in conformity with established University policies, practices and procedures expressed in the Faculty Handbook, the Undergraduate and Graduate Student Handbook, University catalogues, or other published University documents.

H. The Students' Bill of Academic Rights and Responsibilities

The Students' Bill of Academic Rights and Responsibilities is a living, breathing document, meant to grow to encompass all reasonable circumstances that may arise. Many of the rights listed within this document are already contained in the policies of the University either in letter or intent; however, students want to be guaranteed these rights in a clear and concise form. The responsibilities are those which students undertake when they join the Northeastern University community.

To develop a learning community, the faculty, administration, and students must all respect and abide by these Articles. Only through such respect shall this University achieve the level of excellence that we seek.

These rights are addressed to, and for the sole purpose of the University, and as such, are a charge of Northeastern. They are an internal directive, not to be used for external litigation.

The Student Bill of Rights embodies and reaffirms the joint commitment of Northeastern University, its faculty and students to an environment of academic excellence. Central to this commitment is the understanding that students have the right to quality instruction and the responsibility to make the most of the educational opportunities afforded them.

Students' Bill of Academic Rights

We, the students of Northeastern University, believe that a quality education is the paramount goal of all students. In order to fulfill this goal the University must recognize certain rights, which are set down in this document.*

* The student rights, through their representatives in the Student Government Association, described in these sections arise from faculty and staff employment responsibilities and obligations to the University. Northeastern University students recognize and accept that it is the sole prerogative of the University to enforce those obligations and responsibilities and to determine whether and to what extent they are being carried out or violated in specific instances. Northeastern University students recognize and accept that their ability to effect redress of complaints arising from these rights is limited to the procedures specified in the current Student Handbook.

Course Related Rights

Article 1 Students have the right to instructors who attend classes on time.

Article 2 Students have the right to view work they submit to satisfy course requirements after it is graded.

Article 3 Students have the right to adequate access to instructors.

Article 4 Students have the right to receive a course outline, which includes a fair and explicit grading policy, at the beginning of each course.

Article 5 Students have the right to instructors who communicate the material pertaining to the course effectively in the English language except in the case of foreign language instruction.

Article 6 Students have the right to participate in and have access to SGA teacher/course evaluations.

Article 7 Students have the right to adequate access to effective academic services, as described in the Student Handbook and other University publications, provided by the University.

Article 8 Students have the right to an environment conducive to learning.^**

Article 9 Disabled students have the right to be treated in a non-discriminatory fashion in accordance with the policies described in University publications and consonant state and federal laws.

The Articles shall be interpreted by the Office of the Provost in conjunction with the Office of the Dean of Students, and shall be monitored by the Student Government Association. Further, should any student discover that he or she has been subject to any violation of the principles stated herein, the student should follow the appropriate complaint resolution procedure in the Student Handbook. The Student Government Association, if requested by the student, will monitor the progress of any student academic grievances.

Scheduling Rights

Article 10 Students have the right to non-conflicting final exam schedules.

Article 11 Students have the right to final exams schedules in accordance with established University policy.

Article 12 Students have the right to scheduled activities periods free from undergraduate academic commitments, such as scheduled classes and co-op meetings.

Article 13 Students have the right to be excused from academic commitments for a religious observance.

Article 14 Students have the right to be informed, in a timely fashion, of proposed action to be taken against them.

Article 15 Students have the right of access to their academic and financial aid records and maintenance of the privacy of these records, as provided by the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

Article 16 Students have the right to be free from harassment by other members of the University community.

Article 17 Students have the right to the redress of academic grievances.

Student Responsibilities

It is each student's responsibility to:

1. Contribute to a climate of open inquiry and honesty in all aspects of the University's academic life.

2. Commit sufficient time and effort for study and the use of library, studio and computational facilities in connection with each course.

3. Contribute to the classroom/laboratory/studio learning environment through discussion and active participation in each academic course.

4. Acquire the necessary prerequisites for full participation in each academic course.

5. Attend scheduled classes regularly and on time.

6. Obtain help with problems encountered in a given course by seeking out faculty and teaching assistants outside of class time.

7. Respect the concept of academic freedom of each faculty member.

8. Assist the University in its self-evaluation by responding honestly and conscien- tiously to course evaluations, opinion surveys, and other instruments of evaluation.

9. Meet with an academic advisor on a regular basis and meet with co-op advisors as required.

10. Observe prescribed procedures and schedules for enrolling, registering, and progressing in a program of study.

11. Participate in student orientation activities, particularly placement examinations and surveys.

12. Recognize and respect that faculty participation in research and scholarship in conjunction with teaching responsibilities, is vital to the University's ability to fulfill its mission.

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