Part-time Faculty Support

CAT+FD supports Xavier's part-time faculty first and foremost by recognizing them as faculty and encouraging them to take part in the variety of offerings available through our office. However, in particular, we provide a Part-time Faculty Orientation at the start of every spring semester. While this is primarily focused on the needs of faculty who have never before taught at Xavier, it is available to anyone teaching at Xavier on a part-time basis.

Teaching at Xavier

The Mission of the University

At Xavier University of Louisiana, the mission statement is the guiding principle through which all decisions, big and small, are made. As a faculty member at Xavier, you should always be able to explain how you are living out the mission through your responsibilities in and out of the classroom.

"Xavier University of Louisiana, founded by Saint Katharine Drexel and the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, is Catholic and historically Black. The ultimate purpose of the University is to contribute to the promotion of a more just and humane society by preparing its students to assume roles of leadership and service in a global society. This preparation takes place in a diverse learning and teaching environment that incorporates all relevant educational means, including research and community service."

Xavier's History

You can learn more about the mission-focused history of Xavier by exploring the The Xavier Story Project web site.

The Black Catholic Tradition

• Promotes a Catholic intellectual tradition that requires ministry and community service.
• Centers the Eucharist/Communion in campus life.
• Emphasizes Catholic social teaching, the dignity of human life, and cultural diversity.
• Celebrates a joyful spirituality within a struggle for freedom and reconciliation.

Policies & Procedures

The following policies and procedures are college-wide. Be sure to speak with your department head or division chair to learn about policies and procedures unique to your department.

Attendance

Attendance at classes at Xavier University is extremely important. Because poor student performance is most often equated with tardiness and absenteeism, the instructor is urged to use all reasonable methods to promote attendance at all regularly scheduled periods. Roll taking is required in all classes through the utilization of the University’s card reader system; in addition, excessive absences should be reported to the Registrar's office. Attendance itself in 2000, 3000 and 4000 level courses should not be a factor to be graded. It is conceivable; however, that participation in class activities may be linked to it.

FE Policy

Students enrolled in 1000-level courses may not be absent more than twice the number of times the class meets per week without receiving an FE grade (failure because of excessive absences) for the course. A waiver of FE may be requested by the instructor from the college dean in exceptional circumstances, for compelling and documented reasons. Instructors in certain disciplines may be influenced by professional or accrediting association directives regarding attendance, and compliance with such directives should be the norm.

Card Readers/Attendance Reports

Students should register their attendance for each class session using the electronic card readers. Teachers may rely on the weekly card reader reports to track attendance, OR may track attendance manually, (or do both, which is recommended). The card readers are the official record of attendance for administration and financial aid purposes. The card reader record may be adjusted manually by the teacher using this web address: https://xapps.xula.edu/attendance/. Do not “sweat” the card readers during class. You should know and students should know that adjustments to the card reader record can be made after class. Requesting that a student send you an email about the issue is a quick and easy way to move past attendance and onto course content.

How to Use the Card Readers: https://youtu.be/5USYGR4NV5I

Instructional Continuity

The threat of disasters is real, as are the disruptions they create in teaching and learning. Teachers should have a plan for when we pivot to remote teaching, which ideally consists of more than asking students to check their email. CAT+FD offers support for this work through our #LearnEverywhereXula course, which is free to take and optional, not required.

Student Success

Early Alerts / Progress Reports

Around the third week of the semester, all faculty are asked to submit progress on any students they consider at risk of failing their class. Faculty receive an email with a link to complete the report. This process is repeated during the ninth week of the semester as well. For each reporting period, if a faculty member marks a student at-risk, they are asked to provide a brief explanation for the problems the student is having in the class. Students marked as at-risk are asked to meet with a SASO advisor to make a plan to overcome those difficulties.

Midterm Grades

Midterm grades must be submitted by noon on the designated Friday. This is usually during the eight week of the semester. Faculty should make clear in their syllabi exactly how midterm grades will be calculated and what activities, assignments, and assessments will be used to determine that grade. Faculty should include at least one significant assessment as a part of that calculation.

Final Grades / Senior Grades

Final grades must be submitted by noon on the Friday after the end of final exams. Students should have a strong understanding of how their final grades will be calculated, and should have a reasonable understanding of what their final grade will be before it is posted to BannerWeb.

Academic Integrity

Faculty members are expected to take all reasonable precautions to assure integrity of academic work. Not only are they carefully to proctor tests and examinations, but also prudently to safeguard test questions before a test is administered and the test papers afterwards. Special care is to be exercised whenever students have access to the office of a faculty member or secretary.

A faculty member has the authority to deny admission to the examination room to any student who arrives late, and under no circumstances is he/she to permit a student to take the examination if he/she arrives after another student has left the examination room. Students are expected to comply with the directions given by the instructor as to seating arrangements, use of tables or calculators, computers, etc.

Cheating & Plagiarism

Plagiarism – the explicit submission as one's own the words or ideas of another – is to be dealt with firmly. It is important that faculty instruct students, particularly freshmen, as to what constitutes plagiarism. Faculty members are to follow the Academic Integrity Policy of their respective College. The College of Arts and Sciences Academic Integrity Policy is found online, and the College of Pharmacy’s policy regarding academic integrity is found in the College’s Academic and Ethical Policies Handbook. CAS Academic Integrity Policy: https://www.xula.edu/assets/cas_academicintegrity.pdf