III. The Role and Responsibilities of the Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department and the College
SUMMARY OF RESPONSIBILITIES/APPOINTMENT
The normal term of appointment for a Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) is for three years. While the nature of the responsibilities of the DUS varies from department to department, the general duties include advising the chair and the departmental faculty on what is required or desirable in order to maintain the quality and scope of undergraduate instruction, the structure and content of the undergraduate major, the courses, course scheduling, and academic procedures. (See sections below for more detail.) In meeting this charge the DUS serves as a primary link between the department and its undergraduate students, and also as an essential administrative link between Trinity College and the faculty of the department. Because of these responsibilities the DUS must be well informed of the degree requirements and academic regulations of Trinity College, of the department, and of other programs throughout the University. While practices vary among departments, most DUSs will perform most of the departmental tasks that are described in this manual. The DUSs meet as a faculty group with the Dean of Trinity College and the academic deans several times during the academic year to discuss academic issues. They may also communicate with other DUSs through the listserv maintained by the College.
CERTIFICATION OF SENIOR MAJORS/MINORS/CERTIFICATES FOR GRADUATION
Near the end of a senior's semi-final semester, the DUS receives from Trinity College advisement sheets for each senior and reviews them for degree/minor/certificate completion. The DUS office contacts the seniors lacking requirements and advises them of the courses needed to finish their degree. After the Drop/Add period in the last semester, the DUS receives a second mailing consisting of a cover letter with due dates and advisement sheets with stickers for all potential graduates. The DUS reviews the sheets, attaches the stickers and
- Checks the correct degree or minor or certificate
- Notes any in-progress courses required in the space indicated on the sticker
- Notes any additional courses required in the space indicated on the sticker
- Initials and dates the sticker (the advisement sheets are then returned to 04 Allen)
COMMENCEMENT WEEKEND: DEPARTMENT/PROGRAM CEREMONY
Departments and programs have been asked to hold an event during Commencement weekend in May to recognize their graduating senior majors. An administrative/staff assistant should be designated to plan and implement it and communicate with the graduating students and their parents, but in general the DUS oversees the process. Planning for it should begin in October since the department/program will be contacted shortly thereafter by the University Marshal's Office as it prepares the official Calendar of Events for graduation weekend. Questions about the process should be directed to Dean Gerald Wilson.
COURSE CHANGES AND CODING
1. REVISION, ADDITION, OR ELIMINATION OF REGULAR
COURSESIn many departments the DUS chairs a committee that meets at regular intervals during the year to review various aspects of the department's undergraduate curriculum. While the functions of this committee vary widely, it typically considers such matters as requests for new courses, proposals for the revision of course content and the Undergraduate Bulletin description, and the elimination of courses from the departmental program.
Should the department recommend a deletion, revision, or addition to its courses open to undergraduates (courses 001-299), the DUS must request appropriate action from the Committee on Courses of the Arts and Sciences Council, through procedures available on the web. The DUS should pay particular attention to the deadlines by which requests must be submitted to the committee (see Work Calendar, August and January). Changes (adds, drops, revisions) involving regular courses #001-299 must be made through the on-line program there. The approval of the DUS is required for all courses numbered 001-299. For 200-level courses, the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies is also required. (Forms for 300-level courses should be sent directly to the Graduate School, and not to 011 Allen Building.) See the Course Forms website at http://www.aas.duke.edu/faculty/forms/ for fuller information about course procedures.The maximum number of curriculum codes a course may carry is two Area of Knowledge codes and three Modes of Inquiry codes. DUSs should review the forms to make sure that the limit has not been exceeded on the form.
Care should be taken with cross-listed courses to avoid inconsistency between the listing departments. All departments sponsoring a cross-listed course should take the same actions regarding it. It is the responsibility of the primary department of cross-listed Special Topics courses to make sure that all the forms are submitted at the same time. Cross-listed courses must have the same title, codes, and course level (e.g., 100/100 not 100/200) for all the cross-listing units; they should not be cross-listed within the same department. Regular courses should not be cross-listed with the Special Topics course numbers.
Cross-listed courses must be entered on the Registrar's DSV Scheduler with the same scheduling information. Departments must arrange to share the enrollment. In order to avoid inadvertent over-enrollment in cross-listed courses, especially seminars, the sponsoring units must be in close communication with each other regarding any decisions regarding enrollment. Seminars that exceed the official seminar enrollment limit lose their status as seminars.
When cross-listing with a certificate program: Courses may have two types of cross-listings with certificate programs.
- In the first type, all the cross-listing units use course numbers, and thus the cross-listing functions as normal; these are informally called "hard cross-listings"(see Cross-listed Courses). They must submit course forms and be scheduled with the same information.
- In the second type the department course has a "soft" cross-listing with the certificate program, which does not use a separate course number. This cross-listing appears only in the Bulletin (without a certificate program course number) not the schedule; the existence of the cross-listing indicates that the course may count toward fulfilling the requirements of the certificate. The certificate program must confirm through the on-line course program form that it approves the cross-listing. The cross-listing does not appear in the Schedule.
3. CURRICULUM CODES FOR SPECIAL TOPICS COURSES
Unless a Special Topics course has "hard-coded" curriculum codes, i.e., codes that appear on the course in the Undergraduate Bulletin, curriculum codes must be requested by the DUS each time the course is scheduled by submitting the appropriate course request form to 011 Allen Building. The form is available on the web at http://www.aas.duke.edu/faculty/forms/. If a Special Topics course that has "hard-coded" codes is to be cross-listed for a semester with a Special Topics course that does not have those codes, BOTH units must submit the form in order to avoid potential inconsistencies on the web Schedule of Courses. The codes need to be requested by the advertised deadline. The codes may not be changed after the registration Schedule is on the web, unless a correction needs to be made. The committee does not accept requests for codes once classes have begun for the semester in which the course is being taught.
Since 300-level Special Topics courses are only for graduate students, curriculum codes should not be requested for them.
4. REQUEST FOR W (WRITING IN THE DISCIPLINES) CODE FOR RESEARCH INDEPENDENT STUDY
A Research Independent Study is a course that has been officially approved by the Committee on Courses to carry an R (Research) code; it is NOT the same as a course whose title is just Independent Study, which carries no curriculum codes. A student enrolling in a Research Independent Study may apply to count (a maximum of) one Research Independent Study toward the W requirement. The form for doing so is available online at http://www.aas.duke.edu/faculty/forms/wcoderequest.doc.
It must be submitted through the DUS office and have the signature of the student, Research Independent Study faculty adviser/sponsor, and DUS. IMPORTANT NOTE: The only two codes a Research Independent Study may carry are R and, for an individual student who applies, W.5. DROPPING COURSES THAT HAVE NOT RECENTLY BEEN TAUGHT
Courses that have not been taught in the last three years and are not scheduled for the upcoming semester should be dropped. Dropping them will free up course numbers for re-use by the department. A course number is not to be reused for 4 years, or at least 4 years from the time the course was last taught (to avoid having the number appear more than once on a student's transcript).
COURSE SCHEDULING
The DUS has a major responsibility for integrating the various teaching interests of the faculty members with the needs of the department, the students, and Trinity College. In most departments the DUS negotiates with faculty colleagues, and in some cases with the chair, to formulate the department's Schedule of Courses for each semester.
Early each semester (see Work Calendar for dates in fall and spring terms) the DUS provides the University Registrar with the departmental scheduling information for the next semester (see University Registrar).
In early August the Summer Session Office communicates with department chairs about appropriate course offerings for the following summer. A list of projected course offerings is desired by the end of September. The DUS should work closely with both the chair and the Summer Session staff in establishing a summer schedule based on the records of previous summers, the needs of the department, the availability and interests of faculty, and the projected student demand. Plans for any innovative course offerings in the Summer Session should be developed at this time, and information shared about teacher evaluations from the previous summer. It is expected that departments will have an integral voice and stake in the Duke Summer Session; no faculty are hired for summer teaching without departmental approval, for example, and the Summer Session staff will communicate with the department throughout the year on issues of mutual interest and concern.
COURSE SYNOPSIS (SEMESTER)
The Course Synopsis, which appears on the web in October and March, contains detailed descriptions of courses to be offered in the upcoming semester. In October and March the Bulletins Office asks departments to enter their course descriptions online following the procedures explained by that office. (In some departments the faculty enter the descriptions of their own courses online; in others, the faculty submit them to a central departmental office to be entered.) The DUS must approve the course descriptions by the deadline set by the Bulletins Office to have the course information downloaded in time for registration. In anticipation of this, it is advisable for DUS offices to ask departmental faculty to prepare their course synopsis in early September and early February, to be ready as soon as the department receives notification that the website is ready for inputting, so the synopses may appear in time for registration advising.
CURRICULUM CHANGES: IN THE MAJOR, MINOR, OR CERTIFICATE
Requests to add, revise, or drop a major, minor, or certificate program must be submitted to the Committee on Curriculum of the Arts and Sciences Council for approval. The DUS should submit the request electronically to the office of Dean Wittig for the committee. For fuller information see http://www.aas.duke.edu/faculty/forms/#curriculum. The deadline for submitting the request in time for the upcoming Bulletin is normally October 1 (see Work Calendar). Questions about curriculum may be directed to Dean Wittig.
DISRUPTIVE STUDENTS POLICY
Exclusion of Disruptive Students From a Course: The successful conduct of courses depends upon a basic spirit of mutual respect and cooperation among the participants. If a student disrupts a class, in such a way that it seriously compromises the educational experience of the course for other students and/or prevents the instructor from accomplishing the goals of course as outlined in the syllabus, the instructor may require the student to leave the class meeting. The student’s Academic Dean will be notified of this action. Subsequent to this action, as necessary and appropriate, the following process will be implemented.
- It is expected that the instructor and the student will meet to discuss and agree in writing the conditions under which the student may return to the course. The student may not return to the course until the matter has been resolved. The student’s Academic Dean will receive a copy of this written agreement. If, in fact, the instructor and the student fail to reach an agreement, then the matter is referred to the student’s Academic Dean who will begin the process of removing the student from the course. If the student is permanently excluded from the course, the instructor will assign a grade of WP or WF, depending upon whether the student was passing or failing the course immediately prior to the exclusion.
- If an agreement is reached but the disruptive behavior continues, the instructor may again require the student to leave the class meeting and refer the matter to the student’s Academic Dean who will begin the process of removing the student from the course. If the student is permanently excluded from the course, the instructor will assign a grade of WP or WF, depending upon whether the student was passing or failing the course immediately prior to the exclusion.
- If the student wishes to appeal the decision of the permanent removal, an appeal is to be directed to the Senior Associate Dean of Trinity College or the Pratt School of Engineering, the academic appellate officer. The decision of the Senior Associate Dean in such a case is final.
- In addition the Academic Dean may determine that the matter should also be referred to the Office of Judicial Affairs for consideration of formal charges in violation of university policies including “Classroom Disruption,” “Disorderly Conduct,” and/or “Failure to Comply.”
EVALUATION OF THE UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM
In many departments the DUS is responsible for providing the departmental members with data and studies to show the progress of the undergraduate program. The Office of the University Registrar can provide data for many of these studies. Reports can be requested by email from harry.nelson@duke.edu (see University Registrar). The Career Center does an annual survey of graduating seniors concerning their plans for postgraduate work or study. It is hoped that departments will also collect such information on their majors; moreover, research on the background, needs, and expectations of students may also be carried out by the DUS.
GRADUATION WITH DISTINCTION: CERTIFICATION OF CANDICACY AND COMPLETION
The Trinity College requirements for Graduation with Distinction are summarized in the Undergraduate Bulletin, in the section on academic honors and recognition, and detailed, academic department by academic department, on the Arts and Sciences Honors website entitled Graduation with Distinction: Excellence in the Major. 1) Admission of students to a department's or program's honors program is formally noted on the respective students' transcripts. Dean Norman Keul , academic dean responsible for honors, solicits a list of each department's candidates in October for this purpose. 2) Students who have successfully completed the requirements for Graduation with Distinction in the department or program in which they are completing a first or second major are recommended for that honor by the DUS or other designated faculty member to Dean Keul Dean Norman Keul , academic dean responsible for honors. Requests for the lists will come from Dean Keul's office each semester. The final list of student names, along with certification that the students have the recommendation of the department or the program for the award of Graduation with Distinction, should be submitted to his office, 011 Allen Building, by the following deadlines: mid-September for final list of September graduates, mid-December for final list of December graduates, late April for final list of May graduates. The list appears in the commencement program brochure in May, and the honor is noted on the student's transcript. See http://www.aas.duke.edu/trinity/awards/gwd/htmlOther Departmental Awards: Some departments acknowledge the achievements of certain undergraduates by awarding prizes annually. The names of the recipients may be included in the annual Commencement program by informing the Office of the University Marshal well in advance of the end of spring semester.
Note about Latin Honors by Overall Point Average: The identification of Latin Honors recipients by overall grade point average is done solely by the Office of the University Registrar. Students receive Latin honors based on their grade point average relative to that of the top 25 percent of the previous year's graduating class. The top five percent will receive summa cum laude; the next highest ten percent will receive magna cum laude, and the next ten percent, cum laude.
HANDBOOK FOR MAJORS
The College encourages all departments to have up-to-date handbooks describing the various tracks within the major, special departmental options, opportunities, and procedures, as well as courses and their prerequisites. Of particular use to students is information on how to declare any tracks or concentrations in the major and a printable major/minor checksheet that can be used in course planning. (Note that any changes in the major must be approved by the Committee on Curriculum of the Arts and Sciences Council before they can be publicized, and that departmental handbooks should not contain information contradicting the official description of the major in the Bulletin.) The Handbook should identify the current Director of Undergraduate Studies (and Associate Directors, appointed in some departments) and departmental faculty, noting their fields of specialization. Additionally, such handbooks should also deal with paths leading to graduate and professional schools and to employment opportunities. The information contained in such handbooks should also be posted on the department's website, in the section designated for undergraduate programs.
HARASSMENT PREVENTION POLICY
1. THE ROLE OF THE DUS IN POSSIBLE SITUATIONS OF HARASSMENT
Responsibility for overseeing the resolution of claims of harassment rests with the Office of the Institutional Equity and, specifically, with its Director of Harassment Prevention. The Office of Institutional Equity has trained a group of Harassment Prevention Advisors (HPA); the HPAs are available for consultation by members of the university community. The Harassment Prevention Advisor in Trinity College is Dean Lynn White, 684-6217.
A DUS may be approached by undergraduates, graduate students, or faculty about situations that may involve harassment. In that event the DUS should refer the complaint to the appropriate individual: Dean Lynn White (for Trinity College students) or the Director of Harassment Prevention or other designated HPAs for other complaints, as identified on the Institutional Equity website.
2. HARASSMENT POLICY AND PROCEDURES (INCLUDING DEFINITION)
INDEPENDENT STUDY AND RESEARCH INDEPENDENT STUDY
There are two types of independent study courses although both are not available in all departments.
- Courses that carry the course number and title Research Independent Study, approved by the Course Committee, focus on individual research, under faculty supervision, resulting in a substantive paper or report. They thus carry the R (Research) curriculum code. A student may apply through the department to have one Research Independent Study course count toward the W (Writing) requirement (see Request for W code for Research Independent Study). Research Independent Study courses carry no other curriculum codes. In some departments Research Independent Study courses are the only type of independent study available.
- In plain Independent Study courses, the course of guided reading and substantive paper or written reports involved, under faculty supervision, does not focus on research. Not all departments offer these courses. They carry no curriculum codes.
Students need the approval of the DUS, as well as the supervising instructor, to register for independent study. To register for an independent study course, a student must obtain an ACES permission number from the DUS (or in some departments, the sponsoring professor). The DUS assists in assigning course and section numbers. Since most departments have established criteria for these projects, the DUS assumes a monitoring role to ensure that the criteria are followed. Departments are asked 1) to require students to submit a written proposal that has been endorsed by the faculty member who will supervise the independent study and 2) to develop and use an independent study request form. Although some departments limit the number of independent study courses that may count for the major and the number that an individual faculty member may supervise, there is no limit on the number of independent projects a student may take, nor is there a restriction relating to the student's class standing. Faculty regulations state that instructors of independent study courses are expected to meet with the students enrolled at least once every two weeks during the fall or spring and at least once each week during a summer term. Each semester the department should keep a list of students in independent study, their supervising professors, and sponsoring professors (if the supervisor is outside the department), as well as the assigned section numbers. If in accord with department policies, each independent study should have a brief title appropriate for the student's record. The Registrar's office must also be informed. The information is often needed to obtain final grades for graduating seniors, if the grades have not been submitted on time.
It is important that faculty members be reminded that independent study numbers should not be used to give students credit for attending a regular course, e.g., to bypass the maximum enrollment limit on a seminar. It may penalize the student in unexpected ways (e.g., by depriving the student of the curriculum codes carried by the regular course) and create a false impression on the student's transcript that independent work has been done. If the number so misused is a Research Independent Study number, the Research requirement of the general studies curriculum would be undermined, and the situation would call into question whether the R code should continue to be automatically awarded to courses that departments have identified as Research Independent Study. It would also undermine the seminar experience for students by unofficially inflating the number of students enrolled in the seminar.
INTERDEPARTMENTAL MAJOR
A student may declare an interdepartmental major in two Trinity College departments or programs that offer a major after receiving the approval of the directors of undergraduate studies of the departments involved. The major must be planned early in the undergraduate career. It must consist of fourteen or more courses, with at least ten at the 100-level or above; the courses must be split evenly between the two departments; at least four of the seven courses required by each department must be taught within the department. While one of the departments must be identified as the department primarily responsible for the advising for the student's major program, the student must have an advisor in both departments. A student who has not yet declared a major should consult the Academic Advising Center. A student who has declared a major and is interested in changing to an interdepartmental major should consult the academic dean responsible for students completing an interdepartmental major. Students proposing an interdepartmental major must present a written plan that has the signed approval of the two directors of undergraduate studies to the Academic Advising Center or the academic dean for interdepartmental majors, as noted above; the plan must include a descriptive title and rationale as well as a list of courses that will be taken in both departments. The directors of undergraduate studies must jointly approve any subsequent changes to the course of study.
INTERINSTITUTIONAL COURSES
Students who are regularly enrolled as full-time students at Duke (paying full fees) may take one approved course each semester at UNC-Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University, or North Carolina Central University under a plan of cooperation termed the interinstitutional arrangement or reciprocal agreement.
Specific courses taken under the interinstitutional agreement must be approved by the DUS in the Duke department most closely allied with the course and then by the student's academic dean. The DUS indicates approval by signing an interinstitutional approval form that the student obtains from the University Registrar's Office, or online. The student then takes the form to the academic dean. (Except in extraordinary circumstances approved by the student's academic dean, approval is not to be given for a student to take an interinstitutional course when a similar course is offered that year at Duke.) Credit so earned is not defined as transfer credit since grades in courses taken under the interinstitutional agreement are entered on the official Duke record and used in determining the quality point ratio. Interinstitutional courses may be approved for Area of Knowledge codes (ALP, CZ, NS, QS, SS) and Modes of Inquiry Curriculum codes. If a DUS wishes to recommend an Area of Knowledge code for the course, that can be written on the Interinstitutional form. Students wishing to apply for a Mode of Inquiry for the course must complete a request form (available online at T-Reqs), which does not require DUS signature; they should be referred to http://t-reqs.trinity.duke.edu/inter.html. Questions regarding interinstitutional credit or a student's academic intentions should be referred to the student's academic dean.
For interinstitutional courses (unlike transfer courses), the course number, title, and grade of the course as it is at its home institution appear on the student's Duke record. (If the course has been approved by the Duke department to count toward the student's major/minor/certificate, both the student and the department should monitor that since the course will not have a Duke course number.)
INTERNSHIPS (ACADEMIC)
Academic internships need the approval of the DUS as well as that of the sponsoring faculty member in the department/program. In Trinity College course credit can be earned for internships only when they include as a component an academic course of instruction leading to submission of a substantive research paper for evaluation. They do not carry curriculum codes. Departments that regularly give credit for academic internships should establish a course number devoted to them, e.g., POLSCI 189. A student may count only one academic internship toward the 34 courses needed for graduation.
PROGRAM II
For details on this curriculum option consult the Program II website. The primary role of the DUS in regard to this alternative, self-designed curriculum in Trinity College is to review and endorse (or not endorse) a Program II proposal for a unique thematic curriculum, different from what is available in Program I. A statement from the DUS is a required part of each proposal. (The DUS can either complete the "Departmental (DUS) Statement of Support," which is part of the student's Program II application form or provide a separate statement.)
ROBERTSON SCHOLARS/UNC-CH COURSES
Approval of interinstitutional courses taken at UNC-Chapel Hill by Robertson Scholars: With the institution of the Robertson Scholars Program at Duke (and at Chapel Hill) in 2001, 15 merit scholarships are awarded to members of the incoming class each year. Robertson Scholars may apply to take one of more courses at UNC-Chapel Hill each semester. This is especially the case in the spring semester of the sophomore year, when Robertson Scholars are required to reside on campus at UNC-CH and may take all or most of their courses there. Because there are special rules governing the awarding of credit at Duke for courses taken at UNC-CH by Robertson Scholars, a separate approval form has been developed for use by Robertson Scholars. The form requires preapproval of each course to be taken at UNC-CH by the appropriate DUS and by the student's academic dean. Questions regarding UNC/CH credit for a Robertson Scholar or a student's academic intentions should be referred to the student's academic dean.
SECOND MAJORS
Faculty advisers may not be formally assigned for second majors, but any student who declares a second major should seek periodic counsel from the appropriate department. This usually means that a student seeking a second major consults with the DUS of that department. The Advisement Report is submitted to the DUS of the second major near the end of the student's second to last semester for certification of the major for graduation.
STUDENTS' CONCERNS ABOUT COURSES AND GRADES (APPEALS PROCESS)
Procedure for Resolving a Student's Concern About an Individual Course or About Departmental Policies: The DUS is often the liaison between students and members of the departmental faculty. Students may bring their general concerns or questions about the conduct of classes, mode and effectiveness of teaching and examination, and grading to the DUS. The DUS may answer the question or satisfactorily explain the situation that evokes the student's concern. Most often, the DUS first refers the student to the instructor. (Also see Grade Appeals Procedure, below.)
Grade Appeals Procedure: A student who questions a final grade received in a course should first discuss the matter with the instructor within thirty days of receiving the grade. The student should be made aware of the official faculty grade change policy that restricts a grade change to correction of calculation or transcription errors (“changes cannot be based on the late submission of required work, the resubmission of work previously judged unsatisfactory, or on additional work," Faculty Handbook). After meeting with the instructor, if the student still believes the instructor has assigned an inaccurate or unjustified grade, the student should discuss the matter with the DUS. If no satisfactory resolution is reached, the student may make a formal complaint to the DUS of the department or program concerned.
What constitutes the formal appeal process has been left up to each department, but might include a formal letter written by the student, outlining her or his case, documents from the course indicating grading policies (e.g., a syllabus), a letter from the instructor stating the course grade policy and the rationale for the student’s grade, and any other material that will help clarify the case.
The DUS will present the case to the Chair of the department or program Director, and the two of them will review it with the instructor involved. If the Chair or the DUS agrees with the instructor that there are no legitimate grounds for which to change the grade, the grade stands as recorded. If the DUS and Chair believe there are grounds to consider a change and the instructor is unwilling to change the grade, the DUS will notify the student that he or she may request a review of the case by writing to the Dean of Arts and Sciences or the Dean of the Pratt School of Engineering, depending on which college or school offered the course in question. A written request must be submitted by the student before the end of the drop-add period of the semester following that for which the instructor recorded the grade. (A departmental recommendation to the student that he or she take the case on to the Dean would be made only in egregious instances, for example, clearly demonstrated negligence on the part of the instructor or a breach of “contract” in the grading policy set out by the instructor at the beginning of the term.)
The Dean will review the case and decide whether there are grounds to convene an ad hoc Committee for Review of Grade. If the Dean decides there are no grounds then the grade is not changed. If the Dean decides that there are grounds to proceed, the Dean will charge and convene an ad hoc Committee for Review of Grade. The committee shall consist of the Dean and two regular rank faculty members from the same division but not the same department (or from different departments in Pratt School of Engineering). The two faculty members of the committee are to be nominated by the appropriate faculty council, either the Executive Committee of the Arts and Sciences Council or the Engineering Faculty Council. This committee will then evaluate and review the case, and the Dean may initiate a grade change if that is the recommendation of the committee.
It would be helpful if DUSs would remind instructors that they should always clearly note grading policies on their syllabi and keep a copy of each student’s final examination (and possibly examples of other work) for one year.
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TEACHING ASSISTANTS
Not uncommonly the DUS assists in the assignment of teaching assistants to undergraduate courses. The assignments may be made by agreement of the Director of Graduate Studies, the Chair, the faculty instructors, and the DUS.
- Concerning Undergraduate Teaching Assistants, see Best Practices, Policies, and Guidelines for Use of Undergraduate Teaching Assistants
- Concerning Graduate Teaching Assistants, visit The Graduate School's website.
UNDERGRADUATE ADMISSIONS
Several times during the academic year the Admissions Office requests that the DUS provide a list of classes that prospective students can visit. Special efforts are requested of the departments for accepted applicants visiting campus during Blue Devil Days in mid-April. In addition, the DUS may be asked to assist in other recruitment initiatives, such as directly contacting, in the early spring, the best applicants in the pool who have expressed interest in majoring in that particular field. In some departments the DUS meets with prospective students (and their parents) visiting campus who wish to talk with faculty in that field.
UNDERGRADUATE BULLETIN (ANNUAL)
In January the DUS is asked to revise the departmental section of the Undergraduate Bulletin and to return the updated section to the Bulletins Office. The Bulletins Office first provides an online version of the department's entry, including the faculty listing, the courses of instruction, the major and minor requirements, the description of honors programs, if any, and other related information. DUSs are asked to print out the material and revise it.
The courses of instruction, as they appear in the printout, include the courses in the current Undergraduate Bulletin, updated to show all changes (additions, revisions, and deletions) approved by the Committee on Courses since the current Undergraduate Bulletin went to press (the previous Spring). If any new changes (in titles, descriptions, prerequisites, cross-listing, or credit) are desired, the changes must be approved by the Committee on Courses before the courses can be offered, inserted in or removed from the Undergraduate Bulletin, or appear in the ACES Schedule of Courses or other publications. (Changes in the instructional staff for a course do not need to be approved by the committee but can be indicated on the printout as a revision.) In updating the printout, the DUS should verify the continuing existence of courses offered in other departments that are mentioned as, for example, prerequisites or cross-listings.
The requirements for the major and the minor appear in the printout as they were published in the current Undergraduate Bulletin. Any revision must conform with Trinity College requirements and be approved by the Committee on Curriculum. Other departmental text may be revised as desired by the departmental faculty, but should be kept to a reasonable length in the interests of containing printing costs.
In the second round of the Bulletin revision in early February, the DUS will be asked to proofread the updated printout that resulted from the material the department had submitted in January.
During the revision period DUSs may also receive information about the front section (i.e., the portions preceding Courses and Academic Programs) of the Bulletin.
The online version of the current Undergraduate Bulletin is available at http://registrar.duke.edu/Bulletins/Undergraduate/.