A. Expectations of Lynch School of Education and Human Development Faculty

The University-wide expectations for all faculty at Boston College include teaching, research, and service and can be found in Section 9A of Chapter II of the University Statutes. In addition to those requirements, all faculty at the Lynch School are expected to be guided by the following in their teaching, research, and service.

The Lynch School is a dynamic community of learners—faculty, students, and staff—committed to preparing educators and human service professionals who view their professions as a calling to service for others. We strive to develop professionals who have the knowledge, intellectual and professional skills, moral and ethical sensibilities, and leadership to make a difference in the lives of children and adults. Our mission is informed by the Ignatian view that there is no dichotomy between a life of inquiry and contemplation and a life of action. Each faculty member is expected, therefore, not only to strive to embody the standards of teacher, scholar, and citizen outlined below, but to encourage and support the formation of those who will exercise leadership within the professions of education and psychology.

Teaching

As part of their teaching responsibilities, all Lynch School faculty are required to:

• submit adequate course syllabi at the beginning of each semester for all courses to be taught that semester.
• provide a copy of each course syllabus, including the instructor’s office hours, for posting on the web at least one month prior to the first meeting of the class.
• meet assigned classes as scheduled.
• observe academic regulations regarding such matters as examinations, cancellation of classes, and submission of grades.
• post and maintain office hours, on at least two different days.
• be familiar with the curriculum and academic requirements of the Lynch School at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
• provide regular and effective academic counseling and advisement of students.
• have students evaluate all courses every semester using the University’s course evaluation form. Please refer to the University's Faculty Handbook Student Course Evaluation Policies.

Research

Tenure-track faculty must demonstrate research productivity. The research should have publication as its ultimate objective, but the expectation here is that progress toward that end be demonstrated annually. Thus, an as-yet unpublished manuscript could be an example of demonstrated progress, but credit in the annual review process (see below) for the unpublished manuscript is given only when it has been published. Other examples in this research category are proposals to obtain funding for research and papers presented at professional conferences.

Service

At a minimum in the service area, all faculty members are expected to attend program and department meetings, Lynch School faculty meetings, commencement, and convocations as well as serve on program, School/Department, and University committees if appointed or elected.

In addition, tenure-track faculty are expected to serve on Doctoral Dissertation Committees. This is a responsibility of faculty members that should be shared equitably. To this end, the Associate Dean of Graduate Student Services consults with the relevant Department Chair on the establishment of doctoral committees and ensures that no one faculty member has an excessive amount of committee responsibilities.

Tenure-track faculty members who have recently joined the Lynch School are encouraged to develop an understanding of the procedures used at the University prior to serving on doctoral committees. New tenure-track faculty members should consult with their department chairs and their mentors regarding appropriate times to begin as readers on dissertations.

In the interest of providing students with optimal mentoring, new tenure-track faculty members should refrain from chairing committees for at least one semester. Only in extenuating circumstances may untenured faculty members chair a committee before their second year of service.

Details on the dissertation process, time lines, and expected outcomes specific to the Lynch School can be found on the Lynch School’s Doctoral Policies and Procedures webpage.

Finally, all faculty members are encouraged to participate in the following activities from September to the end of May:

• fall orientation for incoming students
• fall, spring, and summer "open houses"
• autumn information sessions
• open house sessions for newly admitted students and parents
• telethons for newly admitted students
• early action open house
• transfer student orientation
• Spirit of Education Week events
• GEA Research Forum
• Lynch School Symposium
• annual Faculty Research Luncheon
• other occasional events

B. Review of Lynch School of Education and Human Development Faculty

i. Appointment, Tenure, and Promotion for Tenure-Track Faculty

The information provided here is intended to identify general guidelines for appointment, tenure, and promotion rather than absolute criteria, since these are outlined in Chapter II, Sections 4-8 of the University Statutes. Moreover, each promotion and tenure decision is unique in its own way.

Untenured faculty in tenure track positions are normally required to initiate the process for tenure review no later than the end of their fifth year in rank. Faculty may, however, request that they be considered for tenure and/or promotion at any point during their time at the Lynch School of Education and Human Development. Associate Professors seeking promotion to Full Professor may submit their materials for consideration for promotion at any point, post-tenure.

Specific instructions are available to faculty seeking tenure and/or promotion through the Office of the Associate Dean of Faculty and Academics (See Promotion and Tenure Policies under Faculty Resources and Policies on the Lynch School server). Faculty applying for promotion and/or tenure are required to include a narrative essay on each area of faculty responsibility (teaching, advising, research, and service), with an explanation of what they see as past accomplishments in these areas, current work and trajectory for the future.

A detailed CV should be submitted along with the documentation listed above. The CV should be organized in the order of most recent publications, and the publications should be organized to distinguish books, book chapters, journal publications, and publications in newsletters, newspapers and/or the popular press, as well as distinguishing those under review, in press, and in print. Moreover, journal publications should make clear which journals are refereed. If in doubt, please consult your mentor, the Educational Resource Center, or the Associate Dean of Faculty and Academics.

Finally, remember that those reviewing your materials may not be familiar with your discipline or your specific area of expertise. Therefore, it might be helpful to provide a brief summary of the major journals in which your work has been published and/or the impact factor of those journals to aid in the review process. Please note that it is not necessary to provide copies of your conference presentations or of the grants you have submitted. If you would like to submit these documents they can be submitted in pdf format.

In support of the Lynch School mission, the criteria used for recommending faculty members for appointment, tenure, and promotion relate to three discrete aspects of faculty activity—teaching, research, and service.

Teaching

Because teaching is at the heart of the Lynch School mission, the demonstrated capacity to teach effectively is a critically important element of faculty performance. Since teaching occurs in many ways and in many settings, its evaluation should encompass the full range of a faculty member’s instructional activities. This obviously includes classroom teaching in the various programs of the School at the undergraduate, masters, and doctoral levels. It also includes teaching that occurs in directed or independent studies or other tutorial settings as well as the direction of theses, projects, and dissertations in the various degree programs.

The review of the faculty member’s teaching should be as comprehensive as possible and should evaluate such factors as:

• course design as reflected in course syllabi
• knowledge of material
• ability to interest students in the material
• extent of preparation for classes
• teaching method
• creativity
• use of technology

Faculty members who apply for tenure generally present an articulated philosophy of teaching and a record of excellent evaluations of graduate and undergraduate courses taught. They present evidence through course syllabi that their knowledge of relevant theory and research is current and appropriate. In addition to evaluating these aspects of a faculty member’s classroom performance in specific courses, the review should also take into account the way the faculty member relates to, and serves as a role model to, students in and out of class. In particular, this should include the way in which a faculty member relates to advisees, graduate and undergraduate research assistants, supervisors, and other students under his or her supervision.

Boston College administers formal course evaluations each semester, and the results of these regular evaluations are taken into account in the review. In addition, evaluations are solicited from a wide range of other individuals who are in a position to evaluate the candidate’s teaching. These may include both current and former students from various programs as well as colleagues in jointly taught classes or seminars, or who are otherwise in a position to evaluate the faculty member’s teaching. The Lynch School Peer Evaluation of Teaching guidelines specify the practices used for summative assessments, which are considered by the Promotion and Tenure Committee (See Peer Observation under Faculty Resources and Policies on the Lynch School server).

Research

Teaching and learning are reciprocal intellectual activities, and tenure-track faculty members are expected to be actively engaged in scholarly reflection, research, and writing throughout the course of their professional careers. For the purposes of the tenure and promotion review, a higher premium is placed on original scholarship that makes unique contributions to help advance a field of study.

Scholarship may be expressed in many different forms, including:

• Publication of an essay, article, or book. The most fundamental form in most disciplines represented at the Lynch School is a single-authored article or book, although it may also include collaborative co-authored work, particularly if the faculty member is the first author. Faculty are also encouraged to publish with current or former students.
• Grant seeking, particularly the pursuit of external funding to support one’s research is increasingly important to the research endeavor. Resources of the Lynch School and the wider university are provided to ensure that faculty have access to support for proposal preparation.
• Editing may be construed as original scholarship, depending on the nature and scope of the project.
• Consultation through which the scholar brings to bear the results of his or her scholarly knowledge and insight may represent genuine scholarly contributions. School/community partnerships and interdisciplinary collaborations with schools and communities is increasingly recognized as important for teacher educators and human service professionals. Such work contributes importantly to the scholarship of the Lynch School faculty.

The Lynch School looks at a tenure-track faculty member’s overall contribution to a discipline or field of study through a steady, programmatic record of accomplishments. In evaluating a tenure-track faculty member, Lynch School uses the following guidelines to assess scholarly productivity:

• Whether the contribution is sufficient to merit the tenure or promotion involved
• The regard in which the faculty member is held by peers in the discipline, both as a specialist and a generalist
• The nature and value of the faculty member’s contribution to the field
• Quantity and quality of published books and articles 
• Lectures and papers presented in a critical peer environment
• Participation in certain professional societies, including service on editorial boards
• Frequency of citations of work, as evidenced through Social Science Citation Index and other indices
• Evaluation by peer scholars from both inside and outside the University to assess such factors as soundness of research and argumentation, overall significance, and extent of influence of the work

Each external referee is supplied with a file of representative writings of the candidate, the candidate's research narrative and CV, and is asked to indicate:

• The nature and value of the faculty member’s contribution to the field
• The regard in which the faculty member is held by peers in the discipline, both as a specialist and a generalis
• Whether a person bearing similar credentials would be promoted in the evaluator’s own institution

Service

Service is an important measure of one’s citizenship and is essential to achieving a community of scholars within the Lynch School, profession, and the wider community. Since the work of administering the School and the University is done through a structure of committees, service on committees is perhaps the most common means through which faculty members contribute to the life of the school and the wider university. Such service may take a number of forms, including:

• service on committees and administrative duties in the School and wider University
• service as consultant, writer, or speaker to boards and agencies
• membership on board and agency committees
• services to civic organizations, community agencies, or other forms of public service
• service to professional organizations related to one’s area of expertise
• service to other departments of the University through teaching or invited lectureships

Generally such activities are judged as service if they are done pro bono or as a volunteer.

ii. Annual Review of All Faculty Members

The annual review of faculty concludes at the end of December and covers the preceding calendar year (January – December.) The Faculty Annual Review (FAR) is completed online, and is accessible throughout the year via Agora.  Faculty are encouraged to update the FAR as events and publications occur throughout the year.

The Dean, Associate Dean of Faculty and Academics, and the relevant Department Chair examine the materials submitted by each full-time faculty member along with all other relevant information available in the Dean’s office (e.g., course evaluations, teaching loads, course syllabi, advising and dissertation work, etc.) and rate these materials in the manner described below. The results of this examination are used for three purposes: (1) communication to each full-time faculty member regarding areas of strength and weakness during the preceding year; (2) allotment of each full-time faculty member’s salary increment; and, (3) allocation of teaching load for the upcoming year. Data from the FAR is also used by the Provost's Office for productivity comparisons across departments and schools in the university.

In the area of research productivity for tenure-track faculty, credit for the annual salary increment is given only for those items that include full citations and were published (that is, in print or online) during the year under review. Publications are organized on the FAR form as books, book chapters, journal articles, or publications in newsletters, newspapers, and/or the popular press, and are also listed as under review, in press, and in print.

Salary increments are based on the fulfillment of the expectations of faculty as listed above and discussed in the University Statutes. Specific increments are determined by the Dean and are based on the Annual Review process. From time to time an individual faculty member’s salary may be deemed too low due to changes in the job market since that faculty member was hired. If this situation arises, some of the total Lynch School salary increment pool may be used to make a market adjustment to that faculty member’s salary.

Reduced Teaching Loads 

At the time of the annual review process, the Dean, Associate Dean of Faculty and Academic Affairs, and Department Chair also review applications for reduced teaching loads. The Lynch School provides faculty with support for research in the form of reduced teaching loads. That support, however, must be balanced with instructional needs and the goal of providing a strong offering of courses as well as excellent research and teaching opportunities each semester. In addition, market forces impact the allocation of resources as the Lynch School tries to attract and retain the most productive and well-qualified faculty and students.

Graduate Assistantships

All first, second, and third year doctoral students are awarded assistantships by the Lynch School, and various faculty members are assigned to mentor these students.  In addition, many graduate students are hired to work on specific projects or in administrative offices in order to meet the needs of those projects and offices. 

Criteria for Assigning Graduate Assistantships

• We seek to provide research assistants with excellent research experiences and mentoring.
• We provide graduate teaching fellows with teaching experiences in Lynch School courses in which they are developing expertise.
• We place students in areas in which we need additional administrative support for faculty and professional staff.
• We assign new untenured assistant professors a full graduate assistant for their years prior to promotion to associate professor, assuming they demonstrate through the annual review process that they are productively engaged in research.
• Faculty who are on sabbatical typically mentor half-time assistants if they have an active research agenda and are able to assure the Dean’s Office of their capacity to mentor students if they are absent from the Boston area.

Criteria for a Reduced Teaching Load

Each faculty member is expected to meet a level of productivity equal to teaching three courses each semester. Most active researchers teach four courses per year, with the expectation that they sustain their research productivity. Those who do not meet the minimum criteria to be classified as an active researcher are assigned five courses if they have significant responsibilities that are equivalent to the workload required for a sixth course.

There is some flexibility in this practice. Additional course reductions are sometimes given on a temporary basis for the following reasons:

• Heavy administrative responsibilities, such as serving as a department chair of one of the two large departments.
• A superior research agenda. Examples of such an agenda include a combination of at least three of the following: serving as a journal editor on prestigious and labor-intensive journal editorial boards; writing major grants which lead to buyouts in subsequent years; heavy dissertation advisement which leads to publications by and/or with students; significant peer reviewed publications; work on a book for which there is a contract.
• Untenured faculty are assigned a reduced teaching load for their first year of service. If their research is strong, they are assigned a two/two load for all of their remaining pre-tenure years.

In all cases, the needs of the faculty, the needs of the Lynch School, and the demands of the departments are balanced in determining faculty teaching load and graduate assistant assignments.

Any faculty member who has concerns about the outcome of his/her review can meet with the Dean to discuss these concerns. In the event of an error, the letter concerning the decision will be revised.

iii. Third Year Review of Untenured Faculty Members

Section 6E of Chapter II of the University Statutes requires tenured faculty members in each unit to review periodically the academic achievement of untenured faculty members and to vote on whether they should be recommended for renewal. Accordingly, senior faculty members of the Lynch School meet annually to review the performance of tenure-track faculty members and vote on contract renewal of faculty in their department following the second and fourth year of service.

The annual review materials of faculty members in their second year are sent to tenured faculty members. In their third year of employment, all junior faculty members submit interim review materials to the Tenure and Promotion Committee, which reviews teaching, scholarship, and service activities.

This interim review strives to achieve three important purposes:

• increase the tenure rate through use of more focused and direct feedback on faculty progress
• inform the planning of faculty development opportunities
• assist the Dean in the on-going review of faculty performance

By January 30th of an untenured faculty member's third year at the University, the faculty member submits an electronic file containing a summary similar to that submitted at the time of review for promotion and tenure (with the exception that no external reviews will be sought). This expanded annual review includes documentation and material supporting the faculty member's full accomplishments over the previous two and a half years.

The faculty member provides documentation in the areas of:

• teaching, which may incorporate a teaching portfolio that includes documents such as professional development activities, course evaluation forms with written comments, written comments by the department chair and any other faculty members who have observed classes, written comments concerning course observations by the Associate Dean for Faculty and Academics, course syllabi, and a statement of teaching philosophy
• scholarship, including copies of publications and presentations, and a research narrative
  
• service, including lists of Lynch School program coordination responsibilities, University and Lynch School committees, editorial review work, contributions to professional associations, and a service narrative.

The Promotion and Tenure Committee reviews these materials and sends a written summary of their review to the Dean with a copy to the faculty member. The letter makes recommendations regarding renewal of the faculty member's contract, areas of accomplishment, and areas in need of attention.

Tenured faculty members vote on contract renewals of untenured faculty members in September of the untenured faculty member's second and fourth year of service. The information gathered during the interim review informs the deliberations of the tenured faculty in voting for the contract renewal of untenured faculty members in their fourth year of service.

Untenured faculty members should note that they may request that the Promotion and Tenure Committee review their annual review materials in any given year. The Promotion and Tenure Committee will provide the faculty member with written feedback.

iv. Full-time Lynch School Non-Tenure Track (NTT) faculty

The Lynch School has developed evaluation processes for contract renewal for Lynch School non-tenure track faculty, procedures for the promotion of non-tenure track faculty, as well as the rights and privileges on non-tenure track faculty (see Non-Tenure Track Policy for Contract Renewal and Promotion under Faculty Resources and Policies on the Lynch School server).

E. Faculty Committees

Lynch School faculty, as part of their service requirement, take on committee membership at the school and university level. Some positions are elected and some are by appointment.

University-wide Faculty Committees and descriptions of University-wide Faculty Committees, statutory and non-statutory, can be found at the website of the University Provost.

The following committees have been established by the Lynch School to ensure its functioning and engaging of faculty and students to provide leadership in the life of the institute. For a full list of committee descriptions, terms, and members, please refer to the PDF below:

F. Department Chair Nomination Process

Department Chairs are chosen through a process by which each member of the department is consulted regarding the faculty member’s suitability to serve as Department Chair. Candidates are rated as:

• desirable,
• acceptable, or
• not acceptable to serve as Department Chairs.

The names of all faculty members and the degree to which there is support for them to chair the department are forwarded to the Dean, who makes a recommendation for appointment to the Provost. (Please refer to Chapter I, Section 14 of the University Statutes).

Chairs are normally appointed for a term of three years.

G. Externally Funded Research

Faculty members are strongly encouraged to pursue external funding to support their research and provide Lynch School students with additional financial resources. Support is offered at the School and University-wide levels. The Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) oversees University-wide services.

The Associate Dean of Faculty and Academics and the Associate Dean for Finance, Research, and Administration provide support for external funding within the Lynch School, beginning with the generation of research plans and continuing through the period of the award.

The Associate Dean of Faculty and Academics, OSP, and the University Office of Advancement assist faculty in finding funders for their work through access to electronic databases and individual consultation.

Faculty members should work with the Associate Dean of Faculty and Academics far in advance of the submission deadline for the application.

When the application is complete, a Research Transmittal Form should be submitted to the Department Chair, who must approve it and submit it to the Associate Dean. The Associate Dean of Faculty and Academic Affairs will review the materials and determine if all necessary facets of the proposal have been addressed. In particular, the Associate Dean of Faculty and Academics reviews the proposal to assess whether the grant will require additional allocations of space, faculty course buyouts, or support for graduate assistantships. Once the materials are complete the Associate Dean of Faculty and Academics will submit the paperwork to the OSP for review.

All externally funded research (and all research involving human subjects) will be reviewed by the University Institutional Review Board. Approval of research on human subjects must be completed before data collection begins. Faculty members and students are required to follow relevant professional guidelines—such as those of the American Educational Research Association and American Psychological Association, and the uniform Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects—concerning the protection of human subjects.

To maintain proper records of the productivity of Lynch School faculty members in pursuing grants, it is imperative that faculty members provide copies of all grant-related activity to the Associate Dean of Faculty and Academics. Research transmittal forms, copies of proposals, and notification of awards all must be provided to the Associate Dean’s Office. Please consult with the Associate Dean and the Department Chair to assure that all relevant parties are informed about course buyouts and graduate assistantships generated through grants. Faculty should notify the Associate Dean of Faculty and Academic Affairs if their grant is not funded in order to ensure that resources allocated for one grant can be recycled to other grants.

Faculty members should note that, in addition to supporting external grants, the University provides internal grants through various programs. Examples include The Research Expense Grants Program, which provides stipends of up to $1500 that many faculty use to cover costs incurred in the process of conducting research. The Research Incentive Grants Program provides 15 stipends of up to $15,000. The Academic Technology Innovation Grants program provides financing (up to approximately $70,000) for technology projects. See the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) for more information on these and other university programs.

J. Visiting Scholars

An increasing number of scholars are interested in affiliating with the Lynch School as Visiting Scholars. Our programs and centers also seek out particular scholars whom they feel would significantly contribute to our ongoing work.

Although the University has not adopted a specific set of policies with regard to Visiting Scholars, there is a set of procedures that guide the appointment of Visiting Professors. Please see Section 4B in Chapter II of the University Statutes for more information.

Scholars interested in coming to the Lynch School as Visiting Professors should apply by sending a letter to the relevant Department Chair or Center Director. This letter should be forwarded to the Dean with a recommendation by the Chair or Director. The memo and email from the Department Chair or Director should include the following information about the visiting scholar:

1. Name
2. Sponsoring faculty member and Department
3. If international, their country of citizenship
4. Dates of appointment
5. Potential benefit of this visit to Lynch School faculty and/or students
6. Verification that there will be no remuneration

The Dean will then evaluate the request and forward his or her recommendation to the Office of the Provost, who must approve all appointments of Visiting Professors.  The Provost's Office will send a letter of invitation to the potential Visiting Scholar.

General information on Visiting Scholars can be found on the website of the Office of International Students and Scholars.

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Technology Services

Technology Consultants
Boston College Technology Consultants (TCs) serve the ever-increasing technology support needs of faculty and staff by providing local technology support.  TCs provide support for desktop computing and technology related consulting. TCs for the Lynch School can be contacted by email at tc.campion@bc.edu or 552-6318.

The Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) 
The Center for Teaching Excellence provides technical support for faculty related to Canvas, Lecture Capture, MediaKron, i>Clicker, Virtual Communication, as well as facilities such as the Innovation Lab, Technology Classrooms, and the Recording Studio. 

Media Services
Boston College Media Technology Services provides the University community with a full range of audiovisual support. Examples of services include: digital audio recording, CD-ROM production, DVD production, digital video, digital photo and multimedia production, creative graphics services, state-of-the-art instructional classrooms, TV satellite conferencing, technical repair services, live webcasting, and live TV remote telecasts.

Course-Related Information and Resources

Agora
Agora is a service-based intranet for the Boston College Community. It is a portal to many web-based services and tools allowing Boston College students, faculty and staff to access and interact with personal information and perform university transactions related to their role in the University. Through Agora, you are able to access email, Web forums, Blackboard, research tools and more, bringing many Internet activities on to one web page. The BC Help Center offers comprehensive tutorials on accessing and using comprehensive tutorials on accessing and using Agora.

Reserve Reading Lists
Books and articles required for course readings may be placed on reserve at the request of a faculty member or other course instructor. Course reserve materials are housed at most libraries and in the Educational Resource Center. The largest reserve collection is located in the O’Neill Library and serves both undergraduate and graduate level courses.

Textbooks
To order books, or to place an order for a course packet, visit the BC Bookstore faculty web page.

Final Exams
The final exam for your course is scheduled during exam week. For undergraduates, the rooms are scheduled by the Registrar’s Office and may be different from the regular classroom. The graduate courses have final exams in the usual classrooms. All courses have scheduled exam times determined by the starting time of the course. All graduate courses meeting once a week and undergraduate courses that start at 4:00 pm or after and meet once a week have final exams on the first regular day of class that occurs during exam week. All graduate courses meeting more than once a week and undergraduate courses starting at 4:30 pm or earlier and meeting more than once a week will have final exams on the class day that is earliest in the calendar week. The Registrar’s Office posts online the meeting place for each exam, several weeks prior to the exam period. Exam information is also available in the Boston College Schedule of Courses and on the following web site: https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/offices/student-services/registrar/course-info-schedule.html.

Instructor Absence
If, for any reason, you are unable to be in class or will miss your office hours, you must call your Department Staff as far ahead as possible. Also, let the staff know your plans for making up the class at that time. The Department office will inform the Dean’s Office (Campion 101), the Lynch Office of Undergraduate Programs if it is undergraduate course, the Office of Graduate Student Services if it is a graduate course, and the Department Chair.  The Department Staff will post signs on the doors. Faculty should also send a group e-mail and voice mail announcement to the students.

Office Hours
Part-time Faculty and Teaching Fellows are expected to have two (2) hours of office time available to students for each course they teach.  All full-time faculty members are expected to post office hours on a minimum of two separate days each week, during which time they should be in their offices. In addition, Full-time Faculty should be available to students for scheduling face-to-face appointments and for consultations through email and phone.  Office hours should be included on syllabi and submitted to the Department Staff, who will post the information on the faculty/staff database.

Overrides
If your course is "capped" (i.e., limited to a fixed number of students), please note that student requests to exceed the maximum number of places for your course are signed at the instructor’s discretion. Also note that “caps” are determined by the Department Chair with the approval of the Associate Dean of Faculty and Academics and are based on a range of issues including the numbers of students required to take the course, numbers of sections and of students enrolled, and pedagogical considerations.  From time to time, the Associate Dean of Student Services may contact a faculty member to request an override for a specific student.

Papers and Tests
At the end of the semester, papers and tests should not be left in mailrooms or offices for students to pick through. Students should leave a self-addressed, stamped envelope or you should make arrangements for your graduate student to be available during certain hours for paper/exam pick-up. A best practice is to use Canvas' electronic assignment features and return work through the Canvas system.

Syllabi
A copy of each syllabus should be distributed to students in the class and given to the Department office before the start of each semester. The Boston College Office of Student Services provides information for posting syllabi online for use in student course selection and advising. Syllabi, and other course materials, should adhere to Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles.

Grading Policy on Incomplete Grades (05/22/2007)
All required work in any course must be completed by the date set for the course examination. A student who has not completed the research or written work for a course taken in the fall or spring semester or who is absent from the course examination in either semester may, with adequate reason and at the discretion of the instructor, receive a temporary grade of Incomplete (I). All such I grades will automatically be changed to F on March 1 for the fall term, August 1 for the spring term, and October 1 for the summer term.  Graduate students cannot be awarded an assistantship if there are any Incompletes on his/her transcript.

Travel Reimbursement

Each department has been allocated funds for international and domestic travel for faculty members. Please consult your Department Chair about the annual distribution of these funds.

Specific instructions on travel reimbursement for domestic and international travel can be found in the Boston College Policies and Procedures Manual. Additionally, expense reports and other forms can be accessed through the Office of the Financial Vice President and Treasurer.

Use of University Resources

Administrative Staff, Administrative Assistants and Work Study Students
The office staff supports the work of the Department. The Administrative Assistants and work study students are not allowed to type book manuscripts unless you hire them on their own time and pay them separately. Work study students are assigned to the departments to collaborate in the work of the Department. Faculty should check with department administrative staff and/or chairs to schedule the use of work study resources. The staff is not to be used to clean up food you may have served at a meeting nor are staff expected to order lunch for faculty.

Graduate Assistant Work and Holiday Schedule
A graduate assistantship carries with it the expectation that students will work 20 hours per week from September 1 to May 31. Graduate Assistants have the same days off as University employees. They are entitled to one week of vacation during the end of year Holiday Break, not the entire break period, or spring break. If faculty are not available or do not need their assistants during those times, they have the option of releasing them. If the Graduate Assistant is not needed by the faculty member, she/he could be released to the Department for some of the hours. Faculty do have some discretion in giving additional vacation time, but are encouraged to arrange for students to make up hours missed.

Office Resources
Mail services, photocopying and supplies are provided for the use of faculty in support of their teaching, research and service. However, such supplies are not unlimited and are constrained by university-wide, and, in some cases, program-specific budgets. Below we summarize normal use of these resources. Faculty are expected to secure supplementary resources to support research projects through, for example, internal (e.g., Research Incentive Grants), or external funding (e.g., foundation). Specific requests for additional support beyond the parameters described here should be discussed with your department chair and/or the Associate Dean of Finance, Research, and Administration.

Federal Express
Federal Express is available in the Dean’s Office on a very limited basis. It should be used only for items of extreme urgency or importance. Please exercise careful stewardship in decided if you need first class or two-day U.S. mail or Federal Express for posting.

Mail
The last pick-up of mail in the Dean’s Office is between 2-3 pm each day. If you miss this pick-up and have mail that must go out the same day, please make arrangements for your student workers to bring mail to the Campus Mail Room. Otherwise the mail will not be picked up until 11 a.m. the following day, and on Fridays, it will not be picked up until the following Monday.

University Technological and Information Resources
Please refer to the Boston College Technological and Information Resources Use Agreement and the Professional Standards and Business Conduct: Use of University Technological and Information Resources section of the Boston College Policies and Procedures Manual for information on the use of university technological and information resources.

Phone
You can dial into the voicemail system from anywhere to get your messages. Your phone messages are also available electronically through Agora. Please visit the BC Help Center for a comprehensive overview of the Telephone and Voicemail systems.

Supplies
Department Administrative Assistants maintain and monitor office supplies for faculty and staff in their respective areas. Please exercise careful and ethical judgment in using Boston College and Lynch School resources and see the department support staff with questions regarding supplies.

Photocopying
The Lynch School of Education and Human Development supplies a total of 25 pages of copy per student per course per semester. If you wish students to have more materials, you may put readings on reserve at O’Neill Library or use BC Press or an outside vendor.

Only single copies of any material may be made on the machine in the Department offices. Multiple copies of any material must be done by the office staff on the large copy machine on the first floor. The materials to be copied by the staff should be left with cover sheet instructions in the Department offices. To allow for machine problems and high volume, the Departments should be given a 48-hour notice period.

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A. Lynch Office of Undergraduate Programs

The Assistant Dean of Lynch Office of Undergraduate Programs is the source of information and support for undergraduate students in the Lynch School of Education and Human Development from the moment they enter their programs through graduation. Student records are located in the Student Services Office and all forms (Program of Studies, Transfer of Credit, Leave of Absence/Re-Admit, Comprehensive applications, etc) are distributed through that office. Undergraduate advising, the Student Senate and the Professional Development Seminar, and the Fifth Year Program are all managed through that office. This information is also available on the Internet.

The Assistant Dean of Lynch Office of Undergraduate Programs works with the Dean and faculty to develop programs of outreach to the community and oversees the communications efforts, including publications, newsletters, and public relations. The Campion 104 suite consists of the Assistant Dean of Lynch Office of Undergraduate Programs and administrative assistant, as well as graduate office assistants who help students access and understand appropriate academic and administrative information, policies and procedures.

The Associate Director of Lynch Office of Undergraduate Programs in the Lynch School of Education and Human Development maintains undergraduate records.

B. Office of Graduate Admission, Financial Aid and Student Services

The Office of Graduate Admission, Financial Aid, and Student Services (known as the Graduate Office) is located in Campion 135. It serves as the support center for the educational, social, cultural, and community life of Lynch School of Education and Human Development graduate students. The Graduate Office staff provides a seamless experience from admissions through graduation and assists students in every aspect of their graduate school experience while they are studying at Boston College. The Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and the Associate Dean of Graduate Admissions and Financial Aid, as well as a number of staff members, assist with admission, financial aid, and student services for all Lynch School graduate students. The Associate Dean of Graduate Studies works in collaboration with the Lynch School Dean and faculty to enhance graduate education through the development of educational and support programs, and oversees the communication efforts (including publications, newsletters, and public relations information) as they pertain to graduate education and graduate student services. The Associate Dean of Graduate Studies also serves as the advisor for the Graduate Education Association (GEA) and works with the GEA Council to develop and implement a number of supportive services and activities to enhance graduate life for students in the Lynch School.

The Graduate Office provides a number of services for masters’ students including general advising on course selection and assistance with completing the Program of Studies form; coordinating comprehensive examinations for all programs; conducting final clearance for graduation; and maintaining student records. It also provides such services as handling student grievances; coordinating Academic Standards Committee reviews; and facilitating the completion of the paperwork required for changes in program designation and/or courses for both masters and doctoral students.The Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, in collaboration with Department Chairs and program faculty, processes requests for leave of absence, as well as the withdrawal/re-admission processes for all graduate students.

The Graduate Office suite in Campion 135 helps students access and understand appropriate academic and administrative information, policies and procedures, and is literally the first and last stop for all graduate students during their studies at the Lynch School.

C. Advising and Student Related Responsibilities

All faculty have a number of responsibilities relating to students including advising, assisting them in their program development, degree completion, etc. The Lynch School of Education and Human Development supplements the Boston College Catalog through on-line Programs of Study and Masters’ and Doctoral Student Policies and Procedures which describe information needed by students concerning their degree program. This information may be supplemented by program information, also available on the web on the program’s homepage. Program information is revised on an annual basis. Faculty are urged to consult this information on the web for specific student information related to a program. The following is a list of some of the most important information which is contained on the web:

• Certification and Licensure
• Comprehensive Exams
• Computer Competency
• Course Submission Forms
• Dissertation
• Extenuation of Time
• Leave of Absence
• Practica and Clinical Experiences

All Lynch School faculty serve as advisors to undergraduate and/or graduate students. The Offices of Student Services (Graduate and Undergraduate) were formed to better integrate services to undergraduate and graduate students (masters’ and PhD), from their initial inquiry into Lynch School through their program of study, course selection and completion, and graduation, and as alumni. Additional services are provided to doctoral students through their academic advisor and dissertation chair, program coordinator, and Department Chair. By offering basic program information, scheduling and consultation through these offices, faculty time is available for interactions with students in their development as teachers, scholars, psychologists or human service workers. Assignment of undergraduate students’ advisors is done by the Lynch Office of Undergraduate Programs and an individual faculty member’s list of undergraduate advisees is available through Agora; masters’ and doctoral student advisors are recommended by program coordinators and/or department chairs and designated by the Associate Dean of Graduate Student Services. Lists of graduate student advisees are available through the Office of Graduate Student Services (at the beginning of each academic year) and the Departmental Administrative Assistant (at any other time in the year). Any student may request a change in advisor by consulting the appropriate Associate Dean of student services.

D. Attendance Policy

Students are expected to attend classes regularly, take tests, and submit papers and other work at the times specified by the professor on the course syllabus. Students who are absent repeatedly from class or practica will be evaluated by faculty responsible for the course to ascertain their ability to achieve the course objectives and to continue in the course.

Professors may include, as part of the semester’s grades, marks for the quality and quantity of the student’s participation in class.

Professors will announce, on the course syllabus, tests and examinations based on materials covered in class lectures and discussions, as well as other assigned material. A student who is absent from class on the day of a previously announced examination, including the final examination, is not entitled, as a matter of right, to make up what was missed. The professor involved is free to decide whether a make-up will be allowed.

A student who is absent from class is responsible for obtaining knowledge of what happened in class, especially information about announced tests, papers, or other assignments.

In cases of prolonged absence the student or a family member should communicate with the appropriate dean of students as soon as the prospect of extended absence becomes clear. The academic arrangements for the student’s return to classes should be made with the appropriate dean of students office as the student’s health and other circumstances permit.

For more information, please visit Academic Policies and Procedures.

E. Student Rights Under FERPA

FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), also known as the Buckley Amendment, grants a series of rights to post-secondary students. All faculty and students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with FERPA and with students’ rights. The Office of Student Services maintain information on Student Rights Under FERPA.

F. Student Award Processes

Dissertation Fellowships

This academic year-long Fellowship is intended to support the students’ completion of their dissertation. Priority will be given to those nominees who, in the opinion of the Faculty Awards Committee, will have a high probability of completing the dissertation during the academic year of the award. Students must be nominated by their Dissertation Chair for the Fellowship.  Each nomination should be accompanied by a supporting letter from the Nominees’ Dissertation Chair. The Nomination Letter should be submitted electronically to the Associate Dean of Students; nominated students submit the requested materials electronically to the Associate Dean.  The deadline for submission of all application materials and letters of support is March 1, 2021 (if this falls on a weekend, the deadline is 4 pm the following Monday). There are two Dissertation Awards of approximately $17,500 (10 month stipend) per academic year. Further information on the Dissertation Fellowship can be found here. 

Given the competitive nature of the award, Dissertation Chairs are requested to present the case for their nominee in some detail, recognizing that the persuasiveness of their arguments will be central in advancing the nomination. The letter of nomination should address each of the following five points, elaborating where appropriate:

• Nominee's record of scholarly achievement (e.g., awards, honors, publications, presentations at conferences, collaboration with professionals in the field, excellent grades, etc)
• Nominee's skills, conceptual ability, knowledge, and capacity to complete the study
• Nominee's likelihood to complete dissertation within the year in which the award is given
• Quality of the design of the study and its appropriateness to the research question
• Significance of the research question

Summer Dissertation Development Grants

The deadline for the Summer Dissertation Development Grants is March 1, 2021 (if this falls on a weekend, the deadline is 4 pm the following Monday). There are up to 6 Summer Dissertation Development Grants of approximately $2,000. Students may self-nominate for a Summer Dissertation Development Grant and are required to electronically submit the requested materials to the Associate Dean.

Letter of support from Dissertation Chair should address:

• Applicant's record of academic excellence
• Applicant's readiness to complete dissertation in timely fashion
• Quality of design of study and its appropriateness to the research question
• Quality/excellence of proposal or intent
• Faculty letters of support should be submitted electronically to the Associate Dean of Students on or before the March 1, 2021 deadline.

Selection Process for Dissertation Fellowships and Dissertation Development Grants

Nomination letters for the Dissertation Fellowships and letters in support of the student’s application for the Summer Dissertation Development Grants must be submitted electronically to the Associate Dean of Students. The letters should be carefully crafted because the Dissertation Fellowships and Summer Dissertation Development Grants have become increasingly competitive in recent years. It is appropriate for faculty to indicate their degree of familiarity with the candidate’s work and the student’s ability to make a lasting contribution to research in their field.

Students are required to send all of the application materials requested (with the exception of faculty letters of support) electronically to the Associate Dean of Students.  The Nomination Letters from Dissertation Chairs and Letters of Support from faculty are to be sent electronically to the Associate Dean of Students on or before the March 1, 2021 deadline.  The Associate Dean forwards all nominations and supporting documentation to the Faculty Fellowship Committee. The Faculty Fellowship Committee then reviews all grant materials and designates the grant recipients. This information is forwarded to the Associate Dean of Students and recipients are notified by the Associate Dean of their awards.

The Donald J. White Teaching Excellence Awards

Each year the University makes awards for Teaching Excellence to underscore and reinforce the importance of teaching excellence at Boston College. There are two types of awards:

• Teaching Fellow Awards, for graduate students who have taught undergraduate or graduate classes with full responsibility for presenting the course and grading the course participants. These awards carry an honorarium of approximately $600.

• Laboratory/Teaching Assistant Awards, for students who have assisted in laboratories in the sciences, students who assist in teaching by leading discussion groups, and, in Lynch School, for students involved in teaching through the supervision of practica students. These awards carry an honorarium of approximately $350.

Each academic year the Lynch School of Education and Human Development receives 2 Teaching Fellowship awards and 2 Teaching Assistant Awards. Department Chairs should publicize these awards among eligible students and faculty. Faculty should nominate students, including a letter of support explicating why they think the student’s teaching warrants this recognition. The Chairs of the Departments of Curriculum and Instruction and Counseling and Developmental Psychology should seek nominations from the Assistant Director of Practicum Experiences and the Assistant Director of Counseling Practicum Experiences, respectively, as students supervising practica are eligible for these Teaching Assistant awards. These recommendations should be forwarded to the Department Chair by a date in March determined by the Associate Dean of Students.  Criteria for recommendation and selection include the following:

• A teaching assistant shall have taught at least one course per semester for at least two of the three semesters of the fiscal year, that is, from June 1st through May 31.
• Students should not have previously received this award.
• Students should be in good standing, that is, they should not have any incompletes on their academic record.
• Evidence of excellence in teaching should be demonstrated by student evaluations, direct observations by the faculty making the recommendation or other indices available to the Chair and/or requested from the student or faculty recommender.

Selection Process for Teaching Awards

Using the criteria identified above, the Department Chair ranks awardees from among those recommended. All recommendations should be forwarded to the Associate Dean of Students by Department Chairs with accompanying documentation by March 15th. The Associate Dean then forwards award decisions to the Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, who notifies the Chairs of each department of the final recipients by early April. Awards are distributed at a ceremony conducted by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences in early May. Individual faculty are requested to accompany awardees at this ceremony. Department Chairs should forward the name of a faculty member who might accompany the student at the ceremony to the Associate Dean.

Diversity Fellowship

Boston College has resources that support two (2) fellowships that are offered to especially promising PhD students from groups that are underrepresented in their professions of choice. These fellowships are renewable for five years assuming continued academic excellence, and carry full tuition scholarships and stipends of approximately $19,500. Completion of the Lynch School application for one of our Ph.D. programs enables faculty to consider a student for this fellowship. Thus, there is no formal application. Rather, students must be nominated by their program coordinator or department chair at the time of admission. Department Chairs will receive requests to nominate students for these awards from the Associate Dean of Students. Departmental nominations and letters of support from faculty should be forwarded electronically to the Office of the Associate Dean of Students by the deadline specified in late February. The Faculty Awards Committee reviews all nominations and forwards the names of Awardees to the Associate Dean.

Students who receive the Diversity Fellowship are expected to be engaged in full-time study, and may not hold additional employment or additional fellowships during the academic years in which they hold the fellowship.

Graduate Scholarships

Descriptions of and procedures for other Lynch School of Education and Human Development scholarships for graduate students can be viewed on the financial aid section of the Office of Graduate Student Admission website.

Undergraduate Awards

Each year the Office of the Dean of Students presents awards to outstanding student leaders. The purpose of these awards is to recognize the contributions of students to the co-curricular life of the University, their growth in leadership roles, and their creative involvement in student life.

In order to assure that all worthy students and advisors are considered for awards, student organizations, faculty advisors, deans, and other administrators are asked to nominate those students who have made significant contributions during each academic year. Students are considered for awards in eight categories based on nominations submitted by other students, faculty or administrators. An individual or organization may nominate any number of people.

Award recipients will be honored at a banquet in recognition of their contributions, talents and dedication. Organization presidents, selected students and a number of faculty and staff will be invited to this banquet which is held in April.

Award recipients will be chosen by a committee composed of students, faculty and administrators. Nominations should be submitted to the Office of the Dean of Students, Maloney Hall, Suite 212. ODS maintains a list of the Descriptions of the Undergraduate Leadership Awards.

H. Grievance Procedure for Students

The Procedures for Student Grievances have been established by the Educational Policy Committee and can be found on the website of the Lynch School of Education and Human Development. Students with any academic concerns should consult their faculty advisor, Department Chair, or appropriate Associate Dean of Student Services.

I. Independent Study

Faculty undertake supervision of Independent Study on a volunteer basis. Time considerations and interest and expertise in the proposed topic will determine whether or not a faculty member agrees to supervise a student’s work.

All students are required to complete an Application for Independent Study/Readings and Research form that must be reviewed by the supervising professor and signed by the appropriate Department Chair or Dean prior to being enrolled in an Independent Study / Readings and Research course. The form also describes university and Lynch School regulations pertaining to the number of Independent Study/Readings and Research permitted in each program.

J. International Students

The Office of International Students and Scholars is located at 72 College Road and can be reached at (617) 552-8005 or bcis@bc.edu.

Faculty Member’s Guideline to Basic Immigration Requirements for Graduate International Students

For more detailed information please refer to the handbook, "Immigration Regulations for International Students and Scholars." A copy of the handbook can be accessed at the Office of International Students and Scholars.

1. International students must be enrolled full-time during the academic year for the duration of their studies.
   
   Graduate students usually carry 9-12 credits each semester or can be working full-time studying for comprehensive exams or on a dissertation. A combination of thesis and course work is acceptable.
   
   Students must verify that they are full-time in order to obtain a signature on their immigration form for travel, or to apply for work permission. If the Student Service’s Office does not consider a student full-time but the department does, the student will have to obtain a letter from his/her advisor or chairperson verifying his/her status.
   
   
2. Any international student who would like to work on or off campus must obtain permission from the Office of International Students and Scholars prior to beginning work.
   
   International students can work on-campus up to 20 hours a week (including any graduate assistantship), in non-work study positions. Off-campus work authorization is very limited and must be applied for through the Immigration Service.
   
   
3. International students attending Boston College for more than one year are required to submit an updated financial certification every year.
   
   
4. International students who fail to complete their educational program within the estimated graduation date indicated on their immigration form are required to file a "program extension" with the Office of International Students and Scholars. This will include obtaining a letter from his/her advisor or chairperson which explains the academic reason for the extension and their new estimated completion date.

Please be aware that immigration regulations change frequently, so please consult the Office of International Students and Scholars with any questions.

K. Preparation of Educators and Psychologists with Handicapping Conditions Policy

It is the mission of the Lynch School of Education and Human Development of Boston College to prepare professional educators and psychologists to work in schools, in public and private human service settings, and in other public and private educational and service agencies including schools, hospitals, community health centers, and social service agencies. Many of these professional preparation programs are designed to afford students, upon successful completion of the program, an opportunity to obtain Massachusetts state certification or licensure in the profession in addition to a diploma.

The Lynch School of Education and Human Development is committed to the preparation of educators and psychologists from groups who have traditionally been denied access to employment opportunities in education and the human service professions. It is the goal of the School to prepare for both receipt of a degree and state certification or licensure any qualified individual who strives to meet such objectives regardless of handicapping conditions. The Lynch School accepts the affirmative duty to take positive steps to educate handicapped persons, and to assist them in career advancement. The Lynch School will engage in reasonable accommodations within its program that would allow a qualified student with a documented handicapping condition to complete the program and to prepare for certification or licensure so long as such accommodation does not result in the student’s failure to meet the required knowledge, skills and competencies required for both graduation and certification or a lowering of standards that are functionally related to particular educational or human service positions.

One of the criteria for certification or licensure in some instances is a requirement that the candidate have mental and physical capacity, so that he or she can with reasonable accommodation perform the essential functions of a particular educational or human service position, without endangering the health and safety of the individual or others.

In order to ensure that a student presents the likelihood of being able to complete both degree, and, where appropriate, prerequisites for future licensure and certification, the Lynch School of Education and Human Development invites, but does not require, students with handicapping conditions to be affirmatively candid about their condition at application or after acceptance so that appropriate accommodations can be arranged. The Lynch School expects all students to manifest physical and mental well-being as it relates to the student’s capacity to perform successfully the essential functions for criteria practica or internship of the student’s degree program. Students with handicapping conditions who may not be able to meet this criterion even with reasonable accommodation will be individually evaluated, including consideration of employment records if any, and medical records, to determine the accommodations that the Lynch School can make in order to afford them an opportunity to complete all requirements of the student’s program.

If reasonable accommodation is not sufficient, such that the student cannot perform the essential functions of the practica or internship of the degree program, then admission to a degree certification and licensure program may be denied or revoked.

The Lynch School will meet with a current or prospective student to discuss opportunities for the student’s success in a program at the request of the student or in any situation in which it comes to the Lynch School’s attention that a handicapping condition may present a need for accommodation. Additional services are available through the University.