Faculty Manual
For Full-Time and Part-Time Faculty
2026 Edition
Copyright © 2026 by Fairleigh Dickinson University
Published by:
Office of the University Provost Fairleigh Dickinson University
Preface
This manual was developed to provide assistance and information to all faculty members, new and continuing, full-time and part-time, about faculty responsibilities, University procedures, and campus resources available to you. The intent of this manual is to collect materials from different publications, to combine this information into a single convenient reference, and to provide you with up-to-date information on University policies.
The Faculty Handbook (https://www.fdu.edu/faculty-handbook/) governs matters relating to the role and responsibility of the faculty and this guide is based on that resource. You are encouraged to consult the Handbook and the University Bulletin (https://www.fdu.edu/academics/university-bulletins/) for more detailed discussions of various issues. Please consult your department chairperson/school director and college dean if you have any questions.
We hope this manual provides useful information to assist you in your many roles as a teacher, advisor and counselor, researcher, and member of the University community.
Please do not hesitate to contact our office if you feel that any material should be included or excluded from future Faculty Manuals.
Best wishes to you for a productive and rewarding year.
Ben Rifkin, University Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
Faculty Responsibilities
In particular, please see Articles XVI and XVII of the Faculty Handbook (https://www.fdu.edu/faculty-handbook/).
The department, school, college, and University expect all faculty members to conduct themselves in a responsible and professional manner on all matters relating to the academic life of the University.
Faculty are expected to be responsive to students, colleagues, and the administration, which includes checking and answering their University email on a regular basis while on contract, and using the University’s chosen course-/learning-management systems for communication with students and submission of grades.
Class Meetings
See the Academic Calendar for class meeting and final exam schedule for current and future semesters.
NJ Academic Calendar: https://www.fdu.edu/academics/academic-calendar/
Vancouver Academic Calendar: https://www.fdu.edu/campuses/vancouver-campus/enrollment-services/academic-calendar/
FDU-New Jersey
- Classes scheduled on the traditional academic calendar meet for 14 weeks. The 15th week is the final examination period (See Final Examinations on Academic Calendar). Note – Some classes that take place during the fall and spring semesters meet for less than 15 weeks.
- You are expected to conduct class for the entire allotted time period. In New Jersey, state regulations require three-credit day courses, in a fifteen-week semester, to meet three times a week for 50 minutes or twice a week for 75 minutes or once a week for 150 minutes. Dismissing class early violates state mandates, prevents completion of the subject matter, and deprives students of their contractual rights.
- If your class is scheduled on the non-traditional academic calendar, or in an on-line or blended/hybrid format, consult with your department chair or school director for class meeting requirements.
FDU-Vancourver
- For FDU – Vancouver, Traditional term programs are those that follow the University’s traditional calendar: two 15-week semesters, fall and spring, along with an optional 10-week summer session. Starting from the Fall 2025 term, all Vancouver programs run for 16 weeks in fall and winter terms, with an optional 14-week summer term. A normal 3 credit course will have 45 academic contact hours during a term.
- At the end of each academic term, there will be an exam period, and a special schedule will be posted for exams. Instructors will make arrangements to reschedule meeting times for any classes which are missed because of a Statutory Holiday or an official campus closure either during designated make-up days in the calendar, or at another arranged time as approved by the Program Coordinator.
- Students are expected to ensure that they make arrangements to arrive in time for the start of an academic term and to attend classes regularly. Students are also expected to be available until the end of the final day of the exam week. This should be taken into consideration when making any travel plans. The University does not make special arrangements for exams or late arrivals to accommodate travel arrangements.
First Session of Class
The first class session is an extremely important one, and instructors should be prepared to hold a class for the full period even though their students do not have a previous assignment or textbook. During this first session, faculty should discuss with their class the course syllabus, which should include, at a minimum, all required elements in the University Syllabus Policy (https://www.fdu.edu/about/university-leadership-offices/university-provost/fdu-syllabus-policy/). A class discussion topic or other exercise should be developed to get the course under way. A class discussion topic or other exercise should be developed to get the course underway.
A faculty member must not allow students to attend his/her classes without officially enrolling for the course; this practice violates University regulations. Any student in your course who is not registered (not on the Enrollment Rosters) must not be given any graded materials— quizzes, papers, or examinations. The student should immediately be referred to the Office of Enrollment Services.
Cancellation of Classes
In the event you cannot meet your class because of a personal emergency, please notify your department or school office as soon as possible. If the office is closed, please call the Office of Public Safety or the campus Office of Enrollment Services. Use your class listserv or Blackboard announcement / email list to send an email message to all of your students at one time.
Metropolitan Campus
Public Safety (201) 692-2222
Office of Enrollment Services (201) 692-2214
Florham Campus
Public Safety (973) 443-8888
Office of Enrollment Services (973) 443-8610
If you need to cancel a class ahead of time for any other reason, please consult with your department chair or school director inadvanceandnotifystudentsinadvance.
In all cases, you are responsible for making up all canceled classes.
Classes may not be dismissed by an instructor because of inclement weather. During the winter, if the campus roads and parking lots cannot be cleared, the University administration makes the decision to dismiss classes.
Inclement weather closures and other certain campus emergencies are announced through the FDU Alert system. In the event of an emergency, FDU Alert may be used to provide pertinent information and instructions to FDU students, faculty and staff through voice, text messaging and/or E-mail. FDU Alert uses a mass notification system that sends emergency messages instantly and simultaneously to registered mobile phones, wireless devices and E-mail addresses.
See Weather Information for guidance regarding weather-related closings: https://www.fdu.edu/calendar/weather-information/
See the FDU Alert page for more information on the FDU Alerts system: https://www.fdu.edu/for-students/alert-system/
Classroom Environment
The primary professional responsibility of each faculty member is to the University community. A faculty member has the right and responsibility to maintain a classroom environment conducive to learning. He or she shall meet each class as scheduled and adhere to the standards of the profession and to University and college policies and regulations.
Each faculty member has the additional responsibility to see that students respect University property. Any students who damage University property should be promptly reported to the department or school office, college dean, campus dean of students, or the Public Safety Department. Faculty may also file a Student of Concern Report. See https://it.fdu.edu/tech-alert/red-folder-update/ for more information.
Class Rosters and Enrollment Verification
At the beginning of the semester, you will need to access your class roster on the Self-Service system and print the roster for the first day of class to record attendance for approximately the first three weeks of the semester. The roster contains the names of the students officially registered for the course at the time the roster was generated.
Shortly after the add/drop period, three weeks after the opening, for the Traditional 15 week term and the Non Traditional 10-12 week term, you will receive an email request to go to your Self-Service menu and verify that all students are in attendance for your course. Please complete the verification process approximately 3 weeks into the course. The same procedure is required for shorter Module courses approximately 2 weeks following the start of the course.
Federal regulations require that the University have a mechanism in place to ensure that the students on the roster are in attendance before the University begins to accept federal funds for students. If a student appears on your class roster and has “Never” attended, please place an “N” in the column noted for verification. All other students who have been attending should be coded with an “A”. This step is necessary to facilitate the cancellation of a student’s enrollment in the course coded “N”, to ensure that federal funds are not posted to a student’s account, if they are not entitled to the funds.
Please note that students reported as “Never” attended will be de-registered from the course.
On-line courses: Please note that a student merely signing on to the course does not meet the definition of “in attendance” by federal standards, unless the student has “participated” in a discussion or submitted course work.
Please do not allow any student to attend your course whose name does not appear on the roster without proper documentation of official registration for your section. Refer them to the Office of Enrollment Services so that they may be officially registered for the course.
Course Syllabi
All FDU course syllabi must include all elements required as per the University Syllabus Policy (https://www.fdu.edu/about/university-leadership-offices/university-provost/fdu-syllabus-policy/).
You must provide your students with a syllabus during the first week of class, preferably at the first meeting. While this requirement may seem obvious, students occasionally report never receiving a syllabus in a course. Having a syllabus helps students avoid any misunderstanding of your course requirements. The syllabus should be posted on the course Blackboard site in Webcampus.
The Syllabus Policy page includes resources in support of the policy, including sample syllabi and syllabi templates with all required elements.
If the syllabus or schedule are changed at any point in the semester, the revised syllabus must be posted on Blackboard (with a clear indication of what has changed). It is helpful to put the date of the last update in the filename of the syllabus to avoid any confusion among students. Any syllabus changes should be announced in class and communicated to students via an announcement on Blackboard and/or email to their FDU email address.
Final Examinations
Final Examinations must be given on the day scheduled for the final exam as per the Academic Calendar (NJ Academic Calendar, Vancouver Academic Calendar). Scheduled examination periods may not be changed by individual instructors. Final exams may not be given prior to the date of the final exam. If, after consultation with your department chairperson or school director, you determine that a final examination may not be appropriate in your course, you must hold a class during the scheduled final examination period.
Evening examinations are held in the fifteenth week during the regular class meeting time for the course. In the case of modular courses which classes end in less than 15 weeks, the final exam will be administered on the last scheduled day of class.
In the unlikely event that a student has a time conflict or more than three examinations in one day, it is appropriate to make arrangements with the student to alleviate the situation.
Students have the right to review all graded academic exercises—including final examinations. There is the general expectation that all graded academic exercises are to be returned to students during the regular semester, with the exception of final examinations. It is recommended that final examinations be maintained in department offices. If final examinations are not returned to students, they are to be transferred, by faculty members, to academic department offices where the examinations will be maintained for a period of twelve (12) months after the completion of the term. At the end of this twelve-month period, the final examinations will be returned to the individual faculty members. Students can review their final examinations by making appointments with their instructors. Final examinations will not be given to students for review without the presence of the faculty member or other appropriate supervision. Students can request a photocopy of the graded final examination.
Final Grades
Faculty members are required to submit grades online in Self-Service within 72 hours of administering the final examination for the course.
Students have until the close of business on the last reading/snow make-up day to withdraw from a course. For this reason, final grades must not be submitted earlier than the day after the last reading/snow make-up day—i.e., the first day of final exams.
See Grading System and Grade Points: https://www.fdu.edu/about/university-leadership-offices/office-of-enrollment-services/records-procedures-and-services/grading-system-and-grade-points/
Note: You must follow the Incomplete Guidelines and complete the Incomplete Contract for any Incomplete you give to a student. The guidelines and contract are posted on the Faculty Resources SharePoint site (https://fduedu.sharepoint.com/sites/FDUFacultyResources)
Student Consultation Hours (formerly “office hours”)
As per the Faculty Handbook, “during the academic year all full-time faculty shall spend sufficient hours on campus as part of their academic workload responsibilities to cover at least three (3) office hours per week.”
Part-time faculty should hold at least one office hour a week for each course the faculty member is teaching.
Proctoring Examinations
You are responsible for actively proctoring all examinations you administer. Graduate assistants and staff should not proctor exams.
Faculty Workload
The standard full-time faculty annual academic load consists of twenty-four (24) contact hours of undergraduate teaching plus a reasonable amount of time devoted to such activities as student advisement, individual research or other creative activities, new course development, and committee or other governance service. Under normal circumstances, a semester teaching load includes no more than three separate preparations, of which no more than one should be a course new to the faculty member. (See the Appendix to this manual for the Faculty Credit Overload and Underload Policy.)
Faculty teaching laboratory or studio courses for which the number of contact hours in a given course exceeds the number of credit hours assigned to that course will normally teach one additional contact hour in each semester in which they have such an assignment. The normal semester teaching load for the semester would be raised from twelve to thirteen contact hours for a faculty member with such an assignment.
General Information and Policies
Academic Advising
Advising for all NJ undergraduate students (with exception of School of Professional [SPS] Studies students) is the responsibility of the Center for Academic Advising and Student Success (CAASS) (Florham CAASS, Metro CAASS). Undergraduate students in SPS are advised by SPS.
Academic advising for all graduate students is the responsibility of the college.
Academic advising for all Vancouver students is the responsibility of Vancouver Campus Academic Advising.
Academic Integrity
See the University Academic Integrity Policy at https://www.fdu.edu/academics/academic-policies/#integrity
Related – see Artificial Intelligence: Syllabus Considerations, Best Practices, & Academic Integrity at https://www.fdu.edu/about/university-leadership-offices/university-provost/fdu-syllabus-policy/ai-policies/
Academic Support Centers
These centers provide academic support free-of-charge to all FDU students. Individualized tutoring is available in writing, mathematics, business, arts and sciences, and the University Core curriculum. The tutoring staff includes professional tutors and peer tutors chosen for academic excellence in their major fields. The Centers offer individualized assistance in study skills and time management. Discussion groups, review sessions, and workshops are tailored for students in specific courses or areas of study as needed.
Students placed in basic skills classes are given supplemental help at weekly labs in
You may refer students to the appropriate Center for support and help with any academic challenges they may have.
Academic Support Center (ASC) at Florham: https://www.fdu.edu/campuses/florham-campus/student-services/florham-campus-student-support-center/
Academic Support Center (ASC) at Metro: https://www.fdu.edu/campuses/metropolitan-campus/student-services/academic-resource-center/
Vancouver Campus Learning and Support Services: https://www.fdu.edu/campuses/vancouver-campus/learning-support-services/
Academic Technology and Office of Information Resources and Technology
The Office of Academic Technology supports all permanently installed classroom technologies, interactive television classrooms, and all University- supported software specifically designed for teaching and learning. OAT also co-manages the University’s Faculty Laptop initiative with the Office of Information Resources and Technology.
Administration
The University President serves as Chief Executive Officer of Fairleigh Dickinson University, while the University Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs has responsibility for academic programs and policies.
A complete list of University and Campus administrative offices is available on the University website here: https://www.fdu.edu/about/university-leadership-offices/
Audio-Visual Materials and Equipment
NJ Campuses faculty and staff only – Classrooms and Events
Computing Services requests users to login to the Sami Support Portal and complete the Event – Computing Services Equipment Request request form.
The form can be located by browsing the following website https://samisupport.fdu.edu/, Forms – Staff and Faculty, Staff and Faculty Forms, Event – Computing Services Equipment Request or by clicking on the following link: Event – Computing Services Equipment Request – (Faculty & Staff NJ Campuses Only) – SAMI Support (fdu.edu)
Classroom technical support emergencies must be reported to the Fairleigh Dickinson University SAMI Service Desk by dialing 973-443-8822, creating a support ticket, which a technician will be paged to assist.
Support hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8 am – 6 pm.
Vancouver faculty and staff only – Classrooms and Events
Vancouver Computing Services requests users to log in to the SAMI Support Portal and complete the form: Event – Vancouver Equipment Request (Faculty & Staff Vancouver Only)
The form can be located by browsing the following website https://samisupport.fdu.edu, Forms – Staff & Faculty, Event – Vancouver Equipment Request (Faculty & Staff Vancouver Only) or by clicking on the following link: Event – Vancouver Equipment Request (Faculty & Staff Vancouver Only)
During regular support hours of operations, classroom technical support emergencies must be reported through SAMI Support at https://samisupport.fdu.edu or to the Fairleigh Dickinson SAMI Support Desk by dialing 973-443-8822, creating a support ticket, which a technician will be paged to assist.
Support hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 9am – 5pm.
After regular support hours of operations, classroom technical support emergencies must be reported by contacting the on-site Student IT Assistants in person or by dialing 604-648-4407.
Auditor
An auditor is a student who completes all registration requirements but does not have any record kept of attendance or academic work. No grade is given for the course audited. A student taking a course as an auditor waives all rights to take that course for credit in the present or in the future.
Bookstore Policy
All textbook orders must be processed through the University bookstore. Because of the University’s contractual obligations to the outside vendor running the bookstore, faculty may not refer students to other bookstores or Internet sites to purchase required texts (see Textbook Adoption Policy).
Campus Facilities
The following campus facilities are available to all faculty members:
- The athletic facilities are available when classes or athletic teams are not using them.
- You may check books out of the library.
Campus Maps
Florham Campus Maps and Directions: https://www.fdu.edu/campuses/florham-campus/maps-directions/
Metro campus Maps and Directions: https://www.fdu.edu/campuses/metropolitan-campus/maps-directions/
Vancouver Campus Index and Maps: https://www.fdu.edu/campuses/vancouver-campus/about-vancouver-campus/campus-index-maps/
Career Development Center
The University Career Development Center provides a number of resources and services to help guide students, including career assessment and exploration, career planning and advising, finding jobs and internships, resume and interviewing help, and more.
For Florham and Metro, see https://www.fdu.edu/academics/centers-institutes/career-development/
For Vancouver, see https://www.fdu.edu/campuses/vancouver-campus/career-services/
Center for First-Generation Scholars
The FDU Center for First-Generation Scholars empowers first-generation students to unlock their full potential through tailored support, mentorship, and resources. The Center fosters a community of resilience, ambition, and academic excellence, to help students navigate their journey in higher education and beyond.
See https://www.fdu.edu/academics/centers-institutes/first-gen/
Classroom Access
Most classrooms are unlocked during normal class times. If a classroom is locked, call the campus Public Safety office to have it opened. Some rooms are locked for security reasons or because the rooms are controlled by certain departments/schools. If such a room is being used for classroom purposes, the faculty member should check with that department/school for access.
Communications with Students (Optional Email Templates)
Faculty are invited to review the optional email templates for faculty to use in correspondence with students. Templates are provided for reaching out to students who miss classes, miss assignments, or who are experiencing a family/health/other emergency. Faculty are invited to use these templates if they find them useful and edit as they see fit. The templates are in the “Supporting Students” section of the Faculty SharePoint site (https://fduedu.sharepoint.com/sites/FDUFacultyResources).
Computing Services
Computers are available in most department/school offices, the library, and in the computer centers. Faculty members obtain computer network accounts on the University’s servers by completing an application from Computing Services. These accounts provide e-mail addresses and access to the Internet from campus offices. Access to the Internet from off-campus must be obtained via Internet Service Providers at the faculty member’s own expense. Applications for listservs may be obtained from Computing Services.
See https://www.fdu.edu/student-life/computer-facilities/
Consensual Relations Policy
Fairleigh Dickinson University has adopted a policy regarding consensual relations between members of the University community. Members of the community should be aware of the policy and follow its guidelines. The policy is included in the Policy On Prohibited Discrimination, Harassment and Related Misconduct (Appendix E).
Copying/Duplicating
Your academic department will assist you as much as possible in preparing and duplicating materials for class. There are applicable copyright laws involving duplication of published material; please familiarize yourself with them (See the Copyright Law section of this manual). Copies Plus is the official copy service provided by FDU. Copy facilities at the Florham Campus are located in the lower level of the Mansion and at the Metropolitan Campus in the Metropolitan Campus Library with a separate entrance at the north end of the building.
Copyright Law
Please see the University Library’s Copyright Basics Guide: https://library.fdu.edu/copyrightbasics The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution urges faculty and students to familiarize themselves with “fair use” guidelines and reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law. For further information, please refer to the US Copyright Office website.
Vancouver faculty must ensure that they are also meeting standards of Canadian Copyright law.
Counseling & Student Wellness Services
The mission of Student Wellness Services is to put students’ health and wellbeing first. Student Wellness Services provides education, prevention, and intervention services with compassion for the FDU community. SWS has adapted a public health and trauma sensitive framework needed to support student wellbeing and cultivate a culture of wellness at the institution.
SWS offers mental and emotional wellbeing services and health wellness services as well as support for students through service partnerships.
SWS includes two sub-units: the office of health wellness, which is responsible for preventive and acute health care, and the office of mental and emotional wellbeing which offers counseling to students and programs that will increase mental health literacy across the institution.
SWS is a health center equipped with experienced mental health counselors, nurse practitioners and registered nurses who are available for student wellness needs. Student wellness services provide direct care, individual counseling services, health education and other supportive services. The department also offers small group workshops and community programs throughout the year on common health and wellness interests of the students.
See https://www.fdu.edu/student-life/students-health-wellness/.
See Emergency Protocols for what to do if a student needs emergency assistance for mental and emotional health: https://www.fdu.edu/student-life/students-health-wellness/emergency-protocols/
Dean of Students (DOS)
The Office of the Dean of Students deals primarily with non-academic matters. Generally, students should contact their academic dean for academic issues. However, the Dean of Students Office is available to respond to all aspects of students’ needs and should be used to mediate and resolve difficulties. All students, their families and other supporters are welcome to contact the office for general assistance and direction.
Metro Dean of Students: https://www.fdu.edu/campuses/metropolitan-campus/campus-life/dean-of-students/
Florham Dean of Students: https://www.fdu.edu/campuses/florham-campus/campus-life/dean-of-students/
Desk Copies
Whenever possible, desk copies of required course texts should be secured in advance of the beginning of a course. Desk copy requests are made directly to the text publisher on a form that you can obtain from your department. The ordering of desk copies should be coordinated by the department chair or school director and should be done in a timely fashion so as to meet bookstore deadlines.
Check with your department/school before ordering a desk copy; copies of the text may be available in the department/school, especially for multi-section courses. If texts are not available in the department/school and there is not sufficient time to obtain one from a publisher, it may be possible to sign one out at the bookstore. However, you are responsible for replacing this text with a desk copy secured from the publisher. Desk copies may not be sold to students. Please consult the bookstore Manager for the applicable conditions for returning a desk copy. Neither the college nor the department/school can pay for desk copies. Desk copies of books you requested, but will not be used in class, should be returned to the publisher and not sold to book buyers.
Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF)
EOF is a University- and state-sponsored program that offers academic and financial assistance to qualifying New Jersey residents from backgrounds of educational and economic need who demonstrate strong evidence of the commitment, motivation, and potential for scholastic success. EOF provides program participants with the support of structured academic services and specialized counseling. See more at https://www.fdu.edu/about/university-leadership-offices/eof/.
If you have any EOF students in your class(es), you will receive a request from the EOF office during the semester to collect information on student progress in your class.
University EOF Director: Lissette Garcia lissy@fdu.edu
Metro Contact: Angelica Montero amontero@fdu.edu
Florham Contact: Brad Levy blevy@fdu.edu
Enhanced Freshman Experience (EFE) at Metro and Freshman Intensive Studies (FIS) at Florham
EFE/FIS are comprehensive academic programs designed for students whose high school background indicates they would benefit from structured support as they begin college. Students are selected based on strong evidence of their ability to succeed in college studies. The program offers a range of course work that gives the student basic skills support and advanced studies where appropriate.
If you have any FIS or EFE students in your class(es), you may receive a request from the FIS or EFE office during the semester to collect information on student progress in your class.
EFE Contact (Metro): Andrea Mosca amosca@fdu.edu
Director of FIS (Florham): Mary Ford mford@fdu.edu
Hispanic Center and Center for Student Success
We have come to recognize a common trait among our very diverse student populations – a steadfast determination to complete their studies and reach long-held educational goals. The Center is a resource that is available for all members of the FDU community. Programs in the Hispanic Center and Center for Student Success include Latino Promise, HACER, and Puerta al Futuro. See https://www.fdu.edu/academics/centers-institutes/hispanic-center-and-center-for-student-success/
Contact: Irene Oujo, Executive Director of the Hispanic Center and Center for Student Success, oujo@fdu.edu.
Honors Program
The University Honors Program offers exceptional students an educational experience that combines advanced, multidisciplinary coursework through all four years with co-curricular activities that give students an opportunity to explore the campus, the local area, and the world. The Honors Program provides a network of support through program staff, honors faculty, and peer and community mentors.
Academically motivated incoming students are invited to apply to the University Honors Program prior to their freshman year. They may also apply for entry after they have matriculated, having demonstrated superlative academic achievement and a consistent record of leadership and service to the community.
Students admitted to the Honors Program complete junior and senior year Honors research courses and an approved thesis.
Contact: Allison Smagin, University Director of Honors, a.smagin@fdu.edu
Evaluation of Faculty
At least once a year faculty members in all colleges are evaluated by their students. The results of the evaluation will be distributed to you after they have been processed (usually a few weeks after the end of the semester). Part-time faculty should also be observed each semester by the department chairperson or a member of the full-time faculty.
FDU uses the IDEA course evaluation system for student ratings of instruction. These ratings can be used for many purposes, including faculty teaching evaluation, providing indirect measures of student learning outcomes, curricular improvement, and faculty development. IDEA is the most widely adopted course evaluation system in North America. It was originally developed in 1968-69 at the University of Kansas and has been revised and validated several times. The most recent revision was in 2016. In addition to providing summary statistics of student answers to the survey, IDEA provides formative information, such as links to resources that may help faculty improve their teaching. IDEA also provides several ways to compare faculty ratings – with all of FDU, within their College, School, or department, and with other courses in the same discipline at other institutions (available for most, but not all programs at FDU).
IDEA evaluations are administered by the Office of Educational Resources and Assessment (OERA). See more in the “IDEA – Course Evaluation” section of the OERA SharePoint site (https://fduedu.sharepoint.com/sites/OfficeofEducationalResourcesandAssessment ).
Faculty ID Cards
Please visit the campus Public Safety Office any time during the first week of classes, Monday through Friday, from 9-5, to have your ID card made.
Food Services
Gourmet Food Service is the food concessionaire on both campuses. Faculty can dine in the main cafeterias during regularly scheduled hours on both campuses for a fixed meal charge. Faculty can purchase a ten (10) luncheon-only meal plan, at a reduced rate, to be used in the campus cafeterias.
Metro Campus Dining Services: https://fdudining.campusdish.com/LocationsAndMenus/Metro
Florham Campus Dining Services: https://fdudining.campusdish.com/LocationsAndMenus/Florham
Grade Appeals
Students occasionally challenge the grades they receive. You are responsible for meeting with or calling a student who requests an explanation of his or her grade. If the student wishes, he or she may file a written appeal of the grade to the department chair and the college dean after this meeting or conversation. You will be consulted during this process, but it is the student’s responsibility to submit all relevant work about which there is a dispute. See the Grade Appeal Policy at https://www.fdu.edu/academics/academic-policies/#gradeappeal.
Inclement Weather
Classes may not be dismissed by an instructor because of inclement weather. During the winter, if the campus roads and parking lots cannot be cleared, the University administration makes the decision to cancel or dismiss classes.
Inclement weather closures and other certain campus emergencies are announced through the FDU Alert system. FDU has implemented the FDU Alert system to expand and enhance its emergency notification methods. In the event of an emergency, FDU Alert may be used to provide pertinent information and instructions to FDU students, faculty and staff through voice, text messaging and/or E-mail. FDU Alert uses a mass notification system that sends emergency messages instantly and simultaneously to registered mobile phones, wireless devices and E-mail addresses.
See Weather Information for guidance regarding weather-related closings: https://www.fdu.edu/calendar/weather-information/
See the FDU Alert page for more information on the FDU Alerts system: https://www.fdu.edu/for-students/alert-system/
Independent Contractors
Non-university employees who are invited to provide services to the University (lecturers, performers, consultants, program reviewers) are independent contractors. Prior to their being engaged to perform their duties, an independent contractor agreement form must be submitted along with a completed “Guide for Determining Workers’ Status” form. Payment to independent contractors must be processed on “Check Request Forms.” Because of US immigration and tax law, special care needs to be given to engaging lecturers or consultants who are not US citizens or legal residents. Additional documentation (Foreign National Information Form and W-8) is required to be submitted in advance for non-citizens. Consult with a representative of the Human Resources department for appropriate procedures. Non-citizens and non-US residents are subject to withholding tax.
Independent Studies
Faculty compensation for Independent Studies (IS) is based on the scope, complexity, and nature of the instructional and mentoring effort required for the IS. Compensation determinations are made collaboratively between the faculty member and the dean (or designee), taking into account course expectations, enrollment, and academic outcomes. Payment may vary across Independent Studies to reflect differences in workload and disciplinary norms.
Keys
Keys for offices and classrooms are available to faculty and staff who need them. Keys should be requested through the chair/director of the faculty member’s department/school. For special needs, a locksmith is on campus during normal business hours and can be reached through the campus Public Safety office. Keys should be returned to the department/school office when a faculty member separates from the University.
Learning Disabilities, Regional Center for College Students with
FDU offers students accepted into the Regional Center coordinated support services that help them function successfully within the regular college curriculum.
The Regional Center begins its work with students during freshman orientation, in advisement and registration and continues to provide a full range of academic support services throughout the year. Enrollment in the program is limited.
Diagnostic services to non-Center students are available during inter-sessions and summer session on a limited basis.
See https://www.fdu.edu/academics/centers-institutes/rcsld/
Learning Disabled Students (DSS)
Fairleigh Dickinson University’s (FDU) Office of Disability Support Services, in accordance with all applicable government regulations, guidance, and policies, works to ensure that students with documented disabilities have equal access to the FDU’s courses, programs, activities, and services.
The Office of Disability Support Services is committed to providing students with the tools and resources they need to pursue their academic, professional, and personal goals during their years at FDU. We work closely with administrators, faculty, staff, and students to foster a welcoming, diverse, and inclusive campus community.
For more information, see https://www.fdu.edu/student-life/disability-support-services/
For faculty resources, see https://www.fdu.edu/student-life/disability-support-services/faculty-dss-resources/
Learning Disabilities Statement for Syllabi
NJ Campuses – See https://www.fdu.edu/about/university-leadership-offices/university-provost/fdu-syllabus-policy/nj/
Vancouver Campus – See https://www.fdu.edu/about/university-leadership-offices/university-provost/fdu-syllabus-policy/vancouver/
Online Courses – See https://www.fdu.edu/about/university-leadership-offices/university-provost/fdu-syllabus-policy/online/
Library
Faculty members have borrowing privileges at the University Library. The library staff will assist you in setting up a reserve list of books for your courses if you wish (check with the Circulation Desk). The Research and Instruction Department can assist you in using the electronic bibliographic and full-text services as well as securing materials through inter-library loan. You are encouraged to meet with a Research and Instruction Librarian for familiarization with the rapidly changing “Online Library” that offers tens of thousands of online journals and e-books for research and classroom support. Faculty assigning research projects at any level are urged to arrange a class presentation regarding appropriate resources and databases and to enhance students’ information literacy skills.
See library Faculty Resources page: https://library.fdu.edu/fac
Midterm Progress Reports
Midterm Progress Reports are an extremely valuable indicator of student academic progress and status in a course. The Midterm Progress Reports let students know what their current grade is in a course at the midpoint of the semester. They give students who are doing well reassurance that they are on the right track and encouragement to keep up the good work. They give students who are struggling an understanding of where they stand in the course and the support, resources, and guidance they need to get back on track. They give students who are failing and at a point where they may not be able to succeed in a course a chance to discuss the situation with their advisor and, if necessary, withdraw by the deadline and avoid an “F” on their transcript for that course (see NJ Academic Calendar and Vancouver Academic Calendar for the course withdrawal deadlines).
Faculty are encouraged to submit Midterm Progress Reports for all undergraduate students, but required to submit them for certain student populations (e.g., all freshman, EOF, FIS, EFE); your rosters in the grading section of Self Service will indicate the students who are required to receive Midterm Progress Report grades in your courses.
See the appropriate Academic Calendar for the Midterm Progress Report deadline each semester.
See the Self-Service tutorial on how to enter midterm grades here for step-by-step instructions with screenshots for submitting your Midterm Progress Reports: https://it.fdu.edu/self-service-tutorial/#part_1_2_4
Office Space and Mailbox
Full-time faculty members who teach on campus will be assigned office space by their department/college. The department/college also will provide part-time faculty members with a desk in one of the department/school offices. (You may be sharing office space with someone else, but the department/college will try to schedule your use so that you may work or meet with students relatively undisturbed.) The department/college will also provide all faculty members with mailboxes in the department/college offices. Please check your mailbox frequently for important notices, class rosters, etc.
Parking
Faculty may park in designated faculty or faculty/staff parking areas. If spaces are not available in these areas, faculty may park in student areas.
All faculty members (full- and part-time) must register their vehicles. Parking decals are available in the campus Public Safety Offices. (Please bring your automobile registration.) Faculty members with outstanding parking fines will not be issued new parking decals. Cars without current parking decals in campus parking areas will be towed at the owner’s expense.
*Note – faculty members who never come to campus do not have to register their vehicles.
Pay Dates
Faculty members are paid twice each month over 9 months (or 12 months in the case of calendar year appointments). Overload payments for full-time faculty members are added to the last eight regular checks for that semester. Part-time faculty members are usually paid twice a month beginning with the second month of the semester. Inter-session and summer term payments are made at the end of the session.
Personal Information Changes
The Personnel Information Notice (PIN) should be used to inform the University, campus, college, and department/college of changes of information on a faculty member, such as home address or telephone number. These forms are available in department/school offices, and the revised PIN requires the faculty member’s name, social security number, information change, and effective date of the change. The PIN should be sent to your college dean’s office which will forward the information to the Human Resources Office.
Prerequisites
As per the Syllabus Policy, course syllabi must include prerequisites for the course. In addition, the instructor should notify the students of any course prerequisites in order to prevent students from taking courses out of sequence. This should be done during the first class meeting.
Instructors may not impose prerequisites not listed in the official course catalog in Self Service.
Program Changes
Program changes by students are permitted with the appropriate advisor/chairperson/school director/academic dean approval in any given semester. The specific final dates for program changes for regular semesters and summer sessions are available in the Office of Enrollment Services.
Purchasing Policies
Purchases of equipment and supplies should be initiated through your department/college office and processed on University Purchase Order forms. These must be approved in advance by the department chair or school director and the dean of the college. Reimbursements for purchases made out of pocket may be refused.
Religious Holidays
University policy respects its members’ observance of their major religious holidays although the University is not officially closed on most religious (or secular) holidays. Offices of administration and of instruction responsible for the scheduling of required academic activities or essential services are expected to avoid conflict with such holidays as much as possible. Such activities include examinations, registration, and various deadlines that are part of the academic calendar.
Where scheduling conflicts prove unavoidable, no student should be penalized for absence for religious reasons, and alternative means will be sought for satisfying the academic requirement involved. If a suitable arrangement cannot be worked out between the student and the instructor involved, students and instructors should consult the appropriate chairperson, director, or dean. In keeping with this policy, please be guided by the following:
Examinations ordinarily should not be given on religious holidays. If an examination must be given, students absent for religious reasons have the right to make-up examinations without delay.
Instructors may cancel their class or classes on a religious holiday provided: (1) a make-up class has been scheduled and (2) the department chairperson/school director and/or dean have given approval. A written request, including make-up arrangements, must be submitted to the department chairperson/school director prior to canceling any class.
Religious Holidays
- Please note that Jewish and Muslim holidays begin at sunset. Therefore, the eve of a Holy Day is holy as well and students may not attend classes.
- Jewish and Muslim Holidays follow a lunar calendar and, therefore, fall on different dates each year.
- Observant faculty would find the same difficulties as the students.
- For more information about observances of religious holidays, contact Campus Ministries
Room Changes
If it is necessary to make a room change at the beginning of the term, contact your department/college office. Generally, the department/college will arrange with Enrollment Services for a classroom reassignment to accommodate special needs of your course. The Office of Enrollment Services will post “Room Change Notices” on the classroom doors. Instructors must not make room changes without appropriate authorization.
Sexual Harassment Policy
See https://www.fdu.edu/about/university-leadership-offices/office-of-the-general-counsel/title-ix/.
Smoking
In general, there is no smoking of tobacco products within any building or facility owned or operated by the University. In particular, there is no smoking in conference rooms, classrooms, laboratories or lecture halls, offices, libraries, bookstores, and lavatories (see the appendix).
Sports Teams
Metropolitan Campus Knights Division I
Athletics Mission Statement:
Recognizing that competitive athletics provides enriching and rewarding experiences for students, the Metropolitan Campus for Professional and International Studies of Fairleigh Dickinson University is dedicated to maintaining Division I intercollegiate athletics as an integral part of the University’s educational experience. Achieving academic excellence, however, is the central mission of the University and accordingly, FDU encourages and emphasizes the importance of its student-athletes fulfilling their degree requirements.
Participation in Division I athletics provides equal opportunity for all students, men and women, to enhance and refine their physical skills at the highest competitive level and to improve personal attributes such as discipline, leadership, teamwork and sportsmanship. Additionally the athletics program serves as an important building block for the development of institutional loyalty and school spirit among students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the University.
A successful athletics program is dependent upon the cooperation and support of the Board of Trustees, the administration, faculty, staff, students, alumni and the public. Knowledgeable coaches and dedicated student-athletes who are committed to fostering integrity and excellence in a competitive atmosphere and devoted to implementing the philosophical stance of the governing bodies of intercollegiate athletics ensure the fulfillment of the University’s mission on athletics.
Florham Campus Devils Division III
Goals and Objectives:
Varsity athletics at the Florham Campus of Fairleigh Dickinson University is an extra-curricular activity, whose place in the University is to enhance the overall collegiate experience. The objective of the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is to provide growth through competition. As a part of the University experience, the function of intercollegiate athletics is to provide all student athletes with mechanisms to participate in varsity competition. The Department of Intercollegiate Athletics at the Florham Campus of Fairleigh Dickinson University works in concert with the educational mission of Fairleigh Dickinson University and the parameters of NCAA Division III philosophy. It is also a member of the Eastern College Athletics and Middle Atlantic Conferences and adheres to all of their rules.
Student Athletes
Student-Athlete Missed Class Policy and Make-Up Exam Policy for the Metropolitan Campus:
- Student-Athletes shall not be excused from class early, arrive late to class or miss class for practices.
- For home competitions, student-athletes shall not miss class prior to 2 hours before the scheduled competition time.
- For away competitions, student-athletes shall not miss any class prior to the scheduled time of departure.
- Student-athletes are responsible for making advance and follow-up arrangements with professors concerning missed classes, homework, tests, quizzes, field trips, etc.
- The Department of Athletics will, prior to the first scheduled absence and as early as possible, provide the faculty who teach student-athletes with a list of all competitions for those student-athletes in each professor’s class. The list of competitions will include the date and time of departure for each competition. This information will be provided by the Office of Academic and Student-Athlete Support Services.
- Faculty members cannot penalize student-athletes for attending athletic competitions provided that the student-athlete has notified the professor and made the necessary arrangements to make up the missed work. Excessive absences for non-athletic reasons (as determined by the professor) may be reviewed with the Director of Academic and Student-Athlete Support Services when they violate the professor’s overall absence policy.
- The following process will be followed when the missed class involves an examination or other grading opportunity: at least 2 days prior to the departure or home competition, the student-athlete must make arrangements with the professor for rescheduling the test and/or quiz.
- Professors may request the Office of Academic and Student-Athlete Support Services to assist in proctoring examinations, on-campus or off-campus that the student-athletes miss.
- The NCAA Faculty Representative will work with the Department of Athletics to notify affected faculty when teams qualify for championships that interfere with semester absences and/or final exams.
- In cases where the faculty member or the student-athlete believe reconciliation is necessary, either party may consult the Dean of the College within one week of the missed class or make-up examination.
With other requests, the instructor has the option of determining whether compelling circumstances exist. In cases of dispute, the student may appeal to the Chair of the Department offering the course. Appeals must be made within one week of refusal of the request to take a make-up examination.
Student Handbook
A copy of the current Student Handbook, containing policies and procedures relevant to student life on campus, can be found on the FDU web site.
See https://www.fdu.edu/student-life/publications/student-handbook/
Student Illness or Accident
When a student becomes ill or has an accident, notify the campus Office of Public Safety at once: Metropolitan Campus, 870 River Road (201) 692-2222 or Florham Campus, The Barn (973) 443-8888.
Student Work Load
When developing the syllabus for your own course, keep in mind the standard rule of thumb of student work load: two hours of preparation for every hour of class time. The University expects courses to be academically sound and rigorous.
Telephones
Telephones in offices are provided for University-related business. Local calls for personal reasons should be limited to a reasonable number and length. Long-distance calls related to University business are billed to the department/school and should be limited in number and length. Personal long-distance calls should be charged to a personal credit card or home telephone.
Textbook Adoption Policy
While faculty members traditionally select their own textbooks, oversight responsibility for the text adoption process resides with the department/college offering the course. The department/college and its chair/dean must ensure that all its text adoptions are reasonable and appropriate, and submitted to the bookstore in a timely fashion. Departments/colleges will make every effort to communicate their adoptions to the bookstore in a timely manner according to the bookstore’s deadlines. Each department/college should develop its own method of selecting and approving texts which may involve standing or ad-hoc committees or individual faculty.
Text adoptions should be submitted by the faculty member or the appropriate committee to the department/college office. The office will collect the department/college adoptions, indicate the anticipated enrollment, and submit the forms to the University bookstore. In cases when a text change is anticipated but the new text is not yet known, the department/college will inform the bookstore so an informed decision can be made regarding repurchase. If a problem arises, the bookstore manager will contact the department/school office which will coordinate with the faculty involved. The bookstore manager should not attempt to communicate directly with individual instructors; the department/college office will serve as liaison with the bookstore.
Departments/colleges will make every effort to avoid altering an adoption for a semester after the adoption has been communicated to the bookstore. It is the responsibility of the department/college to ensure that changes are not made without sufficient cause. When the instructor of a course is not known in time to allow participation in text selection, the department/college will select the text for the course. This choice will then be communicated to the instructor eventually assigned to the course and should be honored by the instructor except under unusual circumstances. Adjunct faculty hired at the start of a semester should generally not be given the option of changing a text that has been selected by the department/school in this manner.
The University’s contract with the bookstore operator grants them the exclusive right to sell texts, supplies, tools, and materials to FDU students. The University may not compete with them. Nor may the University cooperate with another outside vendor. No department/school or faculty member should sell texts, supplies, tools or materials directly to students. In the case of individual faculty members, there would be a conflict of interest where a faculty member receives cash directly from a student.
Faculty adopting a text or reading that they have authored or in which they have a financial interest should avoid any possible appearance of impropriety by having the adoption reviewed by a departmental committee for appropriateness. The adoption must then be sold through the bookstore (see “Bookstore Policy” in this manual).
Textbook Selection Procedures
Texts for multi-section courses are usually chosen by the full-time faculty members in the department/school. If a text has been assigned to a course, this book should be used. If you wish to supplement this text with some additional readings, please consult your department chairperson/school director.
If a text has not been chosen for a course, part-time faculty members are free to choose the appropriate texts subject to any applicable department/school guidelines. Consult with your department chairperson/school director.
Open Educational Resources (OERs): See at https://library.fdu.edu/oer for an introduction to OER, links to OER repositories and other sources, and information about adopting, adapting, and evaluating OERs.
Travel Funds
There is a college travel fund available primarily for faculty presenting papers at academic conferences. Part-time faculty may qualify for these funds if the funds have not been expended for full-time faculty. Guidelines are available in the offices of the academic deans. Requests for funds should be submitted to your department chair/college dean for approval at least thirty days prior to the conference.
Tuition Grants
Full-time and part-time faculty, are entitled to Employee Tuition Grants (ETGs) for academic services/credit courses for themselves, their spouses, and dependent children. For conditions and limitations on ETGs, please review the ETG policy (https://www.fdu.edu/about/university-leadership-offices/human-resources/benefits/etg/).
University Calendar
The University Calendar can be found on the FDU website. Please familiarize yourself with the appropriate deadlines and holidays listed.
New Jersey Campuses Academic Calendar: https://www.fdu.edu/academics/academic-calendar/
Vancouver Campus Academic Calendar: https://www.fdu.edu/campuses/vancouver-campus/enrollment-services/academic-calendar/
University Core
The four-course CORE sequence strongly emphasizes global learning and personal/professional development. Students typically complete it during the first and second years at FDU to provide a foundation for more advanced studies. The CORE sequence helps students explore their intellectual and creative strengths in order to draw on these while preparing for a fulfilling professional and personal life. It also assumes that when students need clarity to set goals or guidance to achieve them, the faculty and professional staff at FDU are collectively able to support students with knowledge pathways and intellectual skills early in their college careers. The CORE courses express the University’s global learning mission: to prepare students for responsible citizenship in the global community and for professional success in the global economy.
In addition to promoting general academic and professional skills such as critical thinking and information literacy, the small class size and seminar style setting of the University Core courses facilitate identity exploration and development, which are fundamental to being a college student. They foster growth from an identity as a college student to an identity as a professional as well as cultural identity and identity as a global citizen.
The University Core program is designed to achieve three aims: (1) to foster international and intercultural perspectives that offer students critical ways of looking at the world as well as at their own countries and communities; (2) to promote understanding of individual, societal, and global perspectives; and (3) to inculcate an appreciation for the interrelationships among bodies of knowledge generated in individual disciplines.
See: https://www.fdu.edu/academics/core-curriculum/
Website
The University’s website address is https://fdu.edu.
Faculty and staff are encouraged to have Faculty/Staff Profile Pages. These pages of biographical and contact information may be maintained by the individual, by the respective office or department, or both. An individual’s Profile Page appears as a [profile] link in the FDU Online Directory at https://portal.fdu.edu/webresources/allsearch.html.
Content of these pages is also subject to conditions of the Acceptable Use Policy. When using off-campus resources including “blogs”, photo galleries, website creation facilities, mailing lists, and discussion boards, faculty members should be aware of their obligation not to create pages that give the appearance of “speaking with the voice of the University.”
Some of the traits that might create this impression are use of the University logo or graphics similar to it, use of photographs of campus buildings or events, and text and headings that imply that the page is an official page of a particular school, department, major, or program.
Withdrawals from a Course
Students are allowed to withdraw from a class without academic penalty through the close of business (5pm) on the final reading / snow make-up day of the semester. See Academic Calendar for specific course withdrawal deadline each semester.
Forms for withdrawing from courses are available at the campus Office of Enrollment Services and require the student’s signature to be processed. A student’s failure to officially withdraw from a course will result in a grade of “F” being given for the course. Nonattendance does not constitute an official withdrawal. If a student withdraws by the deadline, he or she will receive a grade of “W.” Faculty will be notified by the Office of Enrollment Services of all official withdrawals, and the Final Grade Roster will have the withdrawal as a final grade for the course.
Withdrawal after the deadline is not allowed except for documented exceptional circumstances—such as verifiable medical reasons. In such cases, approval for withdrawal must be obtained from the instructor, department chair/college dean.
Writing Assignments
To enhance students’ academic skills, the University encourages frequent writing assignments in all courses, where appropriate. These need not always be formal papers but can be simply a one paragraph summary of readings done at the beginning of class, or unannounced quizzes, or summaries of discussion done at the end of the class.
Formal writing assignments should be made as explicitly as possible (in writing preferably), with clear guidelines as to format, bibliographical style to be followed, and grading standards. Formal papers should be corrected in a timely fashion and returned to students. Revision of written work is encouraged.
Students who seem to have difficulty with written expression should be referred to campus tutoring services (the Academic Support Center at Metro or Florham, or the Writing Centre at Vancouver).
Resources for Faculty
Center for Artificial Intelligence
The FDU Center for Artificial Intelligence fosters ethical AI education by: Preparing students to design and deploy
See the Center’s website for more information and for links to custom AI agents and AI tools. See
The Center also has a YouTube channel with many informative videos and helpful tutorials:
Faculty Resources SharePoint Site
The Faculty Resources SharePoint site is designed to provide faculty with resources related to academic policies and
See https://fduedu.sharepoint.com/sites/FDUFacultyResources
Office of Educational Resources and Assessment (OERA)
The OERA Sharepoint site provides a wealth of information for faculty on their OERA Support Resources site, including resources on assessment, step-by-step guides for using the IDEA evaluation system, instructional design support materials for Blackboard, and quality standards for online course development. The OERA site also offers support and resources for setting up your courses in Blackboard Ultra, including a robust Blackboard Ultra course template and resources to improve the accessibility of your course materials for students with disabilities.
The link to the OERA site is found in the Resources for FDU Faculty section on the For Faculty and Staff page at https://www.fdu.edu/for-faculty-staff/. The direct link is: https://fduedu.sharepoint.com/sites/OfficeofEducationalResourcesandAssessment
Note you will need to log in to the OERA site using your FDU NetID and password.
PLC Workshop Series Videos
Every semester the Provost’s Leadership Council (PLC) organizes a series of workshops for faculty and staff. Topics have included Managing Difficult Conversations, Working with Neurodivergent Learners, Best Practices for Student Engagement, Trauma-Informed Practices, Addressing Student Behavior and De-escalation Techniques, and Re-framing your Teaching with a Pedagogy of Kindness. See links to videos of these and more workshops at the Faculty Resources Sharepoint site at https://fduedu.sharepoint.com/sites/FDUFacultyResources
Self-Service
See https://it.fdu.edu/self-service-tutorial/ for Self-Service tutorials.
Safe-Assign (Originality Checker)
A brief video by Blackboard can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QId2Xza_95k
WebCampus
Faculty help is available at http://it.fdu.edu
Appendix A: Academic Integrity Policy
Responsible Office: Office of the University Provost Responsible Official: University Provost
Last Revision: Spring 2025 for implementation Fall 2026
Students enrolled at Fairleigh Dickinson University are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic honesty. Students have the responsibility to make known the existence of academic dishonesty to their course instructor, and then, if necessary, to their program director or department chair, as well as to the academic dean of their college. Course instructors have the added responsibility to state in advance, in their syllabi, any special policies and procedures concerning examinations and other academic exercises specific to their courses. Students should request this information if it is not provided by their course instructor.
The full policy is available here: https://www.fdu.edu/academics/academic-policies/#integrity
Appendix B: Grade Appeal Procedure
Responsible Office: Office of the University Provost Responsible Official: University Provost
Last Revision: 2014
While it is recognized that faculty hold the right and responsibility to grant a grade, a student who receives a grade that he or she believes to be unwarranted may appeal that grade by engaging in the following process.
The full policy is available here: https://www.fdu.edu/academics/academic-policies/#gradeappeal
Appendix C: Faculty Credit Policy
Responsible Office: University Provost’s Office Responsible Official: University Provost
Last Revision: 2016
Overload – Faculty Overload
- No faculty member shall carry a semester credit/contact load greater than sixteen (16) hours or one (1) overload section. Exceptions to this limit require the prior approval of the Dean.
- Overload may be paid at the prevailing overload credit rate or carried into the next regular semester (banked) at which time it must be counted as part of the regular load. This statement accomplishes two things: (1) Overload will not accumulate from semester to semester because the previous semester’s overload will be counted as part of the next semester’s regular load. Should the faculty member again teach an overload in that following semester, the overload will be a “new” overload for that particular semester. However, the amount of overload is governed by provision #1; (2) Overload credits should never equal more than four (4) credits or one (1) section.
Underload – Faculty Underload
- Underload credits during a fall or spring semester must be balanced before the end of the next Fall or Spring semester, respectively. For example, if you are carrying an underload in Fall 2025, you must balance out the underload with an overload in Spring 2026, Summer Sessions I or II of 2026 or in Fall 2026. A similar example would hold if your initial underload occurred in Spring 2026, in which case you would have to balance it out before the end of Spring 2027.
- Failure to balance the underload may result in a prorated salary during that next corresponding semester. Using the example immediately above, if your underload from Fall 2025 was not balanced out in 2026 Spring or Summer Sessions and was still not balanced in Fall 2026, then your salary for Fall 2026 would be prorated.
- Underload can be balanced during a Summer Session or a Winter Intersession. This statement gives every faculty member with an underload in any regular semester, the maximum flexibility and opportunity to balance the underload before any proration occurs.
- If a course is available in another college or on a campus other than the faculty member’s “home” campus and is in the faculty member’s discipline or in other areas in which he or she has taught the faculty member is expected to teach that course in the semester needed.
Mileage Reimbursement
- Please see Finance Department Policies: https://www.fdu.edu/about/university-leadership-offices/finance-division/travel-and-business-expense-procedures/iv-policies/
- In order to be reimbursed, faculty will need to declare a home campus (which must approved by their Dean).
Appendix D: Policy on Discrimination, Harassment and Related Misconduct
Responsible Office: Office of Human Resources Responsible Official: Title IX Coordinator Effective Date: July 1, 2015
Last Revision: December 18, 2013
This Fairleigh Dickinson University (the “University”) Policy On Prohibited Discrimination, Harassment and Related Misconduct prohibits all forms of Discrimination and Harassment based on Protected Status. It also expressly prohibits related conduct, including Sexual and Gender-Based Harassment, Sexual Assault, Sexual Exploitation, Stalking and Interpersonal Violence, which need not be based on the individual’s Protected Status. In addition, this Policy prohibits Complicity for knowingly assisting in an act that violates this Policy and Retaliation against an individual because of their good faith participation in the reporting, investigation, or adjudication of violations of this Policy. University students and employees who violate this Policy will be met with appropriate disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal, expulsion or termination from the University. Third parties who violate this Policy may have their relationship with the University terminated and their access to campus restricted.
The complete policy can be found here: https://www.fdu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Non-Title-IX-Prohibited-Discrimination-Harassment-and-Related-Misconduct-Policy-and-Procedures_8.20.25.pdf
Appendix E: No Smoking Policy
Responsible Office: Office of Human Resources
Responsible Official: Associate Vice President, Human Resources Last Revision: January 1, 2003
The University has adopted a policy controlling smoking, as required by New Jersey law. The University is committed to providing a smoke-free environment to protect the health and comfort of members of the University community from the adverse effects of tobacco smoke.
The complete policy can be found here: http://hr.fdu.edu/policies/nosmoking.html
Appendix F: Research Misconduct Policy
Responsible Office: Grants and Sponsored Projects Responsible Official: Director, Grants and Sponsored Projects Last Revision: March 4, 2009
This University-wide policy is based on the Federal Policy on Research Misconduct and applies in that capacity to faculty, executives, professional administrators, staff, students, trainees, fellows, interns and any and all individuals who are affiliated with and may be involved in research at Fairleigh Dickinson University, and all research conducted by such individuals, whether or not conducted on site or federally funded, and protocols for such research, including those undertaken in fulfillment of a course requirement.
The full policy is available at the Grants and Sponsored Projects Research Policy and Procedures site: https://www.fdu.edu/academics/research/grants-sponsored-projects/research-compliance/research-policy-and-procedures/