Teaching Resources and Policies

Academic Misconduct | The Committee on Academic Misconduct (COAM) is responsible for reviewing all cases of plagiarism or any other act that compromises the academic integrity of the university. If you suspect that a student has violated the University's Code of Student Conduct, COAM recommends that you notify the student of your suspicions (this is not mandatory). This can be done via a personal, private conversation and a witness is recommended. In addition, please contact the chair immediately to discuss the allegations and to write a letter of acknowledgement before proceeding. Visit COAM's site for more information about these processes, policies and tips on how to prevent academic misconduct.  

ASC Instructional and Research IT Support Services (IRIS) (Departmental computing issues only) | If your university issued computer/equipment is malfunctioning, please contact IRIS at asctech@osu.edu. WGSS staff can help you address the issue if you have any questions. If you would like to speak with someone directly, feel free to contact IRIS at 614-688-4447.

Class cancellations | In the event that you need to cancel your class and you know ahead of time, try to find a substitute instructor or schedule an assignment for work outside the classroom. For unexpected absences, contact the WGSS front desk at (614) 292-1021 as soon as possible with the reason for the cancellation. If necessary, we can post the cancellation notice on the door. Be sure to communicate this as soon as possible with your students. The office staff cannot provide proctoring assistance or instructional services.

Classroom Services (Instructional Rooms only) | If you are experiencing technological issues or need software installed, equipment delivered, etc., please visit Classroom Services or call (614) 688-4357 (HELP). 

Conference Rooms | If the business of your event is related to the department or to The Ohio State University, please request a reservation through any WGSS staff member. We have a seminar room in 286 University Hall and a small multipurpose room in 310 Dulles. University Hall offers a couple of conference rooms but availability is not guaranteed. If the conference rooms in University Hall are not available, a classroom can be scheduled. Thompson Library and the Ohio Union offers room reservations and rentals at no charge for student organizations (larger specialty rooms with the OSU Libraries (listed on their website) are available for renting through a separate process, which can be found here).

Copying/printing/scanning | The high-volume copier/scanner/printer is in the main office, 286 University Hall, and a smaller unit available in 308 Dulles. Each TA office is also equipped with a laser printer to be used for your teaching needs. We would like to stress the importance of minimizing copying and encourage you to utilize Carmen and other online resources. We do realize that access to needed materials is very important and simply ask that you try to limit dependency on these resources not eliminate it.

Email/Login | OSU email and university login issues can be directed to the Office of Technology and Digital Innovation IT Service Desk at servicedesk@osu.edu or 614-688-4357. 

Equipment | The Office of Distance and Education and eLearning has an extensive equipment inventory available to rent at no charge for the support of instruction. 

Facilities and Repairs | If you’re having problems with your office (light is out, strange odors, malfunctioning outlets, heating/cooling issues, etc), you can submit a Facilities Repair Request. As always, WGSS staff are available to assist with these issues. If the situation is an emergency or you would prefer to speak with someone directly, feel free to contact OSU Facilities at 614-292-4357 (2-4357 from a campus phone) or visit fod.osu.edu to enter a service request.

FERPA: Privacy of Student Records | All instructors are required to comply with the Family Educational and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) which sets forth requirements designed to protect the privacy of student education records. For instructors, this means 1) that grades must not be posted unless accompanied by an identifier that is unrecognizable by anyone other than the student and never emailed; 2) rosters, etc. must not be left in public or semi-public areas; 3) references must not contain grade or grade-point information unless the student has given prior written consent. Other protected information that should not be divulged includes students' social security numbers, race or ethnicity, gender, nationality, academic performance or disciplinary records. You can self-enroll in an online cybersecurity course through BuckeyeLearn (recommended) to learn more about this federal policy.

Retention of Student Materials | Per university rules 3335-7-231(B) and 3335-7-23(A), instructors are required to store student coursework for the current semester plus two terms and then destroy. You should return student work or make it available for student's inspection (after you have evaluated/graded/marked) during the semester in which the work was submitted to meet class requirements. In the case of final exams or final projects, you should make the work available no later than the 14th day of the subsequent semester. Remember, it is a violation of FERPA to leave graded papers in a public folder for student pick up. Be sure to leave these with the front desk! Any work remaining will need to be retained and shredded to protect student privacy.

Room assignments | If the classroom does not meet your instructional needs, please let the WGSS office know as soon as possible as space is at a premium at Ohio State. If you would like to view the types of classrooms the university offers, visit the Learning Spaces website. If you're having an issue with your classroom technology or need to request software installation, visit the Classroom Services webpage or dial 614-688-4357 (HELP), option 4.

Student Evaluation of Instruction | OSU instructors are required to give students the opportunity to evaluate their teaching. The Registrar provides a ten-question survey called the Student Evaluation of Instruction (SEI). This can be completed online for instructors. After the term, the system generates statistics for each class, as well as group statistics to compare this class to other classes across OSU. Instructors can generate reports to view these statics. In addition, you will also be required to disseminate a paper discursive evaluation to your classroom that is returned to the department for more qualitative assessment. 

Study rooms | OSU Thompson Library has group study rooms available for students to reserve. You can view the calendar and sign up online. 

Waitlist Requests | See the Enrollment Management for Instructors page for a guide on how to handle student enrollment and waitlist requests. You can also refer students to the WGSS Waitlist Policies for Students page.