Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning

Do I need to ...

… use Brightspace for my course management system?

… hold office hours?

… use any required language in my syllabus?

… report any evidence of sexual harassment?

… get a key to any classrooms?

… hold my class if there is bad weather?

… use a standardized grading scale in my class?

… use Brightspace for my course management system?

Faculty have sole discretion on classroom pedagogy and are not required to use any given platform outside of MaineStreet for entering final grades.  Maine’s supported learning management system is Brightspace, which can be supported by IT and CITL.

… hold office hours?

Office hours are required per the faculty handbook.  Office hours can be held face to face, or virtually using Zoom. Often faculty offer these at scheduled times or by appointment.

… use any required language in my syllabus?

There are five required policy statements that need to be included in every syllabus.

… report any evidence of sexual harassment?

As an employee of the University, you are a mandatory reporter and therefore required to report all evidence of sexual discrimination, harassment, or assault involving the university community need to be reported. For incidences involved students or for more information contact the Deputy Title IX Coordinator.

… get a key to any classrooms?

Academic classrooms should be unlocked. Some classrooms, such as the active learning classrooms, may require your MaineCard to access the room after normal business hours.  If you are teaching in one of these courses, contact classroom scheduling (um.scheduling@maine.edu)  to be sure there will not be a problem getting into your classroom.

… hold my class if there is bad weather?

Only the President of the University has authority to cancel classes due to weather.  Many faculty, especially those teaching in spring, find it useful to have students prepared to meet via Zoom if weather is bad.  

… use a standardized grading scale in my class?

There is no University-wide equivalence between percentage (such as 80%) and letter grades (such as B).  Each instructor can make these determinations and should outline them clearly in the course syllabus. The definitions for the A-F grades as well as AU, DG, F*, I, L, LP, P, TH, and W are outlined in the grades and grading section of the undergraduate catalog.  Guidelines for grading graduate courses are slightly different.