Guidelines and Resources for Instructors

This page outlines instructional guidelines and procedures in the Department of Theatre, Film, and Media Arts as well as links to university policies and resources.

If you have any questions about the information or resources outlined here, please contact theatreandfilm@osu.edu, your faculty area head, program coordinator, or course supervisor (for lecturers and GTAs).

A general resource for instructors is the Office of Academic Affairs' Classroom FAQ page. Any instructor who needs or wants additional guidance related to their class or their students should contact the course supervisor, program area head, or department chair.

Calendars and faculty support resources are available at: https://registrar.osu.edu/faculty-support.

Class Planning and Syllabus Information

The ways in which course content is delivered and learning objectives are met can vary from course to course. In most cases, the standard number of credit hours, instruction modes, and meeting patterns are determined when a course is being developed and remain the same from semester to semester. It’s important to keep the relevant policies and guidelines in mind as you structure your course activities and assignments.

Credit Hours / Total Workload

Faculty Rule 3335-8-24 outlines the relationship between credit hours and expected workload for a 14-week course. Generally, “one credit hour shall be assigned for each three hours per week of the average student’s time, including class hours, required to earn the average grade of ‘C’ in the course”.

A typical 3-credit-hour course offered in the Autumn or Spring semesters will require approximately 3 hours of class meeting time and direct instruction per week (750 hours minimum per semester) and 6 hours of out-of-class work per week by the student to earn a grade of “C”.

For classes offered in the Summer terms or a 7-week Session, the total workload for a 14-week offering should be re-distributed across the assigned term. For example, a 3-credit-hour course offered during a 6-week summer term should require approximately 7 hours of direct instruction per week and 14 hours of out-of-class work per week.

Classes with meeting times that are different from those outlined in the Approved Weekly Schedule should keep the expectations for total workload in mind when assigning work outside of class.

Instruction Modes

Courses may be approved for offering in four instruction modes: In-Person, Hybrid, Distance-Enhanced, or Distance-Learning. In addition, courses with significant online components may be described as “synchronous” or “asynchronous”. Distance Learning course status may impact students with fee waivers, international student status, or scholarship requirements for students, so it is very important that the Instruction Mode is correct. All distance learning education must be formally approved for offering in DE, DL, or HY format.

Instructors may not change the format of a course without prior curricular approval. Courses not in-person must be approved to be offered as DE, DL, or HY.

In-Person (P): 100% of instruction/exams are completed on campus/in person.
Hybrid (HY): 25-74% of course is completed remotely/at a distance.
Distance Enhanced (DH): 75-99% of instruction is completed remotely/at a distance.
Distance Learning (DL): 100% of instruction/exams are completed remotely/at a distance.

Not all courses are approved to be offered in both an In-Person and Distance-Enhanced/Distance Learning mode. In addition, Faculty must have formal approval of the department, academic leadership, and the Office of Academic Affairs to change the overall delivery mode of a course they are teaching (e.g., changing a course from in-person to hybrid or distance learning after students have already registered for the course).

If you have questions about the mode assigned to your class or your options for future course offerings, please contact the program coordinator.

Helpful descriptions and strategies for each mode are available through the Teaching & Learning Resource Center:

According to the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA), course materials must be available by the first date students may begin registering for classes. While the specific registration dates may change, the general schedule of deadlines is as follows.

Summer Term deadline: mid-February
Autumn Term deadline: mid-March
Spring Term deadline: mid-October

Faculty have several options available to you when ordering materials for your courses. Please visit https://affordablelearning.osu.edu/book-orders for more information about ordering course materials through Barnes & Noble or CarmenBooks, as well as materials available through the University Libraries.

Physical textbooks: In most cases, instructors should place their own textbook by the deadlines above (prior to student enrollment). Course supervisors should work with Lecturers and Graduate Teaching Associates to confirm the textbook options and select appropriate texts via BN AIP process (when applicable).

Digital textbooks: All digital books and the majority of publisher homework systems are made available through a tool called RedShelf. In Carmen, this tool will appear to you and your students as CarmenBooks and will be accessible from the global navigation as well as the menu within your course. To safely and securely access RedShelf Adoptions, follow the steps below: Open your CarmenBooks bookshelf from one of your current courses.

No textbook: If you choose not to require textbooks, please log on to the Barnes & Noble AIP site to verify that you will not be using textbooks for the class.

If textbooks are not selected (or marked as not required) by the deadline, a previous semester’s selection or standard textbook may be adopted by the bookstore in compliance with the university’s Textbook Auto-Adoption Policy.

See: Faculty instructions, AIP Bookstore selection process (step-by-step)

GENERAL GUIDELINES

All syllabi must include a class attendance policy, including a statement on student absences and a class cancellation policy.

Absence Statement: Make sure that your syllabus has a clear class attendance policy statement regarding excused and unexcused absences, and that you apply it in a consistent way. Your absence policy can be tailored to fit each particular course, and should be one that you are comfortable with, but it must be in the syllabus in order to carry weight. Without a clear and consistently applied absence policy, a grade based on missed absences can be overturned. Note that it is important to keep accurate records of when a student is late or absent from class.
Class Cancellation Policy: It happens on occasion that instructors must be absent from a scheduled class. When such absences can be anticipated (e.g. approved research travel or university business), it is your responsibility to arrange in advance for a colleague to meet your class to carry out a lesson plan that you have prepared and/or to arrange for appropriate alternative work or instruction. Instructors may consider taking advantage of in-class workshops offered by ASC Career Success or Student Wellness Center. GTAs and lab/recitation instructors must also request written approval from the course supervisor for any planned absence that will impact teaching responsibilities.

When it is more difficult to anticipate an absence (such as in the case of illness or injury), it is your responsibility to communicate effectively to students the message that class has been cancelled. In these cases, please take the following steps:

IF YOU ARE A GTA: include your course supervisor on all communications.
Contact your students via Carmen, Faculty Center in SIS or using an e-mail list that you create at the beginning of the term.
Call the Department of Theatre, Film, and Media Arts at 614-292-5821 or email theatreandfilm@osu.edu to report your cancellation. You may request that a note be placed on your classroom door if the classroom is within our building. Provide the course number, (for example, Theatre 2367.01) class building, room number, and meeting start time for the class that has been cancelled.
Contact your students as soon as possible following the cancellation to let them know how the syllabus and work deadlines will be affected.
If there is a chance your unexpected absence will extend beyond two class meetings, please contact the Chair as soon as possible to discuss possible arrangements for class coverage.

Suggested wording for syllabus: "In the unlikely event of class cancellation due to emergency, I will contact you via e-mail and request that a note on be placed on the door. In addition, I will contact you as soon as possible following the cancellation to let you know what will be expected of you for our next class meeting."

Instructors should also be familiar with the Outside Activities and Conflicts Policy, which outlines the expectations for identifying and disclosing possible conflicts of commitment or conflicts of interest.

WEATHER OR OTHER SHORT-TERM CLOSING

Following Policy 6.15 (Weather or Other Short-Term Closing), faculty are to notify students of alternative teaching methods when in-person classes are canceled. Alternative teaching methods can include virtual synchronous class meetings or asynchronous activities, including but not limited to videos, podcasts, supplemental readings, or discussion posts. It is at the discretion of the instructor as to which alternative method of teaching will occur when in-person classes have been canceled under the Weather or Other Short-Term Closing Policy. Faculty are to discuss their continuity plan with students and include language in their syllabus. Examples could include the following:

Should in-person classes be canceled, we will meet virtually via CarmenZoom during our regularly scheduled time. I will share any updates via [CarmenCanvas, email or other mode of communication].
Should in-person classes be canceled, I will notify you as to which alternative methods of teaching will be offered to ensure continuity of instruction for this class. Communication will be via [CarmenCanvas, email or other mode of communication].
Faculty teaching online are encouraged to include the following: “Unless otherwise announced by the university, online or distance-learning classes will occur as scheduled.”

TYPES OF ABSENCES

There are many reasons why a student may need to be absent from class. Please keep the following examples in mind when finalizing your absence statement and working with individual students:

Illness or injury: Students with chronic health concerns or long-term needs may request assistance through Student Life Disability Services or Student Advocacy.
Short-term leave for military-connected students: Throughout the academic year, military-connected students may receive orders from the United States military that requires them to miss class for short periods of time. It is recommended that instructors make reasonable accommodations for military-connected students who are required to attend military duty. More specific guidance is available from the Office of Undergraduate Education or from Military & Veterans Services.
Religious accommodations: The Ohio State University's inclusive environment allows for religious expression. Examples of religious accommodations can include, but are not limited to, rescheduling an exam or presentation, or flexibility in due dates or research responsibilities.
Effective AU 2023, university practices have been updated to align with state legislation enacted in Spring 2023. According to university policy: "Students must be in early communication with their instructors regarding any known accommodation requests for religious beliefs and practices, providing notice of specific dates for which they request alternative accommodations within 14 days after the first instructional day of the course. Instructors in turn shall not question the sincerity of a student’s religious or spiritual belief system in reviewing such requests and shall keep requests for accommodations confidential."
Further, each course syllabus must include the following complete statement and policies:
- Ohio State has had a longstanding practice of making reasonable academic accommodations for students' religious beliefs and practices in accordance with applicable law. In 2023, Ohio State updated its practice to align with new state legislation. Under this new provision, students must be in early communication with their instructors regarding any known accommodation requests for religious beliefs and practices, providing notice of specific dates for which they request alternative accommodations within 14 days after the first instructional day of the course. Instructors in turn shall not question the sincerity of a student's religious or spiritual belief system in reviewing such requests and shall keep requests for accommodations confidential.
- With sufficient notice, instructors will provide students with reasonable alternative accommodations with regard to examinations and other academic requirements with respect to students' sincerely held religious beliefs and practices by allowing up to three absences each semester for the student to attend or participate in religious activities. Examples of religious accommodations can include, but are not limited to, rescheduling an exam, altering the time of a student's presentation, allowing make-up assignments to substitute for missed class work, or flexibility in due dates or research responsibilities. If concerns arise about a requested accommodation, instructors are to consult their tenure initiating unit head for assistance.
- A student's request for time off shall be provided if the student's sincerely held religious belief or practice severely affects the student's ability to take an exam or meet an academic requirement and the student has notified their instructor, in writing during the first 14 days after the course begins, of the date of each absence. Although students are required to provide notice within the first 14 days after a course begins, instructors are strongly encouraged to work with the student to provide a reasonable accommodation if a request is made outside the notice period. A student may not be penalized for an absence approved under this policy.
- If students have questions or disputes related to academic accommodations, they should contact their course instructor, and then their department or college office. For questions or to report discrimination or harassment based on religion, individuals should contact the Office of Institutional Equity.
Policy: Religious Holidays, Holy Days and Observances
Religious accommodations checklist for instructors/students

Enrollment Policies and Procedures

As noted above, instructors with full classes often receive inquiries from students on the waitlist who would like to add the class, or students not on the waitlist who would like to join a full class.

There are a few important things to know about how waitlists operate:

Even for classes that require instructor permission for all students, it’s helpful to manage class waitlists through the Student Information System rather than a personal waitlist. Some enrollment processes are automated, students can view their position on the waitlist at any time, and the waitlist can communicate information about course demand to staff within and outside of the department.
Students on a class waitlist are slotted in "first-on, first-off" order and are not guaranteed a seat in the class. Students receive an email if they move off of the waitlist and are officially enrolled in the class.
Students will not be enrolled from the waitlist if they are enrolled in a conflicting class, they are enrolled in another section of the same course, or if enrolling will put them over 18 credit hours. In these cases, the next eligible student on the waitlist is enrolled.
Class waitlists are closed and removed after the first Friday of the semester.

Here are some suggested steps to manage student enrollment requests:

Encourage students to enroll in an open section over a waitlisted full class.
Encourage students to attend lectures and keep up with assignments while on the waitlist during the first week of the semester. These students will be ready to jump in if they receive your permission to enroll.
Have students wait until after the first Friday of the semester to get special permission to enroll in your course. There is often roster movement during the first week of the semester and students may get into the course without special permission. If they have not been enrolled in the course by the first Friday, encourage them to speak with you then for permission to enroll. SIS waitlists are only active until the first Friday of the semester. During the second week of the term, students must have instructor permission to enroll.
Know that enrollment after the first Friday is up to you. Generally, the department encourages you to consider permitting students into your course up through the second Friday if you are not at course capacity. However, you do not have to grant permission for students to enroll in your course after the first Friday for any reason. Consider the burden to yourself before allowing additional students to enroll, particularly if you will be taking students above the course capacity. Additional enrollments are not recommended for first time instructors.
It is not recommended that you permit students to enroll past the second Friday. After the second Friday, students must petition the University for permission to enroll, in addition to having instructor and departmental permission. However, you may consider this in exceptional circumstances. Should this arise, contact the program coordinator for further assistance.

Sample enrollment emails to students:

“Thanks for contacting me about my THEATRE 5000 course and the waitlist. I do not increase the course capacity of 25 students as it is an online, writing-heavy course and too many students decreases the quality of the course for everyone enrolled. As to how the waitlist is prioritized – if there are graduating seniors ahead of you on the waitlist, those are always the top priority. Thanks for your interest in the course.”

“Thank you for your interest in THEATRE 5000. I will consider taking on additional students above the course capacity after the first Friday of the semester. For now, I encourage you to attend the classes and do the assignments listed on the syllabus (attached). Graduating seniors and those who keep up with the class will be given enrollment priority. Please contact me after the first Friday if you are still interested in enrolling.”

Classroom Management and Individual Student Concerns

We encourage all instructors to review the health and safety information available through various university offices regularly, as well as the interactive Health and Wellness Resource Guide so you are familiar with the resources available to you in an emergent or stressful situation. If you are concerned for your immediate safety or that of others, please call 911, the Ohio State Police Department at 614-292-2121 or the Wexner Medical Center at 614-293-8333.

A brief description of services is included next to each office. Please visit their website for a more comprehensive understanding of the scope of services provided.

Counseling and Consultation Services [Individual and group mental health services, including immediate or urgent assistance]
Student Advocacy Center [Academic appeals and grievances; Emergency financial assistance; Health and personal crisis]
Student Wellness Center [Alcohol, tobacco and drug use and recovery; Nutrition coaching; Resources for food insecurity; Financial coaching]
The Dennis Learning Center: [Academic support, coaching, workshops, resources for time-management, study skills, procrastination, etc.]
Ohio State Department of Public Safety [Crime and safety notices (Buckeye Alerts); Emergency procedures; Safety resources]
Office of Institutional Equity [Reporting Discrimination, Sexual Misconduct, Harassment, Child Abuse/Neglect]
Monda Student Resource Center [Connects students to essential needs and services including nutritious food and hygiene products through the Student Food Pantry, professional attire through the Reid Family Career Closet and campus or community partners who can provide resources such as grants, scholarships and housing support]

If you need to report an incident or injury that occurred during your class, please use the form available here: Department Incident/Injury Report Form:

Incident Injury Report Form262.24 KB

In general, incompletes should be given only when the student has completed a major portion of the work for a course and the instructor feels the student has provided legitimate reasons for extending the deadline for the remainder of the course requirements. This also implies that, usually, the request for an incomplete is initiated by the student and not awarded automatically by the instructor. If an incomplete is given, you must also record an alternate grade, representing the grade the student should receive if no further work is submitted.

Make-up work should be submitted in time for the instructor to submit the revised grade by the end of the sixth week of the subsequent term. Deadlines for submitting incomplete grades are found at the Registrar’s website listed as Important Dates.

If by the end of the sixth week of the subsequent term no make-up grade is submitted, the alternate grade will automatically be entered for the student. If, through consultation with the student, an instructor feels an extension beyond the sixth-week deadline is warranted, a request for extension of the incomplete must be submitted before the incomplete grade submission deadline. Otherwise the incomplete will lapse to the alternate grade. A Grade Assignment/Change request must be submitted; the instructor must check the box to “extend incomplete deadline beyond the 6^th Friday of the next term,” set a new due date and sign the form.

For grade changes, see Faculty Rule 3335-8-23 ("Alteration of Marks"). It is important to note that a grade "is subject to change only when a procedural error has been discovered in evaluation or recording of a grade," and that "action to change a grade must be initiated before the end of the second succeeding term." Changes will be denied by the Dean of the unit unless it is clear that the basis is a procedural error; you cannot, for instance, file a Grade Assignment/Change request on the basis of work submitted late. The principle at work here is that uniform grading standards must be applied to all students in a course.

Grade Assignment or Change Forms may be found on the Registrar's site:

Use of the grade assignment or change forms are required for: changing a grade; reporting a missing grade; replacing an "EN" or NG" grade; assigning a final grade for an Incomplete (I) grade; changing the week a student stopped attending relative to an EN grade; and/or extending the incomplete deadline beyond the 7th Friday of next term.

Note: The online grade assignment or change form can only be used by those with "Post" access for that specific course. Third parties (such as department chairs, etc.) needing to submit a grade change should contact their department scheduling contact to request access to a course. Please allow 24 hours for grading permissions to be updated.

Helpful information regarding the university policies and procedures for Academic Misconduct is available here: https://oaa.osu.edu/academic-integrity-and-misconduct/faculty-obligations. GTAs should always discuss possible cases of Academic Misconduct with their course supervisor before submitting a report.

Instructors: To request a chair's support letter for COAM reports - please submit a request using the following form: https://forms.office.com/r/KtmR9k3jN2

College guidance on cases of suspected AI academic misconduct:

If an instructor suspects that a student used AI inappropriately on an assignment (i.e., not according to course rules or assignment guidelines), the instructor is encouraged to communicate with the student within 24 to 48 hours after suspicions arise. The best evidence will be gathered during this timeframe: if a student can speak intelligently about their work, they are more likely to have created it themselves. If a student cannot, they are more likely to have used AI.

Notification may occur in a personal, private meeting (in person, Teams, or Zoom), or by email. Having a witness present is recommended. Instructors are permitted (1) to invite students to a conversation to explain their process for completion of academic activities in question and (2) answer student questions and concerns in a non-judgmental fashion. If a student comments on the allegations, this information may be included as evidence. The purpose of the notification is to inform the student of the concern, not to interrogate them. A template is available for notification.

The following web resource provides guidance on how to have conversations about AI use with students: https://drakeinstitute.osu.edu/news/2024/12/11/genai-syllabus-statements-supporting-transparent-conversations-students

Finally, the Teaching & Learning Resource Center has created robust, step-by-step guidance for how to craft an AI syllabus statement customized to meet an instructor’s needs: https://teaching.resources.osu.edu/teaching-topics/ai-teaching-strategies-crafting

Further resources for teaching with AI may be found here: https://teaching.resources.osu.edu/teaching-topics/ai-considerations-teaching-learning

Papers cannot be left in boxes outside instructors’ offices for students to pick up after the end of the term, and grades may only be posted on or outside office doors under special circumstances. Doing otherwise is a violation of law as well as policy:

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) places legal restraints on the release of student records, including grades. Without the express consent of the student, grades may not be posted or announced in a manner that allows personal identification of the student. Thus, in most cases, posting grades by first or last names, initials, or social security numbers is not permitted under FERPA. Grades may be posted by a number or other symbol known only to the student and you. Furthermore, in an effort to maintain confidentiality, it is not advisable to leave exams, quizzes, or papers outside of your office to be picked up by students.

As to "retention or disposal of materials submitted to meet course requirements" Rule 3335-8-231 states:

Materials submitted by a student to satisfy course requirements shall either be returned to the student or made available for the student’s inspection, after they have been marked or otherwise evaluated, before the end of the quarter, semester, session, or term in which the work is performed or, in the case of final projects and final examinations, no later than the fourteenth day of instruction of the following term [...].
Materials of this kind which have not been returned to the student shall be retained by the academic unit or the individual instructor until the last day on which a grade change may be initiated as provided for in paragraph (A) of rule 3335-8-23 of the Administrative Code [i.e., "the end of the second succeeding term"].

The university’s Records Retention Schedule can be found at the following link: https://library.osu.edu/osu-records-management/retention-schedules.

Simply put, do not leave papers in the hall; keep student papers for the next two terms. Materials may be carried to the department office for disposal (shredding) at the appropriate time.

Student work must be removed from department classrooms and studios no later than one week after the grade posting deadline, except in cases where the work will be used for a production in the following semester or the student has made individual arrangements with the studio manager.

Course Evaluation and Program Assessment

Student evaluations are an essential part of your performance review. Every instructor should provide students with an opportunity to complete written evaluations of every course taught. This is a guideline built into Faculty Rules (3335-3-35), obscured somewhat by being placed under the heading of "Duties of the Chair" – “… To promote improvement of instruction by providing for the evaluation of each course when offered, including written evaluation by students of the course and instructors, and periodic course review by the faculty.”

The online Student Evaluation of Instruction (SEI) is the official, university-wide instrument for this purpose. More information about the university-wide eSEI is available online through the Office of the University Registrar (https://registrar.osu.edu/sei/index.html).

The Department of Theatre, Film, and Media Arts also provides an avenue for instructors to collect additional, narrative evaluations of instruction that address questions specific to the course or instructor. These evaluations are strongly encouraged for all instructors, especially faculty who may be considered for promotion in the future. If collected, narrative evaluations will be summarized and included in the documentation for the Promotion & Tenure process.

Care should be taken to develop a set of questions that is both appropriate and effective. In general, make sure that all evaluation forms have a place for students to comment on the instructor’s performance.

You should also assure students that you will not read their evaluations until after grades have been turned in for the course. To guarantee this, you should not be in the room when they write evaluations and you should not collect them yourself. Give the students twenty minutes to do the evaluations at the beginning of the class, to make sure they have an opportunity to respond fully, and ask them to write in ink, to avoid problems with photocopying. Designate a student to collect evaluations and return them to the Department office. Instructors may copy and review all evaluation forms any time after the deadline to submit grades for the term has passed. Original copies will be retained in the Department office according to the university Records Retention Schedule (Current year + 5 years).

The Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning may also be a helpful resource in gathering and using feedback to improve teaching: https://drakeinstitute.osu.edu/instructor-support/getting-feedback-your-teaching.

Guidelines and Resources for Instructors

Guidelines and Resources for Instructors

Class Planning and Syllabus Information

Required Syllabus Elements

Course Objectives and Descriptions

Course Delivery and Student Workload

Textbook Ordering Deadlines and Procedures

CarmenCanvas: Ohio State's web-based learning management system

Class rosters, Gradebook, Grade changes

Classrooms (TFM building and classroom pool)

Planning for Absences (Students and Instructors)

Final Exam scheduling

Artificial Intelligence in the classroom

Enrollment Policies and Procedures

Enrollment Dates and Deadlines

Requests for Permission to Enroll

Managing Waitlists

Participation Rosters

Theatre productions, ticket access for enrolled students

Classroom Management and Individual Student Concerns

Student Accommodations

Digital Accessibility: ADA Title II regulations

Student Safety and Wellbeing

Incompletes and Change of Grades

Academic Misconduct

Navigating Conflict, resources for instructors

Retaining Student Papers or Work

Course Evaluation and Program Assessment

Course Evaluation and Program Assessment

Student Evaluations of Instruction

Tools and Resources available to Instructors

Important Contacts

Teaching and Research resources

Technology Resources