Faculty & Staff

The Undergraduate Bulletin contains UAlbany’s undergraduate academic regulations and policies. Please use the following information to navigate the bulletin: 

The Undergraduate Academic Regulations page includes the following sections: 

• Standards of Academic Integrity 

• Procedures for Resolving Academic Grievances 

• Syllabus Requirement 

• Policy for Freedom of Expression 

• Attendance & Timely Compliance with Course Requirements 

• Enrollment & Registration 

• Policies to Deregister Students 

• Final Examinations 

• Undergraduate Grading 

• Academic Retention Standards 

• Leave for Approved Study 

• Degrees in Absentia 

The Undergraduate Bulletin also includes, but is not limited to, the following pages: 

• Withdrawal and Readmission 

• Requirements for the Bachelor's Degree 

• Programs of Study and Course Designations 

• Majors 

• Minors 

• General Education Program

• Honors and Awards

• Courses

Instructors must use their best judgment in deciding whether and how to accommodate student absences, and in asking for and evaluating supporting documentation.  

Instructors may at their discretion excuse absences that last longer than one week or cause a student to miss a major exam or assignment without involving the Office of the Vice Provost and Dean for Undergraduate Education. 

However, the office may issue a formal notice of academic accommodation if the instructor and the student cannot come to an agreement on how to accommodate an absence that exceeds one calendar week and/or has caused the student to miss a major exam or assignment.   

In these cases, students must provide supporting documentation to their academic advisor ([email protected]), who will submit an official request for academic accommodations. 

Please visit the Registrar’s Office website for guidance on student and instructor absences due to religious observance.

All students are held to UAlbany’s Standards of Academic Integrity.  

We encourage you to explore UAlbany's resources and guidance for maintaining academic integrity. 

If need be, you can file a Violation of Academic Integrity Report (VAIR) for Undergraduate Students. 

The following responsibilities apply to UAlbany’s faculty and other instructional staff (referred to below as instructors). These statements are an expression of professional responsibilities on our campus. 

The provisions of such a code are so reasonable and the University conceives them to be so important that adherence to them will be taken into consideration as part of the assessment of teaching effectiveness called for in Article XII of the SUNY Board of Trustees' Policies. 

Some of the specific provisions below correspond to state law or regulation, or University policy developed through the Senate and its councils. Specific sentences that correspond to previously existing law, regulation, University policy or American Association of University Professors (AAUP) Ethics are noted below. 
 

1. Instructors are responsible for ensuring that the content of the courses they teach is consistent with the course descriptions approved by the relevant curriculum committees. Instructors are also responsible for stating clearly to students in each class the educational goals of the course at the beginning of each term (SED). It is expected that the class activities will be directed toward the fulfillment of those goals and that the basis upon which student performance is evaluated will be consistent with those goals. 
    

2. Instructors are responsible at the beginning of each term for informing students in their classes of the attendance policy (Undergraduate Academic Council and University Senate) and methods to be used in determining final course grades (New York State Education Department). Course grades should be based on student performance, and consistent with announced methods for determining grades (AAUP and University Senate). 
    

3. Instructors are responsible for meeting their classes regularly and at scheduled times according to the University calendar. Instructors should notify their department chair or program director if they are to be absent or late and appropriate arrangements have not been made, so that suitable action may be taken. Teaching assistants who will be absent or late are responsible for notifying their course supervisor. Instructors are expected to adhere to University policy regarding scheduling and administration of final examinations (Undergraduate Academic Policy Manual). 
    

4. Instructors are responsible for keeping a reasonable number of office hours for student conferences (Academic Affairs). Office hours should be scheduled at times convenient to both students and instructor, with the option of prearranged appointments for students when there are schedule conflicts. Those who are responsible for academic advising should also be in their offices at appropriate times to accommodate advising and registration needs. 
    

5. Instructors are responsible for providing a makeup exam or alternative or adjusting due dates for submission of work in case of religious observance (ew York State Education Department and Undergraduate Bulletin), participation in authorized intercollegiate events, or a personal emergency (University Senate). 
    

6. Examinations and other assignments submitted for grading during the term should be returned with sufficient promptness to enhance the learning experience. Examination questions are an integral part of course materials, and the decision whether to allow their retention by students is the responsibility of the instructor. Term papers and other comparable projects are the property of students who prepare them. They should be returned to students who ask for them and those that are not returned should be retained by the instructor for at least one term (University Senate).
    

7. Instructors of courses in which assistants are authorized to perform teaching or grading functions are responsible for acquainting these individuals with the provisions of these principles and for monitoring compliance. 
    

8. At the end of each term, instructors should use some systematic procedure in each of their courses to solicit feedback from the students (University Senate). 
    

University Senate 
January 24, 1994 

Classroom disruption by students is a rarity at UAlbany. Community Standards offers the following advice to assist instructors who have never encountered a disruptive student and may be unsure how to respond. 
 

1. Faculty members are responsible for management of the classroom environment. Teachers (as one court recently suggested) can be compared to judges: both focus on relevant issues, set reasonable time limits, assess the quality of ideas and expression, and make sure participants are heard in an orderly manner. While their ultimate goals may be different, both judges and teachers need to exercise authority with a sense of fairness, and with appreciation for the reality of human fallibility. 
    

2. Classroom disruption should be seen as a disciplinary offense, as defined by the University's student code of conduct, Community Rights and Responsibilities, which is available on the Community Standards website. The term "classroom disruption" means behavior a reasonable person would view as substantially or repeatedly interfering with the conduct of a class. Examples include repeatedly leaving and entering the classroom without authorization, making loud or distracting noises, persisting in speaking without being recognized, or resorting to physical threats or personal insults. 
    

3. Both students and faculty members have some measure of academic freedom. University policies on classroom disruption cannot be used to punish lawful classroom dissent. The lawful expression of a disagreement with the teacher or other students is not in itself "disruptive" behavior. 
    

4. Rudeness, incivility, and disruption are often distinguishable, even though they may intersect. In most instances, it's better to respond to rudeness by example and persuasion (e.g., advising a student in private that he or she appears to have a habit of interrupting others). Rudeness can become disruptive when it is repetitive, especially after a warning has been given. 
    

5. Strategies to prevent and respond to disruptive behavior include the following: 

   • a. Clarify standards for the conduct of your class. For example, if you want students to raise their hands for permission to speak, say so, using reminders as needed. 

   • b. Serve as a role model for the conduct you expect from your students. 

   • c. If you believe inappropriate behavior is occurring, consider a general word of caution, rather than warning a particular student (e.g., "We have too many simultaneous conversations at the moment; let's all focus on the same topic"). 

   • d. If the behavior is irritating, but not disruptive, try speaking with the student after class. Most students are unaware of distracting habits or mannerisms and have no intent to be offensive or disruptive. 

   • e. There may be rare circumstances when it is necessary to speak to a student during class about his or her behavior. Try to do so in a firm and friendly manner, indicating that further discussion can occur after class. Public arguments and harsh language must be avoided. 

   • f. A student who persists in disrupting a class may be directed to leave the classroom for the remainder of the class period. Whenever possible, prior consultation should be undertaken with the Department Chair, Undergraduate Education (518-442-3950) and Community Standards (518-442-5501). 

   • g. If a disruption is serious, and other reasonable measures have failed, the class may be adjourned, and the campus police summoned. Teachers must not use force or threats of force, except in immediate self-defense. Prepare a written account of the incident. Identify witnesses for the University Police Department, as needed. 
      

6. Community Standards can help by reviewing University disciplinary regulations with you, and meeting with accused students formally or informally. It's better to report disruptive incidents to us promptly, even if they seem minor. One of our preferred strategies is to develop behavioral contracts with students, so they have clear guidelines about what behavior is expected of them. In the most serious cases, we can suspend students immediately, pending disciplinary proceedings or medical evaluation. UAlbany’s student code of conduct, Community Rights and Responsibilities, is available on the Community Standards website. In addition, Community Standards has prepared a systematic process for conducting disciplinary conferences with students in the document Introduction to the Disciplinary Process. 
    

Note: This information has been adapted, with permission, from an advisory issued by the University of Maryland, College Park. 

EAB Navigate is a FERPA-compliant system UAlbany uses to manage student data.   

Students can use EAB Navigate's app to view important deadlines and tasks, schedule appointments, view notes and reports on their file, and more.   

Faculty and staff can use EAB Navigate to view student records, communicate with students, manage schedules, run data reports and more. Log into EAB Navigate.

Please review our EAB Navigate Faculty User Guide for step-by-step instructions and screenshots for the following tasks: 

• Set & Update Office Hours (Availability) 

• Manage Appointments & Summaries 

• View Courses & Student Records 

• Communicate with Students 

• Add a Note to a Student’s Record 

• Issue an Alert 

• Search EAB Navigate

• View Overall Student Data & Reports 

• Complete Academic Progress Reporting