Teaching Resources

Below, you'll find information and resources for teaching. If you're looking for information on Title IX, reporting bias incidents or accommodations, please visit the Advocacy page of EngSource. If you're looking for information on helping disruptive or distressed students, please visit the Safety Resources page of EngSource.

Required Syllabus Elements 

According to policies established by the Committee on Curriculum and Instruction in the Arts & Sciences, all operational syllabi (syllabi distributed to students) must include a number of elements. For the complete list of what is required on your syllabus, visit the Syllabus Elements website. You can also visit the "Course Syllabus Recommendations" section of Undergraduate Education's Faculty and Staff Resources page for a number of sample syllabus statements.

Below, we have highlighted especially important topics, and provided additional information on certain topics that instructors may find helpful.

  • A space for the instructor's contact information, including name, office location, phone, e-mail and office hours.
  • A space for the name and contact information for the course coordinator, if the syllabus is standard for several sections.
  • A space for meeting days, meeting times and the classroom location.
  • A grading scale.
  • Information about the scheduling of examinations and due dates for assignments.
  • Information about instructional mode. For more on how the university is defining different modes of instruction, please consult this job aid for class labels [pdf].

 

If your course is a GE course, it must include the following for all old GEL and new GEN categories: 

  • The name of the GEL/GEN category or categories it fulfills
  • The “GE Expected Learning Outcomes” for courses under GEL
  • The “New GE Goals and ELOs” for courses under the GEN
  • A statement or description under each GE category explaining how the course will satisfy the stated ELOs.
  • 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. 
  • The Office of Undergraduate Education, in collaboration with the University Senate and Undergraduate Student Government, has developed guidance on excused absences. These guidelines are aimed at helping faculty refine their policies to accommodate the greater incidence of absences and the more challenging circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic. View those guidelines here.

It happens on occasion that instructors must be absent from a scheduled class. When such absences can be anticipated (such as when you are traveling on university business), it is your responsibility to arrange in advance for a colleague to meet your class, carry out a lesson plan that you have prepared, and collect or return student work.

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: 

  • Contact your students via Carmen, Faculty Center in SIS or using an e-mail nickname file that you create at the beginning of the term.  

  • If your class meets in Denney Hall, call the English department reception desk at 292-6065 or write english@osu.edu to request that a note be placed on your classroom door, preferably on department letterhead.  Provide the course number, (for example, English 4567) class building, room number, and meeting start time for the class that has been cancelled.   

  • If your class meets in a building other than Denney Hall, you may call classroom services also between 7:00am and 5:00pm at 247-4357 (4-HELP) to request that a note be placed on your door.  

  • In all cases, contact your students as soon as possible following the cancellation to let them know how the syllabus and work deadlines will be affected. 

  • 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."  

The following statement needs to appear on every university syllabus, although faculty may add details of their own:  

  • "It is the responsibility of the Committee on Academic Misconduct to investigate or establish procedures for the investigation of all reported cases of student academic misconduct. The term ‘academic misconduct’ includes all forms of student academic misconduct wherever committed, illustrated by, but not limited to, cases of plagiarism and dishonest practices in connection with examinations. Instructors shall report all instances of alleged academic misconduct to the committee (Faculty Rule 3335-5-487). For additional information, see the Code of Student Conduct.” 

You might also mention, either in the syllabus directly or in your opening remarks, that plagiarism via the internet is not only dishonest, it's also liable to be caught. Paper assignments, if they are clear and course-specific, do not match well with what is available on the net, and search engines on the net make detection of plagiarism as easy as plagiarism itself. For more on university policies concerning plagiarism, including information on what to do when you suspect a case of plagiarism, see the OAA website for academic misconduct. 

  • In light of COVID, the Office of Undergraduate Education posted a disability statement with accommodations for COVID for Autumn 2020 on their Faculty and Staff Resources page:
    • "The university strives to make all learning experiences as accessible as possible. In light of the current pandemic, students seeking to request COVID-related accommodations may do so through the university's request process, managed by Student Life Disability Services. If you anticipate or experience academic barriers based on your disability (including mental health, chronic, or temporary medical conditions), please let me know immediately so that we can privately discuss options. To establish reasonable accommodations, I may request that you register with Student Life Disability Services. After registration, make arrangements with me as soon as possible to discuss your accommodations so that they may be implemented in a timely fashion. SLDS contact information: slds@osu.edu; 614-292-3307; slds.osu.edu; 098 Baker Hall, 113 W. 12th Avenue."

 

Information on the New GE

  • ENGL 2176: Rhetorics of Race, Ethnicity and Gender
  • ​​​​​​​ENGL 2221: Race, Gender and Ethnicity in Shakespeare
  • ​​​​​​​ENGL 2270: Introduction to Folklore
  • ENGL 2281: Introduction to African American Literature
  • ENGL 2282: Introduction to Queer Studies
  • ENGL 2381: Introduction to Black Atlantic
  • ENGL 2581: Introduction to U.S. Ethnic Literatures
  • ENGL 2264: Introduction to Popular Cultures
  • ENGL 2277: Introduction to Disability Studies
  • ENGL 3031: Rhetorics of Health, Illness and Wellness
  • ENGL 3264: Monsters Without and Within
  • ​​​​​​​ENGL 3362: Death and Literature (Submitted, awaiting approval)
  • ENGL 2367.05: Writing about U.S. Folk Experience
  • ENGL 2367.07: Literacy Narratives of Black Columbus (S)
  • ENGL 2367.08: Writing about Video Games and Virtual Worlds
  • ENGL 3350: Time & Space Travel in Science Fiction 
  • ENGL 3360: Ecopoetics
  • ENGL 3020: Writing about Sustainability
  • ENGL 3022.02: Sustainability and Media 
  • ENGL 3340: Reimagining Climate Change

Instructional Resources

The SIS Faculty Center allows faculty to manage their classes.

The Faculty Center provides instructors with access to the Class Roster, Grade Roster, the Schedule of Classes.  Advisors with instructor access will be able to obtain detailed information about their advisees' academic history. A drop-in advisee feature allows for temporary access to a student's academic information.

For more information on the SIS Faculty Center click here.

General Teaching Resources:

Distance Learning Resources:

  • For general accommodation and accessibility information, visit the Advocacy page of EngSource.
  • The Office of Student Life Disability Services (SLDS) has provided the "Beyond Compliance Toolkit," which offers resources and materials to advance your knowledge about equity and inclusion for persons with disabilities.
  • Jennifer Schnabel, English Subject Librarian, is available to discuss library instruction options for departmental courses 3000-level and above.
  • For library support of the First- and Second-Year Writing Programs, please see the course guides under Research Resources. Additional support, including instructor resources for the Libraries’ open textbook, Choosing and Using Academic Sources, are available at the library's Instructor Resources at University Libraries page.
  • For Rare Books & Manuscripts instruction requests, please contact Jolie Braun, Curator of Modern Manuscripts or Dr. Eric Johnson, Curator of Thompson Special Collections.
  • For Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum instruction requests, please contact cartoons@osu.edu.
  • For University Archives instruction requests, please contact archives@osu.edu.

Are you working with a student on an independent study or thesis? Or do you have a student who's interested in completing an independent study or thesis? Check out these pages for resources on these types of projects:

For information on the Undergraduate Studies Team, including how students can schedule advising appointments, whom they should contact depending on their concentration and more, visit the Undergraduate Advising page.

Instructors (including Faculty, Associated Faculty, and Graduate Students) should place their own textbook orders on-line. According to the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA), deadlines for ordering textbooks are as follows (and will follow a similar pattern each academic year):

  • Summer: April 1st
  • Autumn: April 1st
  • Spring: September 30th

In practice, if teaching assignments for individual instructors are not confirmed by the established deadlines, instructors should submit as soon as possible following receipt of a confirmed assignment. GTA exception: the main book order for Writing Analytically for sections of 1110.01 will be made by the Director of First Year Writing in one large order for sections taught by first year GTAs in their first term teaching only.

In light of the fact that UBX, SBX, Buckeye Books and College Town have closed, Barnes & Noble The Ohio State University Bookstore can have every book needed for your courses on shelves also when you need them. Textbooks are available in every format, i.e., new, used, rental, and eBook/digital.  The on-line service, FacultyEnlight, is the preferred method for ordering textbooks through B&N.  FacultyEnlight provides access to all required information the bookstore needs to fulfill orders conveniently in one location.  It also stores individual faculty and book ordering information for quick and easy ordering in the future. 

To get started with FacultyEnlight review the FacultyEnlight Quick Start Guide [pdf], or watch the FacultyEnlight demo video.

Assistance:  Please direct textbook order questions and questions regarding desk copies to Brad Clucus, Textbook Manager at 247-2220.   

Instructors using a course pack along with class texts should include a note on the official book order stating that in addition to class texts supplemental materials will be made available. The instructor should contact students directly via e-mail at the earliest opportunity to inform them of the availability of the course pack. Instructors using ONLY a course pack should submit the book order form indicating "no text," and contact students directly via e-mail as soon as possible to indicate availability through UniPrint or other provider of the instructor’s choosing. A "no text" entry will prevent the course from appearing on the bookstore’s list of non-responsive sections.

Once you have ordered your books, print a copy of your order and give it to the Front Desk Assistant in 421 Denney Hall to ensure the information is on file for students. If you prefer, you may email a copy of your order to english.admin@osu.edu.

Student Evaluations of Instruction: online and discursive formats 

Near the end of the semester, your students will submit two types of evaluation of your teaching. Both forms of feedback will become part of your dossier. 

  1. There is an online, numeric Student Evaluation of Instruction (SEI) form that students can access on their own during the last couple of weeks of the term, but it is to your advantage to remind your students frequently to fill them out or to give them class time to complete the SEI on their laptops, tablets, or phones. If you give students class time to fill out the SEI, please leave the room while they do so. Students now fill out the SEI through Carmen, and you are now able to track real-time response rates so you can continue to encourage students to complete them when needed (or stop bugging them when they do!). You will receive emails each semester regarding SEIs for courses you are teaching. 
  2. All instructors of English Department classes are required to administer discursive evaluations during class time.  Sample discursive evaluations are included in the PDF linked below. If you are designing your own discursive evaluation form for a course that does not use a standard form (1110, 2367 have standard forms), please develop questions for your customized form that will truly elicit useful information about the strengths and weaknesses of the course design and your instruction. 

Prior to the period at the end of the semester in which the students will fill out the discursive evaluations, you will receive in your mailbox in Denney 421 a campus mail envelope for each of your classes, clearly marked with the address of the person who will keep your discursives until after you’ve submitted final grades.  When you administer the evaluation forms in class, please leave the classroom and give one student this pre-addressed envelope.  The student should put the completed discursives in the envelope and take it immediately to the front desk assistant in Denney 421 if possible, or to a Campus Mail box if your classroom is far from Denney Hall.

Enrollment Policy:

  • University policy allows students to add any class that has not reached its enrollment ceiling from a waiting list through the first week of the term, with or without the instructor’s permission. This means that a student may add your course on Friday of the first week, even though he or she will already have missed the first full week of instruction.
    • An important implication of this policy, and the disenrollment policy (discussed below) is that instructors cannot count as absences any classes missed before the student registered for the course, nor assignments as late that were due before the student registered for the course (that is, possibly through the first full week of the term).
    • Obviously this is not completely satisfactory, and you can certainly make it clear to students that they will be expected to complete all assignments for the course and meet all subsequent deadlines. But there are many legitimate reasons students may be closed out of courses and may need to add your course late. We need to be at least minimally accommodating and cannot refuse to admit them if they have added your course within the allowable time period.

Disenrollment Policy:

  • Rule 3335-8-33 of the Bylaws and Rules of the Board of Trustees specifies the conditions for an instructor disenrolling a student from a course. For a full description of these conditions, please read the text of the rule by visiting the Instructional Rules page and scrolling down to rule 33 on that page.
    • Much of the rule linked above is predicated on attendance, but it is important to note that the rule also provides for disenrollment of a student based on disruptive behavior. The relevant paragraph reads: "After investigation, including consultation with the instructor and the student in question, and utilizing other university resources, as desirable, the chairperson (or other appropriate administrative official) may disenroll a student for a course if the student presents a clear and present threat of bodily harm or injury to the instructor or fellow students, or, after warning, continues to engage in disruptive conduct, either of which results in impairment of teaching or learning processes."
    • If you believe such a situation exists in your classroom: Contact Director of Undergraduate Studies Karen Winstead (.2) or Director of Graduate Studies Aman Garcha (.2) immediately.     

Grade Submission:

Grade submission is done online through Faculty Center. For guidance, see the SIS Instructions and Carmen Instructions for the grade roster process.

Incompletes:

For the full text of the rule regarding incompletes, see Rule 3335-8-21(G) of the Bylaws and Rules of the Board of Trustees. (Navigate to the page linked above, and scroll down to section G of Rule 21.) Please note the following information about assigning a grade of "I":

  • The grade indicates that the student has completed a major portion of the work in the course in a satisfactory manner, but for reasons judged by the instructor to be legitimate, a portion of the course requirements remains to be completed.
  • The instructor must also record an alternate grade, representing the grade the student should receive if no further work is submitted.
  • Revised grades are due by the end of the sixth week of the subsequent term. You can find the deadline for each semester by viewing the semester PDF under the "Important Dates" heading on the Registrar's Registration, Fees and Important Dates page.

Grade Changes:

For the full text of the rule regarding grade changes, see Rule 3335-8-23 of the Bylaws and Rules of the Board of Trustees. (Navigate to the page linked above, and scroll down to Rule 23.) 

  • Please 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." 
  • All grade assignments, changes or extensions should be submitted through the Online Grade Assignment or Change Form workflow process. The Registrar has provided step-by-step instructions [pdf] for this form, which can be found under the "Faculty" tab on the Registrar's website. You can also navigate directly to the Grade Change Form.

Rule 3335-8-23.1 of the Bylaws and Rules of the Board of Trustees details how and how long materials submitted by students to fulfill course requirements must be retained. To sum up the pertinent points:

  • Materials should be returned to students or made available for their inspection by the end of the semester, or, in the case of final projects, no later than the fourteenth day of instruction of the following semester, summer term, or session.
  • If materials are not returned to students, they should be retained until the last day that a grade change may be initiated (i.e. the end of the second semester following the course).

Once materials have passed the required retention period, they may be carried to the department office for shredding.

If you're concerned about a student's well-being, here are some things you can do:

  • For students with mental health concerns: Call the Counseling and Consultation Service (614-292-5766) to refer the student. A referral often means that the student can be seen quickly (within a day or so). You cannot schedule an appointment for the student – after you speak with CCS, you can let the student know, and the student can schedule the appointment (if the student is with you, they can speak with the office themselves to do so) – but it will mean that they are on CCS’s radar for quick assistance.
    • You can also consult Counseling and Consultation Service's page for faculty and staff, which includes a suggested syllabus statement and other resources to support students with mental health concerns.
  • For students with financial, academic, health/personal crises, etc.: Fill out the Student Advocacy Online Assistance Form. After you complete this form, Student Advocacy will reach out to the student to assist them.
  • Contact Undergraduate Studies – MaryKatherine Ramsey (.240), Jameson Gower (.11), or Katie Stanutz (.3) – with any concrete suggestions regarding your course and an English major student’s performance in it (i.e. you’ll accept late work, what assignment(s) they need to turn in, that you’re willing to discuss an incomplete, etc. – whatever applies). We understand that sometimes you may not have any suggestions at all, which is completely fine, but if you do, it is very helpful for when we contact the student.

  • You can also check out this guide to Non-Emergency Resources, put together by the Undergraduate Studies Team:

  • English 1110.01
  • English 1110.02
  • English 2150
  • English 2201
  • English 2220
  • English 2261
  • English 2262
  • English 2265
  • English 2276
  • English 2277
  • English 2291
  • English 2367.01
  • English 2367.02
  • English 2367.06
  • English 2367.08
  • English 3264
  • English 3304
  • English 3305
  • English 3271
  • English 3372
  • English 4189
  • English 4572
  • English 4592
  • English 7872

The Office of Ombuds Services provides an independent, impartial, and confidential space where faculty members, graduate and professional students, and postdoctoral scholars can discuss issues and receive informal counsel and advice.

Academic Misconduct

Academic Misconduct

The Department of English takes seriously instances of academic misconduct on the part of its students and acts in accordance with University Faculty Rules governing cases of alleged dishonesty.  

Your obligations as an instructor:

  • Include in any course syllabus an "academic misconduct" statement
  • Take steps to ensure students understand what types of behaviors may be considered violations of the University's Code of Student Conduct.  
  • Make sure students understand expectations in terms of citation, acceptable collaboration on assignments, etc.
  • Follow the steps outlined on COAM's Faculty Page.
  • Remember--instructors are NOT authorized to impose penalties for academic misconduct. All suspected cases must go through COAM, and COAM alone is empowered to determine a suitable disciplinary sanction if a student is found to have committed academic misconduct.

Instructors who suspect a student is in violation of the Code should report their suspicions to the proper departmental authorities who can offer assistance specific to the circumstances of the allegations:

  • for all undergraduate courses, to the Director of Undergraduate Studies, Karen Winstead;
  • for graduate courses, to the Director of Graduate Studies, Amanpal Garcha.

COAM provides numerous resources to inform and assist instructors in helping students avoid suspicious behaviors which may lead to allegations and sanction.  Visit the COAM site for additional details as well as helpful Committee responses to Frequently Asked Questions.

Workload Policy for Graders and Recitation Leaders

Professors with graders or recitation-section leaders should manage their assignments so that

  1. Graders do not on average spend more than 10 hours per week on the course; and
  2. Recitation leaders do not spend on average more than 20 hours per week.

The calculations of these hours must encompass any and all of the following activities that might be required of the GTA:

  • Reading for the class
  • Attending the professor’s lectures
  • Meeting on matters pertaining to the course
  • Holding office hours
  • Answering emails
  • Grading
  • Preparing class
  • Teaching


We all know that the academic calendar has rhythms: more time will be spent on a course when exams and papers are due. At such points in the calendar, GTAs may find themselves working more than the average. However, such overloads should never be the rule.

As you calculate your assignments, you need to be certain that the recitation leader’s workload will not average more than 20 hours per week—recognizing that simply attending two lectures and teaching two sections itself involves 3.6 hours of labor. The grader’s workload should not be more than 10 hours/week—and simply attending the faculty’s lectures involves 2.6 hours of labor.

Professors should also consult with their GTAs in determining deadlines to make sure that they do not fall at a bad time for the GTAs (e.g., when they are taking candidacy exams).

  • Graders are assigned to help the faculty member grade assignments in courses with high enrollment. The assignment of a grader is not intended to free the professor from all grading responsibilities, but only to reduce the grading responsibilities to the levels of most of our courses. Typically, then, the professor and grader should either split a batch of assignments or divide the assignments—e.g., professor grading the final paper, grader grading the final exam. (Faculty who require GTA support as part of a disability accommodation should discuss with the Chair the required level of support.)
  • Professors may ask graders to hold office hours, but such office hours must be included within the calculated workload. Additionally, because the professor writes the assignments and determines the criteria for grading the assignments, it is more appropriate for the professor to field questions about the assignments and their grading.
  • Graders should not be assigned any work unrelated to grading, which includes recording attendance, communication and paperwork with SLDS, giving lectures, or other clerical tasks.

In addition to respecting the 20 hours/week limit discussed above, the professor should observe the following guidelines:

  • The professor should visit each GTA’s recitation once a semester and meet with the GTA afterwards to provide feedback.
  • A recitation leader is neither required nor entitled to give a lecture. 
  • Any lectures GTAs do give should be mentorship opportunities. Before a GTA lectures, the professor should meet with the GTA to discuss content and pedagogical strategies. A recitation leader should never give a lecture unless the professor is present to observe and the professor should give meaningful feedback after the lecture.
  • Recitation leaders should never be asked to lecture when faculty are ill or away on business. When a major emergency (e.g., serious accident or illness, death in the family) might require a professor to miss multiple class meetings, the professor should notify the Chair, who will set in motion the process of determining appropriate arrangements.
  • Recitation leaders should not be assigned work unrelated to their recitations, which includes recording attendance in the lectures, communication and paperwork with SLDS (other than, of course, providing the accommodations pertaining to their recitations), or other clerical tasks.
  • Professors should inquire regularly how much time GTAs are spending on their work for the course, and GTAs should inform the professor whenever they spend more than the 10 or 20 hours of their assignment. Professors may not realize how much time it takes to grade assignments. Solutions to working overtime may include providing rubrics that will make grading more efficient or pitching in with the grading. In the 2000-level lecture survey courses, more frequent informal response papers might be both more valuable to undergraduates than fewer formal papers and less time consuming for GTAs to grade.
  • If GTAs are routinely spending more than the allotted time and find the professor unresponsive, they should contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies or the Director of Graduate Studies.

One of the advantages for GTAs assigned to these courses is that they work with professors experienced at lecturing—a difficult skill that GTAs may need in their careers. Courses with recitations work best when professors and their recitation leaders share their talents and insights to produce a great learning experience for the undergraduates, and when those undergraduates perceive the recitations to be integral to the course rather than peripheral. We encourage professors to consult with recitation leaders on their syllabus, assignments, criteria, and to discuss their pedagogical choices. We recommend that they meet with their recitation leaders weekly to address any problems that arise, both those relating to the functioning of the recitations and to GTA labor. Collaboration, trust, and communication will do much to ensure that our graduate assistants are not being overworked.

Other Administrative Information

As an instructor, you are bound by FERPA [pdf] to keep certain information confidential. A few important things to know about FERPA: 

  • While there are strict guidelines about confidentiality, there are certain department members with whom you can share information under FERPA. For instance, the Undergraduate Program Manager, Director of Undergraduate Studies and undergraduate advisors will often need to know information in order to assist you and our undergraduate students.
  • You can access an online Ohio State FERPA training course by logging into BuckeyeLearn and searching "FERPA."

[pdf] - Some links on this page are to Adobe .pdf files requiring the use of Adobe Reader. If you need these files in a more accessible format, please contact english.admin@osu.edu.