Greetings! We've put together the Spring 2025 Start of Semester Guide to help you get ready for the upcoming term. This guide includes essential information such as important dates, university policy updates, key resources, and general faculty and student information in both web-based and PDF formats.
Thank you, as always, for your dedication and hard work. Your contributions are greatly appreciated by both our students and the IU campus.
Sincerely, Carrie Docherty Vice Provost for Faculty & Academic Affairs
(Photo by James Brosher/Indiana University)
Spring 2025 Start of Semester Guide
Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) at Indiana University: The following key points and resources may be helpful as you maximize the opportunities (and minimize the issues) associated with Generative AI in your classes:
Tools available at IU: Microsoft Copilot and Adobe Firefly are the only widely available university-supported GenAI tools.
Data privacy: Microsoft Copilot, when used with you IU credentials, includes data protections not available in public versions. It is the only widely available tool approved for use with university data. It is against IU policy to share with non-approved tools (e.g., ChatGPT, etc.) university data.
FACET (Faculty Academy on Excellence in Teaching) is a community of faculty recognized for teaching excellence. FACET offers a variety of resources and opportunities for improving your teaching, including classroom peer review (supplementing unit-based peer reviews.)
LIBRARY SUPPORT: IU Librarians can help instructors utilize library materials in the classroom for a richer student experience.
IU.EDU is a dynamic, engaging, university-wide site with a wealth of IU-specific and general teaching resources. It contains links to IU’s pedagogical centers, including CITL and FACET (above), discussions of current topics, and sections on tools and professional development. Your questions about teaching at IU will likely find answers here.
We recognize that course attendance has presented challenges in recent years. Please prepare your syllabi with instructional policies that balance clear expectations for student participation with reasonable accommodations for physical and mental health. Please use the following resources to assist:
The IUB Office of Student Life page on Attendance Issues offers student-facing guidelines including: “If you miss more than 20% of the semester (approximately 3 weeks) for medical or personal reasons, it may be best to consider withdrawing from all courses until you are able to return and focus on your academic goals.”
You cannot under any circumstances ask students to provide medical information, and the IU Student Health Center does not provide “notes.” Please prepare course expectations accordingly. The Health Center is willing to work with students who have ongoing or serious illness, injury or disability to provide care and documentation as necessary.
Students who seek accessibility measures (accommodations) due to temporary impairments, which AES defines as including, but not limited to, “broken bones, sprains, concussions, and appendicitis,” should be referred to Accessible Educational Services.
Encourage students with significant attendance challenges to contact the Student Care and Resource Center; which can provide attendance memos in the event of hospitalization or the death of an immediate family member.
According to Bloomington Faculty Council policy BL-ACA-H28: “Faculty members teaching courses have the responsibility to provide instruction as scheduled. Variations from the schedule may occur for a variety of reasons, including illness, professional activities, and pedagogical considerations. When such variations occur, it is the responsibility of the faculty member both to provide equivalent academic activity for the students in the course and to notify the chairperson of the department offering the course of the change in schedule.” Apart from short-term changes for reasons described above, instructors should adhere to scheduled course times for online or in-person class meetings and scheduled modality for the course.
Faculty Initiated Early Alert Warning Guidelines (OVPUE). Early Alert Warnings (EAWs) are an effort to sustain student momentum and facilitate early identification of students with academic issues. If a student has attendance issues, poor performance on quizzes and assignments, or a sudden decline in academic performance, please use the Student Engagement Roster to communicate with the student. That message will also go to the student’s Academic Advisor. Please add the following language to your syllabi:
“In this course the instructor wants to make sure you connect with resources that will help you be successful. If you receive a message through the Student Engagement Roster that asks you to consult with your advisor, please know that the message is sent to both you and your academic advisor, who will follow up and view the feedback from this course.”
Student Mental Health Resources. For a quick reference, see IU’s Care Card, and a list of resources, including the newly created TimelyCare service that gives students 24/7 virtual access to mental health care professionals.
Please consider including information in your syllabus about mental health services offered by CAPS and other support services that are available to students, or direct them to the Student Care and Resource Center for information on where to find support services.
If you have concerns about a student's health and well-being, please consider submitting a care referral so that the staff in the Student Care and Resource Center can work to get the student connected to the appropriate campus and community resources.
Accessible Educational Services for Students (AES): Please read the Office of Student Life Accessible Educational Services Faculty Handbook, which describes the documentation and accessibility measure (accommodation) process for students with qualifying medical conditions, and provides a sample statement to include in your syllabi. Note that only AES-approved accessibility measures (accommodations) should be utilized in the classroom. It is the student’s responsibility to meet with AES and, upon receiving an accessibility memo, make appropriate arrangements with the instructor. For information about support services or accessibility measures (accommodations) available to students with qualifying medical conditions and for the procedures to be followed by students and instructors, please visit: https://studentlife.indiana.edu/care-advocacy/iub-aes/index.html.
Digital Access and Equity. Students do not all have the same access to experience technology-related access problems that interfere with their work in the course. You may also wish to direct students to technology-related resources provided by the university, such as:
Free on-campus wireless internet (wifi) access through the “eduroam” network.
Religious Observances. Per policy BL-ACA-H10, instructors must reasonably accommodate students who want to observe their religious holidays at times when academic requirements conflict with those observances. Students must request a religious accommodation no later than 2 weeks prior to the anticipated absence (even if the exact date of the observance is unclear at the time). The policy also encourages instructors to include on the syllabus and announce at the beginning of the semester the policy and procedures for religious observances. Consider this syllabus language:
Students missing class for a religious observance must fill out the accommodation form on the Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs webpage at least two weeks before your anticipated absence.
Student Advocates Office. Refer students who are facing an issue that is affecting their ability to succeed at Indiana University Bloomington to the Student Advocates Office. SAO can assist with issues such as responding to a conduct charge, understanding IU’s academic policies and procedures, finding resources, preparing grade appeals and financial appeals, as well as withdrawing from all courses.
The University Faculty Council passed a revised Student Code of Conduct in Spring 2023 (STU-00). Please read the policy carefully: it includes updated sections on Student Rights, Academic Misconduct, and Personal Misconduct.
Academic Misconduct: If you believe that a student has engaged in academic misconduct, you may file a report with the Office of Student Conduct.
Bias Incident Reporting: Many students are unaware of options for reporting bias incidents, so please consider adding the following information to your course syllabi:
BIAS INCIDENT REPORTING: Bias-based incident reports can be made by students, faculty, and staff. Any act of discrimination or harassment based on race, ethnicity, religious affiliation, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation or disability can be reported through any of the options: 1) fill out an online report at https://reportincident.iu.edu/; 2) call the Dean of Students Office at (812) 855-8187.
Sexual Misconduct and Title IX – Syllabus Language: Faculty are considered Responsible Employees for purposes of Title IX, which means they have an obligation to report incidents of possible sexual misconduct known to them to the appropriate Title IX Officials for their campus. To help students understand your obligation and to inform them of their rights and available resources on campus, we advise that all instructors include the following message within their syllabi:
SEXUAL MISCONDUCT & TITLE IX: IU policy prohibits sexual misconduct in any form, including sexual harassment, sexual assault, stalking, sexual exploitation, and dating and domestic violence. If you have experienced sexual misconduct, or know someone who has, the University can help. If you are seeking help and would like to speak to someone confidentially, you can make an appointment with the IU Sexual Assault Crisis Services at (812) 855-8900, or contact a Confidential Victim Advocate at (812) 856-2469 or cva@iu.edu. University policy requires me to share certain information brought to my attention about potential sexual misconduct with the campus Deputy Sexual Misconduct & Title IX Coordinator or the University Sexual Misconduct & Title IX Coordinator. In that event, those individuals will work to ensure that appropriate measures are taken and resources are made available. Protecting student privacy is of utmost concern, and information will only be shared with those that need to know to ensure the University can respond and assist. I encourage you to visit http://stopsexualviolence.iu.edu/index.html to learn more.
Disruptive Students: For guidance on addressing difficult student situations in the classroom: contact the Office of Student Conduct at (812) 855-5419 for guidance. If you have concerns about the immediate safety of the classroom, call IU Police at 911 or call (812) 855-4111.
Course Evaluations (Midterm and OCQ): Consider offering an informal midterm course evaluation to gauge student learning and gather feedback. At the end of the semester, the Online Course Questionnaire (OCQ) will be administered in all courses. Responses to the OCQ’s 11 core questions are shared with instructors, department chairs, deans, the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education (VPUE), and the Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs (VPFAA). Responses to four of those questions will be included in faculty tenure and promotion dossiers.
Disclosure of Student Records (FERPA): The 1974 Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (“FERPA”) protects the privacy of students’ educational records and generally prohibits the release or disclosure of student records by school officials to any third party without the student’s prior written consent. Prior to communicating with parents, potential employers, other universities, or any other third party about a student’s educational records (including grades, papers, performance, etc.), faculty must have obtained the necessary prior written consent from the student. The Office of the Registrar has compiled FERPA resources for instructors at http://registrar.indiana.edu/policies/student-privacy-ferpa.shtml. Reporting student performance to IU officials who have a “need to know” is allowed under FERPA.
Fire Drills: Avoiding Class Disruptions: Fire drills are required by state law. The law also requires that the drills be “unannounced.” In most academic buildings they happen only once a year; some require them quarterly. If you have a large class with non-routine events such as exams, guest speakers, or special events, we encourage you to notify your Building Manager of those specific dates and times (drills are not scheduled for midterm or final exam weeks). Building managers work with the scheduling team and may be able to avoid these times (as well as other building maintenance functions that might disrupt.) If you do not know who the building manager is, please feel free to send the information directly to IU Emergency Management and Continuity at iuemc@indiana.edu with the campus, building name, event type, and date/time.
Submitting orders on time through either IU eTexts or the IU Bookstore you help ensure that IU complies with the Higher Education Opportunity Act. By submitting your order, the full information about all your textbook and your other course materials (retail price, ISBN identifier, author, edition number, publisher) is available to all students in the Schedule of Classes when they register for classes. This information not only complies with federal law, but also saves our students money by providing them a single, easy-to-use, and comprehensive repository where information about textbook and course materials can be reliably retrieved. IU Bookstore also has a Price Match program available!
Planning ahead? Ordering for Summer 2025 and Spring 2025 begins on September 2, 2025. For information on both see: https://uits.iu.edu/textbook-ordering.
SAA Grievances: In April 2023, the Bloomington Faculty Council approved new policies addressing SAA Grievances (BL-ACA-D28), the SAA Mediation Committee (BL-ACA-D23), and the SAA Board of Review (BL-ACA-D24). Please familiarize yourself with these policies.
International Student Appointee Work Hour Limits: International Appointees: F-1 and J-1 students acknowledge that under U.S. SEVP policy, they may work no more than 20 hours any week while the university is in session, regardless of whether weekly hours are reported or how payment is structured (J-1 students must receive written authorization from OIS/program sponsor prior to beginning employment). Working more than 20 hours per week is permitted only during Thanksgiving, winter, spring, and summer breaks. Violations of these visa rules have severe consequences for students.
SEA 202 provides it may not be construed to limit or restrict the academic freedom of faculty members (Q4). The university will protect academic freedom as mandated in ACA-32 (Q5).
SEA 202 provides it cannot prevent faculty members from teaching, research, or writing publications about diversity, equity, or inclusion or other topics (Q4, Q10).
SEA 202 mandates that a process for complaints about cultural and intellectual diversity must be available. SEA 202 defines intellectual diversity as “multiple, divergent, and varied scholarly perspectives on an extensive range of public policy issues.” Note that SEA 202 does not expressly require that a faculty member teach cultural and intellectual diversity, and it does not require faculty to teach perspectives or opinions that exist outside of scholarly work (Q12).
Recommendations for syllabus and the first day of class
Set clear expectations about the topics engaged in the class and the scholarly domain of the class.
“Faculty can use the course syllabus to clearly provide full course content, provide reading lists, and to show that the course aligns with the academic duties and obligations of the course, discipline, and departmental faculty members.” (Q13)
Annual Faculty Productivity Reports: University policy requires that faculty provide annual information on their academic activities for merit review and other purposes. Elements @ IU (the replacement for DMAI) is one tool for reporting productivity; your unit may choose other forms, but in all cases, 2024 faculty activities must be submitted by January 15, 2025.
Award Nomination Deadlines: To find upcoming deadlines for nominations/applications for VPFAA awards (Outstanding Junior Faculty, Provost Professors, Distinguished Service, Patten Lecturers, Mary Burgan and others) see https://vpfaa.indiana.edu/faculty-affairs/honors-awards/index.html.
Campus Safety: The PROTECT IU website offers a variety of resources to keep you safe on campus, including:
The Rave Guardian app, free for IU students, faculty and staff. It includes access to 911 dispatchers and campus police, IU safety alerts, a “See Something/Say Something” anonymous tip feature, and a Safe Walk Timer.
Road Safety: IU saw an increase in vehicle and pedestrian accidents last year. Please be aware of your surroundings at all times. See the PROTECT IU Road Safety page for more tips.
Conflict of Interest and Commitment: University policy (UA-17) requires that all academic appointees must disclose, in writing, to their chair or dean, outside professional activities that may interfere with their teaching, research or service. This includes teaching for another university, including online teaching. It also requires that anyone responsible for the design, conduct, or reporting of research, regardless of funding, must complete the annual disclosure form, even if you have no outside interests to report: https://policies.iu.edu/policies/ua-17- conflicts-of-interest-commitment/index.html. The form can be found at: https://research.iu.edu/compliance/conflict-interest/disclosure.html.
Emergencies: To report an emergency, call the IU Police Department at 911, (or 9-911 from any campus phone) or (812) 855-4111 from off campus. For information about campus emergency preparedness: http://protect.iu.edu/.
Faculty Writing Groups: OVPFAA sponsors writing groups throughout the semester. Faculty Writing Groups meet weekly to help build accountability and community Peer Review Groups meet every other week during the semester to read and offer feedback on participants writing. All groups are open to full-time academic appointees. For more information on writing groups, contact Gen Creedon, Director, Scholarly Writing Program, at swp@indiana.edu or (812) 855-5337, or visit: https://vpfaa.indiana.edu/programs-initiatives/scholarly-writing-program/index.html
Mental Health Support for IU Employees, Student Academic Appointees, and their Family Members: Just like our students, SAAs and employees and their families may at times need mental health support. IU provides free access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). This confidential resource provides 24/7 access to professional counseling and referrals. Licensed counselors can provide short-term assistance with issues such as grief and loss, substance abuse, marriage and relationship problems, depression, work-related pressures, and stress and anxiety. Services are provided at no cost to all full-time employees, Graduate Appointees, Fellowship Recipients, and their household members.
National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD). NCFDD is an independent center designed to help faculty increase research productivity, maintain work-family balance, and create networks of support. As part of IU’s institutional membership, graduate students, postdocs, and all faculty have access to NCFDD’s weekly “Monday Motivator” email, monthly webinars, and an online forum to focus on strategies for developing productive research and writing habits. To access these resources, sign up as part of the IUB community at www.facultydiversity.org/.
Peer Review Services: FACET provides two peer-review-related services. You can complete FACET’s peer review training or request a FACET peer review.
Peer Teaching Observations (Unit-based): Peer Teaching Observations play a crucial part in tenure and promotion dossiers. Consider setting them up now. While all teaching faculty should have regular observations, OVPFAA recommends that faculty and unit heads work together to schedule at least one observation per semester for probationary faculty, and at least one observation per year for Associate Professors, Senior Lecturers, and Associate Clinical Faculty.
Scholars’ Commons: The IU Scholars’ Commons in the Wells Library provides researchers a centralized location where faculty can consult with experts on copyright issues, data management plans, and attend Scholars’ Commons workshops. Visit https://libraries.indiana.edu/scholars-commons to learn more. Faculty may also apply for Information Literacy Grants (https://libraries.indiana.edu/apply-instructional-grant)
