For a full and up-to-date collection of Dartmouth policies pertinent to teaching and learning, please visit the Dartmouth Policy Portal.
The purpose of the Faculty Handbook is to provide a common source for understanding the policies and procedures of the Arts & Sciences, to provide convenient access to the guidelines of other areas of the College, to aid in the identification of available College resources, and to describe our basic organizational structure.
Beginning on page 22, the Faculty Handbook provides "Teaching Guidelines for Faculty," including college expectations regarding class meetings, syllabi, student evaluation & grading, exams, course activities outside of regular class hours, and student absences. These guidelines reflect generally accepted teaching practices and are meant to foster trust between student and professor. Members of the faculty should consult with colleagues and department/program chairs for guidance about implementing these guidelines.
PDF updated June 2019 by the Dean of the Faculty.
On February 1, 1962, a majority vote of the student body adopted the principle that "all academic activities will be based on student honor" and thereby accepted the responsibility, individually and collectively, to maintain and perpetuate the principle of academic honor. The faculty, administration, and students of Dartmouth College recognize the Academic Honor Principle as fundamental to the education process. Any instance of academic dishonesty is considered a violation of the Academic Honor Principle. Included in this policy are guidelines for faculty reporting of violations.
The specifications of maintaining confidentiality of student records are outlined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and described in a tutorial provided by the Office of the Registrar.
From the Office of the Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Sciences
March 1, 2021
Sharing recordings of your course and any associated meetings that are open to multiple students in your course is considered by Student Accessibility Services (SAS), Dartmouth Center for the Advancement of Learning (DCAL), and Learning Technology & Design a best practice to support diverse learning needs. When students enroll in your course, they consent to these recordings being made and shared among the class. The consent to sharing does not go beyond the class. You as the instructor own the copyright to your instructional materials, of which these recordings constitute a part. Your prior written consent is required in order for these recordings to be distributed in whole or in part, and, if you have not given your consent, the person distributing these recordings may be subject to discipline by Dartmouth up to and including dismissal or separation.
Any recording you make within any digital platform, including those used to offer remote course instruction, may be regarded as an education record within the meaning of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) if it contains any student's personally identifiable information. Personally identifiable information means any information that, alone or in combination, is linked or linkable to a specific student that would allow a reasonable person in the school community, who does not have personal knowledge of the relevant circumstances, to identify the student with reasonable certainty. FERPA prohibits the disclosure to a third party of such information from such records in the absence of that student's prior written consent. (For these purposes, third parties are actors beyond the instructor(s) and students participating in the course or other Dartmouth personnel with legitimate educational interest.)
If you are considering recording course sessions with the intent to potentially share them with others, you are encouraged to avoid recording anything that might identify a student enrolled in the course. For example, recording the lecture separately, then hosting a Zoom (not recorded) with students for a question-and-answer session would help to protect student confidentiality.
Please also be aware that you are prohibited from making a recording in any medium of any one-on-one meeting with a student without obtaining that student's prior written consent. If you violate that prohibition, please understand that you will be subject to discipline by Dartmouth up to and including dismissal, as well as any other civil or criminal penalties under applicable law. As explained above, this prohibition does not apply to recordings of the course and any associated group meetings.
Certain enrolled students may have authorization from SAS to record aspects of a course as part of an approved accommodation. SAS will interact with you directly to address any concerns you may have.
If you have any questions about any of the information contained in this notice, please consult the Office of the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.