FAQs

General

Try the , which has email addresses and phone numbers for individuals (the Hayward campus telephone operator is 510-885-3000 and the Concord campus operator is 925-602-6700) or, if you don't know the name of the person, try the  page.

A Faculty Expertise Directory is available here

Student Health and Counseling Services - Students in distress

Cal State East Bay’s University Police Department (UPD) is available to respond to all requests for police services on the Hayward ÐÓ°É´«Ã½ 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. In an emergency: call 9-1-1, remain calm, give your name, location, nature and type of emergency. All other requests for the UPD, including safety escorts, crime prevention, and lost and found, can be directed to (510) 885-3791. The Concord Center has limited police services during the hours of operation. In an emergency call 9-1-1. All other Concord Center UPD requests should be directed to (925) 602-6737. There are emergency elevator phones and emergency blue light call boxes located on all Cal State East Bay’s campuses to reach the Alameda County dispatch center.

ALERTME – KEEP YOUR PERSONAL PHONE AND EMAIL CONTACT INFORMATION CURRENT

AlertMe, Cal State East Bay’s emergency notification system, is activated to contact you when there is an immediate threat to safety or health affecting the campus community. The system utilizes phone and email information that you provide in MyCSUEB (for students) or MyHR (for staff/faculty). Emergency notifications can come by text, phone, email or any combination thereof. If you designate a phone as “mobile”, then AlertMe will send text messages to that number. Your AlertMe contact information is refreshed Monday - Friday to ensure you can receive emergency notifications. Please refer to AlertMe FAQ. 

KEEP YOUR EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION CURRENT

It is important that your emergency contact information with Cal State East Bay is current in the event the campus needs to contact your loved ones if you have an  emergency. Emergency contact information can be updated in MyCSUEB (for students) or MyHR (for staff/faculty).

The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (Located SF 302) They assist faculty with finding sources of funding, the writing of proposals, and obtaining University approval for the proposals.

Each faculty employee is allowed one personal holiday (a calendar day) during each academic year (it is forfeited if not used). It is presumed that, in the interest of the instructional program, teaching faculty and department chairs will exercise judgment in scheduling the personal holiday, and, except under unusual circumstances, a member of the faculty will not request scheduling of the personal holiday on a day when he/she has teaching responsibilities or will assist the department in finding a substitute. Information about personal holidays is in Article 33 of the CBA.

The has some internship search pages. Those looking to create internship or fieldwork opportunities in exchange for academic credit should see the Center for Community Engagement on campus.

It is a faculty member being on committees or work groups within a department, a college, or the University. Service is documented in your dossier and is an element considered for promotion, tenure, and retention.

Service learning is having students or a class learn lessons on the subject while serving the community. This might be through outreach to the community events, internships for individuals or small groups, or certain kinds of course fieldwork. Much more information is available at CSUEB's Center for Community Engagement 

The Office of Faculty Development is one place to meet colleagues, through Faculty Learning Communities, workshops, the Mentoring Program, and social events. Performing service to one's College or the University, such as the Academic Senate is another way. Some campus-wide social events are announced via the Academic Affairs Newsletter or University communiqués.

On the web, The Faculty Teaching page has numerous useful links, as does the Concord ÐÓ°É´«Ã½ Faculty Services Office. The Office of Faculty Development (see FaCET in the glossary) has numerous references in its library and people to offer advice.

Voice mail is maintained by telephone services. They have instructions for voice mail setup on the linked page. About halfway down that same page are instructions on how to access voice mail. At the bottom of that page are instructions for how to access voice mail remotely.

If you need an escort at night on campus, in Hayward, call 885-3791 

Advising

General Education (GE) is the set of specific area requirements for all baccalaureate students (regardless of major). According to the CSUEB GE webpage: "The goal of General Education (GE) coursework is to give [students] a broad sampling of different academic areas. This sampling exposes [students] to varied disciplines, increasing the value and breadth of your total undergraduate education. G.E. coursework allows [students] to discover new interests that may open a whole new range of opportunities for further study or career choice." The GE subcommittee of CIC recommends new courses to satisfy GE requirements and periodically evaluates existing courses to ensure that they meet the GE standards of the University. Students might ask for advice regarding GE courses and unless the advisor is sure of the answer, it is best to direct the student to the GE Office.

Be as helpful as you can, but, if the problems are not academic, you ultimately want to guide them to (885-3690). You might walk over to CaPS with the student. If you believe that the student is a threat to him/herself or others, call 911 from a campus phone, 510-885-3333 from a cell phone on the Hayward campus or 925-602-6737 from a cell phone on the Concord campus. You should probably document non-academic discussions with your department chair, who might be able to provide more specific guidance for future occurrences. Student care team 

What are the policies and resources for Sexual Harassment?
Faculty members should keep their required trainings up to date and refer to the following: 
CSU EB Policy
CSU Systemwide Policy
 
Confidential Advocate

First and foremost, be familiar with your department's programs! The detailed rules for every major, minor, and certificate program are in the  The Catalog changes yearly and students must meet the requirements of either the year they were last admitted to University (if they've come and gone and come back, this can be complicated) or the year they graduate (the student can usually choose). You should have a printed version of the Catalog. Some rules within some programs are flexible (that is, you might be allowed to tell students that they can take one class instead of another); some are not (for example, General Education rules cannot be altered). Speak with your department chair or program advisor before granting the student any changes. If you don't know the answer, tell the student you don't know, but will find out. Then, find out the answer and let the student know! You should probably give the student a "plan to graduate" (a list of courses and the quarters when they should be taken). You can find out which courses a student has taken through MyCSUEB (after logging in, go to "Faculty Center" and then choose "Advisement" and then "new drop-in advisees"; the "unofficial transcript" has the courses and grades, but the "degree progress" section still has problems for most majors and is therefore not recommended). Most departments still have a written "grad check" form. Along with the "unofficial transcript", filling out this form will help you write a "plan" with the student. Sitting in on a few advising sessions with a more senior faculty member is probably a good idea.

For graduation with a Bachelor of Arts or Science degree at ÐÓ°É´«Ã½, students must satisfy the U.S. History, Constitution, and American Ideals requirement. Information about the courses or tests to satisfy these requirements can be found

Classes, Grading, Schedules, and Rooms

Check the "Important Dates" section, then "Schedule" (on the left-hand side), then "Final Exams" (on the left-hand side) in the Schedule of Classes for the quarter of interest.

Faculty must meet the timely adoption of textbooks etc. deadline or request an extension in order to comply with the Higher Education Opportunity Act. The upcoming deadlines, usually in March for Fall and October for Spring appears on the policy. The dates are updated every three years.  Academic Affairs Directive 2018-01:Policy on Timely Adoption to Assure Accessibility and Affordability of Textbooks

On the web, The Faculty Teaching page has numerous useful links, as does the Concord ÐÓ°É´«Ã½ Faculty Services Office. In person, the Faculty Center for Excellence in Teaching (see FaCET in the glossary) has numerous references in its library and people to offer advice.

Disruptive behavior is defined as "behavior that impairs, interferes with or obstructs the mission, purpose, order, academic atmosphere, operation, process and functions of the University is considered disruptive behavior." Establishing an inclusive learning community in your classroom and creating communication guidelines with your students may reduce the possibility of disruptive behavior emerging.  Information is available at Dealing with Disruptive Student Behavior.

Cheating? Contact Student Judicial Affairs or your department chairperson. Information about the judicial process is at Student Conduct Rights.

Saying I am being unfair (either in grading or in teaching the class)? Refer the student to the Department Chairperson.

The Concord ÐÓ°É´«Ã½ has a wealth of information for faculty members through its Faculty Service Office, which has a FAQ page and a "faculty survival guide". A short list of phone numbers for assistance at Concord.

Many departments on campus offer one night per week classes to accommodate working students. You should try to schedule classes with particularly difficult content on days that will have at least 10 meetings during the quarter. In order to see how many days per week for each quarter, including schedule adjustments for quarters with multiple holidays, go to OAA and select "Syllabus Planning". Note that courses must meet at least 9 times during the quarter; you must find substitutes for personal holiday or other days you miss class. For advice on how to teach under 1-night-per-week circumstances, speak to colleagues or see an article such as Oscar Wambuguh's.

A basic assumption at CSUEB is that each student should spend two hours of outside preparation for every hour spent in class; therefore, a student enrolled in a four-unit class should expect to spend eight hours a week doing work for that class.

First and foremost, your department must agree to offer the course. A "new course request" form (instructions and associated information is in the Curricular Procedures Manual, under "new courses") must be submitted via your department chair to your college Committee on Instruction and Curriculum. Additional review may be needed, depending on whether your course is intended to meet general education requirements or might be viewed as impinging on another discipline's courses.

The most common course numbers begin with "1" (freshman), "2" (sophomore), "3" (junior), "4" (senior), and "6" (Master's). A more thorough description is  (Policy on Course Requirement Information)

The symbol “I”, Incomplete (Authorized), indicates that:

  1. a discrete portion of the required coursework has not been completed and evaluated in the prescribed time period due to unforeseen, but fully justified, reasons,
  2. attending a future offering of the class is not required to complete the work, and
  3. the instructor believes it likely that the student will earn credit for the course upon completion of that work.

Students who are currently failing a course are not eligible for an Incomplete.  

It is the student’s responsibility to bring pertinent information to the attention of the instructor and to determine from the instructor the remaining course requirements that must be satisfied to remove the Incomplete. A final grade is assigned when the work agreed upon has been completed and evaluated. The instructor will specify the work needed to complete the course that can be viewed in MyCSUEB.

Note: An “I” must normally be made up within one calendar year immediately following the end of the term during which it was assigned. This limitation prevails whether or not the student maintains continuous enrollment. Students may not repeat a course in which they currently have an incomplete grade. Students who are currently failing a course are not eligible for an Incomplete.

Students may be able to receive up to a one-semester extension from the instructor. These extensions are for cause and must be approved by both the instructor and department chair. (Examples of cause include military service, serious health or personal problems, or instructor’s leave of absence.) If a student wants credit for a course after an “I” has been converted to an “IC,” the student must re-register and pass the course.

When the required work has been completed and evaluated, the instructor will submit a change of grade form and the academic grade will be recorded. If the student does not complete the work within the allowed time limit, the grade will be recorded as an “IC” (Incomplete Charged).

A student can graduate with an “I” grade on their record if the course is not necessary for graduation requirements. No grade may be changed once the degree has been awarded.

The “W” administrative grade indicates that the student was permitted to withdraw from a course after the end of the Add/Drop Period and prior to the last twenty percent of instruction, and may be assigned only for serious and compelling reasons. Permission to withdraw during this time shall be granted only with the approval of both the instructor and the department chair. The requests and approvals shall state the reasons for withdrawal. 

Undergraduate students may withdraw after the Add/Drop Period from no more than 18 semester units in the undergraduate career. Only withdrawals recorded in terms beginning with Fall 2009 are counted. When serious illness or accidents are documented and used as the basis for approval of withdrawal from classes in the term, the units in question will not count against the maximum units allowed.  Open University units are counted toward the maximum units. No limitations are placed on withdrawals by post-baccalaureate students taking classes in a post-baccalaureate career.

Withdrawals are not permitted during the final twenty percent of instruction except in cases, such as accident or serious illness, where the cause of withdrawal is due to circumstances clearly beyond the student’s control and the assignment of an Incomplete is not practicable. Withdrawals of this nature may involve total withdrawal from the campus or may involve only one course, except that a course grade and credit or an Incomplete grade may be assigned for courses in which sufficient work has been completed to permit an evaluation to be made. When serious illness or accidents are documented and used as the basis for approval of withdrawal from classes in the term, the units in question will not count against the maximum units allowed. Request for permission to withdraw under these circumstances shall be granted only with the approval of the instructor, the department chair, the college dean and the administrator appointed by the President to act in such matters.

The “W” grade shall not be used in the calculation of grade point averages.

The “WU” grade (Withdrawal Unauthorized) shall be used where a student who is enrolled on the census date does not officially withdraw from a course, but fails to complete it.  Its most common use is in those instances where a student has not completed sufficient course assignments or participated in sufficient course activity to make it possible, in the opinion of the instructor, to report satisfactory or unsatisfactory completion of the class by use of the letter grade (A-F).  The “WU” is counted in the grade point average as an “F” grade. When assigning the “WU” grade, the instructor shall report the last known date of attendance by the student.

 

The Catalog has(information about incomplete, W, and WU are available by clicking on the corresponding link). State law does not permit "A+" or "D-" grades at the CSU.

If you need to miss a class or office hour for any reason, notify your department chair. Whenever possible, arrange to have your classes covered during your absence. You must use your Personal Holiday or sick leave if you miss a course for non-University reasons.

According to the "Policy on Religious Observance" (linked from the Office of Academic Affairs' Policies and Procedures page), "California Education Code Section 89320 requires faculty to reschedule a test or examination, without penalty to the student, when the regularly scheduled test or examination conflicts with the student's religious observances. Students with other scheduling conflicts related to religious observance should bring these to the attention of the instructor in a timely manner, so that the student will be accommodated, if at all possible." If you wish to define "timely matter" as, for example, 2 weeks, you should do so on your syllabus.

(The Office of Academic Affairs has a "Policy on Course Requirement Information" on its documents page.) A syllabus gives the basic requirements of the course (books, tests, grading policy, etc.) and the contact information for the instructor (including office hours, email address, phone number). A course outline has all the information in a syllabus, plus more details such as the dates for all the readings and homework assignments (including the problems covered). The  suggests adding a couple of sentences about accommodations in their Top 5 Best Practices for Faculty document. Many faculty members put a comment about cheating and plagiarism, such as "Students are required to read and understand the CSUEB statement on Academic Dishonesty. The Catalog's statement is at the . Violation of any of the standards will result in an F in this course and will be documented in the Academic Affairs Office."

Colleagues or students themselves are a great resource for name pronunciation help. You can also use

Faculty/Shared Governance

The Academic Senate (sometimes, just called "Senate") is the faculty governance body. Elected faculty members, as well as administrators, staff members, and students determine policies, such as General Education requirements, grading policies, and the Academic Calendar. Committees of the Academic Senate include CIC, FAC, COBRA, CAPR and CR . There is a statewide Academic Senate that sets rules for the CSU Systemand gives the faculty a systemwide voice. CSUEB sends 2 senators to that body.

Faculty governance is the process of the faculty determining academic rules, whether for faculty conduct or student regulations. There are mechanisms within every department and college, but the main body for faculty governance is the Academic Senate. You can learn more about Shared Governance

 

CAPR reviews academic programs every five years, as mandated by the CSU. This process helps to ensure that a program is maintaining its academic standards and is getting the resources it needs to succeed.

Software

The University holds licenses for numerous useful software packages and may be able to purchase other programs that are needed by faculty across departments. Information about this is available starting with computing services. If the University licenses a program, but the department does not seem to have it and a faculty member wants it, go to the help desk or here.

Computing and Technology Services has information about how to use many common programs.