Instructor Quick GuideFall 2025

Important Dates

OUE has compiled a list of important dates for faculty, and some key academic deadlines are mentioned below. 

INternational students

Due to the pause in visa appointments earlier this summer, a number of international students, especially first-year students, may be arriving late (through the end of add/drop/swap). OUE will notify individual instructors if new students need assistance due to absences caused by the delays in their visa approvals.

Add/Drop/Swap

Add/Drop/Swap ends on September 10, but students may also petition to drop classes without penalty through September 30. Students who register for classes during add/drop/swap should not be penalized for missing classes prior to the point at which they enroll; however, it is their responsibility to make up any missed work.

Mid-Semester Grades

Faculty teaching 100- and 200-level courses should submit any low overall course grades (C minus and below or unsatisfactory) at the mid-point of the semester. Mid-semester grade rosters will be available in OPUS from October 6 to October 20.

Course Withdrawal Deadline

The deadline for course withdrawals and changes to the grading option (letter-graded vs. satisfactory/unsatisfactory) is October 21 Please keep in mind there is only one withdrawal deadline for all students; Emory College no longer offers a later extended withdrawal deadline for new students.

Final Exam Schedule and Policy

The final exam schedule for fall 2025 is posted on the Registrar’s website. Faculty holding final exams must adhere to the schedule as well as Emory College’s policy on Final Exams and the Exam Period, which prohibits any tests (whether they are considered finals or not) from being administered in the last week of classes and the reading period. 

Grade Deadlines

Grades for graduating seniors and Oxford students in Emory College classes are due by 10am on December 18 (faculty with exams on the final day [December 17] may submit those grades by 10am on December 19). All remaining grades for non-graduating seniors are due on December 22 at 11:59pm.

Learning Design & Technology

Gradescope is available for use in all Emory College courses. This automated grading tool is integrated within Canvas and supports traditional bubble sheet tests as well as other quizzes and exams. More information about Gradescope, Panopto (Emory College’s lecture capture & video tool), and other ECAS-supported educational technologies, as well as course design consultations, is available on the Emory College Learning Design website. Pre-semester workshops covering audio and video tools, along with teaching essentials will be offered in mid-August

Routine Student Absences

Please note that the OUE does not excuse absences for short-term or routine illnesses. Students may choose to submit the student self-certification form for short-term absences, but completion of this form does not constitute an OUE excused absence. Handling student absences is part of classroom management, and the form is simply a way for students to notify instructors that they are ill and not attending. See Guidelines for faculty regarding student absences.

New University-Authorized Activity Absence Policy

The University has created a new policy excusing students from class when they participate in intercollegiate athletic competitions, regional and national conferences, or other activities where students are appointed to represent the University. Students are responsible for notifying faculty of absences as far in advance as possible and for working with faculty to resolve missed work. Faculty should make reasonable efforts to accommodate such absences and should not penalize students for missing class. This new policy largely follows existing practices in the College around accommodating student athletes and other students representing Emory who missed classes for competitions.

Absences for Religious Observances

According to the University’s Religious Accommodations policy, faculty are expected to make reasonable efforts to accommodate absences for religious observances and allow students to make-up missed work. Absences due to religious observance are considered excused absences, and they should not be deducted from a limited or set number of allowable absences in a course. We encourage faculty to avoid scheduling major exams or assignments on days when many students are likely to have religious observances. 

Syllabi

All faculty must have syllabi for undergraduate courses posted to the Course Atlas. Please share your syllabus with staff in your department who will work with the Registrar to upload it if you did not already submit your syllabus during the spring.

Department of Accessibility Services

You may have students in your courses who require academic accommodations. Accommodation letters are posted in the Accommodate system, which can be accessed from the Faculty Resources section of the DAS website.