Teaching Expectations for WilmU Instructors
Â鶹ÊÓƵ believes students are:
- The MOST important people in our business.
- Not dependent on us… We are dependent on them.
- Not an interruption of our work… Students are the purpose of our work.
- Doing us a favor when they call… We are not doing them a favor by serving them.
- Our business… They are not outsiders.
- Not cold statistics… Students are flesh-and-blood human beings with feelings and emotions like our own.
“Take good care of our students.”
- Posted originally in the Wilmington College Administration Building
To ensure good care of our students, the following are expectations of all instructors at Â鶹ÊÓƵ:
Equip our students with the tools necessary to be successful in the world and in their profession.
Respect diverse talents and ways of learning.
Provide meaningful and timely feedback.
Uphold high academic standards, enable student flexibility, and engage in real-world application.
Model professionalism, compassion, integrity and intellectual curiosity.
Cultivate a sense of belonging as part of a diverse learning community.
Encourage student-instructor contact through a variety of methods.
Encourage and engage in critical thinking, creativity, curiosity, and life-long learning practices.
Present content in ways that students can understand, answer questions, and have clear expectations.
Remember that what you do matters and that you make a difference to our students.
To ensure good care of our students and to model teaching expectations, all instructors should follow the predefined tasks to set up and maintain courses:
Use Canvas and Simple Syllabus for all modalities.
Personalize Simple Syllabus. Consider adding a head shot, additional contact information, instructor policies, and a teaching philosophy.
Post a welcome announcement at least one week prior to the start of class and post announcements at least one per week during the course.
Post a weekly micro-lecture in every online course to strengthen instructor presence, reinforce key concepts, and provide timely guidance that supports student success.
Check that all links are working. If there is a broken link, please email onlinemanager@wilmu.edu and the Program Chair with location of link, its name, and provide a replacement.
Add due dates to all assignments in Canvas. Instructions on how to upload due dates in bulk are available on our Setting Assignment Due Dates in Canvas and Utilizing a Clear Late Policy webpage.
Ensure your faculty profile in Canvas is current.
Complete the outcomes document/rubric for any outcomes assessment-bearing class.
Submit attendance weekly for all classes in all modalities, including online (Hybrid, Online Live), face-to-face, directed study, independent study, and credit for prior learning (Portfolio).
Encourage student-instructor contact through a variety of methods (Canvas, Email, phone calls, Early Alerts). Although exceptions may occur, respond to student emails/Canvas messages, questions, chat room messages, or phone calls within 24-48 hours.
Provide meaningful and timely feedback, especially early in the term. Provide feedback and use provided rubrics within one week after the assignment due date (excluding in-depth projects and research papers), unless otherwise communicated in advance.
Teaching Expectations in Practice
The Teaching Expectations outlined above are intended to promote meaningful faculty engagement, support student success, and ensure a consistent learning experience across all instructional modalities. To support these efforts, Â鶹ÊÓƵ has established a collaborative process for monitoring, coaching, and recognizing adherence to these expectations. Faculty can learn more about the role of Educational Effectiveness Coordinators (EECs), the support available through the Center for Teaching Excellence, and the procedures used to review teaching expectations in the document below.
View the Faculty Support Plan