The following procedures concern the timely response to all communications between students, faculty, and program offices.
This policy defines the maximum faculty response times. As such, they provide a guide whereby students may conclude that there is a possible problem and make inquiry to faculty about the status of their work. They provide a guide whereby faculty can judge and manage their workloads. They should not be interpreted as minimum or typical response times. It is expected that response times usually will be shorter than the maximums defined in this policy.
Policy
* Student Communications: Faculty should acknowledge and respond to student communications within five business days. This includes responses to e-mail notes, phone calls, and regular mail and acknowledgement of receipt of student materials via mail, e.g., assessment and dissertation manuscripts.
* Evaluating materials: Feedback on brief materials should be reviewed and a response returned to the student within 10 business days after receipt by faculty member. However, for larger documents or materials that require substantial feedback, such as competency demonstrations, dissertation drafts, and change project reports, 30 days is an acceptable period of time.
* Narrative Evaluations: The faculty member should strive to submit narrative evaluations to the Program Office within 30 calendar days of receipt of those final materials by the student (or by the date mutually agreed to by the faculty member and student.)
Exceptions to Policy
* Faculty can experience an unexpected or extraordinary circumstance that makes adherence to the policy impossible at a particular time. The faculty member is responsible for notifying affected students and the Program Office.
* Vacations and sabbaticals do not count in assessing compliance with this policy. Adequate notice to students is at least two weeks in all but exceptional circumstances.
* The days taken up when a faculty member attends a residency are exempt from compliance with this policy. In addition, time at residencies will not count in assessing compliance.
(This procedure is adopted from a similar procedure at Fielding Institute, 2000)
| 
