Class times (Tsushima Campus)
From April 2016 Okayama University will start a quarter system with classes of 60 minutes. Required courses will consist of 2 x 60 minute lessons which take place 1st through 6th periods. Advanced classes take place in the 7th period. (A few classes take place in the 7th and 8th periods). Sessions should start and end on time, as follows:
| 1st Period
2nd Period |
8.40 – 9.40
9.50 –10.50 |
| 3rd Period
Lunch 4th Period |
11.00 – 12.00
12.00 – 12.50 12.50 – 13.50 |
| 5th Period
6th Period |
14.00 – 15.00
15.10 – 16.10 |
| 7th Period
8th Period |
16.20 – 17.20
17.30 – 18.30 |
The school year is divided into four quarters, each eight weeks long. All required classes consist of two consecutive quarters. There are no English classes on Wednesday, and required Thursday classes are not offered the first and fourth quarters. The following chart overviews the required classes offered each day for each quarter:
| Monday
First-year courses |
Tuesday
Second-year courses |
Thursday
First-year courses |
Friday
Second-year courses |
|
| 1st Quarter
April/May |
EC1 (Speaking & Listening)
EC2 (Reading) |
IE5 (Presentation)
IE5 (Reading) |
IE5 (Writing)
IE5 (Listening) |
|
| 2nd Quarter
June/July |
EC1 (Speaking & Listening)
EC2 (Reading) |
IE5 (Presentation)
IE5 (Reading) |
EC3 (Writing) | IE5 (Writing)
IE5 (Listening) |
| 3rd Quarter
October/November |
EC1 (Speaking & Listening)
EC2 (Reading) |
IE5 (Presentation)
IE5 (Reading) |
EC3 (Writing) | IE5 (Writing)
IE5 (Listening) |
| 4th Quarter
December/January |
EC1 (Speaking & Listening)
EC2 (Reading) |
IE5 (Presentation)
IE5 (Reading) |
IE5 (Writing)
IE5 (Listening) |
Attendance
School policy is that students cannot get credit if they miss more than one third of the classes. Please give a student a zero mark in such a situation. Students should not be marked absent if the office sends an official notice about severe weather such as high winds preventing students from getting to school, influenza, or a death in the immediate family. You may get other notices or excuses for an absence (e.g., participation at a sports tournament) but these should still count as an absence. It is up to the teacher as to whether you want to give students an opportunity to make up for an absence. It is also up to each teacher to make clear what your expectations are regarding lateness, absence and make up tests or reports. As long as you make your expectations clear to students both verbally and in writing you should have few problems.
Teachers are expected to teach eight classes per quarter (16 classes altogether over two quarters). The students must be graded after the first quarter and again after the second quarter. The 8th slot in the second of the two quarter course can be used for the final exam if teachers would like to use it that way – it is not compulsory as long as the class meets 16 times. There are some weekends during each quarter which are set aside for make-up classes (hokoubi, 補講日) in case you have to cancel any classes during the term. The academic calendar is shown in Appendix F.
Syllabus writing
In November/December every year, each teacher must input the details of their classes for the following academic year. It is easiest to do this using the computers that are on the campus, although you can do this off-campus. Before November, each teacher is given a set of instructions in Japanese with a log-in address and password. The instructions are fairly easy to follow as the instructions include screen-capture images for each stage of the process. Since 2013, teachers have had to complete two versions of the syllabus, one in English and one in Japanese. From 2015, a template for each of the required courses (English Communication 1-3 and Integrated English 5) will be inputted for you. Teachers will need to adjust this template for certain sections of the syllabus (e.g., weekly plan, textbook and evaluation) (see Appendix C for an example). You can also check previous examples on the school website; for Japanese ones go to bit.ly/Jsyllabus and for English ones go to bit.ly/Esyllabus.
For part-time teachers
The part-time teachers’ room is located on the second floor of the ‘A’ building. Computers with internet access are in the room for part-time teachers’ use. Lockers (with keys), a refrigerator, instant coffee and tea are also available. Teacher mailboxes are located in this room as well and should be checked regularly. Teachers must sign in on each of their teaching days using their name stamp (hanko) or signing their name in the attendance book.
The administrative office called 学務企画課教養教育グループ or Gakumu-kikaku-ka kyouyou-kyouiku group (in English: Educational Affairs Planning Division-General Education Group) is also located on the second floor of the ‘A’ building. It is open from 8:30am to 6:00pm. CD players, projectors, cables, and other types of equipment are on the right hand side of the office next to the wall. Just log in and out what you borrow in the provided notebook. The keys to open the consoles in the classrooms, where controls for the projector and DVD player are, are located to the left of the kyouyou kyoiku group counter.
Please keep the office informed of your current email address, phone number and contact address. You will need to apply to the office each year for an ID card (see Appendix B). If you have any questions or problems please do not hesitate to contact any of the full-time teachers for help.
Cancelling class
Notify the kyouyou kyoiku group as early as possible if you have to miss a class. Phone numbers are (086) 251-8432/8433/8434 (Japanese only). Full-time teachers must fill out a special form for business trips. This form should be submitted well in advance of the trip.
School closures because of typhoons
Classes are cancelled if a strong wind alert (暴風警報) for Okayama City has been issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency (http://www.jma.go.jp/en/warn/) after 6:00am. Staff are advised to check the website, which is in Japanese and English. The university website will have information about any closure but this will not be as up to date as the JMA site and it may be announced only in Japanese. Contact a FT teacher or call (086) 251-8424.
Making copies
There is a print room with two risograph machines located next to the part-time teachers’ room. Use these machines if you make more than 20-30 copies of the same thing. For less than 20-30, use the copy machines in the same room. You will need to use the part-time teachers’ copy card available from the office. Full-time teachers are expected to use their own copy cards when using the copy machines. There are also two risograph machines and one copy machine on the 4th floor of building D. This copy room is open during regular office hours and is available for any teacher to use.
If you want the office to make copies for you, please let them know ahead of time. To make copies of final exam tests, the office will confirm with you before the test day whether you need copies made or not.
Final exams
Final exams (if given) are on the 8th class of the second quarter of a two quarter course (refer to previous section on attendance). It should be noted that in the weekly schedule in the syllabus only the final exam in the second quarter of a two quarter course can be referred to as an exam. Any kind of assessment tool before that lesson has to be given another term (quiz, test, essay, presentation, project, etc.). Teachers may also assess their students with quizzes, reports, or other assignments in lieu of a final exam.
If a student fails the final exam, it is up to the teacher to decide if a make-up test is allowable. The date and time is also up to the teacher. If a student is absent on the final test day due to sickness or other unforeseen circumstance, it is up to the teacher as to how s/he will be evaluated. This can be done as a make-up test or written report.
Grading
Full-time teachers must submit grades online. Teachers are given instructions in Japanese on how to log in and how to input the data. Part-time teachers can also use this system by accessing the computers in the part-time teachers’ room; but they can also submit their grades directly to the office.
The university uses a GPA (grade point average) system. The following table is included in grading papers that are sent to each teacher towards the end of each quarter.
| Alphabet grade | Points range | Grade point |
| A+ | 90-100 | 4 |
| A | 80-89 | 3 |
| B | 70-79 | 2 |
| C | 60-69 | 1 |
| D | 0-59 | 0 |
There is also a code letter ‘W’ which you may come across. This means that a student has withdrawn from the course.
The way in which students are graded is up to each teacher but there are guidelines in the syllabus templates (which are copied out below). These state that grading should carefully reflect the course objectives and that your grading scale should reflect that active engagement is required for all courses. It is highly recommended that you clearly specify your requirements for in-class participation and homework.
In addition, in order to ensure some consistency across English Communication and Integrated English courses teachers must give a number of the top grades (A+ and A) according to a certain percentage range of the class. This percentage range is based on the initial TOEIC score that students achieve in April (all first-year students take a TOEIC test which is used as a placement test). These classes are divided into three levels according to TOEIC score.
| Level | TOEIC Score | Percentage of top grades |
| 1 | > 600 | 75-90% of students should get A+ or A |
| 2 | 500-600 | 60-75% of students should get A+ or A |
| 3 | 400-500 | 40-60% of students should get A+ or A |
| 4 | <400 | 20-40% of students should get A+ or A |
If a class is a Level 1 class then the teacher must give out a higher number of the top grades than Level 2 or 3 classes. The TOEIC score range for each class is written on the lower tab of each student list (this is in an Excel file which is sent to each teacher at the beginning of each term).
It is best to try to grade within the guidelines in the table above. However, to give teachers the most amount of flexibility when grading you can add or subtract 10% to the percentage of top grades. This means, in theory, that if you teach a level one class 100% of the students could receive an A+ or A. Conversely, it also means that in level four classes only 10% of the class might achieve an A+ or A.
There are no such guidelines for the pre-advanced, advanced, and other classes. Each teacher can grade in whatever way they like.
There is an automated mark sheet reader which you can use for grading tests. It is kept in the language laboratory (Room A44). Please contact the office worker at Extension 8551 if you would like to use this machine.