McCoy College of Business Administration TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY Department of Marketing Professional Selling – 3358 Spring 2017
INSTRUCTOR: Mrs. Vicki L. West TELEPHONE: 245-3224 (Office) OFFICE: MCOY 419 E-MAIL: [email protected] LECTURE: TH 8:00, 9:30, 11:00 WEB: http://vickiwest.wp.txstate.edu/ OFFICE HOURS: T-TH 12:30-3:30 or by appointment SALES CENTER: txstsalescenter.com SALES CENTER OFFICES: 3rd floor - 322-A
COURSE DESCRIPTION: A study of professional selling includes strategically planning professional selling calls, building and strengthening both oral and written communication skills, and learning the entire sales process with three action-learning experiences. The course also examines cultivating relationships, strategic alliances, and partnering skills to provide total sales quality to companies, suppliers, and customers.
COURSE MATERIALS: SELLING: Building Partnerships, 9th Edition, Authors: Castleberry, Tanner
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
This course will introduce you to professional selling skills. All sections of the text will be covered, including:
The field of selling (rewards, duties, and ethics) 15% Knowledge and Skills required for successful selling 50% The Partnership Process 15% Special Applications 20%
SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE YOU ARE EXPECTED TO BRING INTO THIS COURSE: A general knowledge of the marketing field obtained in Principles of Marketing
PREREQUISITES: Marketing 3343
COURSE POLICIES: A. INSTRUCTIONAL METHODOLOGY: A combination of lecture sessions, group learning sessions, and both individual and teamwork assignments comprise the learning experience.
B. ATTENDANCE: On a 100 point system, 4 points will be deducted for each class period missed up to 2 absences. Thereafter, 10 points will be deducted for each absence. The attendance grade is worth 5% of the overall grade.
C. COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Assignments: Professional Selling involves two presentations & three tests, one with a written component which is an individual assignment.
Examinations:
First examination 15% Written Sales Presentation 20% Mid-term 15% Oral Sales Presentation 15% Role Play Presentation 15% Attendance 5% Final Examination 15%
Page 1 of 18 Make-up Examinations: In order to be eligible for a make-up examination, you must present a written physician’s excuse and complete the examination within two weeks. A grade of “0” will be assigned until the examination is completed.
Grade Evaluation: Please refer to detailed information for all assignments. 100-90=A; 89.9-80=B; 79.9-70=C; 69.9-60=D; 59.9 & below=F All graded coursework will be retained for at least one semester. Appeals for course grade assigned will be considered for only two years beyond one semester after completion of the course.
D. CLASSROOM CIVILITY:
Disruptive behavior in the classroom is prohibited in Section 2.02 of Texas State’s Code of Student Conduct and includes behavior that substantially or repeatedly interferes with the conduct, instruction, and education of a class. The complete Conduct of Classes policy is available at http://www.provost.txstate.edu/pps/policy-and-procedure-statements/4-teaching/pps4-02.html.
You must wait by the door until given permission to enter the classroom if you are tardy, so classroom activities will not be interrupted and you learn professional behavior. Cell phones, tablets, and computers are allowed.
E. OTHER:
All students will work in a team of three people for the role play and corporate sales presentation. Team members are your choice of colleagues and are not assigned by the professor. Further details will be presented in class. Grades and announcements will be posted on TRACS. For the corporate presentation, you will have a follow-up meeting with the professor or graduate assistant.
The McCoy College Student Responsibilities on Learning is available at http://advising.mccoy.txstate.edu/about/learningpolicy.
UNIVERSITY/COLLEGE POLICIES:
A. DROP: Dropping means that the student will remain enrolled in at least one hour in the current semester. A "W" will be automatically assigned if the drop procedure is completed on or before 11:59 p.m. on March 28, 2017. After this deadline the student will be unable to drop individual classes and will receive the grade earned in the course (see AAPPS 4.07 for a list of grades). It is suggested that students consult the instructor prior to dropping from the class.
WITHDRAWAL: Withdrawal means that the student is going to zero hours for the current semester. A "W" will be automatically assigned if the withdrawal procedure is completed on or before 11:59 p.m. on March 28, 2017. After this deadline, the student may withdraw on or before 5:00 p.m. on April 20, 2017. If the student is passing the class on the official date of withdrawal, a "W" grade will be assigned. If the student is failing the class on the date of withdrawal, a "U" grade will be assigned.
B. ACADEMIC HONESTY: Submission of any work for a grade for which unauthorized help has been received is termed academic dishonesty and will be grounds for a failing grade in the course. "Unauthorized" is a term used here to designate stealing, copying (with or without permission), collaboration with other individuals, or sharing programming code outside of sanctioned group activities. Students are strongly encouraged to refer to the Texas State student handbook, available at http://www.dos.txstate.edu/handbook.html for policies related to academic dishonesty. This instructor views any such act as a clear violation of ethical standards and will take appropriate disciplinary and punitive action.
Page 2 of 18 C. HONOR CODE: All students are required to abide by the Texas State University Honor Code found in UPPS 07.10.01 under attachment I. The pledge for students states:
Students at our University recognize that, to insure honest conduct, more is needed than an expectation of academic honesty, and we therefore adopt the practice of affixing the following pledge of honesty to the work we submit for evaluation:
I pledge to uphold the principles of honesty and responsibility at our university.
D. FINANCIAL AID: Federal regulations require students to meet certain minimum academic and attendance standards in order to remain eligible for financial aid assistance. Other program-specific requirements may also exist. Additional information is available at www.finaid.txstate.edu.
E. STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: A student with a disability may require an accommodation(s) to participate in the course. They must contact the instructor as soon as possible, typically within the first two weeks of the semester. They will be asked to provide documentation from the Office of Disability Services (ODS) at that time. Failure to contact the instructor in a timely manner will delay any accommodations they may be seeking. Ongoing care by a physician does not automatically qualify you as an ODS special needs student. Students are required to file paperwork for accommodations with ODS each semester. Accommodations granted one semester do not automatically carry forward to the next. See UPPS No. 07.11.01 for additional information.
Page 3 of 18 COURSE OUTLINE MKT 3358 – Professional Selling Syllabus Spring 2017
Date Topic Chapter 1/17 Introduction to class 1 Selling and Salespeople Ethical & Legal Issues in Selling 2 Library Reading: What Makes a Good Salesperson?
1/19 Ethical and Legal Issues in Selling 2 Library Reading: How to Make the Sale and Remain Ethical – Ethical Dilemmas (Informal Group Presentations)
1/24 Buying Behavior and the Buying Process 3 Read Mid-West Surgical Case – Hand-out will be provided
DRAW DATES FOR ROLE PLAY PRESENTATIONS
1/26 Chapter 3 continued 3
1/31 “How to” do a business-to-business role-play properly Using Communication Principles to Build Relationships 4 (Show film on national winners- Gives three weeks of preparation time)
2/2 Communication Principles (Continued) 4 (Topics due – Role Play Presentations)
2/7 Adaptive Selling For Relationship Building 5
2/9 Chapter 5 continued 5
2/14 Review for first exam & finish chapters as needed Possible Corporate Partner Visit
2/16 FIRST EXAMINATION 1-5 Potential Corporate Partner Visit
2/21 Prospecting 6 Planning the Sales Call 7 Explain Sales Letter Assignment-Due with Midterm (Allows four weeks of preparation time)
2/23 ROLE PLAY PRESENTATIONS (3 per day)
2/28 ROLE PLAY PRESENTATIONS (3 per day)
Page 4 of 18 3/2 ROLE PLAY PRESENTATIONS (3 per day)
3/7 ROLE PLAY PRESENTATIONS (If enrollment dictates)
3/9 Vote on Role Play Winners CORPORATE PRESENTATION “HOW TO” (Allows three weeks of preparation time) Potential Corporate Partner Visit
3/12-19 SPRING BREAK
3/21 Announce winners – role play presentations Making the Sales Call 8 Strengthening the Presentation 9 Responding to Objections 10
3/23 INTERVIEW EXPRESS – MANDATORY!
3/28 MIDTERM (includes sales letter) Chapters 6-10
3/30 Obtaining Commitment 11 Formal Negotiating 12 Potential Corporate Partners Visits
4/4 CORPORATE SALES PRESENTATION Workday
4/6 CORPORATE SALES PRESENTATIONS
4/11 CORPORATE SALES PRESENTATIONS
4/13 CORPORATE SALES PRESENTATIONS
4/18 CORPORATE SALES PRESENTATIONS
4/20 Building Partnering Relationships 13 Building Long Term Relationships 14 Potential Corporate Partner Visit
4/25 Managing Your Time & Territory 15
4/27 Managing within your company 16 Managing your career 17 LAST CLASS DAY
5/3 – 5/10 FINAL Exams - Consult final exam schedule for times
Page 5 of 18 ROLE PLAY JUDGING SCORE SHEET
Salesperson: ______Judge #: ______Round #: ______Time Limit: 20 minutes Base your scoring on how you feel an experienced salesperson should perform. Score each item on a 0 to 10 scale with 10 being the best possible score and 0 the absence of the skill or behavior being evaluated. You may use tenths of a point in your scoring (i.e., 1.3, 5.6, etc.). Our computer-scoring program will do the averaging and weighting and compute the final score.
5 % APPROACH (Effectively gains attention and builds rapport) ______Professional introduction ______Salesperson gains prospect’s attention ______Effectively builds rapport ______Smooth transition into needs identification
25% NEEDS IDENTIFICATION (OBJECTIVE: Obtain a clear understanding of customer’s situation in order to prepare a customized presentation) ______Uncovered decision process (decision criteria, people involved in decision process)/THESIS S. ______Effectively determined relevant facts about company and/or buyer ______Effectively uncovered needs of the buyer (discovered current problems, goals, etc.) ______Asked effective questions that brought to the buyers' attention what happens to company or the buyer when problems continue (helped convert implied needs to explicit needs). QUANTIFY ______Gain pre-commitment to consider the product/service and smooth transition to presentation)
25% PRODUCT/SERVICE PRESENTATION (OBJECTIVE: Persuasively match your product’s benefits to meet needs of the buyer) ______Presented benefits-based upon needs of buyer instead of only features of the product/service. ______Logical, convincing presentation (display a strategy to communicate and persuade; Clearly understands needs "hot buttons" of prospect and concentrates on those needs) ______Used appropriate/professional visual aids ______Effectively demonstrated product ______Effectively involves the buyer in the demonstration ______Effective use of trial closes (follow-up questions to determine where buyer is in decision process)
15% OVERCOMING OBJECTIONS (OBJECTIVE: Eliminate concerns or questions to customer’s satisfaction) (2 Additional Steps – 1. Thank you 2. Empathy ______Initially gains better understanding of objection (clarifies or allows buyer to clarify the objection). ______Effectively answers the objection ______Confirms that the objection is no longer a concern of the buyer
10% CLOSE (OBJECTIVE: Take initiative to understand where you stand with buyer now and for the future) ______Persuasive in presenting a reason to buy (Try to bring in the financial component) ______Asked for business or appropriate commitment from the buyer, given the nature of this particular sales call. (For small businesses, push for decision). Large businesses may need more time)
15% COMMUNICATION SKILLS ______Effective verbal communication skills (active listening; restated, rephrased, clarified, probed for better understanding, etc..) ______Appropriate non-verbal communication ______Verbiage (clear, concise, professional)
5% OVERALL ______Salesperson enthusiasm and confidence ______Product knowledge CORPORATE SALES TEAM EVALUATION FORM
Page 6 of 18 Your Name: ______Team Member Name:______Perfect Score = 100 My score of my teammate =______
1. Group Attendance: Did the member observe group attendance policies; did they attend all meetings; spend more or less time on the project? Minimum Time 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Maximum Time
2. Technical Knowledge: Did the member possess information and understanding of duties
and responsibilities necessary for successful completion of the project? Knowledge Insufficient 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Knowledge Effective
3. Planning & Organization: Did the member schedule and coordinate work effectively; did they turn-in work on time? Unable to schedule/coordinate work 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Scheduled effectively
4. Decision Making & Judgment: Did the member possess the ability to analyze situations, weigh alternatives, and determine the proper course of action? Ineffective decision making 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Effective decision making
5. Productivity & Work Quality: How much work was performed; what was the quality of work performed; was the work good quality or poor Low productivity/quality of work 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 High productivity/quality
6. Effectiveness under Stress: What was the member’s ability to handle work situations when facing time pressures and/or personal problems/opposition? Not effective 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Effective under stress
7. Communication(s): Did the member have the ability to comprehend and/or originate both written and oral material; did they effectively exchange ideas and encourage two-way communications with other group members? Ineffective communications 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Effective communications
8. Human Relations: Was the member sensitive to other’s needs; were they able to use personal skills effectively to achieve objectives and get ideas accepted; did they work well with others, gaining favorable attention and respect? Does not work well 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Works well with others
9. Problem Solving: Was the member able to define the problem specifically and offer workable solutions; were they able to obtain necessary information and then make timely, well-reasoned judgments? Unable to analyze problems 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Able to analyze problems
10. Leadership: Was the member effective in directing the work of others to attain group objectives; did they motivate others to perform their duties and assume responsibility for group work activities? Ineffective motivator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Effective motivator
Page 7 of 18 CORPORATE SALES PRESENTATION WORKSHEET (Not to be handed in) – Use for Corporate presentation, Not Role-play You must follow Selling Process Steps given in class. (Updated 2016))
1. List 2-3 topics you are considering selling in the Corporate Sales Presentation.
2. What are the benefits of your product/service/idea? (Remember the definition of benefit is how exactly it helps the potential customer – provides quality product, saves time, saves money, etc.)
3. How will you establish need? (Take the opposite of your benefits to determine need, i.e. if you are selling seat belts, you would need to establish through appropriate sources the # of traffic deaths. This would set up a “problem or need” that would have to be solved).
4. How will you prove each benefit identified in question 2? (Refer to text for benefit definition. Also, Benefit 1, 2 and 3 should each have a, b & c as supporting points).
Benefit 1:______A. B. C.
Benefit 2:______A. B. C.
(Continue on depending on number of benefits you present – not more than 4)
Page 8 of 18 5. How will you gain attention in the first 1 minute of the oral presentation?
6. How will you establish credibility?
7. How will you meet objections to your product/service/idea?
8. What are your visual aids?
9. Are your sources on the bottom of your PowerPoint AND in the written presentation?
10. How will you close the presentation?
Page 9 of 18 SALES PRESENTATION GUIDELINES Professional Selling 3358 (Updated 2016) WRITTEN PRESENTATION
Format - All of the following pages should be separate pages: Title Page; Executive Summary (1-2 pages stating who, what, why, when, and where--much like the synopsis of a book); History of your company (1 pages – preferable to use a timeline); Business Philosophy (short statement like a mission statement); Officers of the company (and sales team, if appropriate), and actual presentation (5-6 pages using selling process steps given in class); Financial References; Footnotes, and Bibliography. Be sure thesis (benefit) statement is in the Executive Summary, body of the presentation, and close. Use MLA style for organization of sources (See Writing—A College Handbook, 2nd edition, by Heffernan and Lincoln, or check the library for MLA style).
Cover Page- Name, Class day, and Time. EX: Joe Smith, Susan Jackson, etc. T-Th 9:00
Details- No typographical errors, misspelled words, sentence fragments, etc. Double spaced, 15 pages or more in length.
Sources- You must have three separate references. EXAMPLES: Dun and Bradstreet, Wall Street Journal, Moody’s, Forbes, Nation's Business, Consumer Reports, Harvard Business Review, etc. Your sources depend on your topic. NO unsupported claims.
ORAL PRESENTATION
Format- Adapt your written presentation to your oral format. Use the Selling Process steps in your textbook and those given in class. Use an outline format (for yourself, not to be handed in to me). No notes or reading!!! PowerPoints are your guide.
Details-Visual aids are strongly encouraged. We will go over this in class (15-20 minutes in length). Presentations under 15 minutes will receive a grade deduction.
Grading-The multi-attribute model you will be judged on includes the traits of: Enthusiasm (70 points); Organization (60 points); Appearance (50 points); Ambition (40 points); Persuasiveness (30 points); Verbal Skills (20 points); and Sociability (10 points). A perfect score is 280 points. The standard 90%, 80%, 70%, 60% scale is used for grading. Two letter grades will be deducted if you present a late presentation. (Oral and/or written). If your oral presentation cannot be rescheduled due to lack of available times, you will receive an F. If your written presentation is more than one week late, you will receive an F.
Extra Information The topic you choose is your decision. Check with me if you are uncertain. Examples of past presentations (both oral & written) are available online. Also, I will go over an entire presentation in both formats in class for your information.
Page 10 of 18 CORPORATE SALES PRESENTATION – ORAL VERSION GUIDELINES Professional Selling - Vicki West (Updated 2016)
1. Choose a company to represent – must be an existing company so you can get real data to support your claims.
2. Try to choose a company that has a distinctive competency. Small or mid-size, private firms can work just as well than large multi-national corporations.
3. Figure out the 2-4 benefits that your company gives to customers that can be easily articulated in 1, 2, 3 fashion, i.e. excellent quality, upgradeability and excellent customer service (from the Midwest Surgical Case in C. 3 – the gamma knife sale).
4. Corporate customers may be “fictitious.” It is preferable to use real customers.
Remember the selling process steps: (For a 20 minute corporate presentation)
Attention – 1-2 minutes - can be anything from a statistic, a video, a commercial, and a surprising fact – limitless ways to get attention. Make it appropriate to your corporate audience. Thesis sentence in this section somewhere.
Credibility – 2-3 minutes – This is all about your company and why it’s great. How long in business, sales records, 3rd party testimonials, periodicals ratings (Consumer Reports rankings, etc.). There are limitless ways to get credibility. Make it appropriate to your corporate audience. See online example on my webpage.
Need – 3-5 minutes – This is the most difficult section. You must take the opposite of your benefits and create a problem. For example, if your benefit is superior quality and that benefit has three (3) components, one of which is focusing capability (remember the gamma knife example), you would have to find statistics on problems with surgical gamma knives not performing well, or why the focusing capability of the knife is extremely important. What you are doing in this section is taking all of your benefits and taking the antithesis of the benefits to “set up the problem.” This is no sale if there is no “need.” In other words, we do not care about excellent quality (focusing ability) of a gamma knife for brain surgery unless we understand its importance and/or past problems. Here is a complete example (taken from the Chapter 4 gamma knife case).
Example Thesis sentence: We, at Midwest Surgical, believe we can provide the following three benefits to the Toronto Medical Center’s neurosurgery department: 1. An excellent quality knife 2. Upgradeability features 3. Superior customer service.
So take the opposite of excellent quality, which is poor quality and set that scenario up with supporting documentation. Then, set up the problem of obsolescence. Then set up poor customer service. If you go online and use these key words, you will get thousands of references. Try “poor quality – surgical devices” and so on. Then you have statistics and proof that there is a need or problem. You will probably have to try several keywords to get
Page 11 of 18 what you need. Remember, excellent corporate salespeople have documentation!! You must back up your claims with data from reputable sources.
Now, here is your thesis sentence again. Remember, you said the thesis in the attention phase, then build credibility and need, now you are ready to prove your claims.
FEB step - 7-10 minutes - Depending on what you are selling, often you focus only on benefits and evidence. It depends on whether you are selling tangible products, or services, or intangible ideas.
1. An excellent Quality knife – (Benefit 1 – followed by supporting evidence) 1a. Superior focusing ability 1b. Auto-Alignment feature 1c. Other support for quality
2. Upgradeability feature – (Benefit 2 – followed by supporting evidence) 2a. Describe how it works 2b. Talk about timeframe for obsolescence 2c. Life cycle cost – to illustrate that being more expensive initially can lead to longer term savings 2d. Competitors’ comparison
3. Excellent customer service – (Benefit 3 – followed by supporting evidence) 3a. Discuss other hospitals & your success with handling their service 3b. Testimonial from other hospital personnel 3c. Phone call from happy customers 3d. Handling of disaster scenarios if problems occur
CLOSE – 1-2 minutes
Thesis sentence again to reinforce your key benefits. Also, outline the “next step.” Sometimes, use visual aids here, or throughout, depending on appropriateness for corporate customer.
Page 12 of 18 Honor Code UPPS No. 07.10.01 Issue No. 5 Effective Date: 08/16/2004 Review: June 1 E4Y Attachments I, II, III
01. POLICY STATEMENTS
01.01 The purpose of this UPPS is to provide policies and procedures related to academic honesty, pursuant to the Rules and Regulations, Board of Regents, Texas State University System, effective May 2003. See Section VI, Subsection 5.36 of the Regents Rules.
01.02 Texas State University-San Marcos expects students to engage in all academic pursuits in a manner that is beyond reproach. Students found in violation of the Honor Code are subject to disciplinary action.
01.03 To support the goal of maintaining a climate of academic honesty, Texas State has adopted a modified Honor Code (see Attachment I).
02. DEFINITIONS
02.01 "Academic work" means the preparation of an essay, thesis, report, problem, assignment or other project submitted for purposes of grade determination.
02.02 "Violation of the “Honor Code" includes, but is not limited to, cheating on an examination or other academic work, plagiarism, collusion and the abuse of resource materials.
a. "Cheating" means engaging in any of the following activities.
1) Copying from another student's test paper, laboratory report, other report, or computer files, data listings, or programs. 2) Using, during a test, materials not authorized by the person giving the test. 3) Collaborating, without authorization, with another person during an examination or in preparing academic work. 4) Knowingly, and without authorization, using, buying, selling, stealing, transporting, soliciting, copying or possessing, in whole or in part, the contents of an unadministered test.
5) Substituting for another student or permitting another person to substitute for oneself in taking an examination or preparing academic work. 6) Bribing another person to obtain an unadministered test or obtain information about an unadministered test. 7) Purchasing, or otherwise acquiring and submitting as one's own work any research paper or other writing assignment prepared by an individual or firm. This section does not apply to the typing of the rough or final versions of an assignment by a professional typist.
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b. "Plagiarism" means the appropriation of another's work and the unacknowledged incorporation of that work in one's own written work offered for credit.
c. "Collusion" means the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written work offered for credit.
d. "Abuse of resource materials" means the mutilation, destruction, concealment, theft or alteration of materials provided to assist students in the mastery of course materials.
02.03 Following are definitions of persons, their titles and responsibilities, who shall have, or be involved in, the jurisdiction over the Honor Code.
a. "Coordinator" means the Coordinator of Student Justice.
b. "Instructor" means a faculty member with the responsibility for teaching a particular academic course, regardless of that person's academic rank, e. g., professor, associate professor, assistant professor, instructor, assistant instructor, lecturer or graduate teaching assistant.
c. "Student" means any person enrolled in a course, whether a full-time or part- time student, whether for credit or audit, and whether in residence, or by extension or any form of distance education.
d. “Honor Code Council” means a committee made up of seven faculty members and seven students, one from each college, except the University College and the Graduate College. The faculty will be appointed by the Faculty Senate to serve two-year staggered terms with two appointees designated as Chair and Vice Chair. The students will be selected on an annual basis through the Associated Student Government and approved by the Vice President for Student Affairs. The committee must include an equal number of faculty, including the Chair or Vice Chair, and students with a minimum of three each to hear an appeal. Prior to serving, the Council members will attend an orientation session presented by the Dean of Students office.
02.04 "Academic penalty" means one or more of the following sanctions which may be imposed in cases involving violation of academic honesty.
a. A requirement to perform additional academic work not required of other students in the course.
b. A reduction to any level of the grade in the course, or on the examination, or other academic work affected by violation of the Honor Code.
c. A requirement to withdraw from the course with a grade of "F" or a "W".
Page 14 of 18 02.05 "Disciplinary penalty" means any penalty which may be imposed in a student disciplinary matter pursuant to The Official Texas State Code of Student Conduct.
*03. PROCEDURES
03.01 The following procedures are outlined in Attachment III.
03.02 When a faculty member reasonably suspects that a student under the faculty member’s supervision has violated the Honor Code, the faculty member will follow these procedures. The faculty member’s proceedings are informal and are not adversarial. The faculty member may consult with his or her chair regarding the matter.
a. The faculty member will summon the student orally or in writing to a private, personal conference. At the meeting the faculty member will explain to the student both the suspected code violation and the evidence that supports the suspicion that the violation occurred. The faculty member may rely on documents and other written statements. If the faculty member relies on documents or other written statements the faculty member will provide the student with copies of such documents.
1) The faculty member will give the student at least three calendar days to respond to the suspected code violation. The student may respond in writing or in person at a subsequent meeting with the faculty member, as determined by the student. The student may bring present witnesses, either by written statements or in person. However, neither the faculty member nor the student may be represented by legal counsel at any meeting. 2) If the student fails to respond in the time that the faculty member provides, the faculty member may proceed to determine the matter as provided below.
b. b. The faculty member, after considering the evidence and the student’s response, will determine whether the student violated the Honor Code and will notify the student of his or her determination and of any academic penalty assessed. The faculty member will also advise the student that the student may accept or reject either the faculty member’s determination or any academic penalty.
1) If the faculty member is not convinced that the student violated the Honor Code, the matter will end. 2) If the faculty member is convinced that the student violated the Honor Code, the faculty member may assess an academic penalty as defined in Section 02.04. 3) In addition to an academic penalty, a faculty member may recommend additional disciplinary action. 4) On the Honor Code Review Form (see Attachment II), the faculty member shall:
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(a) note his or her determination and any academic penalty; (b) note any additional disciplinary penalty recommended; (c) give the student an opportunity to indicate the student’s acceptance or rejection of the faculty member’s determination; (d) sign and date the form; and (e) deliver the form to the Coordinator of Student Justice with copies to the student and the faculty member’s dean.
03.03 The dean of the college will convene the Honor Code Council if (1) the faculty member recommends an additional disciplinary penalty; (2) the student rejects the faculty member’s determination; or (3) the student has a record of a previous violation of the Honor Code.
a. a. When the Honor Code Council convenes, it will give the student notice of he reported code violation, notice of the evidence that it has to support that violation, and an opportunity to respond, according to these procedures.
1) 1) Reviewing Academic Penalties. When the Honor Code Council reviews an academic penalty it will ask the faculty member to submit, in writing, the documentation and evidence that supports the suspected offense, as well as any mitigating evidence. The Council will then provide the student with a copy of the faculty member’s materials and an opportunity to respond to those materials within a reasonable time determined by the Council. The Council may request additional written materials from either party. The Council will consider all material submitted and make its recommendation as provided below. 2) 2) Reviewing Disciplinary Recommendations. When reviewing a recommendation for a disciplinary penalty, the Council will follow the applicable procedures for hearings in Section 03.05 of the Code of Student Conduct. These procedures include notice to the student of the charges and evidence of an Honor Code violation and an opportunity to respond to the charges and evidence at a hearing. 3) 3) Reviewing Cases Involving Both Academic Penalties and Disciplinary Recommendations. When reviewing cases that involve both an academic penalty and a recommendation for a disciplinary penalty, the Council will review the academic penalty under the procedures in subsection 1 above, and will review the disciplinary recommendation under the procedures in subsection 2 above.
b. After conducting its review, the Council will submit its findings and recommendations to the dean of the college where the alleged violation occurred. The dean will make a determination as to whether the student violated the Honor Code and if so, as to whether to impose any academic or disciplinary penalty on the student.
1) If the dean is not convinced that the student violated the Honor Code, the matter will end and the dean will remit the student’s work to the faculty
Page 16 of 18 member for evaluation and grade assignment with supervision from the dean or the dean’s representative. 2) If the dean is convinced that the student violated the Honor Code, the dean may assess an academic penalty, a disciplinary penalty, or both.
03.04 Within five days of receiving the dean’s written decision, the student may appeal in writing to the Provost and Vice President for Student Affairs. As provided in the Rules and Regulations of the Board of Regents, Texas State University System (Chapter VI, Section 5.36), the Provost will hear appeals of academic decisions and the Vice President for Student Affairs will hear appeals of disciplinary decisions. To appeal, the student should send written appeals to both officials. In both cases, grounds for appeal are limited to allegations that:
a. proper due process procedures were not followed. However, deviations from prescribed procedures will not necessarily invalidate a decision or proceeding unless they caused significant prejudice to the student;
b. b. the penalties assessed are not commensurate with the code violation committed; or
c. c. the University has violated a right guaranteed the student by the constitution or laws of the United States or the State of Texas.
03.04 The Provost and Vice President for Student Affairs will render their decisions on the appeals within a reasonable time and will inform all parties, including the student and the faculty member, of their decisions.
Note: If any conflict arises, the Regent’s Rules and Regulations will prevail.
04. REVIEWERS OF THIS UPPS
04.01 Reviewers of this UPPS include the following:
Position Date
Dr. Perry Moore June 1 E4Y Provost
Dr. James Studer June 1 E4Y Vice President for Student Affairs
Dr. Rod Fluker June 1 E4Y Coordinator of Student Justice
Chair, Faculty Senate June 1 E4Y
05. CERTIFICATION STATEMENT
Page 17 of 18 This UPPS has been approved by the following individuals in their official capacities and represents Texas State policy and procedure from the date of this document until superseded.
Dr. Perry Moore, Provost; senior reviewer of this UPPS
Dr. Denise Trauth, President
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