BTU SFL Code of Professional Practice
Instructors are expected to maintain a high code of professional conduct. We believe that to deliver the highest quality of education to our students, our academic staff must be motivated and dedicated to our mission, vision, and aims. Instructors are expected to fulfill their duties and responsibilities in a timely and appropriate manner. Harboring a sense of team spirit that we find essential to our work, instructors are expected to encourage, assist, and cooperate. Regardless of their experience level, instructors should be open to professional development and improvement in the field. To this aim, we expect our instructors to collaborate and work to improve our educational programs.
2.1 Student Attendance
Instructors are expected to take attendance every class hour and maintain accurate attendance records, both in hardcopy format and on the automation system. At the beginning of each quarter, instructors will receive the attendance lists for the class(es) they teach. Students must sign in for every class hour they attend. The instructor is then responsible for entering the attendance records into the automation system, which can be accessed from the BTU website (http://obs.btu.edu.tr/) using the instructor’s ID number and password.
Students must attend at least 85 percent of class hours each quarter to qualify for the final exam and the opportunity to advance to the next level. Students who fail to meet this threshold receive an automatic failing grade for the quarter and must repeat the level regardless of their exam scores or class average. Given this strict attendance policy, instructors must maintain accurate records and enter their attendance into the automation system regularly.
Weekly attendance should be entered no later than the following Monday at 17:00. Students should only be marked present or absent unless special permission is obtained from the management. At the end of each quarter, hard copies of the attendance records with student signatures should be delivered to Melih Yener in the Administrative Unit for archiving.
2.2 Assessments and Exams
In addition to maintaining accurate attendance records throughout each academic quarter, instructors are expected to maintain records of student assessment and exam scores. Instructors should maintain the hardcopy versions of the exams or assignments throughout the academic quarter and submit these documents to SFL Student Affairs in the Administrative Unit for archiving within three days after the announcement of the exam results. Additionally, instructors must enter their student exam and assessment scores into the automation system in a timely fashion. Instructors are encouraged to save and double-check the scores that they have entered before publishing the grades on the automation system.
For certain exams, proctors may be required to return the exam envelopes to the Testing Office, where they will be distributed to the assigned grader. This procedure will be assigned before the exam and should be followed by all instructors.
Morning: 08.00 – 12.00
Lunch Break: 12.00 – 13.00
Afternoon: 13.00 – 17.00
4.1 Annual and Excused Leave
Instructors employed for at least one year are entitled to annual leave of up to twenty (20) days. All annual leave permission must be approved by the SFL management prior to the leave period. Within their first ten years of employment, instructors are entitled to twenty (20) days of annual leave. After ten years of employment, the annual leave period increases to thirty (30) days.
Annual leave must be taken within the current year or the following year; otherwise, unused annual leave days will expire. For instance, annual leave for 2023 can be taken in 2023 or 2024; it cannot be taken in 2025.
• arrange a make-up class as soon as possible, and
• talk to the SFL management and his or her co-workers to arrange for another instructor to cover the missed classes.
Instructors who miss work due to health issues must submit a medical report within the same day.
Maternity leave is provided for expecting mothers and includes 16 weeks of leave (8 weeks before birth and 8 weeks after birth). Maternity leave must be taken the 3 weeks prior to the expected due date. All documents related to maternity leave must be submitted to the SFL management.
Following the end of the maternity leave, instructors are entitled to breastfeeding leave. Within the first 6 months of birth, instructors are allowed 3 hours of leave per day for the purpose of breastfeeding and childcare. Following the first 6 months, breastfeeding leave is reduced to 1.5 hours per day over the next 6 months.
Instructors can receive permission to attend congresses, conferences, seminars and similar events for purposes of academic and professional development. For domestic conferences or events of up to one week in length, the instructor can receive permission from the SFL management. Requests to attend academic conferences must be approved by the SFL Director. International conferences and events exceeding 7 days in length must be approved by the Rector.
Instructors who present presentations or posters at such events may be reimbursed by the University up to a certain amount, as determined by the Rectorate. All reimbursements for both domestic and international events must be approved by the Rector. Instructors are entitled to reimbursement for 2 events per year (1 domestic event and 1 international event, or 2 domestic events) as long as there are no budget restrictions for that academic year. Instructors should seek approval for leave and travel permission to such events at least one month in advance.
4.4 Cover For Absenteeism
When possible, instructors are encouraged to arrange coverage for their classes missed due to sickness or leave. In such instances, instructors may ask their colleagues to cover and/or exchange classes. Instructors are responsible for making these arrangements themselves and seeking approval from the management. The Assistant Directors must approve any changes to the teaching schedule or exchange of classes before that class hour.
In case of prolonged absenteeism and/or when necessary, the management may assign instructors to cover classes.
4.5 Make-up Classes
Instructors are required to complete a make-up form (telafi formu) before conducting their make-up classes. Instructors must complete the form and submit it to the administration for approval before their absenteeism if permission for leave is pre-approved. If permission for leave is not pre-approved, as in case of sickness or emergency, instructors are required to complete and submit the make-up form immediately upon their return to work.
Make-up classes are typically conducted after school, Monday to Friday, and must be completed before the end of the academic quarter.
5.1 Meeting Types
School Board meetings are organized throughout the year to discuss the status and development of the SFL. They are chaired by the Director of the SFL and attended by board members. They do not follow a set schedule but are called by the Director at regular intervals. As such, the number of meetings per year and the contents of these meetings are flexible.
Coordinators meetings are organized to facilitate communication among Unit and Office Coordinators and the SFL management. The meetings are chaired by an Assistant Director and attended by the Unit and Office Coordinators. At these meetings, the Coordinators and the management discuss the curriculum, assignments, materials, and aims of each skill course to ensure cooperation and consistency within the SFL across skill classes. Coordinators are expected to prepare reports on their respective skill courses before the meeting; this information is then shared and discussed at Coordinator meetings. The dates and times of the meetings are determined in advance and announced by the SFL management.
Unit and Office meetings are organized regularly for each Unit and/or Office to discuss, reflect, and improve upon the curriculum design, assignments, materials, and aims of the relevant skill course as necessary. The meetings are chaired by the Unit Coordinator and attended by the Team members. The dates and times of the meetings are determined in advance and announced by the respective unit coordinator. At these meetings, Team members are expected to reflect upon the practices of the previous quarter and offer suggestions for improving the course.
Instructors meetings are organized to orient the SFL teaching staff to the curriculum, design, and expectations of each skill course. They are organized by the relevant unit coordinators and attended by all instructors. All instructors are expected to attend the meetings to enhance communication, clarify expectations, and provide feedback about each course. The purpose of these meetings is to prepare teachers for the skills courses that they will teach or may have to substitute for throughout the year. The dates and times of the meetings are determined in advance and announced by the respective unit coordinator.
In addition to the four meeting types outlined above, other meetings may be arranged throughout the academic year. These meetings include but are not limited to seminars, presentations, and workshops related to SFL administrative issues, professional development opportunities, guest speakers, and other events that may arise throughout the year. The meeting chairs, attendees, dates, and times are flexible, given that these meetings do not follow a fixed schedule.
5.2 Meeting Documents and Document Filing
For each meeting type outlined above, meeting documents should be recorded and filed appropriately according to the procedures outlined below to ensure clear lines of communication within the organizational structure. The meeting documents are designed to provide a written record of the discussions and actions taken for clear and efficient communication at multiple levels.
Three documents are required for each meeting. These documents are:
1. The Meeting Agenda is prepared and delivered to the attendees before the meeting by the meeting chair. The purpose of the meeting agenda is to acquaint the attendees with the topics and tasks that will be discussed at the meeting and to allow the attendees sufficient time to prepare for the meeting.
These three documents should be archived properly, both in hard and soft copy, by the relevant coordinator or meeting chair. A hard copy of each document should be retained, and the soft copy should be properly uploaded to the shared Drive in the Meetings folder. Attendees should initial the bottom of the meeting minutes form and sign the summary report before archiving.
6.1 Electronic Document Management System (EBYS)
In addition to regular meetings, the Electronic Document Management System (EBYS) facilitates communication within the SFL, particularly concerning administrative issues and the assignment of administrative tasks. The EBYS is an online system used by many state institutions in Turkey to manage official communication within and between departments. In addition to facilitating internal communication within the SFL, the EBYS allows for easy communication between departments of BTU, such as between the Rectorate and the SFL. The EBYS provides a professional, convenient, and accessible platform for official communication and the distribution of tasks.
All staff members (administrative and teaching) are registered to the system automatically with the help of the IT Department. Staff members can access the EBYS website using the BTU email address, username, and password. Assignments and official announcements are delivered to staff members through the system, and staff members receive an email confirming the delivery of an assignment. Staff members may access the documents about the official announcement or assignment by logging onto the EBYS website.
Through the EBYS, official communication is delivered from the SFL management to department staff members. Instructors are accepted to check the EBYS regularly and follow through with any official tasks assigned to them.
6.2 E-mail Communication
While the EBYS is reserved for official administrative tasks, staff members are expected to maintain regular professional communication through their BTU e-mail addresses. Email addresses are assigned to new staff members upon arrival to the SFL and can be accessed through the BTU website. Staff members should check their BTU email regularly for information regarding meetings, assignments, exams, materials, or other issues about executing teaching objectives and administrative tasks.
9.1 Assessment and Inventory of Resources
Physical Resources
Each year, the inventory of resources within the SFL is assessed and reviewed by the administrative unit. The process of assessing the inventory is led by the SFL Secretary and supported by members of the administrative unit. The assessment includes a count of physical resources available to the SFL and an evaluation of the quality of these resources. During the assessment process, the administrative unit works to ensure that sufficient resources are available to execute the teaching and learning objectives of the SFL.
An inventory list is maintained and updated regularly by the head of Staff Affairs. The inventory list includes all physical resources available to the SFL and has been updated to include the distribution and need for resources (e.g., when the academic staff requests resources). When additional physical resources are required, the administrative unit purchases such items.
Human Resources
An evaluation of human resources is conducted regularly by the SFL management. The assessment of human resources considers the needs of the SFL concerning factors such as an increase in student enrolment or an expansion of university departments. The SFL management assesses the academic and administrative staff needs of the department and submits requests to the Rectorate to hire additional personnel.
The SFL management is responsible for and carries out the process of hiring foreign-national staff, with the approval of the Rectorate. To hire Turkish national staff, the SFL Director submits a request to the Rectorate, which is then evaluated and sent to the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) in Ankara for final approval before beginning the recruitment process.
Additional information on the recruitment and hiring processes of academic staff can be found in the relevant sections of this handbook.
Review of Resources
A final review of physical and human resources is prepared each year in concurrence with the Annual Activity Report. As part of this review process, the SFL management and the administrative unit collaborate to determine the impact of resources on the educational programs the SFL provides.
9.2 Distribution of Resources
Office Supplies
Instructors can receive office materials as needed by contacting the Staff Affairs officer. Instructors will be asked to fill out a Resource Request Form (Taşınır İstek Belgesi) indicating the items that they need and the quantity of each item requested. Forms are kept by the Staff Affairs officer, who is responsible for distributing resources to teachers.
Course Books and Supporting Materials
Instructors can receive a copy of the textbook and other supporting materials used in their courses by contacting the Library Office at the beginning of each academic quarter. Instructors will receive a copy of the Student’s Book, the Teacher’s Book, and audio CDs or online supporting materials. They are expected to use these resources in their courses and return them at the end of each academic quarter.
Instructors can also borrow these materials throughout the quarter as necessary, such as when substituting or preparing assessment materials for a course, by contacting the relevant Unit Coordinator. In cases where the course book is unavailable from the Unit Coordinator, teachers should contact the Department Head for assistance in obtaining the necessary course materials.
The Library Office is responsible for storing the textbooks for each course level and maintaining an updated count of available course books for instructors. The Coordinators will coordinate with the Assistant Directors and the Department Head to ensure that a sufficient supply of textbooks is available to instructors.
Other supporting materials, including additional handouts, worksheets, audio listening files, and dictation files, are available to teachers on the shared Drive. Instructors should check the relevant course folder in the Drive for supporting materials related to their course. The pacing calendars for each course, as well as assessment rubrics, are also available on the shared Drive.
9.3 Damaged and Lost Materials
Instructors should report damaged or lost materials to the Staff Affairs officer, who will make arrangements for replacement materials and note the relevant changes in the inventory. In cases where the instructor is responsible for the damage to or loss of the good, he or she may be required to compensate financially for its replacement.
In case of damaged or lost course textbooks, instructors should report the damage or loss to the relevant Unit Coordinator, who in turn will report the need for new or replacement textbooks to the Assistant Directors/Department Head.
When proctoring, instructors are expected to follow the procedures outlined in exam guidelines. Instructors should review the exam procedures before the start of the examination and ensure that they have the proper resources, including the correct number of exam sheets and audio files (if necessary). The Testing Office or Unit Coordinator will provide an answer key and/or rubric to facilitate the grading of exams. Instructors are expected to follow the answer key and/or rubric specified by the Testing Office or Unit Coordinator. Instructors should contact the Testing Office or the relevant Unit Coordinator for any questions related to the administration and grading of exams.