Academic integrity

The university’s official position: Eastern Oregon University places a high value upon the integrity of its student scholars. Any student found guilty of academic misconduct (including, but not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, or theft of an examination or supplies) may be subject to having his or her grade reduced in the course in question, being placed on probation or suspended from the university, or being expelled from the university–or a combination of these. (see section II of the 2002-03 Student Handbook, p. 32ff, and p. 41 ff; also this page for resources, more guidance (from WSU Library).

My interpretation: Plagiarism is taking credit for work, ideas, papers, which are not yours. Universities make lots of information available for a nominal fee, the bargain being that if you use the ideas of others, you’ll credit (cite) them. So, it isn’t just wholesale theft, but as the above says, deception, misrepresentation, etc. Be sure you’re familiar with what plagiarism is, and how to avoid it. I recommend you check out some library resources (they can be web-based) before you turn in papers in this class or others. If you’re caught plagiarizing, you’ll receive an ‘F’ on the assignment and possibly for the course.

A.I. policy

Generative A.I. (like ChatGPT or Google Gemini) produces new information (such as text, images, or video) that is based on machine learning processing prompts provided by the user, drawn from available information (e.g., from the Internet). Generative A.I. does not include spelling and grammar checking tools.

Do your own writing. A.I. can be a useful tool, but representing work generated by machine learning as one’s own work falls under academic dishonesty. If your paper was written using generative A.I. and I catch it, you will receive a ‘0’. Same for any written assignment, including quiz responses and discussion threads—obviously A.I. is out there and I’m not going to police that. And it can be useful as a tool. Submitting A.I.-generated work as your own will be considered like any other work you submit that includes unattributed sources—it violates the academic honesty code. If I suspect a student has used generative A.I. on the 1984 paper, discussion threads, or quizzes, without acknowledging it, I will contact them before assigning a grade. Students suspected of using A.I. to write a paper will be asked to discuss their work in a Zoom session. So … just do your own writing. If we don’t want robots replacing us in the workplace, we will have to think for ourselves, and college is one of the few places where you are rewarded for practicing and polishing your learning strategies. 1984, ironically, paints a dark picture of what can happen in a society where others do our thinking for us. Use and develop your own voice in your writing, it’s more unique, less like a machine, and more interesting.

EOU’s Library has a useful page for thinking about AI, its uses, abuses, and alternatives to.

Attendance

Your active participation will be requested in class, and there are points attached—one/day).

For athletes, artists, musicians, etc.: If you’re going to be missing class because of university-sponsored travel over the course of the term, please provide me with the information/dates when you receive it.

Due dates and late assignments

Posted due dates are firm. If they change over the course of the term, they’ll change for everyone. Turning in an assignment late will likely lead to a point deduction, to be fair. If you notify me on the due date that it will be late, and get it in the next day, the deduction is one letter grade (the total number of points you can get is 10% less than the total possible). Later notifications or assignments turned in will be handled on a case-by-case basis. But . . . turn them in!

Please use the submission page in Canvas to turn in written assignments (an exception being abstract/summaries for group discussion days), in one of the specified formats (.doc, .docx, .rtf, .odt). Word files are best for feedback. Pdf is very clumsy for leaving comments (i.e., you’ll get less).

Note: Class schedule and assignments may be revised during the course of the term as needed.

Expectations

I will justify my lecture and reading material, assignments, etc., by showing its relevance to the overall course objectives. I will provide a friendly environment for discussion of ideas, try to make you think, impart personal experiences relevant to course material, and be generally accessible, approachable, and clear and precise about course expectations. With respect to coverage of content, I tend to emphasize depth over breadth—I would rather cover less points thoroughly, at a reasonable and engaging pace, than pledge allegiance to a course schedule.

In turn I expect students are in the class expecting their ability to demonstrate learning will be evaluated, that they will do their own work, use or develop critical thinking skills and be able to express them on paper or in class discussion, speak up when unclear or in disagreement on a concept, exhibit college-level writing skills, and refine note-taking skills. I expect students to pay attention in class and contribute to the conversations we’re having. I’ll look for progress in developing abstract thinking skills and students’ abilities to focus on the “big picture”—key concepts delivered in class, their relevance to course material, the real world, etc. Students are expected to show respect to everyone in the class. If you have questions about what’s appropriate, follow the Golden Rule.

Students with disabilities

If you have any kind of disability, whether apparent or non-apparent, learning, emotional, physical, or cognitive, and you need some accommodations or alternatives to assignments, please contact me to discuss reasonable accommodations for your access needs. We work closely with the Disabilities Services Office. If you struggle with any learning process, or even test-taking, it’s worth contacting the DSO and having a chat.

Students requiring assistance or accommodation from me in doing course-related work should make their needs known to me in a timely manner. Obviously, any time during the term is better than not letting me know, though. Also, if any of the material in Canvas or on the course website is posing accessibility problems for you, please let me know so I can troubleshoot or find someone who can. If you have a documented disability or suspect that you have a learning problem, you are entitled to reasonable and appropriate accommodations. But you must work with the Disabilities Services Office (Taylor Smith, Director, tksmith@eou.edu, or contact disabsvc@eou.edu). The office phone is 541-962-3235.

Diversity and Inclusion

I would like to create a learning environment for students that supports equal opportunity, acknowledges a diversity of perspectives and experiences, and honors identity and difference. As a person with privileges simply because of my race and gender, I know I have blind spots. But I strive to continue to learn and be more mindful in the classroom setting, in person or online.

• If you have a name and/or set of pronouns you use that are different from your official records, let me/us know.
• If you feel like your performance in the class is being impacted by your experiences outside of class, I hope you’ll feel comfortable in contacting me if I can be a resource. Remember that you can also submit anonymous feedback.
• If something was expressed in our class (by anyone) that made you feel uncomfortable, please let me know. Back to the blind spots : ) We’re all here to learn and we all deserve the same access to resources to do so.

Drop Policy

(From EOU’s website):

Dropping. See the Drop/Withdrawal Refund Schedule on the Student Financial Services website.

A student may drop from a course for any reason with no record on the student’s transcript before the end of the 4th week of the term. If a student is unable to drop through Mountie Hub, they may submit a Registration Form to the Registrar’s Office. Thereafter, a student must withdraw from the course (see withdrawal policy).

Students dropping after the 1st week of the term may also be subject to tuition and fee penalties.

Drop fees will be assessed starting the 2nd week of the term through the end of the drop period.

See the 3 term academic calendar page for specific term details.

Withdrawing. A student may withdraw from a single course between week 5 of the term through (Friday of) week 10 with a grade of “W” indicated on the transcript.

Fees will be assessed in accordance with the fee policies stated in the Schedule of Classes.

Click here for the Registration Form to withdraw from one or all course(s).

Smart phones

I don’t want to make a rule on this, because I expect students understand the classroom is not the place to use their phones for non-class purposes. But it’s not okay to check your phones during class time. Or open laptops for non-class use. If you can’t show enough self-restraint to wait until after class, maybe you should reconsider this whole college thing, and/or habitual behavior on your phone. Occasionally students use them for looking something up we’re discussing in class, which is permissible. Be adult, courteous, and don’t abuse the privilege, something best learned now, not the hard way in a professional workplace. I’m trying to run this class in a more conversational format, and that is not possible if students are distracted by devices.

Grades

Unless I’ve made a math error, all grades are final.