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.

Attendance

Your participation in the discussion is an important part of the class and the learning. This is why there are points attached to your attendance and participation (one per day, they will add up). Each student has a right to two unexcused absences. 

A note on A.I.

Generative A.I. (like ChatGPT) produces new information (such as text, images, or video) that is based on prompts provided by the user, and available information (e.g., from the Internet). Though that information draws on a vast repository of content, there is no attribution of authorship. 

Write your own paper. A.I. can be a useful tool for doing research, or solving complex problems, but representing work generated by machine learning as one’s own work falls under academic dishonesty. If your paper was written using generative AI and I catch it, you will receive a ‘0’. Same for any written assignments, including  group work submitted. Obviously AI is out there and I’m not going to police that. And it can be useful as a tool. But like any other source that is outside of your head, if or when you use it, you need to cite it. Properly. And describe how you used it—what prompt(s) did you use? Which A.I. application? At what URL? Submitting work without properly citing A.I. sources 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 a paper without acknowledging it, I will contact them before assigning a grade. If I suspect use of A.I. to write a paper, you may be invited to my office or into a Zoom session to talk about your work. 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 a great place to practice and polish. 

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 lead to a deduction. 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.

Please use the submission page in Canvas to turn in written assignments, in one of the specified formats (.doc, .docx, .rtf, .odt). Word files are best for feedback.

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

Expectations

I will justify my online lecture and reading material, assignments, etc., by showing their 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 strict allegiance to a course schedule.

In turn I expect students are in class and in college to learn, will do their own work, show effort to learn the material, use or develop critical thinking skills and be able to express them on paper or in class discussion, either exhibit college-level writing skills or seek help to improve them. I’ll look for 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. Discussion in class will focus on ideas—we can debate people’s ideas in a respectful way, but personal attacks on people will not be tolerated. You’re expected to show respect to everyone in the class. I don’t anticipate that to be a problem.

Disabilities and Accommodations

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 visiting the DSO and having a chat if you haven’t yet.

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. 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 is located in Loso Hall 234 (phone 541-962-3235).

Any student who faces challenges securing their food or housing or other basic needs and believes this may affect their performance in the course is urged to contact the Office of Student Affairs for support. Or please notify me if you are uncomfortable in doing so. I will help any way I can. Pamela Fredrick-Williams is our ‘benefits navigator’ and can be very helpful for students who are struggling to make ends meet. Our program also runs an emergency food bank, phone 541.786.3663 (FOOD).

Diversity and Inclusion

I would like to create a learning environment for students that supports a diversity of perspectives and experiences, and that honors students’ identities (including race, gender, class, sexuality, language, religion, ability, etc). As a person with privileges simply because of my race and gender, I know I have blind spots. But am trying to learn and be more mindful in the classroom setting. This is not some ‘woke’ missive–this is about every student being entitled to respect and agency.

• If you have a name and/or set of pronouns you use that are different from your official records, let me/us know. This is not about some abstract ‘woke’ ideology—it’s about respecting each other as people with agency.
• 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.
• 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.

Title IX Policy

Title IX refers to federal policies surrounding sexual misconduct and/or harassments. Everyone at EOU is entitled to a safe environment, and we are considered ‘responsible parties,’ who will report to the Title IX Office as appropriate. It’s important and serious, and I would encourage you to take the time to read the policy and understand your rights and responsibilities as members of the EOU community.  

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

If we’re not using them explicitly for looking something up, please keep them stored. In this class, we may have regular use for phones or laptops to look up information or complete small group assignments. But that’s the only use we’ll make of them in class. I have nothing against the technology (and this isn’t about my personal choice to opt out). It is students’ use of their phones during regular class that creates distraction from my job and yours—teaching and learning. And since my job is not to enable habits that create distractions in the learning environment, I’m trying this approach (others are trying things, too). Be adult, courteous, and self-aware, something best learned now, not the hard way in a professional workplace.

Grades

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