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 note on A.I.

Generative A.I. (like ChatGPT) produces new data (such as text, images, or video) that is based on prompts provided by the user, and available information (e.g., from the Internet). Generative A.I. does not include spelling and grammar checking tools (but you’ll be better off if you use EOU’s writing tutors, trust me).

Write your own paper. 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’. And it’s not that hard to catch, really—I will have samples of your writing. This goes for for any written assignment, including discussions—obviously A.I. is out there and I’m not going to police that. As with any other source that is outside of your head, if 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 AI-generated work without properly citing it 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 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 to discuss 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. 1984—a dystopian novel—is all about others doing our thinking for us.

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 deduction. Later notifications or assignments turned in will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

Emergencies dealt with case-by-case. 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 strive to provide a safe space 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. Disparaging of individuals or groups is not okay. Disruptions to the class that distract from course goals or violate the student conduct code could lead to removal from class or a report filed with the Student Affairs Office. Check any personal agendas that might fit the above scenario at the door (link to student conduct code).

In turn I expect students will do their own work, use or develop critical thinking skills and be able to express them on paper or in class discussion, let me know when unclear or in disagreement on a concept, and either exhibit college-level writing skills or seek help to improve them. 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. Students will show respect to each other in class. That is the minimum required for a safe learning environment.

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). 

Grades

Unless I’ve made a math error, all grades are final. If you need the grade, do the work. There’s nothing wrong with struggling–that’s evidence of learning. Being of few points shy of the grade you want is an accounting issue best addressed during the course.