COURSE POLICY SHEET
ALL COURSES 

The purpose of this paper is to present the classroom administration policies for which all students will be held responsible. These guidelines apply equally to all students. Special note to Section 504 students: Accommodations will be made as specified by the 504 coordinator, but they are not automatic or carte blanche - special accommodations will be made on a case-by-case and task-by-task basis. Please keep your instructor informed!

HOMEWORK DUE DATES:

All assignments are due as indicated in Canvas - whether you attend class or not. Late assignments will be assigned a grade of 0 (zero, no credit). No exceptions, for any reason.

Note: for every hour spent in class, plan to spend at least 1-3 hours outside of class on course-related work.

ATTENDANCE:

Regular attendance is expected and will be recorded. Coming late or leaving early may be treated as an absence. You should join on time and remain until class is dismissed. Note that Zoom automatically records both your entry and exit times.

Students who miss more than the equivalent of two weeks of class for ANY reason may be assigned a "WA" grade unless

1) All course work (exams, assignments, etc.) is up-to-date,
2) You have a current course grade average of 70% or better.

Since most tests are scheduled well in advance and scores may be dropped or substituted with higher scores when computing final course averages, make-up tests are NOT given. Missed tests will usually be graded as a zero. For numerous reasons it may be desirable or necessary for students to miss class. Whatever the reason may be, certain facts should be kept in mind:

  1. Exams and other activities requiring your presence may be scheduled just before, in between, or immediately after official breaks. Don't even think of making plans to leave campus early or return late after breaks with the expectation that you can make up missed work another time.
  2. There is no such thing as an excused absence! If you are not there, you are absent regardless of the reason! Generally, missing class for any reason does NOT excuse you from responsibility for material covered or assignments given or collected, or tests administered. It is up to you to find out what happened in class. It is not possible for your instructor to provide private tutoring to students who miss class. It is not possible to make up an absence. Most activities cannot be reproduced outside the classroom environment. Note to athletes: when attendance is used to determine a portion of the course grade, options are available for extra credit in other components of the grade to compensate for absences caused by events sanctioned by the Athletic Council. This option is available to all students with absences.
  3. An assignment is due on the designated date whether you attend class or not. 
  4. Material covered in class may not appear in your textbook, especially lecture demonstrations.
  5. Our accrediting body requires that some type of final exam be given during final exam week. Early final exams will not be offered for any reason.

CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE/ZOOM ETIQUETTE - CELL PHONES/LATE ARRIVALS:

ZOOM ETIQUETTE

Although at this time we do not expect this, Zoom may be used to deliver some class sessions if mandated by the university.  If so, there are some special rules that you should observe when Zoom is used:

  1. Be in a quiet place and plan for minimal distractions as much as possible.
  2. Position a light source facing you rather than behind you for video.
  3. Use a desktop or laptop to join Zoom classes- avoid cellphones and tablets, the screen is too small and class activities will be more easily facilitated.
  4. Use a background image if possible.
  5. Dress properly – no pajamas!
  6. Take care of personal business BEFORE class starts.
  7. Log out of all personal internet accounts and close all browsers, then login to Canvas and select the meeting link from this location (the class Canvas course) only.
  8. Join the Zoom session 5 minutes BEFORE the class starts – you may communicate with your peers before class begins.
  9. Students joining the class AFTER the official start time may be marked late or absent.
  10. Once class begins, keep your microphone muted and video camera ON unless/until directed otherwise.
  11. Use the “Raise Hand” icon in the Participants window to get the instructor’s attention.

CELL PHONES: While class is in session, you should participate in the class activities, avoid private conversations and other distracting activities. Cell phones should be turned off while class is in session. 

COMMUNICATION:
Electronic mail and, where appropriate, Canvas Announcements will be used extensively for communication purposes. Plan to check Canvas and your electronic mailbox at least once daily! 

GRADING:
Letter Grade
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
D
F
Numerical Grade
≥ 98
≥ 93
≥ 89
≥ 86
≥ 82
≥ 79
≥ 76
≥ 69.0
≥ 60.0
< 60.0

The instructor reserves the right to change the grade determination methods in a UNIFORM manner to raise the course letter grade corresponding to certain numerical grades, or the weight of one or more grade categories. If implemented, grade determination changes will be done ONLY in a manner BENEFICIAL to the class. Individual exceptions will not be considered. Keep in mind that a "C" means you are doing acceptable, passing, COLLEGE-LEVEL work. It is NOT a failing grade. Grades will be posted at the Canvas web site. Please monitor your grades and inform your instructor of recording errors.
TITLE IX:

St. Edward’s University is committed to fostering a safe, inclusive and productive learning environment. Title IX, state laws, and SEU policy prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex and gender identity. Consequently, sexual misconduct — including harassment, relationship violence, sexual assault, and stalking — is also prohibited at SEU.

The university encourages anyone impacted by or experiencing sexual misconduct to talk to someone about what happened, so they can get the support they need and SEU can respond appropriately. 

But you should know that only some SEU employees can offer you confidentiality.  I cannot.

If you wish to speak confidentially about an incident of sexual misconduct, please contact the Health & Counseling Center in Johnson Hall at 512-448-8538 to speak with a counselor or advocate.

Please know as a faculty member, I am a mandatory reporter and required by SEU, federal and state laws to report incidents of sexual misconduct that I “witness” or “receive information regarding the occurrence of” and thus cannot offer any confidentiality—even if you ask me to.  I must provide our Title IX coordinator with relevant details including the names of those involved in the incident or I will be terminated from employment and possibly prosecuted.

To make a formal report, you can contact the Dean of Students Office in Main Building, G 16, 512-448-8408, or go to https://www.stedwards.edu/campus-services/title-ix-and-preventing-discrimination/title-ix-students. Anonymous reporting is an option through the website. If you would like to make a police report, you can contact our University Police Department at 512-448-8444.  The university will investigate reports of sexual misconduct and may need to override a request for confidentiality and pursue an alleged perpetrator in order to provide a safe campus for everyone.

If you have questions about university policies and procedures regarding sexual misconduct, please contact our Title IX Coordinator, Dr. Lisa Kirkpatrick, Vice President for Student Affairs, Main Building, G 16, 512-448-8425. You can also learn more about Title IX at St. Edward’s University by visiting the website at https://www.stedwards.edu/campus-services/title-ix-and-preventing-discrimination. 

ACADEMIC HONESTY: Students who violate the St. Edward's University academic integrity expectations will be subject to the full range of penalties as described in the Undergraduate Bulletin (Accessible through MyHilltop) and in the Student Handbook. Withdrawal from a course is not allowed when an F for academic dishonesty has been imposed.

It is tempting to copy another's work rather than researching and writing a report from scratch, especially considering how easily electronically recorded media can be duplicated. DON'T DO IT!!!  Always keep quoted sections to 10% or less of the total word count and identify the source. This policy applies to ALL course work.

INCOMPLETE GRADE POLICY:

CATASTROPHIC EVENTS MUST OCCUR TO GET A GRADE OF "I", AND ONLY IF

      1. THE EVENT OCCURS DURING THE LAST TWO WEEKS OF CLASS.
      2. YOU ARE UP-TO-DATE ON ALL YOUR WORK AND EXAMS,
      3. YOU ARE MAINTAINING AT LEAST A "C" AVERAGE, AND
      4. YOU HAVE AN ACCEPTABLE ATTENDANCE RECORD UP TO THAT POINT.

If granted, all missing work must be submitted for grading well before (see your instructor) the first business day of October for all summer courses, March for all fall courses and July for all spring courses, or a grade of "F" will be entered on the transcript.

KEEP IN MIND THAT ALL GRADES ARE BASED ON ACHIEVEMENT, NOT EFFORT!

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Revised 8/05/21