Faculty Resources

Syllabus Statement for COVID-19 Face-to-Face Courses

The following statements have been approved by Academic Council and should be included in all face-to-face course syllabi throughout the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency:

Potential for Course Delivery Transition (for Face to Face Course ONLY)

As the nature of the current public health emergency continues to evolve, this course could need to change delivery methods at a moment’s notice and for an indefinite period of time. Students should be prepared to learn in an online or remote environment if it were to become necessary. Access to an adequate computer and a reliable Internet connection would be essential to your success in this environment.

The following policy statements about Title IX, ADA accommodations, and Academic Integrity have been approved by the university counsel and should be included in all university syllabi.

These statements can also be found as an importable Canvas Module here: Syllabus Statements Canvas Module - KCTL

Title IX:

Mississippi University for Women recognizes the inherent dignity of all individuals and promotes respect for all people. The University is committed to creating an educational and learning environment that is free from harassment and discrimination based on sex, including sexual violence (assault, domestic violence, dating violence and gender-based stalking). To learn more about the University's policy on Title IX, how to make a report, or confidential resources, go to www.muw.edu/titleix. The Title IX Coordinator is located on the third floor of Welty Hall, Room 301, and may be contacted by phone at 662-329-7104 or email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Americans with Disabilities Act:

The University is committed to providing equitable access to learning for all students. The Student Success Center is the campus office that collaborates with students who have disabilities (e.g. physical, sensory, chronic health, learning, attentional, mental health) and arranges for reasonable accommodations to be implemented. It is the responsibility of students requesting accommodations to make an appointment with the Student Support Specialist to review specific needs, participate in the development of an Accommodation Plan by providing appropriate documentation, and discuss with the instructor how the Accommodation Plan will be applied in the course. Accommodations are not retroactive and a new Accommodation Plan must be reviewed, signed and presented to instructors each semester. The Student Support Specialist is located in Reneau Hall, Room 101(B), and may be contacted by phone at 662-329-7138 or email at sscThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Academic Integrity: (undergraduate course version)

All Mississippi University for Women students are expected to engage honestly and responsibly in their academic work and to refrain from any dishonest academic behavior. Violations of Academic Integrity include cheating, plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, or other actions that violate commonly accepted intellectual and ethical standards within academic and scientific communities. Violations of Academic Integrity can lead to severe penalties, from a zero grade for a test or assignment to expulsion from the University. Academic Integrity applies to work in progress as well as completed work. If you are uncertain about the proper procedure to follow when citing a source, working in a team with other students, or any other coursework situation please ask your instructor, a librarian, or a resource like the Writing Center for help. To learn more about the university’s standards of Academic Integrity, including what happens if your instructor believes that you have engaged in dishonest academic behavior and your rights to appeal such a charge, please consult section 7.2 of the Undergraduate Bulletin.

Academic Integrity: (graduate course version)

Samples of Additional Recommended Syllabus Policies

While not required, we recommend that you consider adding course policies to your syllabi addressing some or all of the following items as you deem appropriate for your discipline and course. Samples of policy statements from MUW faculty have been used with permission to offer suggestions for your individual adaptation and use. Topics include: Attendance; Canvas; Change of Syllabus; Classroom Ettiquette; Late or Missed Work; Use of Technology

Please check with your department chair to see if there are any college or departmental standards which may supersede these examples.

Recommended Syllabus Statement for Class Recordings

We will use technology for virtual meetings and recordings in this course. Our use of such technology is governed by FERPA, the Acceptable Use Policy and The W’s Student Code of Conduct. A record of all meetings and recordings is kept and stored by MUW, in accordance with the Acceptable Use Policy and FERPA. Your instructor will not share recordings of your class activities outside of course participants, which include your fellow students, TAs/GAs/Mentors, and any guest faculty or community based learning partners that we may engage with. You may not share recordings outside of this course. Doing so may result in disciplinary action.

Attendance

Please Note: While there is no official university attendance policy, all faculty must adhere to the Missed Class policy described in section 7.5 of the Undergraduate Bulletin in their undergraduate courses: "Faculty members may establish their own attendance and participation policies in accordance with any college or departmental guidelines as part of the course syllabus, so long as documented, excused absences are permitted. Faculty may choose not to distinguish between excused and unexcused absences so long as documented, excused absences do not result in course penalties except when work cannot be made up due to program needs (i.e. accreditation standards, licensure, etc.). When a firm limit on absences, whether excused or unexused, is required for such standards, that limit must be clearly stated in the syllabus."

Attendance is required. Our program accrediting body mandates that you attend at least 85% of all clinical sessions; if you miss more than this percentage, you will fail this course. Because of this requirement, no distinction will be made for excused or unexcused absences. If you are absent for any reason then you will be counted absent. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of the session, so be on time. If you are not present when class begins, then you will be counted as absent. All reporting and attendance policies of the university will be followed.

This course will cover a lot of ground very quickly and the exams will draw from all class material: readings, lectures, and classroom discussion. As a result, attendance and class participation are essential components of your grade. Students who accumulate 6 or more unexcused absences will fail the course. If you must miss class for a university-approved reason (see the Missed Class policy link in Canvas) please notify me ahead of time whenever possible and try to keep your total absences to a minimum. In practice, students who miss attend less than 75% of class meetings often fail the course. I strongly urge you to submit any work due before a planned excused absence rather than waiting until after your return.If you are absent for any reason you will still be responsible for any material you missed, so please be sure to do the reading, borrow notes from a classmate, and speak with me if you have any questions about what was covered that day.

Canvas

Canvas will be used as a repository for all course handouts, assignment instructions, exam review sheets, and for some required and supplementary readings. You are encouraged to submit your written assignments through Canvas rather than by email or turning in a hard copy. I will also use Canvas to alert the class to any changes to our syllabus, readings, or schedule. Therefore, it is important that you check Canvas regularly and that you make sure that you have not altered your notification settings to the point that you will not be alerted to any updates. To check your update your notification preferences click on the "Account" icon in the left-hand navigation menu and select "Notifications." If you experience any difficulties with Canvas remember that you can access free assistance 24/7 by calling 844-747-4606 or via live chat with a Canvas representative by clicking "Help" in the lower left-hand corner of your Canvas screen.

Change of Syllabus

In the event of a major campus emergency or at the instructor’s discretion, the above requirements, deadlines and grading policies are subject to changes that may be required by a revised semester calendar. Any such changes in this course will be posted, once the course resumes, on the course website or can be obtained by contacting me via email or phone.

Classroom Etiquette

Basic “rules of respect” will be observed at all times in this course. Throughout our time together we will discuss highly sensitive subject matters, including issues of race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, religion, and politics. Since history is open to multiple interpretations, disagreement is fine – but disagreements are to be grounded in historical interpretation and facts. They must be targeted at ideas and they must be delivered respectfully. Personal attacks will not be tolerated and neither will editorial comments that are not grounded in historical sources.

Late or Missed Work

Homework: Completed homework can be submitted one class period late, at the beginning of class, for partial credit. Incomplete homework will not be accepted, nor will complete homework more than one class late.

Quizzes: The daily quiz always takes place from 10:00am to 10:05am. Students who arrive late still must turn in their quiz at 10:05. There will not be any opportunities to make up missed quizzes. In lieu of retakes, every student will have their three lowest quiz grades dropped at the end of the semester.

Exams: There will be one opportunity to retake a missed exam: the last day of classes from 2:00pm to 5:00pm. Only one exam can be retaken.

Let’s face it: technology breaks. Servers go down, transfers time out, files become corrupt. The list goes on and on. These are not considered emergencies. They are part of the normal production process. An issue you may have with technology is no excuse for late work. You need to protect yourself by managing your time and backing up your work.

Late assignments will be docked a half-letter grade (e.g. A- to B+) for every day they are late. Points will continue to be deducted even after a grade of “F” is reached. Absence from class on the due date does not automatically mean I will accept the assignment without penalty, so please make sure that you get in touch with me if you know you will be absent.

Two-Step Authentication

The W requires that all students in online courses complete the two-step authentication process to confirm their identities. You completed the first step when you logged into Canvas with your MUW ID and password. For our class, the second step is (assignment) due on (date). You are responsible for any fee(s) related to the second authentication method. If you fail to complete the required second step of student authentication by the date of the final exam, then you will fail the course regardless of your academic performance in the class.

Use of Technology

You are welcome to use a tablet, laptop, or similar device to save the cost of printing out online readings or for taking notes. However, cell phones, tablets, and laptops using wifi connections distract you and the people around you. Using them during class for anything other than legitimate class purposes disrespects me and your classmates, so if you know that you will be tempted to use them for other purposes please turn them off before class begins. If your phone rings during class or I notice you texting, there will be consequences. If you have a particular personal or family circumstance which necessitates you leaving your phone on during class, please let me know ahead of time.

Computers, tablets and smartphones may not be used in the classroom. Laptops and tablets must be stowed in backpacks or under desks for the duration of class, while phones must be turned off.

All cell phones and other unapproved electronic devices must be turned off before class starts. No student should be texting or checking their texts during class. Laptop computers are permitted, but are only to be used for taking notes. They are not to be used for checking your email, Facebook, Twitter or any other non-course related materials. I reserve the right to eject students from the classroom for disruptive or disrespectful behavior. Do not record lectures on any device without express permission from me.

Student Support Services Syllabus Statements

Early Alert

The Early Alert Program is a proactive system of communication and collaboration between faculty, Student Success Center staff, and students. The program promotes academic success by identifying students experiencing difficulty with courses, encouraging students to attend classes and actively participate, providing resources as a support system to assist students holistically, and developing a mindset that leads to further academic success.

Students whose midterm GPA falls below a 2.0 will have a hold place on their Banner account. The Early Alert hold serves as an opportunity for students to seek advice from their Student Success Navigator. Students are required to meet with their Student Success Navigator to work on an academic plan for student success. Once these meetings are held, the student’s Early Alert hold will be released by the Student Success Center.

Student Success Center

If you need help with study skills, tutoring, disability accommodations, test proctoring, or other academic support please contact the Student Success Center for assistance. You can find them on the first floor of Reneau Hall or online at www.muw.edu/ssc.

Tutoring

All MUW students will have access to free online tutoring through the Tutor Me tab in Canvas. All tutoring services through the Student Success Center are now completely online. Students only need to click on the Tutor Me tab in Canvas to connect with a tutor. This service is made available through a federal Title III Strengthening Institutions grant.

For more information, please call 662.329.7138 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Writing Center

Students who are concerned about the writing components of this course should take advantage of the wonderful resources in the Writing Center. Located in Painter 106, the center is open for walk-ins and face-to-face or online appointments. You can look for assistance at any stage of the writing process, but remember that the tutors are not there to write your paper for you or to simply proofread your work. Opening hours can be found posted on the Writing Center's website: http://www.muw.edu/centers/writing