Academic Integrity

Integrity of Scholarship and Grades

Truth and honesty: The principles of truth and honesty are recognized as fundamental to a community of teachers and scholars. The university expects that both faculty members and students will honor these principles and in so doing protect the validity of university grades. This means that all academic work will be done by the student to whom it is assigned without unauthorized aid of any kind. Instructors, for their part, will exercise care in the planning and supervision of academic work, so that honest effort will be positively encouraged. Compliance shall include compliance with the following specific rules:

1. No student shall knowingly, without authorization, procure, provide, or accept any materials which contain questions or answers to any examination or assignment.
2. No student shall, without authorization, complete, in part or in total, any examination or assignment for another person.
3. No student shall, without authorization, allow any examination or assignment to be completed, in part or in total, by another person.
4. No student shall knowingly plagiarize or copy the work of another person and submit it as his or her own.
5. No student shall submit work that has been previously graded or is being submitted concurrently to more than one course without authorization from the instructor(s) of the class(es) to which the student wishes to submit it.

To read more about the GVSU's policy on Academic Integrity, visit the Academic Misconduct Policies and Procedures webpage.

Plagiarism

Any ideas or material taken from another source for either written or oral presentation must be fully acknowledged. Offering the work of someone else as one’s own is plagiarism. The language or ideas taken from another may range from isolated formulas, sentences, or paragraphs to entire articles copied from books, periodicals, speeches, or the writing of other students. The offering of materials assembled or collected by others in the form of projects or collections without acknowledgment also is considered plagiarism. Any student who fails to give credit in written or oral work for the ideas or materials that have been taken from another is guilty of plagiarism.

Such activity may result in failure of a specific assignment, an entire course, or, if flagrant, dismissal from Grand Valley. For further information see the Student Code.

Digital Creator Lab

Staffed by Digital Skills Consultants, the Digital Creator Lab (DCL) is located on the 2nd floor of the Mary Idema Pew Library and offers in-person and online support for students. Digital skills consultants can help students with their digital media projects, such as videos, digital presentations, and podcasts. The DCL is open Monday-Thursday 12pm-8pm. For more information about the Digital Creator Lab or to schedule an appointment, visit the Digital Creator Lab webpage.

Student Accessibility Resources

If you are in need of accommodations due to a learning, physical, or other disability you must present a memo to me from Student Accessibility Resources (SAR), indicating the existence of a disability and the suggested reasonable accommodations. If you have not already done so, please contact the Student Accessibility Resources office (215 The Blue Connection) by calling 331-2490 or email to [email protected]. Please note that I cannot provide accommodations based upon disability until I have received a copy of the SAR issued memo. All discussions will remain confidential.

Furthermore, if you have a physical disability and think you will need assistance evacuating this classroom and/or building in an emergency situation, please make me aware so I can develop a plan to assist you.

To read more about Student Accessibility Resources, visit the Student Accessibility Resources webpage.

Caring For Students

Your health and your family's health should be your priority. If you are dealing with illness, sick family members, travel difficulties, a bad internet connection, increased anxiety, childcare challenges, or any other issues, please reach out and we will figure out accommodations.

[For a longer statement, here is a great example from Brandon Bayne, UNC-Chapel Hill, as well as helpful Twitter thread]

Emergency Preparedness

Fire: Immediately proceed to the nearest exit during a fire alarm. Do not use the elevators.

To read more about GVSU's Emergency Procedures, visit the GVSU Emergency webpage.

Face Coverings

For information on facial coverings and COVID-19 procedures, please visit the Lakers Together webpage.

Financial Hardships

GVSU remains committed to supporting you because of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and is here to help you in times of financial need, including technology requirements. Financial hardship funds are available to help student's meet their basic needs, and help cover educational costs (such as housing, food, and textbooks) that a student could not otherwise pay out of pocket. Please visit the GVSU Special Circumstance & Financial Hardship Requests webpage for more information.

General Education

A syllabus attachment is distributed by the General Education program at the beginning of each semester to all general education course instructors.

To read more about GVSU's General Education program, please visit the General Education Program webpage.

Inclusive and Equitable Learning Environment

Faculty who are interested in including language on their syllabi about the University's commitment to inclusion and equity and/or their own commitment to creating an inclusive and welcoming classroom environment are encouraged to use the language provided. Faculty may adopt portions of this language from the Division of Inclusion & Equity as they see fit. 

To read more about GVSU's Division of Inclusion and Equity, please visit the Division of Inclusion and Equity webpage.

Liaison Librarian and Knowledge Market

In addition to many online resources, the GVSU University Libraries has 3 campus locations where you may access library materials: Mary Idema Pew Library Learning & Information Commons (Allendale campus), Steelcase Library (Grand Rapids campus), and Frey Library (Grand Rapids, Center for Health Sciences).

Liaison librarian

Each department has a designated librarian to support your research needs.  [Insert name] is our liaison librarian for [insert department name].  Her email is <email address> and her office is located in <room/library location>.  You are welcome to stop by her office or make an appointment.  Here is a link to the library's subject guide to [insert subject or course guide name]: [insert link]

Knowledge Market

Our highly trained student consultants work one-on-one or in small groups to help with your library research, writing, or oral presentations. For information about the Knowledge Market or to make an appointment, visit www.gvsu.edu/library/km.
 

Mental Health

Mental health concerns, including overwhelming stress, excessive worry, difficulty participating in daily activities, and changes in mood, appetite, or sleep patterns can interfere with your academic performance.  College student surveys report that roughly 1 out of 3 students screen positive for a current mental health concern (Healthy Minds Study). GVSU values your health and wellness and provides services to support your mental health. If you would like mental health support or are concerned for another member of our campus community, reach out to the University Counseling Center for free resources, self-help options, and services. Also, visit Campus Recreation & Wellness for additional health and wellness programming.

Netiquette (Emails, Laptops, Cellphones)

Students may need guidance and instruction in their use of electronic communication as they interact with faculty and staff in the university setting. Keep in mind that it is helpful to place netiquette issues in the context of relevant writing skills for internships, the job market, as well as professional courtesy. Sample syllabus statements can be found here.

Respondus LockDown Browser & Monitor

This course requires the use of LockDown Browser and a webcam for online exams. The webcam can be built into your computer or can be the type that plugs in with a USB cable. Watch this short video to get a basic understanding of LockDown Browser and the webcam feature. A student Quick Start Guide is also available.

To read more about Respondus LockDown Browser, Monitor, and Instructor Live Proctoring, visit the Teaching with Technology Support webpage.

Risk Management - Laboratory, Studio, and Performance-Based Courses

Risks for those participating in course activities, whether on or off campus may vary based on individual situations. These risks need to be constantly assessed, discussed, and planned for to the best of the course instructor's and student's abilities to ensure and maintain a safe learning environment.

Speech Lab

The mission of the Grand Valley State University Speech Lab is to empower speakers to shape their lives professions and society through confident and effective public presentations. Speech consultants, who are fellow GVSU undergraduates, are trained to assist with all parts of the speechmaking process including choosing a topic, organizing your thoughts, and practicing presentations. The Speech Lab is located in 154 Lake Michigan Hall (Allendale) and services are free for all Grand Valley undergraduates. For more information about the Lab, its hours, downtown locations, and to make an appointment, please visit the Lab website.

Supplemental Writing Skills (SWS)

Below is the standard paragraph which must be included in all SWS course syllabi:

This course is designated SWS. Completion of WRT 150 with a grade of C or better (not C-) is a prerequisite. SWS credit will not be given to a student who completes this course before completing the prerequisite. SWS courses adhere to certain guidelines. Students turn in a total of at least 3000 words of writing. Part of that total may be essay exams, but a substantial amount of it is made up of essays, reports, or research papers. The instructor works with the students on revising drafts of papers, rather than simply grading the finished piece of writing. At least four hours of class time will be devoted to writing instruction. At least one third of the final grade in the course is based on the writing assignments. Students must complete the course with a grade of "C" or better in order to receive SWS credit.

To get more information, please visit the Supplemental Writing Skills webpage.

Synchronous Class Session Privacy

• Video and audio recordings of virtual or in-person class sessions may be made available to all students currently enrolled in this section of this course. Your instructor will not share recordings of your class sessions outside of course participants. You may not share recordings outside of this course. FERPA release from all parties is required for use of recordings for a different class section or future class offering.
• Provide a disclosure prior to recording a class session.  By default, Zoom notifies meeting participants that a meeting is being recorded, but it is best to have an acknowledgment from the instructor as well.
• Allow students to turn off their camera and microphone and participate via the chat feature if they prefer not to have their visual or audio included in the recording.

Tutoring and Reading Center

From the Faculty and Staff Resources page, access the Resource Folder with sample syllabus blurbs, including a handy QR code. 

Writing Center

The Fred Meijer Center for Writing, with locations at the Allendale and Pew/Downtown Grand Rapids campuses, is available to assist you with writing for any of your classes. Writing consultants, who are fellow GVSU students, are trained to help you with all stages of your writing process, from brainstorming to organizing to editing your papers. Simply bring a draft of your paper, the assignment sheet, and your questions/concerns to any of the Center's locations. Also, through your Gmail account, you have access to online consultations through Google Docs. The Center's services are free and you can drop in and work with a consultant or make an appointment, either through our website or by calling the Center (331-2922). For more information about our services and locations, please visit the Writing Center website.

Looking for additional syllabus design ideas? Visit this page for additional resources.