The information below appears in Canvas under “Supports & Policies” > “MU Policies and Expectations,” so that all students in all courses have access to this.

The policies included here have been approved by the appropriate governing body and apply to or are recommended for all courses regardless of what statements are in course syllabi; however, there may be additional policies specific to a course or to the academic unit or college that is offering the course. When in doubt about policies and expectations, contact your instructor.

Artificial Intelligence and the Learning Environment

Provost Martens endorses three draft syllabus statements ranging from no acceptable use of generative AI to full integration of generative AI in course activities, that you can use or adapt for your courses.  He strongly recommends that all instructors adopt a syllabus statement related to acceptable use of AI in each of their courses, considering factors like relevancy of AI to course objectives and ability to incorporate generative AI into course assignments.  All instructors, on the first day of class, are encouraged to discuss expectations and class policies regarding the use of generative AI in their course. Doing so will help students be aware of authorized versus unauthorized use of AI within the class, which aligns with university policies regarding standards of conduct (see section C-1-c within CRR 200.010).

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is fundamental to the activities and principles of a university. All members of the academic community must be confident that each person’s work has been responsibly and honorably acquired, developed, and presented. Any effort to gain an advantage not given to all students is dishonest whether or not the effort is successful. The academic community regards breaches of the academic integrity rules as extremely serious matters. Sanctions for such a breach may include academic sanctions from the instructor, including failing the course for any violation, to disciplinary sanctions ranging from probation to expulsion. When in doubt about plagiarism, paraphrasing, quoting, collaboration, or any other form of cheating, consult the course instructor or the Office of Academic Integrity.

Students are expected to adhere to this honor pledge on all graded work whether or not they are explicitly asked in advance to do so: “I strive to uphold the University values of respect, responsibility, discovery, and excellence. On my honor, I pledge that I have neither given nor received unauthorized assistance on this work.”

Academic Inquiry, Course Discussion and Privacy

When students record something that happens in a course (a lecture, class discussions, meetings, etc.) it has an impact on the rights of the people captured in that recording. For example, the instructor and the University may have rights to the intellectual property contained in that recording. At the same time, another student who may have been recorded has the right to privacy. In order to protect these rights, MU employs a policy (called “Executive Order No. 38”) to govern both situations you may encounter while taking a course – when an instructor allows recordings and when they do not.

Instructors should inform students which applies to their course:

• In this class, students may not make audio or video recordings of course activity, except students permitted to record as an accommodation undersection 240.040 of the Collected Rules.
• In this class, students may make audio or video recordings of course activity unless specifically prohibited by the faculty member. However, the redistribution of audio or video recordings of statements or comments from the course to individuals who are not students in the course is prohibited without the express permission of the faculty member and of any students who are recorded.

If the instructor doesn’t specifically prohibit recording course activity, then the students are allowed to record and the same prohibitions regarding distribution apply.

Students who violate this policy are subject to discipline in accordance with provisions of section 200.020 of the Collected Rules and Regulations of the University of Missouri pertaining to student conduct matters.

FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 is a federal law designed to protect the privacy of educational records; to establish the rights of students to inspect and review their education records; and to provide guidelines for the correction of inaccurate and misleading data through informal and formal hearings. The law applies to any individual who is or has been in attendance at an institution and regarding whom the institution maintains educational records. Once students have matriculated to the University of Missouri, i.e. enrolled in course work, FERPA rights transfer to the student, regardless of the student’s age.

Students can enable certain individuals to have access to their education records by signing a FERPA waiver. The consent must specify records to be disclosed, state the purpose of the disclosure and identify the party or class of parties to whom the disclosure must be made.

Intellectual Pluralism

The University community welcomes intellectual diversity and respects student rights. Students who have questions or concerns regarding the atmosphere in this class (including respect for diverse opinions) may contact the departmental chair or divisional director, the Office of Academic Integrity, or the MU Office of Institutional Equity.

Mental Health 

The University of Missouri is committed to supporting student well-being through an integrated network of care, with a wide range of services to help students succeed. The MU Counseling Center offers professional mental health care, and can help you find the best approach to treatment based on your needs. Call to make an appointment at 573-882-6601. Any student in crisis may call or go to the MU Counseling Center between 8:00-5:00 M-F. After hours phone support is available at 573-882-6601.

Visit our website at https://wellbeing.missouri.edu/ to take an online mental health screening, find out about workshops and resources that can help you thrive, or learn how to support a friend.

Netiquette

Your instructor and fellow students wish to foster a safe online learning environment. All opinions and experiences, no matter how different or controversial they may be perceived, must be respected in the tolerant spirit of academic discourse. You are encouraged to comment, question, or critique an idea but you are not to attack an individual. Our differences, some of which are outlined in the University’s nondiscrimination statement, will add richness to this learning experience. Please consider that sarcasm and humor can be misconstrued in online interactions and generate unintended disruptions. Working as a community of learners, we can build a polite and respectful course ambiance.

Religious Holidays & Accommodations

Many religious faiths are represented in the student body. The University of Missouri does not restrict student free exercise of religion, unless 1) the restriction is in the form of a rule of general applicability and does not discriminate against religion or among religions; and 2) it can be demonstrated that the application of the restriction is essential to furthering a compelling university interest, and is not unduly restrictive considering the relevant circumstance. The policy of the University attempts to strike a reasonable balance between accommodating the religious practice of students and meeting academic needs and standards.

Consult IDE’s Guide to Religions for the form that can be used to notify an instructor of an absence associated with religious practice. Students are expected to notify their instructor(s) by completing and submitting this form in a manner that is consistent with the procedure outlined in the university’s policy on student religious accommodation. Providing false information regarding sincerely held religious practice is a violation of the university’s Standard of Conduct and will not be tolerated.

Nondiscrimination Policy (Prohibited Discrimination)

The University of Missouri prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex,* sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, veteran status, and any other status protected by applicable state or federal law. Discrimination includes any form of unequal treatment such as denial of opportunities, harassment, and violence.

*Including sex/gender and pregnancy discrimination; sexual assault; sexual harassment; dating/domestic violence; stalking; statutory rape; and incest. Retaliation for making or supporting a report of discrimination or harassment is also prohibited.

If you experience discrimination or sexual violence, you are encouraged (but not required) to report the incident to the MU Office of Institutional Equity. Learn more about your rights and options at equity.missouri.edu or call 573-882-3880. You also may make an anonymous report online.

If you are a survivor, or someone concerned about a survivor, and need immediate information on what to do, visit RSVP.missouri.edu. Both the Office of Institutional Equity and the RSVP Center can provide assistance to students who need help with academics, housing, or other issues.

In the event that you choose to write or speak about having experienced any of these forms of prohibited discrimination or harassment, Mizzou policies require that, as your instructor, I share this information with the MU Office of Institutional Equity. They will contact you to offer information about resources, as well as your rights and options as a member of our campus community.

Students with Disabilities

The goal of the University of Missouri is to ensure an inclusive learning environment for all students. The University of Missouri Disability Center provides services and accommodations for students to participate fully in the learning experience and to experience equitable evaluation of their performance. Students (including online students) with a documented disability can contact the Disability Center to establish an Accommodation Plan. Documented disabilities include hearing, vision, mobility, learning and attention, psychological health, and physical health. Students’ accommodations are implemented with the input of students to maximize the learning experiences. The MU Disability Center keeps information about a student’s disability confidential.

Please notify me of your eligibility for accommodations as soon as possible. Additionally, if there are aspects of the course that present as barriers, such as inaccessible course content (e.g., learning assessments, PowerPoints, non-captioned videos, images, tables, PDFs) or if you need an immediate accommodation due to an injury, please contact me or the Disability Center as soon as possible.

Decreasing the Risk of COVID-19 in Classrooms and Labs

If you have tested positive for COVID-19 or have been identified as someone who needs to quarantine, do not attend class in person until the mandated period for isolation or quarantine has passed. Your instructor will work with you on arrangements to access class material while you are in isolation or quarantine. Additionally, if you are experiencing any COVID-related symptoms, or are otherwise feeling unwell, do not attend in-person classes and contact your health care provider and/or student health.

Optional statement for face-to-face courses:

This course is listed in the course catalog as a face-to-face course. The instructional activities planned for this course are designed for face-to-face interactions with your classmates and instructors. These activities often do not translate well over online video platforms. Because of this, it is up to instructor discretion whether asynchronous instruction or recordings of class activities are an appropriate substitute for regular classroom attendance. For specifics regarding excused absences or disabilities accommodations, please see the relevant section of this syllabus.