All assignments are to be completed prior to the next week class

ST. THOMAS UNIVERSITY STUDENT POLICIES AND STANDARDS

STUDENT IDENTIFICATION

The University requires each student registering in every Distance Education course to provide verification

of his/her identity. Each student is responsible for protecting the secure login and pass code assigned

him/her. Furthermore, the student may be required to participate in other designated activities that allow

the University to confirm that the registered student participating in courses, assessments and

evaluations, and being granted credits or credentials is one and the same person.

ASSIGNMENTS AND DUE DATES

The material for this class represents a broad range of topics collected based on their relevance to you,

both academically and professionally. The weekly topics leading to your final paper or final assessment,

although presented in a logical manner, are in reality a dynamic process requiring both focus and flexibility

on your part and must be as follows:

1. All assignments are to be in Times New Roman or Arial, 12pt font and in APA format

2. Late assignments will not be accepted unless permission has been obtained from the instructor

in advance.

3. Each assignment will be due on the date listed unless stated otherwise in class schedule in

Calendar and Reading sections of the Syllabus or on Canvas.

4. All final assignments, projects and tests must be completed and submitted by the date shown in

the course Calendar and Reading section of the Syllabus.

5. All written assignments must be double-spaced, word-processed and submitted as requested by

the due dates.

6. Students should keep a copy or file of their papers and all graded assignments returned to them

until the end of the semester.

7. Students are expected to submit high quality assignments during this course. In this regard,

ensure that your submissions are edited and grammatically sound. The quality of the exposition

and the content will certainly impact the grade of each assignment, and subsequently the final

course grade.

LATE ASSIGNMENTS

Students may be penalized for assignments which are submitted late. Consistently late assignments can

impact the final grade of this course. In the case of late assignments, the instructor will weigh the quality

of the submission versus the lateness to determine the grade for the assignment or the course.

GRADING PROCEDURES

All assignments are to be completed prior to the next week class sessions or according to the

specific due dates indicated and instructions described in “WEEKLY ASSIGNMENTS” section

above. Students are expected to participate fully in all online discussions and to submit postings

on time. Students will be assessed by the level and quality of their participation (postings) in the

discussions. For this online course, all assignments will be submitted via Canvas

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COURSE SYLLABUS

Whether in hard copy or electronic format, this is the only version of the syllabus and is the "official"

syllabus of record for the course. You are required to read and acknowledge that you have read it by

posting your acknowledgement to the Discussion Board in Canvas under the appropriate link. You may

post some critical comments on this syllabus to which others are welcomed to respond. This is one avenue

for providing input in the syllabus at the beginning of the course.

PREPARATION FOR ONLINE CLASS INSTRUCTION

Attendance and participation are crucial to students’ enjoyment of the course, meeting the stated course

outcomes and student grades. Class “attendance” is measured both by the level of students’ class

participation and their physical presence whether online or in class.

1. Students for “online” classes are expected to do much of the work individually or in groups, even

if they do not physically “attend” scheduled classes.

2. All online classes meet throughout the designated period for this course (see dates listed earlier

in the syllabus).

3. Because of the accelerated nature of this class, course time is limited, and students must make

optimum and creative use of the course time allotted.

4. Students are expected to log into the online class daily, and complete all required course activities

(projects, presentations, assignments, daily/weekly journals, WIKI’s, papers, etc.) by the deadlines

set out in Course Calendar and Readings section of this syllabus.

5. For this online course, students will be required to use the Canvas Learning System for

discussions.

COURSE EVALUATION AND PROCEDURE

St. Thomas University greatly values the input of students regarding their experiences with their courses

and professors. All course evaluations are done online by the students, via Canvas at the end of each

course. The course evaluation must be completed during the designated week of the course.

NON-PARTICIPATION

If the student never logs on to class (online) and does not successfully initiate a course drop request, that

student receives a UW grade. A student may also receive a UW grade when that student has met all four

of the following: a) never participated in the Discussion Board forum, b) never submitted any assignment,

c) never took part in any assessment and d) never participated in any learning group activity. To receive

credits for that course in the future, the student is required to re-register for the course and pay the full

course fee.

PARTICIPATION

Attendance and Non-attendance do not apply to distance education as it does to classroom-based

courses, due to the nature of distance education. However, in the event that a distance course is a hybrid

with specified onsite sessions, attendance at those sessions becomes part of the course’s student

evaluation mechanism. In all other cases, participation alone is considered. Participation in a Distance

Education course is measured by the level and quality of learners’ daily/weekly contributions to

discussions, completion and submission of assignments, and performance on assessments (on

tests/exams, quizzes, papers, etc.). Any student who misses 40% or more sessions without the permission

of the instructor or department is considered “not” participating sufficiently to pass the course shall

receive an “F” or fail grade for that course. Under specific conditions described below, an instructor may

award an “I” grade.

AWARDING AND COMPLETING THE “I” GRADE

Instructors can only assign an “I” or incomplete grade when a student has maintained a satisfactory

performance for at least 50% of cumulative course requirements. Awarding the “Incomplete” (I) grade is

at the sole direction of the instructor. A student receiving an “I” grade can fall into one of two categories:

Category One and Category Two.

COMPLETING THE “I” GRADE (CATEGORY ONE STUDENT)

Category One applies when the student has maintained a satisfactory participation and performance for

at least 50% of cumulative course requirements, but in the opinion of the instructor has not performed

sufficiently to pass the course, and would require major future participation to successfully pass the

course. In Category One, the instructor must inform the student in writing (e.g., email) that the “I” grade

is being awarded on condition that the student registers and retakes the entire course at a later date, at

which time a grade change will be made by the instructor. Under category one, the student will re-take

this course as an “audit’ and pay the equivalent of one credit for the course.

COMPLETING THE “I” GRADE (CATEGORY TWO STUDENT)

Category Two applies when a student has maintained a satisfactory performance for at least 50% of the

cumulative course requirement and, at the discretion of the instructor, the level of work needed to

successfully pass that course was minimal and could be completed easily by the student submitting the

deficient or outstanding work. In Category Two, a grade change can be made without requiring the

student to retake the entire course. The instructor must inform the student in writing (e.g., email) of the

conditions under which the course must be completed, including timelines.

CHANGING AN “I” GRADE

When a Category One student is required to register in order to complete a course and receive a grade

change, the student must pay the credit audit fee. If the student re-takes the course with a different

instructor, the new grade must be sent to the instructor who had originally issued the “I” grade, who then

initiates the grade change with the Office of the Registrar.

A student who receives an “I” grade and does not retake the course within the University’s published

time-frame will automatically receive an F grade by that date and will be required to register, pay in full

for the course and successfully pass the course in order to earn credit.

COURSE ATTENDANCE

Class “attendance” is required to successfully complete all online courses. Students are expected to be

prepared for all weekly sessions. Assignments and other course work must be completed and turned in

on time as set forth in the Course Syllabus. All courses have a standardized format for submission of

assignments and homework.

Weekly attendance (and participation) is mandatory. On rare occasions when a student is unable to

participate online for a week, the professor may accommodate that student by assigning course work

appropriate to achieving the course outcomes. Online threaded discussion requires the students to

participate weekly because grade points are awarded for participation by topics and by week. If a student

does not participate in the Discussion Board, the student does not get a chance to “make up” that week’s

discuss and receives “zero” points for that week.

Students who are unable to participate in threaded discussion sessions over a prolonged period should

contact the instructor prior to the time they will miss to make alternative arrangements. Consult the St.

Thomas University Student Handbook's policy on attendance and tardiness.

Unlike traditional courses, this distance education course relies on the dynamics of student-teacher

interaction and positive group dynamics, and processing to integrate and apply the learning of academic

content. The distance education model also emphasizes the development and practice of interpersonal

communication skills and teamwork (e.g., group problem-solving and negotiation). The format, therefore,

necessitates class participation through the Discussion Board, small group activities and other specific

assignments and projects.

WITHDRAWAL FROM A COURSE:

It is not true that withdrawing from a course simply means “not showing” up or stop participating

in that course. Please ensure that the policy on withdrawing from a course at St. Thomas

University is clearly understood.

At St. Thomas University, in order for a student to withdraw from any course, it is NOT SUFFICIENT

for the student to stop attending class or to inform the instructor of his or her intention to

withdraw. St. Thomas University’s policy states that any student wishing to withdraw from a

course must do so formally through BASIC. Any student whose name appears on the final official

roster for the class will receive a letter grade based on the percentage of points earned, even if

the percentage of points is "0" and the letter grade is an "F."

To officially withdraw from a distance education course, a student must consult with his/her instructor

and advisor and complete the required “course drop” or withdrawal forms, which must be submitted to

the University’s BASIC office, for students who can access this office physically. Other distance education

students who do not have easy physical access to BASIC are advised to electronically submit their “course

drop” or withdrawal forms through their academic advisors. A completed “Course Drop” form must have

the signature of a Dean.

STRUCTURE AND SEQUENCE OF COURSE ACTIVITIES

The instructor reserves the right to change the course schedule if needed. Students will, however, be

informed about changes in schedule a week in advance. See Course Calendar and Readings below for

details of due dates and class schedules. Assignments and homework must be completed and turned in

on time.

FINAL GRADING SYSTEM

Grades will be assigned based on the distribution scheme below.

100 - 93 = A Excellent; superior

92 - 90 = A- Very Good

89 - 87 = B+ With merit; good

86 - 83 = B Good

82 - 80 = B- Above-satisfactory

79 - 77 = C+ Above-satisfactory

76 - 73 = C Unsatisfactory;

72 - 70 = C- Unsatisfactory

69 - 67 = D+ Unsatisfactory

66 - 60 = D Unsatisfactory

59 - 0 = F Failure

RULES (ETIQUETTE) FOR CLASS DISCUSSIONS AND FORUMS

Most primary online discussion postings (original response by each student) must be done by

WEDNESDAYS at 11:00 PM and all “rebuttal” postings (responses to other students’ postings) by

SATURDAY at 11:00 PM of each week.

Any posting that contains one or more of the following characteristics will be deleted from the forum and

the student will not receive credit for it. Student will be notified (via email) about the deletion of the

posting and given the opportunity to post a replacement message for credit:

1. Language that attacks the argument on purely emotional grounds.

2. Shouting – using words in all capitals.

3. Misspellings or grammar errors that compromise your ability to communicate.

4. Personal experiences or feelings that are not clearly employed to make a relevant point.

“Speaking” Rules for Online Class Discussion:

A course may prove to be very reflective, engaging and provocative in terms of ideas, arguments, and

different, often unique personal experiences with the topics being addressed. In order to ensure that

students and instructors are able to deal honestly, respectfully, and at the same time critically with the

subject matter, particularly relating to personal or work experiences, it is essential that in disagreements

about any point of view, each “speaker” will take responsibility for his/her critical position and personal

or work experiences or opinions and be able to distinguish between the two. Following these ground rules

will help all participants to accomplish the course outcomes.

Guidelines for Participating in all Online Course Activities:

All class activities (including written assignments, projects, discussion Board, tests and papers) are to be

completed prior to the next week class sessions or according to the specific due dates indicated on the

course syllabus and instructions described in relevant areas of Canvas such as “ASSIGNMENTS”,

“ANNOUNCEMENTS” or “DISCUSSION” sections. Students are expected to participate fully in all

discussions and to submit postings on time. Students will be assessed by the level and quality of their

participation (postings) on the Discussion Board.

COURSE STANDARDS

Students are graded on achievement, rather than effort. It is the responsibility of the student to be

prepared for class each week. The University trusts that each student will maintain high standards of

honesty and ethical behavior. All assignments submitted in fulfillment of course requirements must be

the student’s own work.

Citing External Sources:

A particularly important part of writing a paper (as well as developing presentations) is giving credit to

external sources used. In many cases, failure to cite external sources may also involve a paper being

considered to be not in conformance with the Academic Honesty policy as outlined later in this syllabus,

and/or result in a paper being considered to contain plagiarism. Be familiar with these areas as described

in this syllabus, as well as defined elsewhere in St. Thomas University material, and note that citing sources

includes having them in your references as well as citing them where appropriate. Sources which must

be cited include:

1. Material from another source used word-for-word (direct quote);

2. Material from another source with some rewording (revised quote);

3. Material from another source put into your own wording (paraphrase);

4. Material for another course you have written.

At the very least, failure to cite external sources will be considered a significant lack of adherence to

guidelines, and may be subject to a penalty. As stated previously, failure to cite sources may also have

more serious consequences; particularly if the use of such sources without being cited is considered

involving a significant portion of the content of a submitted assignment.

Non-Original Content (even if properly cited):

Without question, the use of external material in an assignment is strongly encouraged, as it can add value

and supporting information to a paper or a presentation. However, it is important to note that

assignments should generally consist of a substantial amount of original material (wording and ideas). If

an assignment contains an excessively large percentage of content which is non-original, the assignment

will, in general, be marked down to reflect that. As an extreme example, if an assignment consisted of all

non-original content, even if correctly cited as such, the assignment would generally be given zero points

on the basis of not having any original content. Therefore, please make sure your assignments have an

appropriate balance between cited and original content. The maximum amount of properly cited, non-

original content allowed in each assignment is 30%.

Academic Honesty:

Academic honesty is highly valued at St. Thomas University. You must always submit work that represents

your original words or ideas. If any words or ideas used in a class posting or assignment submission do not

represent your original words or ideas, you must cite all relevant sources and make clear the extent to

which such sources were used. Words or ideas that require citation include, but are not limited to, all hard

copy or electronic publications, whether copyrighted or not, and all verbal or visual communication when

the content of such communication clearly originates from an identifiable source. Please see the St.

Thomas University Catalog for more information about academic honesty, including consequences of

academic dishonesty (See Student Handbook).

Written assignments that include material similar to that from course reading materials or other sources

should include a citation including source, author, and page number. Quotation marks should be used if

the material is copied directly from the readings, and text citations should be used (for example, “Kozol,

1988, p.22”). If the material is paraphrased, “(Kozol, 1988)” should appear immediately following the

paraphrased material. Failing to do so constitutes violation of St. Thomas University’s policy. In addition,

written assignments that are similar or identical to those of another student in the class is also a violation

of the policy. The consequence for a violation of this policy is “zero points” for the assignment. Rewriting

the assignment will not be an option. Finally, you may not submit the work of someone else as your own

or work that you have submitted for another class.