Syllabi Statements

REQUIRED STATEMENTS

All faculty are requested to include the following statements in their syllabi for all courses. 

• Academic Honesty: Use of the intellectual property of others without attributing it to them is considered a serious academic offense. Cheating or plagiarism will result in a failing grade for the work or for the entire course. Repeat offenses result in dismissal from the University. University guidelines require that all infractions be reported to the Student Conduct Officer on our campus. Kent State University policy on academic honesty can be found at Kent's policy about regarding student cheating.
• Testing Your Faith Act (H.B. 353): Under this House Bill students need to be reasonably accommodated in regard to academic requirements including exams and academic absences for sincerely held religious beliefs and practices. Students must be permitted up to three days of absence per semester, without penalty, for religious holidays or to participate in organized activities conducted under the auspices of any religious or spiritual organization. To ensure compliance with H.B. 353, Kent State University adopted a new administrative policy regarding accommodations for student religious and spiritual beliefs (3-01.14). See the Provost's website for syllabus statement suggested language.
• Students with Disabilities: University policy 3-01.3 requires that students with disabilities be provided reasonable accommodations to ensure their equal access to course content. If you have a documented disability and require accommodations, please contact the instructor at the beginning of the semester to make arrangements for necessary classroom adjustments. Please note, you must first verify your eligibility for these through Student Accessibility Services. Contact 330-244-5047 or visit www.kent.edu/stark/student-accessibility-services for more information on registration procedures.
• Campus Closings & Advisories: Announcements of campus closings and other advisories will be made on the campus website at www.kent.edu/stark (top red advisory bar). In the case of an emergency, weather-related or otherwise, check www.kent.edu/stark/campus-advisories for information on the closing. While information may be broadcast by radio and television, this should be confirmed by the website, FlashALERTS or FlashLine email.

OPTIONAL STATEMENTS

• Final Exam Policy (mostly FYI from assistant dean’s office - you may share portions of this with students in your syllabus). Take a moment to double-check your final exam time and announce this to your class. Ideally, students should have no conflicts with the scheduled time, but there are occasions when a student may be taking a course at another campus and will discover a conflict. Also, the exam times are not always exactly the same times as the start of the regular class (that is, a 6:55 class may have an exam starting at 6:00), so please advise students to check their calendars to be sure to arrive at the right time and day. If you discover conflicts, let me know if I can help to find appropriate solutions. Also be advised that students should be allowed the full two hours for the final exam.

  Remember that faculty members are expected to meet with their classes for the full last week of classes. There is no expectation that any final class periods should be canceled or abbreviated. Be aware also that University Policy calls for final exams to be conducted during exam week and during the time assigned for that class period - View Final Exam Policy. If a student has more than three final exams in one day (24 hour period) then they have the right to have one of them moved. If you run into this situation please let me know and I can help you resolve it. 

• Course Withdrawal: If you are considering withdrawing from this course, please consult with a staff member in the Student Services Office, 132 Main Hall. Withdrawal from a course can affect financial aid, student status or progress within your major. For course withdrawal deadlines, refer to important dates at www.kent.edu/fbe-center/registration-records.
• Kent Core: This course may be used to satisfy a Kent Core requirement. The Kent Core as a whole is intended to broaden intellectual perspectives, foster ethical and humanitarian values, and prepare students for responsible citizenship and productive careers.
• Writing Intensive: This course may be used to satisfy the Writing Intensive Course (WIC) requirement. The purpose of a writing-intensive course is to assist students in becoming effective writers within their major discipline. A WIC requires a substantial amount of writing, provides opportunities for guided revision, and focuses on writing forms and standards used in the professional life of the discipline. 
• Diversity: This course may be used to satisfy the University Diversity requirement. Diversity courses provide opportunities for students to learn about such matters as the history, culture, values and notable achievements of people other than those of their own national origin, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, age, gender, physical and mental ability, and social class. Diversity courses also provide opportunities to examine problems and issues that may arise from differences, and opportunities to learn how to deal constructively with them.
• Tutoring:  Tutoring Services at Kent State Stark provides free tutoring for current Kent State students in most subjects taught by Stark Campus faculty. Peer tutors assist students with homework assignments, help clarifying lecture and classroom material, reviewing for exams and more. Visit www.kent.edu/stark/tutoring-services or stop in the Academic Success Center in the Campus Center for more information.
• Counseling Services:  Free, confidential counseling appointments are available through Counseling Services in the lower level of the Campus Center. Students are encouraged to set up appointments by making contact with the office, and may also present as a walk-in for immediate or emergency assistance. Additional information can be found by emailing the office at starkcounseling@kent.edu, calling at 330-244-5048 or visiting www.kent.edu/stark/counseling-services.
• Writing Center: The Writing Center is a free service to help students become stronger writers. It is a place for students to talk with outside readers about their work, both early on when they are still generating and considering ideas, as well as later during the drafting and revising stages. The Writing Center’s staff of peer tutors is specially trained to help students identify their writing needs and to offer insight, feedback, and support. Tutoring is available via live face-to-face sessions, via live video conferencing (TutorChat), and via email (eTutoring). We also offer a wide range of informational writing tools online. The Writing Center is located on the first floor of the Library and is open for both walk-ins and appointments. Visit www.kent.edu/stark/writing-center or call us at 330-244-3299.
• Stark Campus Security: You may want to add the Stark Campus Security number to your cell phone contacts: 330-244-3333. When using a campus phone, you can directly dial Security at 53333 or call 911.
• FlashLine Support: Contact the Kent Helpdesk at 672-HELP or visiting support. If you have difficulties logging into Stark Campus computers, contact helpdesk-stark@kent.edu or 330-244-3490.

GENERAL ADVICE

The Dean's Office has the following general advice:

• It is a requirement of the Higher Learning Commission (our accrediting agency) that all course syllabi list the learning outcomes for the course. Contact the Undergraduate Studies committee of your department or your Coordinator for more details.

• It's best to use Kent State email for non-private correspondence with students. Please list your Kent State email address on your syllabus. Be cautious that your email signature for students does not include private contact info.

• If you include attendance policies in your syllabus, please be mindful of SAS standards.

• View the catalog for grading policies and procedures.

• Student Survey of Instruction (SSI) will be done for all classes. Kent will continue to pilot the online version of SSI in several sections, including all online courses.

• It's best not to include your home or cell phone number on the syllabus. This regrettably implies 24-7 access to some students. Please list your office number and office hours.

• Stark Campus Security: You may want to add the Stark Campus Security number to your cell phone contacts: 330-244-3333. When using a campus phone, you can directly dial 53333 to reach security or call 911.

• FlashLine Support: Contact the Kent helpdesk at 672-HELP or visit support. If you have difficulties logging into Stark Campus computers, contact helpdesk-stark@kent.edu or 244-3490.

• If you need help learning how to use Canvas or other instructional technologies, contact the Regional Campus Instructional Designers at www.kent.edu/regional-campuses/instructional-design.

• Guidelines Regarding Extra Credit/Bonus Assignments:

  • Extra credit assignments should only be given if they are directly related to the course material.
  • Extra credit assignments should allow students to acquire knowledge related to the course that would not be practical to obtain in the classroom.
  • Extra credit work should not account for a significant portion of students' grades.
  • While recognizing the wide range of courses taught on our campus and the right of individual faculty members to design their courses in whatever manner they believe is appropriate, there remain professional standards, which should be maintained by all faculty. Grades in a course should be determined based on students' performance on assessments which are based on their mastery of course material. In general, use of “Extra Credit” or “Bonus” assignments is discouraged. However, if extra credit must be assigned, the following guidelines should be applied: