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.
- 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 Student Accessibility Services for more information on registration procedures).
- Class Cancellations & Campus Closings: Announcements of class cancellations and/or campus closings will be made on the campus home page at Kent State Stark. In the case of an emergency, weather-related or otherwise, please check the web page at Kent State Stark cancellations and advisories for information on the buildings and times of the closing. While information may be broadcast by radio and television, this should be confirmed by the web page, which is the official announcement of the campus and which will be the information used to determine issues related to student attendance, rescheduling of tests, and other concerns.
OPTIONAL STATEMENTS
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Final Exam Policy (mostly FYI from assistant dean’s office - you may share portions of this with students in your syllabus)
Please 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.Please 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 cancelled 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 4 final exams in one day (24 hour period) then they have the right to get one of them moved. If you run into this situation please let me know and I can help you resolve it.
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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 fall withdrawal deadlines, please refer to: fall important dates.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Tutoring: Free, walk-in math tutoring is available 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. on Friday in the Academic Success Center in the lower level of Campus Center. Subject-area tutoring is available by appointment for a variety of disciplines and can be arranged by completing a form online located at Kent Stark tutoring services. Online tutoring in anatomy and physiology, writing, mathematics, and chemistry can also be accessed from this page.
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Counseling Services: Free, confidential counseling appointments are available through Counseling Services in the lower level of the Campus Center. Counseling Services is available 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. Monday - Thursday and 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Friday. 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 contacting the office at starkcounseling@kent.edu, calling at 330-244-5048 or visiting the website: counseling services.
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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 pamphlets, both online and in print. The Writing Center is located in 202 Main Hall and is open for both walk-ins and appointments. See our website for details at writing center or call us at 330-244-3299.
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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.
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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:
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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.
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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.
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If you include attendance policies in your syllabus, please be mindful of SAS standards.
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The policy of assigning special grades such as SF, NF, IN, etc. has changed. Go to graduate studies to familiarize yourself with the different grading options available for courses.
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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.
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Use your Blackboard Learn Grade Center for secure listings of on-going class scores/grades that you choose to provide. Don't give out grade or other private information over the phone or other non-secure interfaces. I would highly encourage you to use the gradebook feature of Blackboard to help minimize one of the most common student complaints.
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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.
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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.
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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 Blackboard or other instructional technologies, contact our educational designer and technologist:
Katie Baer
447 Main Hall
330-244-3447
kbaer5@kent.edu
- Guidelines Regarding Extra Credit/Bonus Assignments:
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:- 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.