Class Attendance
Excellent attendance is vital to academic success. If you have a legitimate excuse for missing (or being late) a class, send an e-mail to the instructor BEFORE the class. Shepherd University Student Handbook lists the legitimate reasons for class absences include death in the immediate family or illness verified by a doctor (not including any non-emergency doctors’ appointments that could be scheduled at other times), field trips required for other classes (required an email notification from the instructors prior to the trips), intercollegiate competitions, or activities initializing official representation of Shepherd University (see the Students in Athletics Section), and hazardous, weather-induced driving conditions (for commuter students only). You MUST attend your classes regularly and engage in the requirements for each class; otherwise, your financial aid may be revoked either partially or in full. This would result in an amount due by you to the University immediately. Please refer to https://www.shepherd.edu/financialaid for more details.
Final Exams
The final exams are cumulative and mandatory (unless otherwise noted). You are responsible for making sure that you can attend the final exams. Registering for the courses mean that you certify that you will be taking the final exams. Again, you MUST take the final exams at the time determined by the official University exam schedule and you will get a zero if you do not take it. There will be no exceptions.
Cell Phone and Text Messaging
Cell phones are not permitted during class. Please turn your cell phone off or put it onto silent (in case of an emergency situation) before class starts. Do not place your cell phone on the desk. Any student leaving during class to answer a vibrating phone will not be permitted to return to class. Text messaging will not be permitted during class.
Students in Athletics
If you are on an athletic team and will be missing classes, it is your responsibility to provide the instructor with a letter signed by your coach listing all of the days in which you will be absent. Accommodations will be made only if the instructor receives the letter from your coach no later than the end of the first week of class.
Students with Disabilities
If you have a documented disability and require accommodations to obtain equal access in the course, please contact the instructor during the first week of class. Students requesting any disability related accommodation should contact the Disability Coordinator.
Plagiarism and Cheating
Plagiarism and cheating in any form will not be tolerated. We consider academic honesty to be at the core of the University’s activities in education and research. All work (i.e., assignments, quizzes, and exams) submitted for a grade must be the sole work of the individual student turning it in. Instances of plagiarism, cheating, or other misconduct will be dealt with strictly and according to the University’s Policy and Procedure. From the 2009-2011 University Catalog, page 56:
“Cheating in all its forms, including plagiarism and cheating on visual work, is considered an academic matter to be controlled and acted upon by the individual faculty member. Students guilty of academic dishonesty on examinations in any course shall receive, as minimum penalty, a grade of F in that course. Such action shall be taken by the instructor, with written notification to the appropriate University administrators. Repeated offenses shall subject the student to suspension or dismissal from the University. Students involved in facilitating the academic dishonesty among others, such as the unauthorized dissemination of examination materials, will be subject to disciplinary action beyond that called for by their own cheating in the course. Guidelines and policies affecting dishonesty and most other aspects of student life may be found in the Shepherd University Student Handbook.”
Plagiarism Definition:
“Plagiarism, as defined in the 1995 Random House Compact Unabridged Dictionary, is the “use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one’s own original work.” Within academia, plagiarism by students, professors, or researchers is considered academic dishonesty or academic fraud and offenders are subject to academic censure, up to and including expulsion.” [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plagiarism]
Evidence of Plagiarism
- Student has submitted the duplication (or some modification) of another work from oneself by recycling an older paper from another class without first discussing it with the professor.
- Student has submitted the same paper to two classes without first discussing it with the professors.
- Student has not included internal citations within the paper.
- Student has faked citations.
- Student has copied and pasted an entire article from a website or electronic database and called the product his/her own work.
- Student has copied and pasted paragraphs from several resources and called the product his/her own work.
- Student has rearranged the author’s original words.
- Student has failed to put quotation marks around directly quoted material.