1.3 Academic Forms and Information
A few policies are duplicated below from the College Catalog. Additional information and policies are contained in the College Catalog.
(Leslie Weber - 7/09)
Academic Honesty Policy
The faculty of Gustavus Adolphus College expects all students to adhere to the highest standards of academic honesty, and to refrain from any action that impinges upon academic freedom of other members of the college community. In all academic exercises, examinations, presentations, speeches, papers, and reports, students shall submit their own work. Footnotes or some other acceptable form of citation must accompany any use of another’s words or ideas. Students are especially cautioned that quoting or paraphrasing from electronic sources without proper citation is as serious a violation as copying from a book or other printed source.
In the case of cheating or plagiarism, the instructor will inform the student and the Office of the Provost of the nature of the offense, the penalty within the course, and the recommendation of the instructor as to whether further disciplinary action is warranted. Another instance of academic dishonesty will result in review of the student’s record by the probation committee and may result in the student being placed on academic probation. If a pattern of academic dishonesty continues, the student may be permanently dismissed from the College.
A student may not submit work that is substantially the same in two courses without first gaining permission of both instructors if the courses are taken concurrently, or permission of the current instructor if the work had been submitted in a previous semester.
The faculty regards the damaging of library materials and failing to sign out or to return them properly, and the misuse of computer files and programs as equally serious violations of the ethical standards of courtesy, fairness, and honesty that bind together a community of scholars.
Individuals who use the College’s computer facilities assume the responsibility of seeing that these resources are used in an appropriate manner. Misuse of computer hardware, software, data, and output is a violation of College policy and regulations and may also be a violation of law if data of other computer users are disturbed or the privacy of individuals is violated.
Finally, students who serve the College in positions of responsibility in which they deal with test materials, letters of recommendation, and other matters that must be held in confidence are expected to maintain confidentiality and to adhere to the same high standards of personal integrity.
Honor Code Policy
Every Gustavus Adolphus College student is required to sign the following statement before final admittance into the College:
"As a community of scholars, the faculty and students of Gustavus Adolphus College have formulated an academic honesty policy and honor code system, which is printed in the Academic Bulletin and in the Gustavus Guide. As a student at Gustavus Adolphus College I agree to uphold the honor code. This means that I will abide by the academic honesty policy, and abide by decisions of the joint student/faculty Honor Board."
Through information provided in syllabi and/or other means, faculty members will explain to students how the Honor Code will operate in their respective courses. The following statement is suggested as a pledge for students to sign on all graded assignments and projects:
"On my honor, I pledge that I have not given, received, or tolerated others’ use of unauthorized aid in completing this work."
A similar statement may be signed by students at the beginning of a course, indicating that their work for that course will comply with the academic honesty policy and the Honor Code.
Gustavus Adolphus College is proud to operate under an honor system. The faculty and students have jointly created an Honor Board to enforce this policy. In signing this statement a student is promising that his or her work complies fully with the authorized aid as defined by the professor. It is each professor’s responsibility to state course penalties for academic honesty policy violations, and to define the level of authorized aid appropriate to the work in the course or to the particular assignment. However, the student is responsible to ask questions about any reasonable doubt regarding the professor’s definition.
Under the academic honesty policy, the instructor informs “…the student and the Office of the Provost of the nature of the offense, the penalty within the course, and the recommendation of the instructor as to whether further disciplinary action is warranted.” The in-course penalties and notification of the Provost’s Office should end the matter in most cases. However, if a student disputes the allegation of academic dishonesty, the student can request an Honor Board hearing.
A six-member Honor Board panel (three students and three faculty members) will investigate and hear the case. Both the accused student and the instructor have the right to submit statements and documents and/or be present for the proceeding. A 4–2 vote is needed to decide that the student is indeed guilty of an academic honesty policy violation. If the Board rules that a violation occurred, all other provisions of the academic honesty policy will apply, including the instructor’s in-course penalties, and possible probation or suspension for repeated offenses. If the student is not found guilty it will be presumed that no violation occurred, and the faculty member will not penalize the student for an honesty violation. (Honesty aside, the quality of the student’s work is still subject to the instructor’s professional judgment.)
The Honor Board pool comprises six students and six faculty members. From this pool of twelve, three students and three faculty members will be appointed by the Office of the Provost to investigate and adjudicate cases involving the academic honesty policy. Potential student members are required to complete an application, and are interviewed and nominated each spring for the next academic year by the Student Senate Academic Affairs Committee. After receiving the nominations, the Student Senate Cabinet appoints the student board members. The faculty members are invited to indicate an interest in serving on the board, and are then nominated by the Academic Operations Committee. The Faculty Senate makes the appointment of faculty board members each spring. Each Honor Board member participates in an orientation session and is instructed on the importance of confidentiality and proper investigation procedures.
The proctoring of exams will be at the discretion of the instructor.
An integral part of the honor code is non-tolerance of violations. This non-tolerance policy recognizes that we are not only responsible for our own ethical conduct but are also members of a vital community with obligations to contribute to its ethical climate. Under this code students are not expected to police others’ actions. Rather, students agree to report violations of which they become aware and for which failure to do so would constitute an honor code violation. Maliciously making a false accusation will be considered a violation of the honor code.
Change of Grade Policy
The mark of “I” (Incomplete) is the only grading option available which keeps a course open for additional student work beyond the termination of the semester. Once a grade other than “I” has been recorded on the student transcript, it becomes part of the institutional record and can be changed only to correct an error in the original computation. A grade change cannot be made because additional coursework has been turned in after the end of the term. A change of grade may not be made more than one year after the grade was officially recorded in the Registrar’s Office.
Grade Appeals Policy
Students have the right to be protected against prejudiced or capricious academic evaluation. A student who wishes to appeal a final course grade on these grounds should first appeal to the instructor. This action should end the matter in most cases, but if not, the student should appeal to the department chair (or a senior faculty member in the department if the chair is the person giving the grade). If that does not resolve the issue, the student may appeal to the Office of the Provost, which will convene the Grade Appeals Board to assist in determining an appropriate resolution. If the Grade Appeals Board determines that the grade should be changed, it would provide the instructor with a written explanation of its reasons and would request that the grade be changed. The instructor should either make the recommended change or provide a written explanation to the Grade Appeals Board for not doing so. Only then, the Provost, upon the written recommendation of the Grade Appeals Board, would have the authority to effect a change in grade over the objection of the instructor. The Grade Appeals Board will consist of five faculty members, one from each Division, nominated by the Academic Operations Committee and appointed to staggered three-year terms by the Faculty Senate. A member of the Grade Appeals Board may ask to be recused from hearing an appeal if the member perceives a conflict of interest. The student appellant may also request to disqualify a member perceived as being potentially biased from hearing the appeal. In the event that a member of the Board is recused or removed, that person will be replaced by another faculty member from the same Division, to be appointed by an Academic Dean in consultation with the chair of the Academic Operations Committee. A grade appeal must be initiated within one year after the grade was officially recorded in the Registrar’s Office.
Incomplete Grade
“I” (Incomplete) is a temporary grade and is given at the discretion of the instructor when a student is unable to finish coursework because of medical disability or problems of comparable seriousness beyond the student’s control. This additional time to complete coursework may not extend beyond the close of the following semester, and earlier limits may be set at the discretion of the instructor.
The grade “I” for a particular student, along with an expiration date, is reported at the end of the term to the Office of the Registrar on a special form, which is signed by both the instructor and the department chair. A record of the student’s outstanding requirements in the course, grading criteria, and a grade for the course to date is filed by the instructor in the departmental office.
If before the end of the expiration date the instructor reports a final grade to the Registrar, that grade will replace the “I” and the grade point average will be computed accordingly. When the expiration date has passed without a grade being reported, an “F” will replace the “I” and become a permanent part of the transcript record.
Repeating Courses
A course may be repeated if this is done before a more advanced course in the subject has been studied. Courses graded “D” or better must be repeated at Gustavus and on a letter-graded basis each time. Grades for each time a course is taken remain on the permanent academic record; however, credit will be given only once and only the better grade (for Gustavus coursework) will be computed into the grade point average. Courses which have been failed at Gustavus may be repeated at Gustavus or at another institution. If they are repeated at Gustavus, the original grade will stay on the transcript but only the new grade, if it is better than the original grade, will be calculated into the Gustavus grade point average. If failed courses are repeated elsewhere, the original grade will stay in the Gustavus grade point average and the new grade will not be calculated into it. Note that First Term Seminar may only be taken during a student’s first semester at the College. Therefore, students may not repeat First Term Seminar.
Academic Schedule Conflicts
Policy
The heart of Gustavus Adolphus College is its academic program. Regular class attendance is expected and takes priority over other College activities. Because the College offers diverse activities that carry varying degrees of academic credit, students participating in sports, music, debate, and similar activities will inevitably encounter conflicts. Difficult choices must be made.
The College has developed a daily schedule that is designed to minimize conflicts between the many curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities that are offered. Faculty members are responsible for making their attendance policy clear, in writing, at the beginning of the term. Faculty members who require attendance at activities outside of the scheduled class times (such as evening examinations, special lectures, field trips, rehearsals, practices, or conferences) should notify students as far in advance as possible, so that in the event of conflicts, alternative ways of meeting these requirements can be negotiated. Each student is accountable for all work missed because of absences from class, and instructors are not required to make special arrangements for students who have been absent.
Class absences will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis by the instructor. If a student is going to miss class for any reason, the student should discuss this with the instructor as early as possible. Students choosing to be absent should recognize that their lack of participation in that community of scholars may redound negatively upon their final grade. Absences for any reason may be taken into account in the evaluation of a student’s work, and a student may be dropped from the class if the student misses more classes than allowed by the professor.
No games or activities, with the possible exception of tournaments, may be scheduled during final exams. For students who must miss final examinations because of such tournaments, faculty members will provide reasonable and appropriate alternatives for satisfying the course requirement.
Guidelines
Faculty members and others scheduling courses offered by special arrangement, activities associated with courses but not reflected in the Master Course Schedule, or other approved activities should make every effort to avoid conflicts with the courses listed on the Master Course Schedule. The person scheduling these activities should make the schedule of dates and times for them available to participating students as far in advance as possible in written form. Some flexibility will need to be built into these activities, recognizing that students have already constructed a schedule based on the Master Course Schedule.
Normally, classes and laboratories will be scheduled during the first eight periods of the day, and varsity sports, choirs, bands, etc. will be scheduled after seventh hour. Some exceptions, such as late laboratories, are unavoidable, but efforts should be made to minimize conflicts by making other options available to those students affected.
As an increasing number of courses are scheduled to meet in the evening, those who arrange evening events, such as lectures and evening exams, must become more sensitive to the issue of conflicts. Courses with associated events in the evenings should be indicated as such in the Master Course Schedule. The written syllabi for these courses should list the planned evening events and should indicate possible solutions to conflicts.
Intercollegiate sporting events should be scheduled in order to minimize the number of classes students will miss and to minimize travel as much as possible. Most should be planned for weekends, holidays, and vacations, not weekdays. Neither practice nor dressing and taping time should be acceptable excuses for missing class.
(Leslie Weber - 7/09)
For a copy of the course proposal form, please contact Leslie Weber (x7675) in the Office of the Provost.
(Sujay Rao - 7/09)
For a copy of the FTS course proposal form, please contact Leslie Weber (x7675) in the Office of the Provost.
Courses approved to be First Term Seminars reflect the following philosophy and desired outcomes:
FTS – an Education Centered on “Values”
Put simply, values are what we use, either individually or more broadly as societies, to make decisions that matter. Our values are what we rely on to choose what we consider the proper course through life.
FTS promotes both an empathetic examination of the values of others and the development and articulation of one’s own values as part of a liberal arts education that encourages responsible use of knowledge. Indeed, a focus on values permeates the FTS Program, shaping the Program’s goals in writing, oral communication, critical thinking, and advising.
1. Writing
The FTS Writing component promotes writing as a creative and critical process in which writers engage with the ideas of others. In FTS, students write to express their own ideas and to inform and communicate with others. Good writers make both stylistic and content-based choices to accommodate different purposes, contexts, and audiences. These rhetorical choices help writers make their cases in the most effective ways possible.
1a. Invention
“Invention” is most often associated with the “prewriting” stage, when writers generate ideas, explore topics, and plan strategies; invention activities get writers going.
Focusing on invention will help students learn to: analyze texts, issues, and questions of value; explore their ideas and those of others; practice credible and effective methods of expressing thoughts in writing.
1b. Arrangement
“Arrangement” is most often associated with form or structure. Focusing on arrangement means helping students learn to consider both global and local issues. While working on arrangement, students will make decisions about what belongs in an introduction and a conclusion, about what sorts of arguments will be persuasive at particular points in a paper, and about structure within paragraphs.
Focusing on arrangement will help students learn to: analyze texts in terms of form and structure; create texts that will communicate successfully with readers due to appropriate organization and structure.
1c. Style
Loosely understood to mean that which makes a writer’s work unique, “style” involves choices in sentence length and structure, word choice and “voice,” and suitability for particular audiences. Since FTS is an interdisciplinary program, students will certainly read texts that are quite varied stylistically. They should be encouraged to vary their own style when they write as well.
Focusing on style will help students learn to: communicate with an audience more effectively; make deliberate choices regarding voice and word choice; understand writing conventions as context-specific; manipulate those conventions to suit various genres, situations, and audiences
2. Oral Communication
The FTS Oral Communication component promotes reasoned discourse, creative expression and development of one’s own voice in critical interaction with others through both oral presentation and discussion. Effective communicators consider purpose, audience and context when constructing their messages and understanding the messages of others.
Oral Presentation
2a. Invention
“Invention” is most often associated with generating ideas, exploring topics, and planning strategies.
Focusing on invention will help students learn to: develop a topic in order to inform or persuade their audience; develop a main point (informative presentation) or central argument/thesis (persuasive presentation); construct the presentation with a particular audience in mind; and gather, evaluate, and integrate appropriate evidence to illustrate and support their main point or central argument/thesis.
2b. Arrangement
“Arrangement” is most often associated with form or structure.
Focusing on arrangement will help students learn to: use an appropriate organizational pattern that supports their central argument or thesis.
2c. Style/Delivery
“Style/Delivery” is associated with choices regarding language and voice.
Focusing on style/delivery will help students learn to: use language that is appropriate to the topic and audience, including vocabulary that is correct, precise, simple, and unaffected; use vocal pitch, rate, tone, volume, and gestures appropriate to the topic, the audience, and the location.
Discussion
2d. Invention/Developing Ideas
In this context, “invention” refers to deepening one’s understanding of course material and discerning the many different ways to develop ideas through group discussion.
Focusing on invention/developing ideas will help students learn to: provide information; explain an opinion; advocate a particular position; play devil’s advocate; synthesize from the ideas of others; summarize the day’s discussion.
2e. Arrangement/Advancing Discussion
In this context, “arrangement” refers to discerning how substantive group discussion functions.
Focusing on arrangement/advancing discussion will help students learn to: stay on topic; connect individual comments; actively listen to others in order to create a productive climate for learning.
2f. Style/Self-Monitoring
In this context, “style” refers to developing a capacity to identify the role each of us can play in a substantive group discussion.
Focusing on style/self-monitoring will help students learn to: become responsible participants in classroom discussions through speaking, encouraging others to speak, and listening.
3. Critical Thinking
The FTS Critical Thinking component promotes a commitment to the application of reason to one’s own ideas and those of others, a willingness to consider the perspectives of others, and an awareness of the limits of any given epistemology. These habits of mind, central to the liberal arts, help the individual find a meaningful place in a larger society and form one of the cornerstones of lifelong learning.
3a. Reasoning
Focusing on reasoning will help students learn to: identify the purpose of a text; identify concepts that shape an argument; assess the evidence used to support an argument; present relevant evidence to support their own arguments.
3b. Assumptions and Implications
Focusing on assumptions and implications will help students learn to: identify how contexts and unstated assumptions influence arguments; identify the implications and consequences of arguments.
3c. Perspective
Focusing on perspective will help students learn to: articulate their own perspective and the influences that shape it; identify and evaluate alternative perspectives.
3d. Questioning
Focusing on questioning will help students learn to: ask questions of all kinds; find and assess information that answers questions.
4. Advising
FTS professors serve as first-semester advisors and until advisees declare a major or are admitted into a certification program (Athletic Training, Education, Nursing). In this capacity, they work alongside students to plan their liberal arts education and refer them to campus resources to think about possibilities during their four years and beyond. At its best, the advising relationship fosters a climate of campus-wide mentoring.
4a. Developmental Advising
Class Registration
Students will: review first semester course selections prior to the start of the school year; search for classes online and use WebAdvisor to register for January and spring classes; identify back-up course options in case first choices are closed; meet with their advisor for approval prior to registration sessions; and know campus policies, procedures, and deadlines.
General Education and Liberal Arts Perspectives
Students will: read and review degree audits/progress toward degrees; understand liberal arts philosophy and graduation requirements; identify and search for courses by area approvals; know resources for investigating interests and possibilities.
Student Strengths and Academic Difficulty
Students will learn to: advocate for themselves, take ownership for their learning, become responsible and accountable as independent learners, and ultimately become their own best advisors.
4b. Introducing Students to the College
Students will: become familiar with campus resources and out-of-classroom learning opportunities.
4c. Creating a Mentoring Community
Students will learn to: experience Gustavus as a community of learners, a place of open inquiry; take responsibility for connecting their in-class and out-of-class experiences in a holistic way; broaden the definition of who an advisor/mentor is to acknowledge the value of work supervisors, coaches, organization advisors, Student Affairs staff, and others.
(Leslie Weber - 7/09)
January IEX Guidelines
Preliminary Guidelines for Travel Courses
January IEX Fee Policy
In most instances January Term courses will be supported by departmental funds. However, because of the unusual content or non-repetitive nature some courses which require out of the ordinary expenses, a limited amount of funding is available from the January Term budget by application to the Director of January Term. Classes that appear regularly in January Term or use materials that may be used by departments in other classes during the year should be budgeted for during the annual budget process. Appropriate expenditures from the January Term budget include:
Due to the timing of the budget process and the limited funds available in the January Term budget, it is sometimes necessary to charge fees to students for January Term classes.
Proposed January Term course fees must be listed on the January Term course proposal, be approved by the Director of January Term and relate specifically to the course. Appropriate fees include:
While care should be taken by the instructor to hold costs to the student to a minimum, the costs associated with the instructor's participation should be built into the fee charged to the student.
Please Note:
In order for the College to operate within IRS guidelines, materials and supplies should be ordered through the Book Mark. It is against College policy for students to purchase materials and supplies directly from the department or instructor. (Please see the manager of the Book Mark for more information.) Students may reimburse a department for group ticket purchases and admissions.
(Leslie Weber - 7/09)
For a copy of the January IEX course proposal form, please contact Leslie Weber (x7675) in the Office of the Provost.
(Kristianne Reinholtzen, Registrar - 8/09)
For copies of the academic petition form, please contact the student service counter at the Office of the Registrar in the Administration Building.
(Kristianne Reinholtzen, Registrar - 8/09)
Gustavus Adolphus College Policy on Access to Student Records
Federal law generally prohibits release of student academic records without prior written consent of the student. Without prior consent, however, access is permitted to employees in the same institution who have "a legitimate educational interest." This is interpreted at Gustavus Adolphus College to mean that employees may access personally identifiable information in student education records in order to fulfill their institutionally assigned professional responsibilities.
Employees seeking access to student records not already available via the web make application to the Registrar of the College, stating the need for and scope of access and the security procedures in place to protect against unauthorized use after release. Employees granted access are responsible for treating the information with confidentiality.
See the office of the Registrar for the "Request for Records" form.
(Kristianne Reinholtzen, Registrar - 8/09)
Faculty Policy on Incompletes and Changes of Grades
The mark of "I" (Incomplete) is the only grading option available which keeps a course open for additional student work beyond the termination of the semester. Once a grade other than "I" has been recorded on the student transcript, it becomes part of the institutional record and can be changed only to correct an error in the original computation. A grade change cannot be made because additional coursework has been turned in after the end of the term. A change of grade may not be made more than one year after the grade was officially recorded in the Registrar's Office.
Please be sure that your students are aware of the following faculty policy on the use of the incomplete grade:
"I" (Incomplete) is a temporary grade and is given at the discretion of the instructor when a student is unable to finish coursework because of medical disability or problems of comparable seriousness beyond the student's control. This additional time to complete coursework may not extend beyond the close of the following semester, and earlier limits may be set at the discretion of the instructor. The grade "I" is reported on the official grade roster. If before the end of the deadline the instructor reports a final grade to the Registrar, that grade will replace the "I" and the grade point average will be computed accordingly. When the deadline has passed, an "F" will replace the "I" and become a permanent part of the transcript record.
Kristianne Reinholtzen
Registrar
(See the Office of the Registrar for the form "Change of Grade Card.")
(Baker Lawley, Chair, Lecture Series Committee - 3/08)
Sponsoring faculty member:
Sponsoring department/program:
Limited funding makes it difficult for the Lecture Series to support more than one request each school year from a department/program. The signature of the department chairperson or program coordinator indicates that the department/program endorses this request. If submitting more than one request from a department/program, please designate priority (first, second, etc.) for funding.
Department Chairperson/Program Coordinator Priority
(signature)
(Jeanne Herman, Writing Program Director, 8/09)
The Writing Program Advisory Committee, chaired by the Director of Writing, consists of six members. Members should represent at least three of the five academic divisions as well as a cross-section of the faculty in terms of rank. The sixth member will be the FTS Director (ex-officio).
All members of the Writing Committee should, ideally, already be approved to teach WRIT courses on campus. Members are appointed for a term of two years. In the initial round of appointments, however, terms will be staggered to ensure that the entire committee does not turn over at once. Thus, three members will initially be appointed for a period of two years, while the other two will be appointed for one year.
Members 2009-2010:
The committee's primary function is advisory. The committee should provide structured feedback to the Writing Director as s/he guides the college's Writing Across the Curriculum program and Writing Center. The committee will offer advice regarding WAC faculty development efforts, read and review WAC documents (reports, brochures, policy statements), and assist with the development of a regular WAC program assessment plan. The committee will also help the Writing Director to refine Writing Center hiring and training procedures, address confidentiality issues, and construct assessment instruments. Finally, the Writing Committee will re-assess the use of the FTS handbook every five years.
The committee will meet formally three times each semester:
*Additional meetings may be called during the handbook assessment cycle every five years.
Environmental Studies Program Committee (Jeff Jeremiason - 8/09)
Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies Program Committee Margaret O'Connor - 8/09)
Japanese Studies Program Committee (Toshiyuki Sakuragi - 2/03)
Latin American, Latino, and Caribbean Studies Program Committee (Nancy Hanway - 08/09)
Peace Studies Program Committee (Loramy Gerstbauer - 8/09)
Russian Studies Program Committee (Denis Crnković - 8/09)
By direction of the Faculty, a course and its number will be inactivated if it has not been taught at least once in four years. The Registrar is instructed to inform departments of such action. Departments may choose to petition the Curriculum Committee for an exemption to course inactivation, providing a coherent rationale for the request.
