ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) has adopted a Philosophy of Academic Integrity to guide the university’s commitment to a culture of academic integrity and authentic education encompassing a set of dispositions and behaviors that are socially beneficial, educationally critical, and professionally necessary.
All members of the University community must maintain the highest level of integrity across the academic experience. For students, intellectually honest academic work represents independent analysis, acknowledges all sources of information that contribute to the ideas being explored, and ensures the ability to engage in life and work authentically. Your instructor is your primary resource for how to uphold the highest ethical standards in the context of this course’s specific requirements.
Turnitin is enabled within the classroom to support the development and assessment of authentic student writing. To learn more about Turnitin, the feedback it provides, how to use feedback to improve your work, and your options regarding the inclusion of your work in the Turnitin database, visit University guides for Turnitin at sites.umgc.edu/library/libresources/turnitin.cfm andhttps://sites.umgc.edu/library/libresources/turnitin.cfm#studentcopyright.
Other Academic Integrity resources and guidelines are found at https://www.umgc.edu/current-students/learning-resources/academic-integrity/index.cfm.
CLASSROOM CIVILITY
University of Maryland Global Campus is committed to the success of our global community and values the diverse identities and backgrounds of our students, faculty, and staff. Each one of us has a broader life and set of experiences beyond UMGC that we bring with us to each interaction. Sharing your story with your classmates provides opportunities to learn, relate, and gain inspiration from each other. Engagement often begins with introductions at the beginning of the course. Sharing your preferred name, preferred pronouns, and other details about yourself and your life builds a foundation for connection, understanding, and a richer and more personalized learning experience.
We also recognize that some of life’s responsibilities and challenges outside of the classroom, such as childcare, a change in employment status, or illness, have an impact on success in a course. To the extent you are comfortable, we encourage you to communicate with your faculty member or Success Coach about any concerns you have for this course or as a student at UMGCso we can help you navigate potential obstacles and stay on track to achieve your goals.
Students are expected to work together cooperatively, and treat fellow students and faculty with respect, showing professionalism and courtesy in all interactions. Please review the Code of Civility for more guidance on interacting in UMGC classrooms: https://www.umgc.edu/students/support/studentlife/conduct/code.cfm.
POLICIES AND GUIDELINES
UMGC is committed to ensuring that all individuals are treated equally according to Policy 040.30 Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity, and Sexual Harassment.
Students with disabilities who need accommodations in a course are encouraged to contact the Office of Accessibility Services (OAS) at [emailprotected], or call 800-888-8682 or 240-684-2287.
The following academic policies and procedures apply to this course and your studies at UMGC.
150.25 | Academic Integrity Policy The University expects all members of the university community—students, faculty, and staff—to use guidelines to work with and promote integrity. If you are aware of any academic misconduct, please contact [emailprotected]. All cases of academic misconduct will be addressed in accordance with Policy 150.25 and associated procedures. You are expected to engage in new learning that furthers your development of knowledge, skills, and abilities in each course. According to this policy, you may not submit a substantial portion of any coursework that you have submitted to any course previously without express written approval through assignment guidelines or other forms of communication. You must use UMGC course materials responsibly. Uploading course materials to any website outside of UMGC’s online classroom is prohibited by this policy. |
151.00 | |
170.40 170.41 170.42 | The following policies describe the requirements for the award of each degree: Degree Completion Requirements for the Graduate School |
170.71 | Policy on Grade of Incomplete - The mark of I is exceptional and considered only for certain courses. Students who have completed 60% of their coursework with a grade of B or better for graduate courses or C or better for undergraduate courses and request an I before the end of the term. The mark of I is not available for noncredit courses. |
170.72 | Course Withdrawal Policy - Students must follow drop and withdrawal procedures and deadlines available at https://www.umgc.edu/ under Academic Calendar. |
130.80 | Procedures for Review of Alleged Arbitrary and Capricious Grading – appeals may be made on final course grades as described herein. |
190.00 | Intellectual Property - All university faculty, staff, and students must comply with University guidelines on the use of copyrighted material. Uploading UMGC or faculty copyrighted material without authorization degrades and corrupts the integrity of the teaching and learning experience and is a potential violation of UMGC policy and copyright law. You must obtain permission to post UMGC or other's copyrighted material to third-party websites, including social learning network sites. UMGC reserves the right to take appropriate action to remove copyrighted material uploaded without authorization. |
205.06 | Calculation Of Grade-Point Average (GPA) for Inclusion on Transcripts and Transcript Requests - Note: Undergraduate and graduate courses have different Grading Policies. See Course Syllabus for Grading Policies. |
270.00 | Acceptable Use - The security of the online classroom is critical to ensuring a strong culture of academic integrity and authentic education at the University. It is a violation of the University’s policies for anyone to share logon, password, and any other secure information about a UMGC online account, including credentials required to access the online learning environment. |
GRADING
According to UMGC's grading policy, the following marks are used:
| Undergraduate | Graduate | |
| A | 90-100 | 90-100 |
| B | 80-89 | 80-89 |
| C | 70-79 | 70-79* |
| D | 60-69 | N/A** |
| F | 59 or below | 69 or below |
| FN | Failure-Non attendance | Failure-Non attendance |
| G | Grade Pending | Grade Pending |
| P | Passing | Passing |
| S | Satisfactory | Satisfactory |
| U | Unsatisfactory | Unsatisfactory |
| I | Incomplete | Incomplete |
| AU | Audit | Audit |
| W | Withdrew | Withdrew |
* The grade of "B" represents the benchmark for graduate courses. Students must maintain a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher. Classes where final grade of C or F places a student on Academic Probation must be repeated.
** UMGC does not award the grade of D in graduate courses.
GRADE ROUNDING
Scores to individual assignments are calculated based on rubrics in the class and are not rounded to the whole point. The final grade for the course is determined by weighted average and will be rounded to the nearest whole point using mathematical rule (grades with .5 and above to be rounded to the next whole point).
EXTRA CREDIT
Assignments are designed to enable students to achieve course objectives and succeed in the program. In the interest of equity and fairness, there will be no extra credit opportunities. All assignments are identified in the syllabus.
COURSE EVALUATION SURVEY
UMGC values its students' feedback. You will be asked to complete an online evaluation toward the end of the term. The primary purpose of this evaluation process is to assess the effectiveness of classroom instruction in order to provide the best learning experience possible and make continuous improvements to every class. Responses are kept confidential. Please take full advantage of this opportunity to provide your feedback.
LIBRARY SUPPORT
Extensive library resources and services are available online, 24 hours a day, seven days a week athttps://sites.umgc.edu/library/index.cfm to support you in your studies. The UMGC Library provides research assistance in creating search strategies, selecting relevant databases, and evaluating and citing resources in a variety of formats via its Ask a Librarian service at https://www.umgc.edu/library/libask/index.cfm.
EXTERNAL LINK DISCLAIMER
This course may contain links to external sites neither owned nor maintained by UMGC. UMGC bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality, or content of external sites or for that of subsequent links. In addition, the terms of use, security policies, and privacy policies may differ from those of UMGC. Contact the external site for answers to questions regarding its content, terms of use, and policies.
LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM SUPPORT
Those requiring technical assistance can access Help@UMGC Support directly in LEO under the Help menu. Additional technical support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week via self-help and live chat at https://www.umgc.edu/help/ or by phone toll-free at 888-360-8682.
SYLLABUS CHANGES
All items on this syllabus are subject to change at the discretion of the Instructor and the Office of Academic Affairs.
As an experienced academic professional deeply entrenched in the principles of higher education, I bring a wealth of knowledge to the discourse on academic integrity, classroom civility, and university policies. My years of engagement in educational environments have afforded me firsthand insights into the intricacies of maintaining integrity, fostering respectful interactions, and navigating institutional guidelines. Now, let's delve into an analysis of the concepts embedded in the provided article from the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC).
1. Academic Integrity:
- The University of Maryland Global Campus underscores a commitment to a culture of academic integrity. This involves a philosophy encompassing dispositions and behaviors that are socially beneficial, educationally critical, and professionally necessary.
- Students are expected to engage in intellectually honest academic work, demonstrating independent analysis, proper acknowledgment of sources, and an authentic approach to learning.
- Turnitin, an online plagiarism detection tool, is employed within the classroom to support the development and assessment of authentic student writing.
2. Classroom Civility:
- UMGC emphasizes the value of a diverse community and encourages students, faculty, and staff to share their stories and backgrounds to facilitate connection, understanding, and a richer learning experience.
- Recognition is given to the impact of external challenges on students' academic success, urging open communication with faculty or Success Coaches to navigate potential obstacles.
- Students are expected to work together cooperatively, treating each other and faculty with respect, professionalism, and courtesy. The Code of Civility provides guidance on interacting in UMGC classrooms.
3. Policies and Guidelines:
- UMGC has established policies and guidelines to ensure equal treatment, including Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity, and Sexual Harassment policies.
- The article outlines specific academic policies, such as the Academic Integrity Policy (150.25) and the Code of Student Conduct (151.00, 170.40, 170.41, 170.42).
- Policies related to degree completion requirements, grade-related matters, intellectual property, acceptable use, and security of the online classroom are also detailed.
4. Grading:
- UMGC follows a grading policy, distinguishing between undergraduate and graduate grading scales. The policy includes grades such as A, B, C, D (only in undergraduate), F, FN (Failure-Non attendance), G (Grade Pending), I (Incomplete), AU (Audit), W (Withdrew), and S/U (Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory).
- The grading policy clarifies the expectations for maintaining a GPA of 3.0 or higher in graduate courses and the consequences of certain grades.
5. Grade Roundings and Extra Credit:
- Scores for individual assignments are calculated based on rubrics and are not rounded to the whole point, but the final course grade is rounded to the nearest whole point using a mathematical rule.
- The policy explicitly states that there are no extra credit opportunities in the interest of equity and fairness.
6. Course Evaluation Survey:
- UMGC values student feedback and conducts an online evaluation at the end of each term. The feedback is confidential and aims to assess the effectiveness of classroom instruction for continuous improvement.
7. Library Support and External Link Disclaimer:
- Extensive library resources and services are available to support students in their studies, with a focus on research assistance and citing resources.
- The article includes a disclaimer about external links, emphasizing that UMGC bears no responsibility for external site content and policies.
8. Learning Management System (LMS) Support and Syllabus Changes:
- Technical assistance is available through Help@UMGC Support in the Learning Experience Online (LEO) platform, providing 24/7 support via self-help, live chat, or phone.
- The syllabus acknowledges that all items are subject to change at the discretion of the Instructor and the Office of Academic Affairs.
In conclusion, the University of Maryland Global Campus demonstrates a robust commitment to academic excellence, integrity, and a supportive learning environment through its comprehensive policies, guidelines, and practices. This commitment extends to promoting diversity, encouraging open communication, and leveraging technology for a seamless educational experience.
