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Accessibility and Universal Design for Learning
Accessibility and Universal Design for Learning
I am committed to the principles of Universal Design for Learning. That means I value learner variability. It also means that I plan for my students to bring their full selves and I celebrate the cultural, neurological, and personal diversity of each student. I invite you to bring your whole self to our class! It is my goal to make this class an accessible and welcoming learning experience for all students. If you believe that the design of this course poses any barriers to your effective participation or learning in this class, please meet with me to discuss options or adjustments. In addition, our university is committed to providing an inclusive experience, accessible learning environments, and equal opportunity to individuals with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Should you need any accommodations, the Office of Disability Resources in Anne Belk Hall can help you to get the accommodations you need to succeed at AppState You can reach them by phone 828.262.3056 or odr.appstate.edu.
Food Insecurity
Food Insecurity
Do you have enough to eat? Can you get food when you need it? Any student who has difficulty affording groceries or accessing sufficient food to eat every day, or who lacks a safe and stable place to live, and believes this may affect their performance in the course, is urged to contact the Dean of Students for a list of resources and support. The ASU Food Pantry and Free Store is a free resource with pantry and personal care items, located in the Office of Sustainability on the bottom floor of East Hall. Furthermore, please notify me (Lillian) if you are comfortable in doing so. This will enable me to assist you with finding the resources you may need.
Religious Observances
Religious Observances
Do you celebrate holidays with your family or choose to participate in a religious observance on or off campus? That's great! I am flexible. AppState even has a policy about it. Here it is: Faculty members are required to make reasonable accommodations for students requesting to miss class due to the observance of religious holidays. All AppState students are allowed a minimum of two absences per year for religious observances. Up to two absences for such observances will be excused, without penalty to the student, provided that the student has informed the instructor in the manner specified in the syllabus. Notice must be given by the student to the instructor before the absence occurs and no later than three weeks after the start of the semester in which the absence(s) will occur. Arrangements will be made to make up work missed by these religious observances, without penalty to the student. For the purposes of this policy, AppState defines the term "religious observance" to include religious holidays, holy days, or similar observances associated with a student's faith that require absence from class.
STudent Engagement in Courses
STudent Engagement in Courses
How much time is this course going to take? A general rule of thumb is 2 hours of preparation for every hour in class. Since this is an entirely online course with a small synchronous component, that rule of thumb needs a little adjustment. For our course, the activities each week should take you between 8 and 12 hours to read, watch, think about, participate in, and complete.
In its mission statement, Appalachian State University aims at "providing undergraduate students a rigorous liberal education that emphasizes transferable skills and preparation for professional careers" as well as "maintaining a faculty whose members serve as excellent teachers and scholarly mentors for their students." Such rigor means that the foremost activity of Appalachian students is an intense engagement with their courses. In practical terms, students should expect to spend two to three hours of studying for every hour of class time. Hence, a fifteen-hour academic load might reasonably require between 30 and 45 hours per week of out-of-class work.
Reporting obligations
Reporting obligations
So, did you know that if you tell me, or any other faculty member, about any instance of interpersonal violence, such as sexual harassment, relationship violence, stalking, or retaliation, that we are required to formally report it to the university? That means that a conversation we have is not entirely confidential. I thought you should know that. Our University is committed to maintaining a safe learning environment for all students, regardless of sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, and gender identity. To meet this commitment, and to comply with state and federal laws, Appalachian faculty are required to formally report instances of to the Office of Title IX Compliance. If you want to talk directly to this office, you can call (828) 262-2144 or contact them through the website.
Course Materials Permissions
Course Materials Permissions
What can you do with the course videos, chats, VoiceThreads, Flipgrids and other things we create in class? Well, nothing, outside of class, that is. All course materials that I (Lillian) create, including video, may be subject to intellectual property protections under applicable law and regulation and are for the sole use of students enrolled in this class. Students do not have permission to copy or record materials except for personal use in the context of this class and students do not have permission to share any class materials, including videos, in any manner on any platform without the prior express permission of the faculty member teaching this course (me, Lillian). Similarly, no videos, photos or written work by other students may be shared without prior express permission from the student(s) who created the work. Let's keep it where it belongs.
Academic integrity
Academic integrity
I believe that you are capable of learning and succeeding in this class and that you are fundamentally honest. It is my job to challenge and encourage you, and provide a positive learning environment. We are often culturally biased against working together in an academic community, and students often see themselves in competition with others in the class. Nothing could be further from the reality of our class environment. In fact, in this FYS, your most valuable resources will be each other. I encourage and recommend discussing topics, ideas, viewpoints, and your understanding of the material with your fellow classmates in both formal (class-related) and informal venues. Any ideas that you have gained in whole or in part from others should be respectfully credited, and the more input you have from sources other than yourself will most likely strengthen your arguments and understanding. We should be able to trust each other with our ideas, conduct ourselves and our conversations in respectful and honest ways, and act in a way in which we show a responsibility to each other, and for each other's learning. It is my intention that we create an atmosphere of trust, respect, fairness, honesty, and responsibility. AppState has an Academic Integrity Code with which you are most likely familiar. This code, although important, puts an emphasis on what we, as an academic community, do not do (lie, cheat, or steal to gain academic advantage). However, I believe that our learning environment is predicated on the positive aspects of mutual respect, shared discovery, and cooperation. I designed this course so that one would neither benefit from, nor need to engage in academic dishonesty, in order to be successful in this class. I look forward to welcoming you in our academic community.
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