In this class, all due dates are suggested (i.e., they are soft deadlines). There are no penalties for submitting an assignment past the suggested due date. That said, it remains important to try to keep up with the course schedule as much as possible. Suggested due dates are established to encourage students to stay on the same schedule so that everyone in our learning community can mutually engage in the same topics both in-person and online from week to week, including during class activities and on weekly reflections, which encourage discussion with peers and building from prior knowledge. Suggested due dates also ensure that I can provide timely feedback on assignments and they help to ensure that you don't fall too far behind and become stressed and overwhelmed with the amount of work that you have to do—when this happens, students are not able to fully immerse themselves in the learning process because they are more concerned with turning in their assignment than with treating their assignment as a learning process and opportunity for growth.
I have decided to eliminate late penalties for all my classes for multiple reasons. You all have different obligations, time commitments, backgrounds, and life circumstances that can make submitting an assignment on time difficult. These barriers shouldn't prevent you from doing well in this class, especially since my goal is for you to engage authentically with class material and to obtain content mastery. By eliminating late penalties, students have more flexibility and opportunities to learn and receive meaningful feedback. The elimination of late penalties helps to reduce stress and anxiety, allowing students to more effectively immerse themselves in their learning, both cognitively and emotionally. I want you be intrinsically motivated to complete your work on time rather than to be motivated to complete coursework because of the threat of punishment.
While there are no late penalties in this class, you should also have a realistic understanding of where you stand in this course throughout the quarter. I don't want you to be surprised with a lower grade than you expected at the end of the course because you did not complete all of your Unit Assessments or the minimum number of required labs or weekly reflections . For this reason, required assignments that are not completed after two weeks will be marked as incomplete and you will receive a 0 grade as a placeholder so that you can see what your grade will be if you do not submit the assignment (unless you contact me and request that I refrain from adding a 0 grade placeholder, which I am happy to do). Since the gradebook on Canvas is set to drop the lowest two scores for the Labs and Weekly Reflections grade categories (since you are required to complete a minimum of 8 of 10 weekly reflections and 6 of 8 labs by the end of the quarter), receiving a 0 grade on a weekly reflection or lab will not negatively affect your grade in the gradebook until you miss more than 2 labs or more than 2 weekly reflections (see the Grading & Course Evaluation page of this syllabus website for course evaluation criteria).
I have high standards of academic integrity and believe that everyone in my course is fundamentally honest. Every student has a different level of understanding of academic integrity and not every student has been taught the skills necessary for avoiding cheating and plagiarism, which is why I will help you to learn strategies for engaging in academia with honesty and integrity. Plagiarism is copying the work or ideas of someone else and presenting it as your own. Plagiarism includes using sentences or ideas from someone else without proper acknowledgement, using direct quotes without proper citation, copying and pasting someone else’s work, copying and pasting information generated by ChatGPT or another generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) program (see below), using information generated by AI/ChatGPT without proper citation, altering the work of someone else and then submitting it as your own, or allowing someone else to copy or alter your work to pass off as their own.
My process for dealing with students who violate SFCC’s Student Code of Conduct by cheating or plagiarizing depends on the type and level of offense, but above all else it emphasizes education, course correction, prevention, and forgiveness. If I detect or can confirm academic dishonesty, I will send a message asking the student to meet with me to discuss academic dishonesty education and prevention. I may ask the student to complete a Library workshop on plagiarism and to provide evidence of successful completion of the workshop. I may also ask the student to write an essay demonstrating their thorough review and understanding of Washington State laws on student conduct and academic integrity as defined by the Washington State Legislature through the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) (see below). I will give you the opportunity to correct your mistake and to learn and grow from it. However, if the offense is serious enough and if a student doesn't make an honest attempt at addressing the offense, l reserve the right to report them to a student conduct official. I encourage you to review the SFCC Library's Avoiding Plagiarism Workshop and Citations & Avoiding Plagiarism resources, which include tutorials and guides on how to properly cite sources. I also encourage you to review CCS’s Student Rights and Responsibilities and the Student Code of Conduct. The Washington State Legislature defines the Standards of Conduct for Students in the Community Colleges of Spokane in Chapter 132Q-10 WAC. Academic dishonesty and other ethical violations are defined in WAC 132Q-10-210. The authority of faculty members to respond to academic dishonesty and other ethical violations are defined in WAC 132Q-10-221.
The use of ChatGPT and other generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) programs in academia is becoming increasingly more common. There are many legitimate uses of generative AI, including using it to conduct preliminary research on a topic or to improve your writing and grammar. However, AI is also used in questionable, if not unethical, ways as well. Some students use AI/ChatGPT to commit plagiarism or to disingenuously finish an assignments without undergoing the learning process that is necessary for intellectual and personal growth and for developing skills critical to success in academia and the professional workforce—skills like critical thinking, communication, reading comprehension, and research skills, which assignments are designed to help you develop.
As part of cultivating academic integrity and discouraging academic dishonesty, I do not permit cheating with AI/ChatGPT. That said, I understand that AI is becoming increasingly prevalent in real-world settings and can be a useful tool for learning and productivity when it is applied appropriately. As such, I encourage you to use it to conduct preliminary research in order to gain a deeper understanding of a topic, much like you would use Wikipedia in the initial stages of research. It is also perfectly acceptable to use AI to proofread and improve your grammar and writing.
The point when AI can become easily problematic is when it's used as a tool to generate information that is then used to complete an assignment—this is where you must take explicit precautions to ensure that you are not using AI in an academically dishonesty way. In this class, you may use AI to gain a deeper understanding of a topic and to use that information to complete an assignment if you are honest and upfront about using it and the following conditions are met:
You properly cite the generative AI program (ChatGPT, Google Gemini, etc.) that you used and provide the exact prompt(s) that you used in the chatbot to generate the information;
You use it as a reference in the same way that you would any other source, which means that you do not copy and paste the information or use the information without properly citing it (this is plagiarism)—rather, you draw meaningful information from the output, summarize/paraphrase it, and properly cite the AI source;
You do not rely solely on AI to complete your assignment;
You follow the SFCC Library guidelines on AI/ChatGPT and citations.
SFCC wants everyone to have access to learning and to succeed.
If you have a physical or mental health condition that affects your learning, or if you suspect you have a disability, it is important to connect with Disability Access Services (DAS).
Please contact DAS at any point in the quarter as soon as you recognize the need. Accommodations will only apply moving forward, not to events that have already happened. Note that if you had an IEP or 504 Plan in the past, this information does not transfer to SFCC.
Come fill out an application and talk with a DAS specialist to see if you qualify for services. There is no cost for accommodations if you qualify, and DAS will work with you while you are getting documentation.
DAS staff help provide students reasonable accommodations that can reduce challenges caused by:
Ongoing conditions like:
Anxiety/depression
ADHD
Autism
Learning disability
Chronic health conditions
Sensory processing
Physical barriers
Temporary conditions like:
Broken arm
Surgery
Concussion
Pregnancy-related reasonable modifications:
Please contact the SFCC Title IX Coordinator first. The Title IX Coordinator will refer you to DAS for modification planning. DAS works with the Title IX Coordinator to provide pregnancy-related accommodations.
SFCC Title IX Coordinator
Falls Gateway Building (Bldg. 30), Room 225
3410 W. Whistalks Way, MS 3010
Spokane WA 99224-5288
Phone: (509) 533-3514
Email: VPSA@sfcc.spokane.edu
Already working with DAS?
Remember, you must manage your accommodations with DAS each quarter. Why? Using accommodations is your decision. DAS does not decide which new instructors and courses need to receive an accommodation notice. You do!
Make sure to talk to your instructor early in the quarter about using your accommodations.
For questions/to set up an appointment
Disability Access Services (DAS) Office
Falls Gateway Building (Bldg. 30), Room 104
Phone: 509-533-4166 Email: SFCC.DAS@sfcc.spokane.edu
It is critical to practice self-care and self-compassion and to be considerate of your mental health and wellbeing, especially in college where the demands of higher education can make it difficult to strike a healthy work-life balance and there is a higher risk for the development or worsening of mental health conditions. I will understand if you need to take a mental health day and encourage you to communicate with me so that I can support you and try to accommodate your situation, as well as to help you find resources if you need them. If you need access to mental health services, I encourage you to visit the SFCC Counseling Center website, where you can request an appointment with counseling staff, find a list of community resources, and access video workshops, including those on how to manage stress, strategies for test taking, and tips on time management. You can contact the Counseling Center directly by email at sfcc.counseling@sfcc.spokane.edu, phone at (509) 533-3525, or in person on the 2nd floor of Building 30. If you are too overwhelmed or uncomfortable to reach out to the Counseling Center yourself, I am happy to guide you through the process and to connect you to to the right people. Additional mental health and self-care resources can be found on Canvas under the “Campus and Community Resources” module.
Students with dependents should not face additional barriers to education. I am committed to holistic support for students with dependents, including parents, guardians, and in loco parentis (someone who performs the functions and responsibilities of a parent, like a grandparent or babysitter), as well as caretakers of adult dependents. Under Washington Administrative Code WAC 132Q-10-130 for the Community Colleges of Spokane, bringing any person, including a child, to a teaching environment requires approval from a faculty member or other authorized official. In an effort to support an inclusive and productive learning community and to ensure that students with dependents have equal access to education, you have my permission to bring your dependent to class as detailed below*. Please note that these policies reflect my own beliefs and commitments to students with dependents, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Community Colleges of Spokane or apply to other classes.
Parents who are breastfeeding are welcome to bring their babies to class as often as is needed or desired to support the breastfeeding relationship. I will honor the right of a lactating student to breastfeed in class or to take a break from class to breastfeed or express milk, and I ask students to be respectful of these practices.
I understand that children often get sick and that childcare plans may occasionally fall through. I will understand when these unforeseen circumstances prevent you from coming to class or submitting an assignment by the suggested due date, and I encourage you to communicate with me so that I can support you and ensure that you are able to catch up on missed classes and activities.
While not meant to be a long-term solution to childcare or adult caregiving, you have my permission to occasionally bring a child or adult that you care for to class to cover unexpected gaps in care. I ask that students who bring a child to class sit close to the door so that you can leave if your child needs special attention or is disrupting learning for other students.
I ask that all students help to create a welcoming environment that is respectful of all forms of diversity, including diversity in parenting and caregiving status.
Please remember that Title IX is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex or gender—including pregnancy and parental status—in educational programs and activities. If you have concerns about discrimination due to pregnancy or your parental status (past, present, or future) at SFCC, please reach out to me and/or the SFCC Title IX Coordinator:
SFCC Title IX Coordinator
Falls Gateway Building (Bldg. 30), Room 225
3410 W. Whistalks Way, MS 3010
Spokane WA 99224-5288
Phone: (509) 533-3514
Email: VPSA@sfcc.spokane.edu
*Adapted from the Center for Teaching, Learning & Technology at Cal Poly and Dr. Melissa Cheyney from Oregon State University.
Childcare Resources for Students
The SFCC Early Learning Center is an accredited center that offers high-quality, affordable childcare to the children of SFCC students who qualify for Head Start or the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP). Please see the SFCC Early Learning Center website for a list of the services that they offer and instructions on how to enroll. The Early Learning Center is located on the SFCC campus in Building 29 and can be reached at 509-533-3624.
Restrooms with changing tables are available on the SFCC campus in Buildings 2, 7, 15, 17, and 30. A breastfeeding room is available in Building 17, room 120 (women's, not ADA accessible). A complete list of bathrooms with changing tables, showers, and a breastfeeding room can be found in the SFCC Community and Campus Resource Directory 2024, where you can also find information on childcare resources in the Spokane community, including Vanessa Behan, the St. Anne's Children & Family Center, and WIC (Women, Infants, & Children Nutrition Program).
Skitch's Food Pantry at SFCC provides food and basic needs resources for caregivers, including diapers. The food pantry is available to all students who are currently enrolled at SFCC and may be used up to three times per quarter. The pantry is located in SFCC Building 17, room 107A. You may reach the pantry at 509-533-4198. Online orders can be placed through the Skitch's Food Pantry Online Ordering Form.
Pregnancy-related reasonable modifications can be arranged through Disability Access Services in collaboration with the Title IX Coordinator. Please contact the SFCC Title IX Coordinator first. The coordinator will work with the DAS to provide pregnancy-related accommodations.
I stand in solidarity with and support SFCC’s Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). I commit to anti-racism as a core value that informs my teaching practices, curriculum, and my identity as an educator. I invite you to hold me accountable to this commitment. If you notice aspects of this class’s instruction or design that bar you from feeling included or from achieving your goals, please contact me so that I can fix it. I say this not to place the responsibility of my learning on you but to hold me accountable to actionable change towards inclusion.
As I aim to lead with racial equity, I recognize that anti-racist work is a process; it is a life-long journey of unlearning anti-blackness and white supremacy. This process involves recognizing and dismantling prejudice, bigotry, and biases to ensure that the dignity and value of every individual is honored.
Some of the specific strategies that I use in this class to reduce barriers to learning and promote equity and inclusion include TILTed assignment instructions (TILT = Transparency in learning and Teaching), implementing curriculum that decenters white supremacy and lifts BIPOC voices, applying decolonizing pedagogy, and implementing strategies that I have learned through Safe Campus Advocates training at SFCC.
SFCC recognizes that our work as a community must include re-envisioning and redesigning educational systems with an intentional focus on equity and inclusion. For a list of resources on racial equality, please visit the Center for Inclusion and Diversity's Resources towards Racial Equality.
You have a right to be free from all forms of sexual and gender-based discrimination and misconduct, examples of which can include acts of sexual violence, sexual harassment, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, discrimination against sexual orientation, intentional misgendering, and having limited access to an all-gender restroom. As a Community Colleges of Spokane (CCS) employee, I am a mandatory reporter and will advocate for your safety, wellbeing, and best interests. I will seek to keep the information that you share private and report incidences of harassment, discrimination, misconduct, and violence to the Title IX Coordinator at SFCC, Patrick McEachern. To report an incident directly to the Title IX Coordinator, please call (509) 533–3514 or email vpsa@sfcc.spokane.edu.
You have a right to file a harassment/discrimination complaint according to CCS’s Sexual Misconduct Procedure, request a criminal investigation with law enforcement, and receive support and reasonable protective measures to help you continue to learn at CCS, along with other related rights. For a complete list of these rights, and for student resources and contacts for sexual assault and relationship violence, please see Sexual Assault and Relationship Violence Student Resources.
All-gender restrooms are available across the SFCC campus in Buildings 2, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 16, 17, 24, 27, 28, 29, and 30. When you are on campus in sn-w'ey'-mn (Building 24), where our classroom is located, the all-gender restrooms are located in rooms 234 and 334. For a complete list of all-gender restrooms on the SFCC campus, please see the SFCC Community and Campus Resource Directory 2024.
Community Colleges of Spokane will grant reasonable accommodation so that grades are not impacted for students who are absent for reasons of faith or conscience, or for an organized activity conducted under the auspices of a religious denomination, church, or religious organization. Such absences must be requested in writing on the Class Absence Request form within two weeks of course start. There are no additional fees associated with this request. For more information, please see the SFCC Faith & Conscience Absence Policy.
Your safety and well-being are of upmost important to me, and I highly encourage you to contact me if at any point you feel unsafe or uncomfortable in the classroom. Non-emergency campus safety/security assistance can be reached at (509) 533–3555. For an on-campus security escort, please call (509) 533–3333. If at any point you need emergency assistance, please call 911 first, then call (509) 533–3333.
SFCC is committed to the health and safety of students, faculty and staff and to maintaining a safe environment that complies with health and safety regulations. We respect the choice of individuals who choose to wear a mask. If you experience symptoms of COVID-19 or another contagious illness, please communicate with your instructor and take precautions, including testing when you feel sick or have been exposed, staying home when appropriate, and getting treatment as needed. It is no longer required to report student cases of COVID-19, but we ask that you follow CDC guidelines: 1) Stay at home and away from others until at least 24 hours after both your symptoms are getting better overall and you have not had a fever (and are not using fever-reducing medication). 2) Once you resume normal activities, you are encouraged to take additional prevention strategies for the next 5 days to curb disease spread, which may include wearing a well-fitting mask, keeping a distance from others, and enhancing hygiene practices.