This course utilizes a variety of modalities (such as audio, video, and text) because people thrive and learn in different ways, but let me know if there are more ways I can support your learning. 

College of DuPage is committed to the equitable access of educational opportunities for students with disabilities in accordance with The Americans with Disabilities Act, As Amended and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Any student who feels they may need an accommodation on the basis of an illness, injury, medical condition, or disability (whether temporary or permanent) should contact the Center for Access and Accommodations to determine eligibility for accommodations and to obtain an official Letter of Accommodation. Connecting with the Center for Access and Accommodations is an important way to make sure that any student who has a need based on a disability, illness, injury, or medical condition is provided with appropriate accommodations.

The Center for Access and Accommodations can be reached via email at access@cod.edu or (630) 942-2154. Students may also initiate a request for services by going to www.cod.edu/access and clicking on the green box labeled "complete form to request accommodations." If you are already registered with the Center for Access and Accommodations, please email me your Letter of Accommodation as soon as possible. For your own privacy, please do not send any health documentation or doctor's notes to me.

Proctored Testing Required

There is one time when you have to complete a timed assignment in a monitored, proctored environment. Students living in excess of 50 miles from a COD Testing Center or encounter issues with transportation, child care, challenges with mobility, etc. from campus can contact the Testing Center to complete the assignment in a proctored, virtual setting. Please be mindful of the remote proctoring hours as they are limited. Such students must be able to show valid proof of identity and must be visible at all times through the assignment. 

Students suspected of cheating, hiring someone, or impersonating someone to complete the assignment will be subject to one or more consequences outlined in the Code of Academic Conduct.

Plagiarism and Cheating

A student who submits work which, in whole or part, has been created, generated, written, spoken, or designed by someone or something else (such as AI tools/software or bots), or which contains passages quoted or paraphrased from another’s work without acknowledgment has committed an act of plagiarism. Like all academic institutions, College of DuPage takes plagiarism very seriously.

Students who have plagiarized or cheated will be subject to various corrective or disciplinary actions, including re-doing the assignment, failing the assignment, failing the entire course, and/or possible expulsion from the college. 

For more information about violating academic integrity and its consequences at College of DuPage, please see our webpage on Academic Integrity.

AI Use Versus Abuse

I know AI (ChatGPT, CoPilot, Gemini, Claude, Grammarly, etc) may save you time on coursework, but I’m not interested in hearing from AI. I’m interested in hearing from you. My favorite thing about my job is YOU! I love learning about your original ideas, beliefs, thoughts, and interpretations. I truly enjoy reading student writing. In fact, watching students learn and grow is my greatest reward. 

In our time together, we will explore different ways in which AI is helpful and harmful. Let me steer that ship and guide you toward using AI in a responsible manner.

1. Don't use AI to generate text and pass it off as your own ideas and writing. 

2. Don't use AI to generate text and pass it off as your own ideas and writing. (a second time for those in the back!)

3. Don't use AI unless I tell you to use it. 

Consequences

If a student submits plagiarized work, including plagiarized or unapproved AI-generated work, and the student takes responsibility for it, the student can re-do the work ethically and responsibly and no further action will be taken. 

If the student submits plagiarized work and does not respond to my outreach within three days, I will report the violation to the Dean of Students where a formal investigation will take place. In this scenario, it is very likely the student will fail the course.

If the student denies submitting plagiarized work, I will report the violation to the Dean of Students where a formal investigation will take place. In this scenario, it is very likely the student will fail the course.

If the student submits plagiarized work for a second time, I will report the violation to the Dean of Students where a formal investigation will take place. In this scenario, it is possible the student will be expelled from the college due to a repetitive pattern of cheating.

Simply put, submit your own work and use AI only as directed. ☺️

FERPA

No one other than you should have access to our course materials or your peers' materials. Parents who access our course materials and view student work are in violation of federal law (FERPA). If a parent or guardian would like access to your academic records, you must complete a FERPA waiver.

Despite the strict policies in this five week course, my classes have a welcoming and supportive vibe. That said, we are still serious about learning. We will explore controversial and sensitive topics at times. Some ideas, viewpoints, and beliefs may challenge your current views or values and we should be open-minded and curious whenever possible so we can learn and grow from one another. Many of my students have developed friendships that continue after the semester is over, and I hope that becomes the case for you as well!

Our classroom community also leans heavily on respect. For example, call me Professor Salas or Professor, not Miss Salas, Ms. Salas, or Mrs. Salas. I expect you to refer to one another by preferred names and preferred pronouns. When you email me, use a friendly and professional greeting; don't write, "Hey."  

Students are expected to behave in a mature, responsible manner as discussed in the Code of Student Conduct. Repeated or serious misconduct may result in disciplinary action, which may include removal from the course.

Instructors are required to complete roster verifications to ensure students who receive financial aid are participating in the course. If you are receiving financial aid, it is critical that you attend and participate in class the first three days of the course to avoid being dropped. Roster verification is also important to identify and prevent instances of financial aid fraud. 

Similarly, midterm verification helps the state of Illinois identify students who are actively pursuing completion of the course and determine state funding for College of DuPage. Students who are withdrawn at midterm due to lack of participation do not receive a refund and may lose their financial aid. 

The last day to withdraw is FRIDAY, AUGUST 1. Incomplete grades are reserved only for unexpected emergencies; students must be in good standing (a ‘C’ or better) and have been a regular class participant for the majority of the course. Put simply, please do not let registration or performance issues sneak up on you. If you face any impediments that might affect your ability to perform in class, please contact me. 

The College will reasonably accommodate the religious observances of individual students with respect to class attendance and the scheduling of examinations and class requirements. The student should notify the instructor well in advance of any anticipated absence or a pending conflict between a scheduled class and the religious observance.

We'll use Google products in this course and some other online learning tools to complete some assignments. I'll provide lots of demos and support so you feel comfortable using these tools. This course also requires a minimum level of technological skills, i.e., typing essays on Google Docs, uploading and downloading documents, and using the Internet and COD-subscribed databases to locate and read research. I encourage you to view online tutorials when needed.

Be Present. Students need to be present throughout the week--not an hour before a deadline. Engaging in the course throughout the week leads to greater enjoyment of the course, a stronger sense of community with classmates, and better learning, resulting in a good grade.

Being present in our NET section means that you should be very responsive to your Dupage.edu email. All communication I send from Blackboard gets pushed to your email. If I reach out to you via email, I expect you to reply in a timely manner.

Be Prepared. Being prepared also means that you are carefully reading materials and assignments well in advance of their due date and reaching out if you have questions. Students who are clearly not reading assigned materials will receive a failing grade.

Be Punctual. Missing one deadline in a five week course means that hours of work still needs to be completed along with next week's assignments. Students who miss two deadlines are at great risk of failure. Students who struggle with procrastination should not be enrolled in a five week course. As I said before, I cannot accept any assignment after 24 hours.

Use a planner or calendar to spread out your work throughout the week and use the strategies found in this time management handout.