Updated: December 15, 2023
This resource is intended for students and for faculty to reference from their syllabi. See also: Flexible Learning and Stay Connected in consideration of instructional technology use.
Academic Honesty
Integrity
Integrity applies to all of the principles, values and behaviors that contribute to good character, including honesty, fairness, respect, courage and responsibility. All members of the Western community have the right to be treated fairly, and to have support and representation if accused of violating university policies related to integrity. They also have the responsibility to exhibit honest behavior, and to encourage others to do the same. If a student is suspected of dishonest behavior or violations of the Ensuring Academic Honesty policy, the instructor must address the issue with the student by use of the official university procedures. Not only does this ensure continuity in dealing with such issues, but provides students formal opportunity for representation and appeal. Note that these incidents do not appear in a student’s academic record. See About Integrity at Western for information and Ensuring Academic Honesty for policy, procedures and details.
Academic Honesty
All Western Washington University students have an obligation to fulfill their responsibilities as members of an academic community. Academic integrity is demanded; moreover, violations of the academic honesty policy at Western are serious infractions dealt with severely. No student shall claim as his or her own the achievements, work, or arguments of others, nor shall he or she be a party to such claims. It is the instructor’s responsibility to confront a student and to take appropriate action if such academic dishonesty has occurred. See Appendix D: Academic Honesty Policy & Procedure of the catalog for examples, procedures, and methods of appeal and Academic Honesty Resources for Students for appeal rules and timeline.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is presenting as one’s own–in whole or in part–the argument, language, creations, conclusions, or scientific data of another (without explicit acknowledgment) or that is the result of using an artificial intelligence (AI) platform. Note that the use of generative AI is prohibited in course work, except where faculty have specifically authorized its use (see Pathways for Academic Uses of AI at WWU: Flowchart). See the Library’s Plagiarism Policies & Guidelines for examples and citation guides. See Appendix D: Academic Honesty Policy & Procedure of the catalog for examples, procedures, and methods of appeal and Academic Honesty Resources for Students for appeal rules and timeline.
Accommodations
Disability Access Center
“I am committed to fostering inclusion and access. Every course, including this one, is intended for all WWU students, regardless of their disability status. Students with apparent and/ or non-apparent disabilities will be provided equitable access to educational experiences and opportunities. If, at any point in the quarter, you find yourself unable to fully access the space, content, and/ or experience of this course, please contact the Disability Access Center (DAC) to discuss potential accommodations. Though a limited number of accommodations require time to implement, disability can be acquired at any point and therefore accommodations can be granted and implemented at any point during a student’s academic career.
If you already have disability-related accommodations approved by the DAC, you must send your Faculty Notification Letter through the myDAC portal. Reach out to me or the DAC as appropriate to discuss implementation of approved accommodations. Faculty and staff partner with the DAC in the implementation of accommodations.
If you are unsure whether disability-related accommodations are appropriate for you, contact the DAC for more information, temporary assistance, or connections to other resources. Information is available at https://disability.wwu.edu, 360-650-3083, or DRSFrontDesk@wwu.edu.”
Religious Accommodation
- Overview: Western provides reasonable accommodation for students to take holidays for reasons of faith or conscience or for organized activities conducted under the auspices of a religious denomination, church, or religious organization. Accommodation is available to students who expect to be absent or endure a significant hardship due to religious observance during certain days of the course of the program. An example of significant hardship would be challenges resulting from fasting for religious reasons.
- Process for Students: Students seeking such accommodation must provide written notice to their faculty within the first two weeks of the course, or at least 3 weeks prior to when the accommodation is needed, citing the specific dates for which they will need accommodation.
- Process for Faculty: If the exact date of a religious observance is variable, (for instance, pending official sighting of the moon), faculty will work with the student to include options to provide accommodation one day before or after the expected date. “Reasonable accommodation” means that faculty will coordinate with the student on scheduling examinations or other activities necessary for completion of the course or program so that class activities do not conflict with the student’s participation in the religious observance. Alternate times offered must extend at least 24 hours before or after the scheduled activity to provide reasonable accommodation. In the event that course activities cannot be rescheduled, such as certain laboratory activities, faculty will provide an alternative method for the student to learn the missed content. Absences as part of religious accommodation will not count against any attendance requirements for the course.
- Help: The testing center is available to administer exams for these accommodations. Additional information about this accommodation can be found in SB 5166: Providing religious accommodations for postsecondary students.
COVID-19 Information for Students
For COVID-19 Information and the latest guidance, please visit: https://www.wwu.edu/coronavirus.
Responsible Computing User Agreement
Students have a responsibility to understand and abide by the Responsible Computing User Agreement. Prohibited computing activities include but are not limited to: sharing your account password, falsifying an identity, and circumventing security protocols.
All computing accounts are now protected with multi-factor authentication. Students are responsible for keeping a second log-in factor up-to-date in order to retain computing access. See: Multifactor Authentication (MFA) for WWU Universal Accounts.
Equity, Equal Opportunity & Civil Rights
- Your Title IX and Civil Rights and How to Protect Them
Instructors at Western are committed to an environment free of discrimination and harassment. The laws, as well as Western’s equal opportunity and sexual misconduct policies, protect everyone against discrimination based on: Race, Color, Creed, Religion, National Origin, Sex (including pregnancy and parenting status), Disability, Age, Veteran Status, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, Marital Status, or Genetic Information. For more information, contact the Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance (360-650-3307). If you feel the classroom climate does not reflect this commitment, you are encouraged to discuss this with your instructor. Instructors can also provide you with information about reporting options and confidential support resources. Like other Western employees (except counselors and medical staff), instructors are required to report instances of discrimination or sexual violence to the Title IX Coordinator. For confidential support, contact Survivor Advocacy Services and the Counseling & Wellness Center. To report a concern or make a complaint, see Reporting a Concern & Making a Complaint. - Gender Neutral Restrooms
A map showing the locations of gender neutral restrooms is available from the Campus Maps website. (See Campus Maps.) See also: Updating Personal Pronouns and Gender Identity and Pronoun Customization in Online Learning. - Structural Equity and Bias Response
- Structural Equity and Bias Response Team – Western’s Bias Response and Structural Equity teams work together to support people impacted by bias incidents and to examine and offer alternatives to conditions at Western that give rise to such incidents.
- Report a Bias Incident – As a student you can use this form to notify the Bias Response Team of a bias incident. It is part of this team’s role to identify and collaboratively coordinate caring, prompt, and effective responses to bias incidents for all Western students, staff, and faculty who are targeted or impacted by these incidents.
Finals (See Catalog for full details.)
- Finals Preparation Week (a.k.a. Week before Finals): In preparation for Finals Week, with some exceptions, exams are not to be administered and new graded assignments shall not be introduced beyond the 5th week of the term that would be due this week.
- Finals Week: Final examinations, given in most courses at Western during the last week of the quarter, are administered according to a Finals Schedule (exceptions for lab courses). This generally differs from the usual class meeting times. The scheduled days and hours for these examinations may not be changed. For details about what happens when a student does not take a final, see the Catalog. If students find they are scheduled to take three or more examinations in one day, any of their instructors may arrange an examination later during finals week.
Medical Excuse Policy
It is the policy of the Western Washington University Student Health Center to not provide medical excuses for short-term absences that result in missed classes, exams or assignments due to illness or injury. In certain circumstances where the illness or injury is prolonged (an absence of more than five days) and requires medical attention or hospitalization, we will work with students in providing appropriate documentation. Review the Medical Excuse Policy for details. In these situations, contact your professor or teaching assistant as soon as possible. For information about non-medical leaves of absence, or leaves of absence for COVID-related situations, please see the Office of Student Life: Leaves of Absence. For medical reasons for leaves of absence, see the Student Health Center’s Leave of Absence page.
Student Conduct Code
It is important that, as a Western student, you understand the university’s student conduct process. Review the full listing in reporting a concern & making a complaint.
Note that instructors and faculty set their own policies for attendance, participation, grading, etc., as well as for changing information on their syllabus as needed.