Updated: September 1, 2024
This resource is intended for students and for faculty to reference for their syllabi. See also: Flexible Learning and Stay Connected in consideration of instructional technology use.
Academic Honesty
All Western Washington University students have an obligation to fulfill their responsibilities as members of an academic community. Academic honesty is the cornerstone of an impartial and fair education system, emphasizing the importance of integrity, originality, and ethical behavior. Maintaining academic honesty is crucial as it upholds the credibility of our university as well as ensures a fair and level playing field for all students. Students who engage in academic dishonesty not only risk severe consequences such as suspension or even expulsion, but compromise their own educational journey as well. Embracing academic honesty is not just a commitment to university rules but a pledge to personal growth, authenticity, and the preservation of an honest pursuit of knowledge. 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.
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 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 appeal. Note that these incidents do not appear in a student’s academic transcript. See About Integrity at Western for information and Ensuring Academic Honesty for policy, procedures and details, and see Academic Honesty Syllabus Sample Language for more detailed expectations.
Plagiarism and AI
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 must be accessible to all students, regardless of their disability status, and 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 encounter barriers preventing you from fully accessing the space, content, and/ or experience of this course, please contact the Disability Access Center (DAC) to discuss potential accommodations. Because disability can be acquired at any time, accommodations can be granted and implemented at any point during your academic career. Please note, however, that accommodations are not retroactive, which means it is important that you reach out to DAC as soon as possible.
Once you have disability-related accommodations approved by the DAC, you must send your Faculty Notification Letter through the myDAC portal. Some accommodations require direct and regular communication with me to ensure they align with the learning objectives of the course. Please reach out to me or the DAC as appropriate to discuss the implementation of approved accommodations as soon as possible. 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 Accomodations
- 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.
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. - Accessible Restrooms
A map showing the locations of gender neutral and ADA accessible restrooms is available from the Campus Maps website. See also: Updating Personal Pronouns and Gender Identity and Pronoun Customization in Online Learning. - Sharing Personal Pronouns
- Students may indicate their pronouns via Web4U; that information is then visible to faculty on class rosters. Information about respecting pronouns and sharing pronoun information is provided by LGBTQ+ Western.
- 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.
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.
Student Conduct Code
The Office of Student Life provides help for students, faculty, staff, and family to advance Western Washington University’s educational mission by: supporting students experiencing crisis or difficult situations and coordinating resources at Western and in the community (like non-medical leaves of absence); educating students on Western’s Student Conduct Process, and assisting students in understanding and navigating the University’s policies and processes. OSL works with Basic Needs, a centralized source of assistance, connecting students with necessary support including food insecurity, housing concerns, or financial instability. OSL also works with Office of Off-Campus Living which helps students learn about the basics of renting, their rights & responsibilities as a tenant, and accessing basic needs.
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.
Contact
Jack Herring, Ph.D.
Associate Vice President of Acacemic Affairs
Office of the Provost
(360) 650-4900
Justina Brown, M.Ed., she|her
Senior Instructional Designer
Learning Systems (ATUS)
Center for Instructional Innovation & Assessment (CIIA)
Teaching & Learning Cooperative (TLC)
(360) 650-7210