Course Syllabus Policies

Credit Hour Definition and Assignment

Federal Credit Hour 34CFR 600.2 (11/1/2010): An instructional credit hour is an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally-established equivalency that reasonably approximates not less than:

1.1. One (1) hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two (2) hours of out-of-class student work each week for approximately fifteen (15) weeks for one (1) semester or trimester hour of credit, or ten (10) to twelve (12) weeks for one quarter (1/4) hour of credit, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or

1.2. At least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1) of this definition for other activities as established by an institution, including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading toward the award of credit hours.

Academic Honesty Policy

Students are expected to uphold the highest standards of academic honesty. Violations of 91�� State College regarding Academic Honesty or the Nebraska State College System (NSCS) will not be tolerated. Students violating such standards will be disciplined. Students are encouraged to seek guidance from their faculty members, reference librarians, or writing tutors on proper citation practices to prevent academic dishonesty.

Levels of Academic Honesty Violations:

Level 1: A level 1 violation is seen as a minor infraction of the academic honesty policy. This level of violation is typically attributed to inexperience and a lack of intent to cheat. Examples of violations when seen as a first offense may include:
- Failing to cite a small portion of a major assignment.
- Unauthorized use of AI on a minor portion of a major assignment.
- Unauthorized sharing of course materials.
- Prohibited collaboration on a homework assignment.
- Citing a source that does not exist on a minor assignment.
- Signing in for another student when attendance is taken.
Level 2: A level 2 violation is a more serious violation of the academic honesty policy; a repeat offense of level 1 violations may fall into this category. Level 2 violations have more planning or have more malicious intent than level 1 violations. Examples of level 2 violations may include:
- Substantial plagiarism on a major assignment.
- Unauthorized use of AI on a significant portion of a major assignment.
- Copying, using unauthorized tools or collaborating on a major exam.
- Assisting another student in violating the academic honesty policy on a major exam or assignment.
- Distribution of course materials for financial gain.
- Falsifying data to support one’s claims or conclusions or omitting data that does not support one’s claims or conclusions.
Level 3: A level 3 violation is the most serious violation level. Level 3 violations are considered significant breaches of the academic honesty policy, breaches of professional codes of conduct, or repeated violations of level 1 and/or 2 violations. Examples of level 3 violations may include:
- Significant plagiarism, falsification, or unauthorized use of AI on thesis, capstone, internship, clinical rotation, or a significant culminating activity for a degree program.
- Coordinating an organized cheating scheme.

Consequences of violations of these standards will result in:
All violations, regardless of level, will be referred to the school dean. The dean may elevate the level of offense if the student has been referred for repeat violations.

Level 1 - a reduced grade up to failure on the assignment/lab/exam and assigned plagiarism education (if applicable). A subsequent offense will be classified as a first offense until the instructor notifies the student and provides education to the student to help the student avoid future violations. Failure to respond to the faculty or comply with remediation is not grounds to delay referral for a second offense. A student may appeal a level 1 violation to the school dean. The appeal must be received within seven (7) business days of the faculty member’s notification of the violation. The dean’s decision is final.
Level 2 - failure on the assignment up to failure of the course where the violation occurred. The faculty member or dean may refer the student to an educational resource or tutor if the assistance is directly tied to the violation. Refusal to respond and/or participate as directed may result in enhanced consequences assigned by the instructor and dean. The decision to assign an F for the course will be made in consultation with the dean. A student may appeal a level 2 violation to the Vice President of Academic Affairs (VPAA). The appeal must be received within seven (7) business days of the faculty member’s notification of the violation. The decision of the VPAA is final.
Level 3 - failure of the course up to expulsion from the college and the inability to enroll at any of the Nebraska State College System colleges. Expulsion from the college will be reflected on the student’s transcript. Level 3 violations will be heard by a faculty panel, arranged by the dean. The dean will notify the student of the violation and will give the student an opportunity to provide a statement to the panel. The panel will make a recommendation to the dean. A student may appeal a level 3 violation to the VPAA. The appeal must be received within seven (7) business days of the dean’s notification of the hearing outcome. The decision of the VPAA is final.

*The dean has the discretion to assign a different level at any time based on the circumstances of the violation.

**The dean in consultation with the VPAA reserves the right to review previous course work and in consultation with the faculty member, adjust grades as deemed appropriate.

Examples of a violation of academic dishonesty:

Cheating: Intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any academic exercise.
• Copying from another student's exam, assignment, or paper.
• Using materials or devices during an exam that were not authorized by the instructor.
• Possessing an unauthorized copy of an exam or assignment.
• Taking an exam for another student.
• Taking all or part of the work prepared by someone else and submitting it as one’s own.
Fabrication: Intentional and unauthorized falsification or invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise.
• Making up false information.
• Purposefully misstating information on sources in an assignment or research project.
• Making changes to a graded exam or assignment and then representing that the changes were part of the original exam or assignment.
• Falsifying documents for academic gain (for example; excused absences, not participating in group work, assignment extension requests.)
Facilitating Academic Dishonesty: Intentionally or knowingly helping or attempting to help another in an act of academic dishonesty.
Generative AI: The use of artificial intelligence platforms and/or content produced by AI assistive software (for example; ChatGPT, Dall-E 2, Copilot, etc.) against course use parameters.
• AI use may be detected via Turnitin, faculty research, or other AI detection tools. Detection methods are evolving, and students are responsible for adhering to their instructor’s AI use guidelines for each course.
Plagiarism: Appropriating or imitating the language, ideas, and thoughts of another author, representing them as one’s own original work. The following acts are examples of plagiarism:
• Submitting an assignment that someone else has written and claiming the work as one's own.
• Submitting an assignment that contains sections, paragraphs, sentences, or key phrases that someone else has written without appropriately documenting the source(s) for each portion of the assignment not written by the student submitting the assignment.
• Submitting an assignment that contains paraphrased ideas from another source, published or unpublished, without appropriately documenting the source for each paraphrase. (Changing around a few words in a sentence from the source is not sufficient to avoid plagiarism).

Note: “Someone else” in the statements above may refer to a published author, another student, an internet source, or any person other than the student claiming credit for the assignment. If an individual is unsure in how to document sources used within an assignment, they are encouraged to ask their professor or the reference librarian for assistance.

Note: Repeated violations that do not end in expulsion from the college during a student’s undergraduate program will not carry over if they enroll in a graduate program. If a student is expelled from the college, they will be unable to reenroll in any program, undergraduate or graduate. Any allegation of academic dishonesty in their graduate program will be considered independently.

Class Attendance/Participation Policy

91�� State College recognizes the importance of attending class meetings, completing assignments, and participating in other means of instruction as determined by the course instructor.

Responsibility for notifying faculty of absences, and for arranging potential make-up assignments, rests with the student. In the event of a personal emergency, please refer to the “Extended Absence/Nonparticipation Policy” below.

During the second week of the semester or session, the College initiates a no-show reporting process which is a vital collaboration of supporting student registration, academics, and financial aid. This process ensures accurate course rosters and fulfills federal requirements for confirming participation before disbursing financial aid. Students will be notified via their EagleMail of any courses in which they are reported as no-shows (not participating).

Participation is required for a student to be considered "in attendance." The terms “attendance” and “participation” are used interchangeably in the no-show reporting process.

Participation is:

Physically attending a face-to-face class or lab
Submitting an assignment, quiz, forum, or other form of instruction, etc.

Participation is not:

Emailing, calling, or going to the instructor's office to say they plan to participate
Logging into the course only, without completing the assignment

If a student is reported as not participating in any or all courses by the end of the second week, the course(s) will be dropped from their schedule and, if applicable, financial aid may be adjusted accordingly.

Personal Emergency & Academic Attendance/Participation

In the event that a personal emergency (such as hospitalization, accident, death of an immediate family member, family crisis, or mental health crisis) requires an absence from courses or causes the inability to participate in class, students must contact the instructor as soon as possible. Instructors may request documentation to validate such absences.

For personal emergencies that may cause the student not to be able to participate in the course for three (or more) consecutive days, students may complete the Personal Emergency Notification Form to contact the Dean of Student Affairs for assistance. In the event the student is unable to complete the above form themselves, family, friends, or care providers may submit the Personal Emergency Notification — External Form to contact the Dean of Student Affairs on behalf of the student.

Submitting a personal emergency notification to the Dean of Student Affairs does not substitute for the student’s responsibility for contacting all instructors as soon as possible, nor does it automatically provide an “excused absence” from any courses. The authority to excuse absences rests solely with each course instructor.

If the extended absence pertains to your Military Service or Jury Duty, please complete the appropriate form above and see regarding refunds. Vacations, weddings, or pre-arranged trips do not constitute a personal emergency, and no form should be submitted to the Dean of Student Affairs in such cases.

In the event of extended nonparticipation of two or more weeks, the student must contact each instructor again. If the personal emergency is medical in nature, the student (or designee) should submit appropriate documentation to the Disability Services Coordinator (and athletic training staff, if applicable). The instructor may discuss with the student the viability of remaining enrolled in the course.

If the extended absence happens to be near the end of the instructional term, students may discuss with each instructor the possibility of requesting an . This option is best suited to students who have already completed a minimum of 75% of the required coursework at the time of the request. If the instructor agrees, the student and the instructor will create a reasonable timeline for the remaining coursework to be completed. Nonparticipation during Final Exam week is handled at the discretion of the individual course instructor, and, with rare exception, generally is not allowed to be made up.

It is not the practice of 91�� State College to accommodate student requests to complete coursework at a later date or in a different format (i.e., online if the course is being taught face-to-face) outside of the Incomplete grade process.

Civility and Netiquette

Civil behavior enhances the learning environment and is expected at all times. The academic environment welcomes a difference of opinion, discourse, and debate within a civil environment. All members of the class are expected to follow rules of common courtesy in all communications (including email messages, discussion, and chats). You may find these guidelines helpful:

Clearly label posts and emails with a relevant subject heading.
Use capital letters sparingly. THEY LOOK LIKE SHOUTING.
Forward emails only with a writer's permission.
Be considerate of others' feelings and use language carefully.
Cite all quotations, references, and sources.
Use humor carefully. It is hard to "read" tone; sometimes humor can be misread as criticism or personal attack. Feel free to use emoticons to let others know you are being humorous.
Use complete sentences and Standard English grammar to compose posts. Write in proper paragraphs. Review work before submitting it.

Blended (Hybrid) Course Materials and Recordings

Courses offered in the Blended or Hybrid modality may include video and audio recordings of in-class lectures and classroom activities. These recordings will be used for educational use only, and the instructor will make these available to students currently enrolled in this course. Students are not allowed to share these recordings or any course content or materials without instructor permission. The instructor will receive and document permission from any student whose image or voice is in these recordings before sharing the recordings with other sections or classes.

Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA)

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records and prohibits schools from releasing student education records without the consent of eligible students. For more information on FERPA, please visit the FERPA page.

Equal Education Opportunity/Nondiscrimination Policy

91�� is an equal opportunity institution and prohibits unlawful discrimination or harassment. The College has designated individuals to coordinate the College’s nondiscrimination efforts to comply with regulations implementing Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. 

To make a report of discrimination or harassment, including sexual harassment, contact the 91�� Title IX Coordinator at (308) 207-5072 or titleixcoordinator@csc.edu.

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