Class Attendance
Your presence and participation in class contributes to the knowledge and skills that you will develop throughout this course. I expect that you attend class regularly, participate in class conversations and learning activities. These types of activities provide active engagement, promote a deeper understanding of the course content, and contribute to your success in this course.
Academic Support
All undergraduate students face new learning and writing challenges as they progress through university: essays and reports become more complex; effectively incorporating research into writing becomes more important; the types of assignments become more diverse; managing your time and developing the skills you need to read and think critically gets more challenging. I encourage students to contact Student Academic Success Services (SASS). SASS offers many different ways to receive support:
- Free online or in-person appointments to get personalized support on writing and academic skills from expert staff and trained peers.
- Workshops and drop-in programs. SASS' Events Calendar lists events coming soon.
- Online resources that provide strategies for academic skills and writing development at university.
- If English is not your first language, SASS has specific resources for English as Additional Language students, including weekly programs and EAL academic skills appointments. You can meet on an ongoing basis with an EAL consultant to work on your academic writing, speaking, listening, and reading skills.
Accommodations for Disabilities
Queen's University is committed to working with students with disabilities to remove barriers to their academic goals. Queen's Student Accessibility Services (QSAS), students with disabilities, instructors, and faculty staff work together to provide and implement academic accommodations designed to allow students with disabilities equitable access to all course material (including in-class as well as exams). If you are a student currently experiencing barriers to your academics due to disability related reasons, and you would like to understand whether academic accommodations could support the removal of those barriers, please visit the QSAS website to learn more about academic accommodations or start the registration process with QSAS by clicking the Access Ventus button on the Ventus page of the QSAS website.
VENTUS is an online portal that connects students, instructors, Queen's Student Accessibility Services, the Exam's Office and other support services in the process to request, assess, and implement academic accommodations.
To learn more, please see the Visual Guide to Ventus for Students.
Academic Consideration for Students in Extenuating Circumstances
Academic Consideration is a process for the University community to provide a compassionate response to assist students experiencing unforeseen, short-term extenuating circumstances that may impact or impede a student's ability to complete their academics. This may include but is not limited to,
- Short term Physical or Mental Illness or Injury (stomach flu, anxiety/depression, mononucleosis, concussion, broken bones, surgery, medical treatments, etc.)
- Traumatic Event/Confidential (Bereavement, serious injury, illness or required treatment for a significant other/family member or a traumatic event such as divorce, sexual assault, social injustice, etc.)
- Requirements by Law or Public Health Authorities (court dates, jury duty, requirements to isolate, etc.)
- Significant Event (varsity athletic event, distinguished event, serving in the Reserve Forces, etc.)
Queen's University is committed to providing academic consideration to students experiencing extenuating circumstances. For more information, please see the Senate Policy on Academic Consideration for Students in Extenuating Circumstances.
Each Faculty has developed a protocol to provide a consistent and equitable approach in dealing with requests for academic consideration for students facing extenuating circumstances. For more information, undergraduate students in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences should consult the Faculty's webpage on Academic Consideration in Extenuating Circumstances and submit a request via the Academic Consideration Request Portal. Students in other Faculties and Schools who are enrolled in this course should refer to the protocol for their home Faculty.
Students are encouraged to submit requests as soon as the need becomes apparent and to contact their instructor and/or course coordinator as soon as possible once academic consideration has been granted. Any delay in contact may limit the options available for academic consideration.
For more information on the Academic Consideration process, what is and is not an extenuating circumstance, and to submit an Academic Consideration request, please see the Faculty of Arts and Science's Academic Consideration website. ASO courses include links to information on Academic Consideration on your Course Homepage in onQ.
Please see the Teaching Team page for contact information for your instructor and TA(s), where relevant.
Queen's Policy Statement on Academic Integrity
Queen's University is dedicated to creating a scholarly community free to explore a range of ideas, to build and advance knowledge, and to share the ideas and knowledge that emerge from a range of intellectual pursuits. Queen's students, faculty, administrators and staff therefore all have responsibilities for supporting and upholding the fundamental values of academic integrity. Academic integrity is constituted by the five core fundamental values of honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility and by the quality of courage. These values and qualities are central to the building, nurturing and sustaining of an academic community in which all members of the community will thrive. Adherence to the values expressed through academic integrity forms a foundation for the "freedom of inquiry and exchange of ideas" essential to the intellectual life of the University.
The following statements from “The Fundamental Values of Academic Integrity” (2nd edition), developed by the International Center for Academic Integrity (ICAI), contextualize these values and qualities:
- Honesty - Academic communities of integrity advance the quest for truth and knowledge through intellectual and personal honesty in learning, teaching, research, and service.
- Trust - Academic communities of integrity both foster and rely upon climates of mutual trust. Climates of trust encourage and support the free exchange of ideas which in turn allows scholarly inquiry to reach its fullest potential.
- Fairness - Academic communities of integrity establish clear and transparent expectations, standards, and practices to support fairness in the interactions of students, faculty, and administrators.
- Respect - Academic communities of integrity value the interactive, cooperative, participatory nature of learning. They honor, value, and consider diverse opinions and ideas.
- Responsibility - Academic communities of integrity rest upon foundations of personal accountability coupled with the willingness of individuals and groups to lead by example, uphold mutually agreed-upon standards, and take action when they encounter wrongdoing.
- Courage - To develop and sustain communities of integrity, it takes more than simply believing in the fundamental values. Translating the values from talking points into action -- standing up for them in the face of pressure and adversity — requires determination, commitment, and courage.
Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with and adhering to the Senate regulations concerning academic integrity, along with Faculty or School specific information. Departures from academic integrity include, but are not limited to, plagiarism, use of unauthorized materials, facilitation, forgery and falsification. Actions which contravene the regulation on academic integrity carry sanctions that can range from a warning, to loss of grades on an assignment, to failure of a course, to requirement to withdraw from the university.
Possible Statements for Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools
Sample 1: Permitted with citation
Students must submit their own work and cite the work that is not theirs. Generative AI writing tools such as ChatGPT are welcome in this class, provided you cite the material that they generate. Any other use constitutes a Departure from Academic Integrity.
Sample 2: Permitted in specific assignments, with citation
Students must submit their own work and cite the work that is not theirs. Generative AI writing tools such as ChatGPT are only permissible when explicitly noted in the assignment instructions. In these cases, be sure to cite the material that they generate. Any other use constitutes a Departure from Academic Integrity.
Sample 3: Not permitted
Using generative AI writing tools such as ChatGPT in your submitted work is not permitted in this class. This type of use constitutes a Departure from Academic Integrity.
Original work, completed wholly by you, is expected to be submitted in this course. The use of an artificial intelligence tool like ChatGPT is not permitted.
Queen's Student Academic Success Services (SASS) offers a self-directed, online academic integrity module which we encourage all students to take which will help with:
- Understanding the nature of the academic integrity departure
- Understanding the expectations of and role of sources in scholarly writing
- Integrating sources into your writing (paraphrasing, quoting, summarizing)
- Understanding when and how to cite your sources
- Managing your time effectively to avoid the need for shortcuts
- Taking effective notes to ensure accuracy of source material and correct attribution
Turnitin Statement
This course makes use of Turnitin, a third-party application that helps maintain standards of excellence in academic integrity. Normally, students will be required to submit their course assignments through onQ to Turnitin. In doing so, students' work will be included as source documents in the Turnitin reference database, where they will be used solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarized text in this course. Data from submissions is also collected and analyzed by Turnitin for detecting Artificial Intelligence (AI)-generated text. These results are not reported to your instructor at this time but could be in the future.
Turnitin is a suite of tools that provide instructors with information about the authenticity of submitted work and facilitates the process of grading. The similarity report generated after an assignment file is submitted produces a similarity score for each assignment. A similarity score is the percentage of writing that is similar to content found on the internet or the Turnitin extensive database of content. Turnitin does not determine if an instance of plagiarism has occurred. Instead, it gives instructors the information they need to determine the authenticity of work as a part of a larger process.
Please read Turnitin's Privacy Policy, Acceptable Use Policy and End-User License Agreement, which govern users' relationship with Turnitin. Also, please note that Turnitin uses cookies and other tracking technologies; however, in its service contract with Queen's Turnitin has agreed that neither Turnitin nor its third-party partners will use data collected through cookies or other tracking technologies for marketing or advertising purposes.
For further information about how you can exercise control over cookies, see Turnitin's Privacy Policy.
Turnitin may provide other services that are not connected to the purpose for which Queen's University has engaged Turnitin. Your independent use of Turnitin's other services is subject solely to Turnitin's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, and Queen's University has no liability for any independent interaction you choose to have with Turnitin.
Portions of this document have been adapted, with permission, from the University of Toronto Centre for Teaching Support and Innovation tip sheet "Turnitin: An Electronic Resource to Deter Plagiarism".
Timing of Final Examinations
The exam dates for each Term are listed on the Faculty of Arts and Science webpage under Important Dates. Student exam schedules for the Fall Term are posted via SOLUS immediately prior to the Thanksgiving holiday; they are posted on the Friday before Reading Week for the Winter Term and for the summer term, they are individually noted on the Arts and Science Online syllabi. Students should delay finalizing any travel plans until after the examination schedule has been posted. Exams will not be moved or deferred to accommodate employment, travel/holiday plans or flight reservations.
Copyright of Course Materials
Unless otherwise stated, material on a course website or OnQ site is copyrighted and is for the sole use of students registered in that course in the term it is offered. These materials may be downloaded for a registered student's personal use but shall not be distributed or disseminated to anyone other than students registered in the specific course.
Important University Dates
Key dates (first day of class, tuition due date, last day to add/drop courses) are important to your academic success. Please find them at Important Dates.
Netiquette Statement
University is a place to share, question, and challenge ideas. Each student brings a different set of lived experiences. You can help to create a safe, respectful place for your fellow students and others by following these guidelines:
- Make a personal commitment to learn about, understand, and support your peers.
- Assume the best of others and expect the best of them.
- Acknowledge the impact of oppression on other people's lives and make sure your writing is respectful and inclusive.
- Recognize and value the experiences, abilities, and knowledge each person brings.
- Pay close attention to what your peers write before you respond. Think through and re-read your writings before you post or send them to others.
- It's alright to disagree with ideas, but do not make personal attacks.
- Be open to being challenged or confronted on your ideas and challenge others with the intent of facilitating growth. Do not demean or embarrass others.
- Encourage others to develop and share their ideas.
Students Studying or Travelling Abroad
We strongly recommend that you confirm Internet availability in your host country before departure if you plan to travel. In the past, students in other countries have been blocked from accessing certain websites relevant to their courses and onQ. It is the responsibility of all students to book travel around course work, as we cannot change the format or timing on assessments or assignments as a result of travel plans.