Course Outline / Syllabus

Academic departments keep course outlines for all courses offered by the departments. Course outlines for both undergraduate and graduate courses are reviewed and updated regularly using the university curriculum format; course outlines are maintained on file by the department chair. Date of revision should appear on the first page of each outline.

Suggested Syllabus Statements

Email
Per the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), all course communication will be conducted using D2L email. Faculty will not respond to student emails via a non-institutional assigned email account, e.g., a gmail or yahoo account.

Students with Disabilities
Middle Tennessee State University is committed to campus access in accordance with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Any student interested in reasonable accommodations can consult the Disability & Access Center (DAC) website and/or contact the DAC for assistance at 615-898-2783 or dacemail@mtsu.edu.

Hope (Lottery) Scholarship Information
Do you have a lottery scholarship? To retain the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship eligibility, you must earn a cumulative TELS GPA of 2.75 after 24 and 48 attempted hours and a cumulative TELS GPA of 3.0 thereafter. A grade of C, D, F, FA, or I in this class may negatively impact TELS eligibility. 

If you drop this class, withdraw, or stop attending this class, you may lose eligibility for your lottery scholarship, and you may not be able to regain eligibility.

For additional Lottery rules, please refer to your Lottery Statement of Understanding form or contact your MT One Stop Enrollment Counselor.

Grade Appeals
University Policy 313, Student Grade Appeals, provides an avenue for MTSU students to appeal a final course grade in cases in which the student alleges that unethical or unprofessional actions by the instructor and/or grading inequities improperly impacted the final grade.

Title IX
Students who believe they have been harassed, discriminated against or been the victim of sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence or stalking should contact a Title IX/Deputy Coordinator at 615-898- 2185 or 615-898-2750 for assistance or review MTSU’s Title IX website for resources.  MTSU faculty are concerned about the well-being and development of our students and are legally obligated to share reports of sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence and stalking with the University’s Title IX coordinator to help ensure student’s safety and welfare. Please refer to MTSU’s Title IX website for contact information and details.

Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a hallmark of Middle Tennessee State University. We expect students to complete academic exercises, i.e., assignments turned in for credit that are original and appropriately credit all sources used.
Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  1. Plagiarism. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, the adoption or reproduction of ideas, words, statements, images, or works of another person as one's own without proper attribution. This includes self-plagiarism, which occurs when an author submits material or research from a previous academic exercise to satisfy the requirements of another academic exercise and uses it without proper citation of its reuse. The unauthorized use of paraphrasing tools or “text spinners” and artificial intelligence software can also be considered plagiarism.
  2. Cheating. Cheating includes, but is not limited to, using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or aids in any academic exercise or test/examination. Cheating also includes unapproved collaboration, which occurs when a student works with others on an individual academic exercise without the express permission of the faculty member. Working with others can include but is not limited to sharing of any physical or electronic papers, exams/quizzes, assignments, posting to an unauthorized website.
  3. Fabrication. Fabrication includes, but is not limited to, unauthorized falsification or invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise.

Going online and using information without proper citation, copying parts of other students’ work, creating information to establish credibility, or using someone else’s thoughts or ideas without appropriate acknowledgment is academic misconduct. If you have a question about an assignment, please ask for clarification. All cases of academic misconduct will be reported to the Director of Academic Integrity and may result in failure on the test/assignment or for the course. When students participate in behavior that is considered to be academic misconduct, the value of their education and that of their classmates is reduced, and their academic careers are jeopardized.

Taking a test/quiz ONLINE is just like taking a test/quiz in a classroom. Unless you have the approval of your professor:
• You may not use your textbooks
• You may not use class notes
• You may not use additional websites
• You may not ask anyone for help
Using any knowledge resources without the explicit approval of your professor may be considered a violation of the Academic Integrity policy. 

Campus Tutoring (In-Person & Remote)
Tutoring is available in over 200 courses in subjects such as biology, history, computer information systems, physics, math, economics, recording industry, study skills/learning strategies, and many more.

Emergencies in the Classroom
Faculty and students who do not follow University policies and instructions during emergencies and emergency drills are individually liable.
Emergency plans and instructions
A list of safest places for each building during a tornado can be found at the MTSU Alert4U Tornado information page. University instructions during emergencies are sent via email, phone calls, and text messages. University websites will also be updated with the latest information. You are encouraged to plan ahead for emergencies.

Mental Health
As a college student, you may experience a range of challenges and issues that can interfere with your physical and mental well-being, hinder your academic experience, and negatively impact your daily life. Some of these experiences may include overwhelming depression/sadness, anxiety, high levels of stress, use of alcohol/drugs, difficulty sleeping, difficulty concentrating, and/or loss of motivation. These challenges and issues can lead to thoughts of self-harm and suicide. If you or any of your classmates are experiencing these issues, it is important to reach out and ask for help. Discuss your situation with a friend, a family member, your instructor, or an academic advisor. Remember: Everyone struggles. It's okay to talk about it. Ask for help. YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

Outreach and Support Programs
The MTSU community is committed to the academic achievement of each student, and we know that struggling to address basic needs can affect a student’s ability to perform academically. If you are having trouble finding a safe and stable place to live or enough food to eat, please contact Melanie Crowder, 615-898-2808 / Melanie.Crowder@mtsu.edu ), come by the MTSU Food Pantry at the MT One Stop, or speak with your instructor to get the assistance and resources you need. 

Are You Registered to Vote? 
Please check your registration, register for the first time, or re-register at your new address at mtsu.edu/vote.

Guests in the Classroom
Students may not bring guests or children to the class without prior approval from the faculty/instructor.