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Syllabus Statements

All instructors are asked to include the following statements on their syllabi:

Instructors who are recording any part of their classes should include the following statement:

Instructors who are meeting in-person for any part of their classes should include the following statement:

Academic Integrity Statement

Include the following statement on all course syllabi.

Students in this course are required to comply with the policies found in the booklet, "Academic Integrity at Northwestern University: A Basic Guide". All papers submitted for credit in this course must be submitted electronically unless otherwise instructed by the professor. Your written work may be tested for plagiarized content. For details regarding academic integrity at Northwestern or to download the guide, visit: https://www.northwestern.edu/provost/policies-procedures/academic-integrity/index.html

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Optional statement regarding AI-generated content:

Any form of cheating, including improper use of content generated by artificial intelligence, constitutes a violation of Northwestern’s academic integrity policy. Turnitin, which is already in use at Northwestern, is expanding its system to include artificial intelligence detection.

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Accessibility Statement

Include the following statement on all course syllabi.

Northwestern University is committed to providing the most accessible learning environment as possible for students with disabilities. Should you anticipate or experience disability-related barriers in the academic setting, please contact AccessibleNU to move forward with the university’s established accommodation process (e: accessiblenu@northwestern.edu; p: 847-467-5530). If you already have established accommodations with AccessibleNU, please let me know as soon as possible, preferably within the first two weeks of the term, so we can work together to implement your disability accommodations. Disability information, including academic accommodations, is confidential under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

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COVID-19 Classroom Expectations Statement

This statement should be included on syllabi for in person or hybrid sections.

Students, faculty and staff must comply with University expectations regarding appropriate classroom behavior, including those outlined below and in the COVID-19 Expectations for Students. With respect to classroom procedures, this includes:

 

  • Policies regarding masking, social distancing and other public health measures evolve as the situation changes. Students are responsible for understanding and complying with current University, state and city requirements.
  • In some classes, masking and/or social distancing may be required as a result of an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodation for the instructor or a student in the class even when not generally required on campus. In such cases, the instructor will notify the class.

 

If a student fails to comply with the COVID-19 Expectations for Students or other University expectations related to COVID-19, the instructor may ask the student to leave the class. The instructor is asked to report the incident to the Office of Community Standards for additional follow-up.

 

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  • Include the above statement in all course syllabi for in-person and hybrid classrooms.
  • Instructors should model all behaviors that students are required to follow in their classrooms.
  • Orally review classroom requirements at the beginning of the term.
  • If a student fails to adhere to the requirements during a particular class, instructors should take the following steps:
    • Respectfully remind the student of the requirements and the reasons for them: maintaining the health of our community and protecting one another.
    • Ask the student to comply. If applicable, direct the student to a location where they can obtain a mask.
    • If the student fails to comply, ask the student to leave the classroom.
    • If the student fails to comply, dismiss the class.
  • Following class, instructors should then:
    • File a General Concern Report with the Office of Community Standards. The Office of Community Standards will determine if there is need for interim action, including restricting a student’s ability to return to class.
    • If you dismissed the class, also notify your department chair, program director or dean’s office staff.

Student Attendance Exceptions

As a result of isolation requirements, some students may need to refrain from participating in-person in classes. We ask for your flexibility in these circumstances and that you allow students to continue their studies via class recordings, notes or via temporary remote participation, where appropriate.

 

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Instructors are encouraged to consider including a statement about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in their course syllabi. By including a DEI statement, instructors can help establish a welcoming tone and demonstrate what they value in the learning environment. For more information and examples, go to the Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching’s resources on creating inclusive learning environments.

Exceptions to Class Modality

This statement should be included on syllabi for in person or hybrid sections.

Class sessions for this course will occur in person. Individual students will not be granted permission to attend remotely except as the result of an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodation as determined by AccessibleNU. 

Faculty may choose to include this additional statement:

Maintaining the health of the community remains our priority.  If you are experiencing any symptoms of COVID do not attend class. Follow the steps outlined on this site for testing, isolation and reporting a positive case. Next, contact your instructor as soon as possible to arrange to complete coursework.

Students who experience other personal emergencies should contact the instructor as soon as possible to arrange to complete coursework.

Should public health recommendations prevent in-person class from being held on a given day, the instructor or the university will notify students.

 

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Guidance on Class Recordings

Instructors can determine whether or not they would like to record class sessions, or portions of class sessions. You may decide, for example, to record lectures but not class discussions. Guidance around this decision can be found here. If you plan to record, we ask that you include the following statement on your syllabus and also verbally let students know that you are choosing to record class sessions.

This class or portions of this class will be recorded by the instructor for educational purposes. Your instructor will communicate how members of the class can access the recordings. Portions of the course that contain images, questions or commentary/discussion by students will be edited out of any recordings that are saved beyond the current term.

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Prohibition of Recording of Class Sessions by Students

Students are prohibited from recording class sessions and are also prohibited from the distribution of class recordings. Please include the following statement on your course syllabi:

Unauthorized student recording of classroom or other academic activities (including advising sessions or office hours) is prohibited. Unauthorized recording is unethical and may also be a violation of University policy and state law. Students requesting the use of assistive technology as an accommodation should contact AccessibleNU. Unauthorized use of classroom recordings – including distributing or posting them – is also prohibited. Under the University’s Copyright Policy, faculty own the copyright to instructional materials – including those resources created specifically for the purposes of instruction, such as syllabi, lectures and lecture notes, and presentations. Students cannot copy, reproduce, display, or distribute these materials. Students who engage in unauthorized recording, unauthorized use of a recording, or unauthorized distribution of instructional materials will be referred to the appropriate University office for follow-up.

 

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Support for Wellness and Mental Health

 Include the following statement on all course syllabi.

Northwestern University is committed to supporting the wellness of our students. Student Affairs has multiple resources to support student wellness and mental health.  If you are feeling distressed or overwhelmed, please reach out for help. Students can access confidential resources through the Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), Religious and Spiritual Life (RSL) and the Center for Awareness, Response and Education (CARE). Additional information on all of the resources mentioned above can be found here:

https://www.northwestern.edu/counseling/

https://www.northwestern.edu/religious-life/

https://www.northwestern.edu/care/

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The Writing Place

For instructors who would like to include information about the Writing Place on their syllabi, the Writing Place has provided the following statement:

When working on writing assignments for this class, I encourage you to visit the Writing Place, Northwestern’s peer writing center. You will work with juniors and seniors who have been trained to provide you feedback and assistance on any type of writing at any stage in the writing process. They will not edit your work. Rather, they will work with you to brainstorm ideas, organize or outline an essay, clarify your argument, document your sources correctly, or refine grammar and style.

To book an appointment, register for an account at  https://northwestern.mywconline.com/.  

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