Required Syllabus Statements

Summer 2021 Guidelines

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All faculty members must provide students a syllabus on the course Moodle page. In keeping with the University’s commitment to the best pedagogical and assessment practices, all syllabi for courses must indicate the following:

• Your email address and phone contact
• An explanation of when and how you will hold office hours (Teams, Zoom, etc.) and how you use office hours in the context of the course
• Explanation of course structure (all synchronous, combination of synchronous/asynchronous, etc.) and platform for delivery (Teams, Zoom, etc.)
• Required technologies for students to be successful in the course
• Schedule of classes with due dates
• Course purpose and learning objectives
• Methods of Evaluation/Activities
• Evaluation tools
• Performance criteria
• Grading standards or descriptors, including method of determining final grade

Required University-Wide Syllabus Statements

All syllabi must include the following statements as well as the information for the Learning Commons. Syllabi for courses in the University Core have additional requirements, as indicated.

Remote Learning and Covid-19

The focus on remote learning for academic year 2020-2021 presents unique challenges to both faculty members and students in the online environment. Working together, we can create a successful learning community by following some important guidelines.

• To be successful in remote learning, all students must have access to a functioning computer with a working microphone, camera, and headphones or headset. Students who do not have access to such technology may contact the Office of Financial Aid for possible assistance.
• All course content will be available through course Moodle pages accessible through the UP Portal (PilotsUP). Students should have a working knowledge of both Zoom and Microsoft Teams.
• Students are expected to attend all class sessions, whether synchronous or asynchronous, according to the instructor’s direction, and follow guidelines for class conduct during online sessions (e.g. muting, camera on/off, etc.)
• If a student does not feel well enough to attend class remotely, they should communicate with their instructor as to how to make up missed work.
• For the benefit of students who are not able to attend class due to illness, extreme time zone differences, or temporary internet problems, all classroom sessions will be recorded and made available on the course Moodle site. Students may not distribute or share any course images or recordings without the permission of the instructor.

University of Portland’s Code of Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is openness and honesty in all scholarly endeavors. University of Portland is a scholarly community dedicated to the discovery, investigation, and dissemination of truth, and to the development of the whole person. Membership in this community is a privilege, requiring each person to practice academic integrity at its highest level, while expecting and promoting the same in others. Whether instruction is delivered in person or remotely, breaches of academic integrity will not be tolerated and will be addressed by the community with all due gravity.

Ethics of Information

The University of Portland is a community dedicated to the investigation and discovery of processes for thinking ethically and encouraging the development of ethical reasoning in the formation of the whole person. Using information ethically, as an element in open and honest scholarly endeavors, involves moral reasoning to determine the right way to access, create, distribute, and employ information including: considerations of intellectual property rights, fair use, information bias, censorship, and privacy. More information can be found in the Clark Library’s guide to the Ethical Use of Information.

Assessment Disclosure Statement

Student work products for this course may be used by the University for educational quality assurance purposes.

Accessibility Statement

The University of Portland endeavors to make its courses and services fully accessible to all students, within course, program and University essential requirements. Students are encouraged to discuss with their instructors what might be most helpful in enabling them to meet the learning goals of the course in the remote learning environment. Students who experience a disability are also encouraged to use the services of Accessible Education Services (AES), located in the Shepard Academic Resource Center (503-943-8985). If you have an AES Accommodation Plan, you should make a virtual appointment to meet with your faculty member to discuss how to implement your plan in this class. Requests for extended exam time should, where possible, be made two weeks in advance of an exam, and must be made at least one week in advance of an exam or quiz. For Clinicals/Student Teaching/Labs held in-person:  You should meet with your faculty member to discuss emergency medical information or how best to ensure your safe evacuation from the building in case of fire or other emergency.

Mental Health Statement

As a college student, you may sometimes experience problems with your mental health that interfere with academic experiences and negatively impact daily life. If you or someone you know experiences mental health challenges at UP, please contact the University of Portland Health and Counseling Center at www.up.edu/healthcenter or at 503-943-7134. Their services are free and confidential, and if necessary they can provide same day appointments. In addition, after-hours phone counseling is available if you call 503-943-7134 and press 3 outside of business hours. Also know that the University of Portland Campus Safety Department (503-943-4444) has personnel trained to respond sensitively to mental health emergencies at all hours. Remember that getting help is a smart and courageous thing to do – for yourself, for those you care about, and for those who care about you.

Non-Violence Statement

The University of Portland is committed to fostering a community free from all forms of violence in which all members feel safe and respected. Violence of any kind, and in particular acts of power-based personal violence, are inconsistent with our mission. Together, we take a stand against violence. Join us in learning more about campus and community resources, UP’s prevention strategy, and reporting options on the Green Dot website, www.up.edu/greendot or the Title IX website, www.up.edu/titleix. 

The Learning Commons

The Learning Commons invites all students to connect with our peer tutors and writing assistants, as an effective learning strategy for greater success in their college courses this summer. All tutoring and writing assistance is offered virtually over Zoom or Teams.

Unlike during the regular academic year, summer tutoring and writing assistance is accessed through requests to make an appointment:

• For the Writing Center, just send an email request to writing@up.edu. Include two or three times that work for you, your class, and your goals for the writing assistance session. Our writing assistants will get back to you quickly to confirm the time or to schedule a time that works for both of you. The Writing Center helps students through the whole writing process, from brainstorming and determining a structure through reviewing the final draft.
• For anatomy and physiology I, biology, chemistry, economics, French, math, physics, and Spanish, use our Bookings Appointment Request System. You will choose a time to meet, and our tutors will get back to you with either a confirmation or suggested alternative times. You can also use https://bit.ly/learning-up to access our bookings system.

Keep in mind that multiple visits to writing assistants and tutors tend to lead to greater learning and success.

Our full slate of peer education programs will return this fall both face-to-face and online depending on University policies at that time.

All questions regarding the Learning Commons’ virtual tutoring program can be directed to Jeffrey White, Learning Commons Administrator at learning@up.edu.

Requirements for University Core Course Syllabi

In addition to discipline-specific goals and objectives, syllabi for all core courses are to contain clear statements of the:

• Core question(s) to be addressed in the class;
• Intended core goal(s);
• Core skill(s), including performance objectives and means of assessment.

Voluntary Syllabus Statement

Academic Regulation Statement Policies governing your coursework at the University of Portland can be found in the University Bulletin at https://www.up.edu/registrar/.