There are several items about the department and your participation and behavior in an academic community which require special attention. These items are: departmental advisement procedures, departmental student groups, academic honesty, plagiarism, and disruptive classroom behavior.
• Departmental Advisement
When you become a major in the department you will be assigned an advisor. Your advisor will assist you in managing the sometimes confusing situations you may face during your time at the University. Advisors can be especially helpful with discussions of course content, course requirements, and career options. Please be aware that having an advisor does not absolve you from responsibility for knowing and meeting University requirements for graduation. Ultimately the responsibility for meeting requirements is yours and you will bear the cost of errors which are made.
• Departmental Student Groups
There are four S.S.I. recognized student groups associated with the Department of Communication Studies. They are: The Association of Women and Men in Communication (AWMC), the Forensic Society, the campus radio station (WCUR), The Quad, and WCU TV. As a major in the department you are expected to join and actively participate in at least one of these groups. Notice of meeting times for each of the groups can be found in the departmental office.
• Policy on Academic Honesty
Among the major purposes of institutions of higher learning are the search for and the interpretation of verifiable data, the encouragement of rational inquiry and discussion, and the development of intellectual and artistic creativity. Any form of academic dishonesty, therefore, strikes at the very heart of the institution and cannot be permitted. Examples of academic dishonesty (cheating) may be found in the current Grade Appeals Policy.
1) A documented instance of academic dishonesty shall result in the grade of zero for the work involved. A written statement of the reason for this grade shall be sent to the student with copies to his/her department chairperson, the chairperson of the department in which the course is offered, the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs or the Graduate Dean, if appropriate, and the Registrar.
2) A further documented instance of dishonesty shall result in an “F” grade for the course and may result in permanent expulsion from the University.
3) The student may appeal the sanctions through the current Grade Appeals Policy.
• Department Policy on Plagiarism
In this department, plagiarism is defined as the presentation of the products (ideas, writings, speeches, drawings, etc.) of another person as if they were one's own. Students who are detected plagiarizing will receive a zero for the assignment. Detection of a second plagiarism on a subsequent assignment will result in a failing grade for the course. A department major who has plagiarized twice (once in two separate assignments) will be dropped from the program.
The Department offers the following advice to students:
1. If in doubt, cite your sources.
2. Sources should be cited for oral assignments. Always cite quoted material.
3. Sometimes source material is so extensive an oral assignment becomes boring to the listener. In such cases, a brief reference can be made concerning the source that can then be supported by a detailed reference if one is requested.
4. All work you present as your own must be your own.
5. All work which is presented by you but for which you are indebted to others must be cited.
6. There should be a clear distinction made between that which is the result of your efforts and that which results from the efforts of others.
7. The only exception to these obligations is in the presentation of facts, opinions, concepts, etc. that are widely known.
8. Plagiarism is not limited to the use of material taken from professional sources but may also include material taken from other students.
9. Students should retain all notes or other materials prepared by them to meet the assignment until a grade has been received.
10. Whenever a grade is subject to dispute:
a. The instructor and the student will strive to work out their differences.
b. If (a) is not possible, both the instructor and the student will turn over all relevant materials to the department chair. (If the instructor and the chair are the same, a neutral faculty person will be found by the chair).
c. Upon examination of the evidence presented, the chair (or alternate) will rule in favor of one of the disputing parties.
d. If the disputing parties are not satisfied with the chair’s ruling, the normal college channels of appeal will be followed.
11. If an instructor chooses, and so indicates at the beginning of a semester, all work submitted to meet course requirements becomes the property of the department. (Students who wish to retain copies of such work should duplicate the material prior to its submission.)
• Policy on Disruptive Classroom Behavior
Disruptive behavior is defined as any act which denies to others the freedom to speak, to be heard, to study, to teach, or pursue research. Such behavior is antithetical to academic freedom and to the rights of all citizens and will not be tolerated.
1. The first instance of such behavior shall result in an immediate, oral, and public warning by the faculty member.
2. The second instance shall result in the expulsion of the student from class for the remainder of the class period.
3. Subsequent disruptive behavior may result in the expulsion of the student from the class for the remainder of the semester and the awarding of the grade of “F.” Such grade shall result regardless of the data of which the expulsion takes place. A statement of the reason for permanent expulsion from the class shall be given in writing to the student, the chairperson of his/her major department, the chairperson of the department in which the course is offered, and the Registrar.
4. The disciplinary actions listed above may be appealed through the informal and formal mechanisms contained in the Academic Appeals Process. An appeal of the grade may be made under the current Grade Appeals Process, but the student may not employ both the Academic Appeals Process and the Grade Appeals Process for relief from the same disciplinary action.
In addition, disruptive behavior which constitutes a threat to persons and/or property will be immediately referred to the Coordinator of Student Standards for adjudication and disciplinary sanction in accordance with the current Student Standards Judicial Process. Any sanctions imposed may be appealed only through the appeals process contained in that document.