[Inclusion of the following University policies and information is optional but strongly encouraged.]
Freedom of Expression
In this course, we are committed to fostering a learning environment that values intellectual diversity, encourages free expression, and promotes open inquiry. As members of the Ball State Community, we treat each person in the Ball State community with civility, courtesy, compassion, and dignity and respect and learn from differences in people, ideas, and opinions. Please review Ball State University’s Statement on Freedom of Expression, the resources on Ball State’s Freedom of Expression webpage, and Ball State’s Beneficence Pledge.
Title IX
Ball State University is committed to maintaining an educational environment free from sex discrimination, including sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, dating and domestic violence, and stalking. Students who experience or witness conduct that may violate University policy are encouraged to seek support and assistance. The Title IX Office can provide information about reporting options, supportive measures, and available resources. Contact the Title IX Office at 765-285-1545 or titleix@bsu.edu.
Please Note: As your instructor, I am a mandatory reporter. If you disclose information to me about conduct that may constitute sex discrimination or sexual misconduct, I am required to notify the Title IX Coordinator. The Title IX Office will reach out to discuss available resources, supportive measures, and reporting options. If you wish to speak with someone confidentially, you may contact the Counseling Center or the Center for Survivor Support.
Pregnancy and Related Conditions
Ball State University provides reasonable modifications for students affected by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. Students seeking academic, housing, or other modifications are encouraged to contact the Title IX Office as early as possible to discuss available options and support. For assistance, contact the Title IX Office at 765-285-1545 or titleix@bsu.edu.
University Grade Appeal Policy
If you believe you received a final course grade that does not reflect your performance due to fairness or a procedural issue, you have the right to file an appeal within 5 school days after final grades are posted by the Office of the Registrar. Review the University Grade Appeal Policy and Process.
Student Academic Ethics Policy
Honesty, trust, and personal responsibility are fundamental attributes of the university community. Academic dishonesty and other forms of academic misconduct threaten the foundation of an institution dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge and will not be tolerated. To maintain its credibility and reputation, and to equitably assign evaluations of scholastic and creative performance, Ball State University is committed to maintaining a climate that upholds and values the highest standards of academic integrity. Visit the VPAA’s academic integrity website (Students tab) for resources on understanding academic integrity, citing sources properly, and avoiding inadvertent academic dishonesty. To learn about BSU’s academic integrity expectations and students’ rights, please read the University Student Academic Ethics Policy.
Academic integrity violations include giving or receiving an unfair academic advantage (cheating), presenting someone else’s ideas or work as your own (plagiarism), and falsifying academic records. Unless otherwise indicated, you must work independently by yourself. Check with me if you are unsure whether something constitutes academic dishonesty. Examples of academic integrity violations include but are not limited to:
- Using resources not authorized by the faculty member (including devices, AI tools, hidden notes, and open books)
- Using a generative AI system or a person to complete academic assignments such as response papers, discussion posts, essays, or any other assignment when such use is not explicitly permitted by the assignment instructions or the instructor.
- Utilizing another person or a generative AI system to take a quiz, examination, or similar evaluation in place of oneself.
- Using a generative AI system for research, creative work, theses/dissertations, grant proposals, IRB-regulated work, or publication-bound work in violation of university AI policies, funder/publisher rules, IRB requirements, or discipline-specific standards.
- Presenting as one's own work the ideas, representations or words of another person or of a GenAI system without customary and proper acknowledgment of sources or of the AI tool(s) used.
- Using generative AI systems to analyze data, conduct research, or generate content that is included in an assignment (images, graphs, charts, tables, etc.) without proper documentation, citation, and attribution of this AI use.
- Using commercial study websites to find answers to graded assignments (Chegg, Course Hero, StudyPool, OneClass, etc.).
- Without the instructor’s written permission, giving away, buying, or selling graded assignments class notes, exams, study guides, or other course materials to other students or to third-party vendors (Course Hero, Chegg, 24HourAnswers, etc.).
- Working with another person on any assignment other than authorized group projects.
- Sharing or allowing others to access your files, whether done with permission or not.
- Reusing your own work from another semester, course, or section.
- Sharing answers with others during exams (passing notes, texting, whispering, gesturing)
- Discussing exam questions and answers with students who have not taken the exam.
- Soliciting others to complete work for you.
Generative AI (GenAI) Statement
[It is up to the faculty and/or their academic unit to determine if, when, and how generative AI use is permitted. Generative AI (GenAI) refers a class of AI tools that can create text, images, audio, video, and other similar media from existing training datasets. This may include user-prompted tools or tools running autonomously (aka, “agentic AI”). Note that some AI tools are becoming embedded in platforms that students use to create their assignments (e.g., Grammarly, Microsoft Word, Excel, Adobe Acrobat, Canva, OneNote, and Evernote). The mere presence and use of AI-assisted features in such tools, such as grammar suggestions, predictive text, formatting help, or auto-completion, would not normally be considered GenAI.
Faculty should clearly communicate their expectations about students’ use of GenAI in their course and/or on specific assignments. Each syllabus should clearly state one of the three GenAI use categories shown below for the class or for each assignment. Regardless of which category a faculty member selects, they should provide a brief rationale for their approach and explain how it supports the course learning objectives. Students are more likely to comply and engage more critically when they understand the purpose behind a policy. Faculty can support students by engaging in ongoing conversations about the ethical use of GenAI throughout the course. For GenAI use guidelines and academic integrity resources, see the VPAA’s website; for GenAI information, tools, resources, and courses, see BSU AI Initiatives website.
No Generative AI Use (No GenAI use permitted for any coursework)
All work conducted and/or submitted in this course should reflect your own ideas and demonstrate your current knowledge, abilities, and skills. Therefore, generative AI should not be used to complete any portion of the assignment(s). Doing so constitutes a violation of Ball State University's Student Academic Ethics Policy.
Conditional Use (Specific or limited GenAI use permitted)
At Ball State, we use GenAI to elevate human potential, not replace it. To succeed in an AI-infused world, students must balance technical skills with durable skills, lifelong abilities such as critical thinking, ethical judgment, communication, accountability, and responsible decision-making that define a Ball State graduate. Developing these durable skills requires you as students to think carefully about:
- when AI should and should not be used;
- how to use AI responsibly;
- how to verify AI-generated information; and
- and how to remain accountable for final work.
You may use generative AI applications for some work submitted in this course. You will be informed as to when, where, and how these tools are permitted to be used, along with guidance for attribution. Any use outside of this permission constitutes a violation of Ball State University's Student Academic Ethics Policy. When in doubt, please ask me before using GenAI. You, the student, are always responsible for the content you submit, publish, share, or act upon, regardless of whether GenAI tools assisted in the process. For data security reasons, please use BSU-approved GenAI tools (e.g., BSU Gemini, NotebookLM), which support single sign-on (SSO) with BSU ID and password. Commonly used public GenAI tools carry a higher risk of data being shared externally. In contrast, when using BSU-approved GenAI tools, any data you input is protected within the BSU system. Instructors do not have access to BSU IT Center logs of AI tool usage, so student data shared through BSU-approved GenAI tools remain private.
Full Use (Open GenAI use permitted/encouraged, with documentation)
At Ball State, we use GenAI to elevate human potential, not replace it. To succeed in an AI-infused world, students must balance technical skills with durable skills, lifelong abilities such as critical thinking, ethical judgment, communication, accountability, and responsible decision-making that define a Ball State graduate. Developing these durable skills requires you as students to think carefully about:
- when AI should and should not be used;
- how to use AI responsibly;
- how to verify AI-generated information; and
- and how to remain accountable for final work.
You are encouraged to use generative AI applications for all work submitted in this course. However, you must cite any AI-generated material that informed your work. Using an AI tool to generate content without proper attribution constitutes a violation of Ball State University's Student Academic Ethics Policy. You, the student, are always responsible for the content you submit, publish, share, or act upon, regardless of whether GenAI tools assisted in the process. For data security reasons, please use BSU-approved GenAI tools (e.g., BSU Gemini, NotebookLM), which support single sign-on (SSO) with BSU ID and password. Commonly used public GenAI tools carry a higher risk of data being shared externally. In contrast, when using BSU-approved GenAI tools and logging in through Ball State SSO, your data is treated as private and uploaded content will not be used to train future AI models or otherwise be shared outside of BSU. Instructors do not have access to BSU IT Center logs of GenAI tool usage, so student data shared through BSU-approved GenAI tools remain private.
The Learning Center
The Learning Center offers free Tutoring and Academic Coaching for many courses at Ball State. Students can make appointments for online (Zoom) or in-person (NQ 350) appointments. To make an appointment, visit myballstate.bsu.edu and click on “Navigate” in the Academic Tools section, or just go directly to bsu.navigate.eab.com.
Testing accommodations for students with disabilities are available for students who have received the appropriate documentation from Disability Services. Tests may be administered in the Learning Center.
Supplemental Instruction is available in select courses. If you have an SI leader for your course, that person will provide students with information the first week of school regarding weekly study sessions. For more information about Learning Center programming, visit bsu.edu/learningcenter or call 765-285-1006. Follow us on Instagram: BallStateLC.
The Writing Center
All writers improve with practice and feedback, so as a student in this course, you are encouraged to use the Writing Center to get additional feedback on your writing. The Writing Center can help you at any stage of the writing process, whether you’re just getting started and need help brainstorming or when you’re wrapping up a project and just want a second set of eyes. We work with writers from all disciplines and with all kinds of writing, including essays, reports, reflections, research projects, web content, lesson plans, slideshows, poster presentations, resumes, and other digital or print texts.
You can choose from three appointment types: getting started on a new project (Planning appointment), discussing an existing draft (Feedback appointment), or scheduling time to work, with a tutor on hand to keep you motivated (Accountability appointment). To schedule a free appointment, go to bsu.edu/writingcenter. We offer online appointments any time we’re open, or you can meet a tutor face-to-face in Robert Bell 295 during weekdays and Bracken Library First Floor West in the evenings. Make sure you plan ahead, because appointments book quickly!
The Basic Needs Hub
If you are having difficulty affording enough food, do not have a safe and reliable place to sleep, and/or experiencing an emergency or crisis, help is available through the Basic Needs Hub. The Basic Needs Hub has information, resources, and provides individualized support to students. To talk with a supportive staff member about your experience, receive one on one assistance, or learn more about resources, you can submit a Basic Needs Assistance Form.
The Counseling Center
The Ball State University Counseling Center offers free and confidential services to all students. The Counseling Center is located in Lucina Hall, Room 320. To schedule an appointment, you can contact us at 765-285-1736. Ball State also offers a 24/7 Crisis Line, which can be reached at 765-285-HOPE (4673). The Crisis Line is a mental health resource for those who are struggling with any mental health concerns, including thoughts of self-harm and/or suicide.
At the Ball State Counseling Center, we see students for a variety of reasons, some of which include homesickness, relationship concerns, anxiety, and depression. At your first appointment, you will work with a therapist to create a plan that will connect you with resources that best fit your needs. We assist students with getting connected to therapy at our Center as well as connecting students to self-help resources, other on-campus resources, and community-based resources. All Ball State students also have access to several on-demand, self-help resources through a variety of different platforms. All of these resources, including a direct link to our website, can be found here.
The Speaking Center
The Speaking Center is a free resource available to all members of the BSU community wanting to improve their public speaking abilities. We offer personalized coaching designed to help you become a more confident and effective speaker. Our trained coaches provide constructive feedback and support throughout the entire speech preparation process, whether you are in the early stages of brainstorming ideas and organizing your thoughts, or you need to practice your delivery and refine your message.
The Center is in the David Letterman Communication and Media Building, room 302. To schedule an appointment, please access us through your Navigate app or use this direct link to sign up for a time. Appointments are available both in person and on Zoom. Appointments are available in person, on Zoom, and in virtual reality (VR) for those interested in practicing in an immersive speaking environment.