Syllabus Statements for Students

The Committee on Academic Misconduct (COAM) recommends that every faculty member, instructor, and graduate teaching associate who is teaching a course prepare and distribute (or make available) to all students a course syllabus that contains a statement concerning "academic misconduct" or "academic integrity."  The Ohio State University does not have a standardized statement on academic misconduct that instructors can use in their syllabi. Thus, COAM has prepared the following statement, which course instructors are free to use (with or without modification) for their syllabi.

"It is the responsibility of the Committee on Academic Misconduct to investigate or establish procedures for the investigation of all reported cases of student academic misconduct. The term "academic misconduct" includes all forms of student academic misconduct wherever committed; illustrated by, but not limited to, cases of plagiarism and dishonest practices in connection with examinations. Instructors shall report all instances of alleged academic misconduct to the committee (Faculty Rule 3335-5-487). For additional information, see the Code of Student Conduct at http://studentconduct.osu.edu"

Makeup testing is coordinated with the MTC testing center. Tests are given by appointment in two-hour time slots scheduled by the student. Faculty fill out the required Makeup Testing Request Form and email it with testing materials (quizzes, tests, etc. in a PDF format) to Lisa Miller (miller.11896@osu.edu) OR place them in an envelope and leave in Lisa’s mailbox in 150 Morrill Hall. Lisa will email all the testing center details to your student and include you in the communication. The request form can be emailed to you or picked up in 150 Morrill Hall. Please note MTC does not keep the exact same academic schedule as OSU. Questions can be directed to Lisa Miller at 740-725-6173.

The university strives to maintain a healthy and accessible environment to support student learning in and out of the classroom. If you anticipate or experience academic barriers based on your disability (including mental health, chronic, or temporary medical conditions), please let me know immediately so that we can privately discuss options. To establish reasonable accommodations, I may request that you register with the Office for Disability Services. After registration, make arrangements with me as soon as possible to discuss your accommodations so that they may be implemented in a timely fashion.  

If you are ill and need to miss class, including if you are staying home and away from others while experiencing symptoms of a viral infection or fever, please let me know immediately. In cases where illness interacts with an underlying medical condition, please consult with the Office for Disability Services to request reasonable accommodations. You can connect with them at marionds@osu.edu; 740-725-6247; or https://osumarion.osu.edu/current-students/academic-support-services/disability-services.

Note: We recommend taking some time to review this statement with the class. This may help students feel more comfortable making proactive requests.

The Academic Success Center (ASC), now located in the Learning Center at the Library Classroom Building (Room 105R), offers tutoring services (at no additional cost to tuition) to assist students with their learning. The ASC consists of three Centers: Chemistry and Biology Center, Math and Engineering Learning Center, and Writing Center.  Each provide professional tutoring on a drop-in and appointment basis. For questions regarding centers, visit the circulation desk in the Library Monday-Thursday 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. For the most up-to-date information regarding all aspects of the centers, or to submit a request for peer tutoring in disciplines outside those listed above please visit our website (https://u.osu.edu/marionasc/), or email AcademicSuccess@osu.edu.  

The Math and Engineering Learning Center is coordinated by Vijay Garapati who provides professional help with mathematics, engineering, statistics, and physics. He plans to host in-person drop-in hours throughout the semester. For information, visit 
https://u.osu.edu/mathengineercenter/).  

The Writing Center team is coordinated by Katie Braun and Amy Tibbals.  They offer help with writing at any stage of the writing process. They work with you on any kind of writing, from papers/reports for classes to application materials to workplace documents. The team plans to host in-person drop-in hours this semester (and Zoom pre-planned appointments.) For more information, visit 
https://u.osu.edu/marionwc/.  

The Chemistry and Biology Center is coordinated by Tiffiny Rye-McCurdy.  She is ready to help you with chemistry, biology, and biochemistry courses. She helps with the concepts during both in-person drop-in hours (and Zoom pre-planned appointments.) For details, visit 
https://u.osu.edu/chembiocenter/

Counseling services for students are available in-person and telemental health appointments via Zoom. All services are free and confidential.  Mental health concerns or stressful events can lead to diminished academic performance or a reduction in the ability to function well. If you, or a student you know, is struggling with life on or off-campus, help is available by emailing Leslie Beary (beary.4@osu.edu) or Ellen Farrell (farrell.421@osu.edu). If you are in crisis, call 9-1-1. To speak to someone outside of normal office hours, students can reach the Ohio State University After-Hours Line at 614-292-5766. Help is also available through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling or texting 988 or contacting Crisis Text Line by texting 4Hope to 741-741.

Creating an environment free from harassment, discrimination, and sexual misconduct

The Ohio State University is committed to building and maintaining a community to reflect diversity and to improve opportunities for all. All Buckeyes have the right to be free from harassment, discrimination, and sexual misconduct. Ohio State does not discriminate based on age, ancestry, color, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity or expression, genetic information, HIV/AIDS status, military status, national origin, pregnancy (childbirth, false pregnancy, termination of pregnancy, or recovery therefrom), race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or protected veteran status, or any other bases under the law, in its activities, academic programs, admission, and employment. Members of the university community also have the right to be free from all forms of sexual misconduct: sexual harassment, sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking, and sexual exploitation.

On the Marion campus, to report harassment, discrimination, sexual misconduct, or retaliation and/or seek confidential and non-confidential resources and supportive measures, contact Leslie Beary (beary.4@osu.edu), Title IX Coordinator. To make a confidential report, contact the Counseling & Wellness Center counselors, or Ellen Farrell (farrell.421@osu.edu).

Additional resources are available on the Columbus Campus through the Office of Institutional Equity:

1. Online reporting form at equity.osu.edu,
2. Call 614-247-5838 or TTY 614-688-8605,
3. Or Email equity@osu.edu

The university is committed to stopping sexual misconduct, preventing its recurrence, eliminating any hostile environment, and remedying its discriminatory effects. All university employees have reporting responsibilities to the Office of Institutional Equity to ensure the university can take appropriate action:

• All university employees, except those exempted by legal privilege of confidentiality or expressly identified as a confidential reporter, have an obligation to report incidents of sexual assault immediately.
• The following employees have an obligation to report all other forms of sexual misconduct as soon as practicable but at most within five workdays of becoming aware of such information: 1. Any human resource professional (HRP); 2. Anyone who supervises faculty, staff, students, or volunteers; 3. Chair/director; and 4. Faculty member.

A student who encounters a problem related to his/her educational program has a variety of avenues available to seek resolution. (Note: the procedures for grade grievances are explicitly covered in the faculty rules). Typically, a student is advised to resolve any dispute, disagreement, or grievance as directly as possible, engaging with the person or persons most closely involved. The faculty and staff of the departments and colleges are available to work with students in this regard. If this step does not produce acceptable results, the student should follow a logical stepwise progression to address the academic concerns.

You should seek to resolve the grievance concerning a grade or academic practice by speaking first with the instructor or professor. Then, if necessary, take your case to the Ombudsperson of the campus, Marianna Klochko (klochko.1@osu.edu) 740-725-6243, Campus dean or associate dean, and to the provost, in that order. Specific procedures are outlined in Faculty Rule 3335-8-23.

The role of the Ombudsperson is to work as the campus mediator for faculty, staff and students’ grievances. The ombudsperson will attempt to resolve students’ grievances within the university community by supplementing, rather than replacing, other means for redress of grievances. The Ombudsperson intercedes when other attempts have failed to resolve concerns. The Ombudsperson cannot dispute grades or grading methodology or course requirements with instructors. (Grievance examples could include student life on campus or student/instructor conflicts). All matters discussed with the Ombudsperson are held in the strictest of confidence. The Ombudsperson office can also assist faculty and staff with questions/concerns with other university faculty or staff.

Some content in this course may involve media that may elicit a traumatic response in some students due to descriptions of and/or scenes depicting acts of violence, acts of war, or sexual violence and its aftermath. If needed, please take care of yourself while watching/reading this material (leaving classroom to take a water/bathroom break, debriefing with a friend, contacting a confidential Sexual Violence Advocate 614-267-7020, or Counseling and Consultation Services at 614-292-5766 and contacting the instructor if needed). Expectations are that we all will be respectful of our classmates while consuming this media and that we will create a safe space for each other. Failure to show respect to each other may result in dismissal from the class.

The materials used in connection with this course may be subject to copyright protection and are only for the use of students officially enrolled in the course for the educational purposes associated with the course. Copyright law must be considered before copying, retaining, or disseminating materials outside of the course.

Regularly attending class is critical in achieving academic success. If you receive some form of financial aid, such as the Pell Grant and/or the Federal Direct Student Loan, federal regulations require you to attend classes. In part, this is why your instructor records attendance. Maintaining satisfactory academic progress (SAP) is important in preserving your future eligibility for financial resources. The Ohio State University is required by federal law to verify the enrollment of students who participate in Federal Title IV student aid programs (Federal grants and student loans) and/or who receive educational benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs. It is the responsibility of the university to identify students who do not commence attendance or who stop attendance in any course for which they are registered and paid. Non-attendance is reported by each instructor and can result in a student being administratively withdrawn from the class section. Please contact the Financial Aid Office located in Maynard Hall, room 100 at 740-725-6242 or email to: marionsfa@osu.edu for information regarding the impact of course withdrawals on financial aid eligibility.  For more information, please check:  https://sfa.esue.ohio-state.edu/contact-us/consumer-disclosure/student-rights-responsibilities-and-disclosures

Ohio State has had a longstanding practice of making reasonable academic accommodations for students' religious beliefs and practices in accordance with applicable law. Students must be in early communication with their instructors regarding any known accommodation requests for religious beliefs and practices, providing notice of specific dates for which they request alternative accommodations within 14 days after the first instructional day of the course. Instructors in turn shall not question the sincerity of a student's religious or spiritual belief system in reviewing such requests and shall keep requests for accommodations confidential.

Examples of religious accommodations can include, but are not limited to, rescheduling an exam or presentation, or flexibility in due dates or research responsibilities. If concerns arise about a requested accommodation, faculty members should consult their department head for assistance.

For questions or to report discrimination or harassment based on religion, individuals should contact the Office of Institutional Equity.

All students have important obligations under the Code of Student Conduct to complete all academic and scholarly activities with fairness and honesty. Our professional students also have the responsibility to uphold the professional and ethical standards found in their respective academic honor codes. Specifically, students are not to use unauthorized assistance in the laboratory, on field work, in scholarship or on a course assignment unless such assistance has been authorized specifically by the course instructor. In addition, students are not to submit their work without acknowledging any word-for-word use and/or paraphrasing of writing, ideas or other work that is not your own. These requirements apply to all students undergraduate, graduate, and professional.

To maintain a culture of integrity and respect, these generative AI tools should not be used in the completion of course assignments unless an instructor for a given course specifically authorizes their use. Some instructors may approve of using generative AI tools in the academic setting for specific goals. However, these tools should be used only with the explicit and clear permission of each individual instructor, and then only in the ways allowed by the instructor.

Sample Templates for GenAI Syllabus Statements

The following sample generative artificial Intelligence (GenAI) syllabus statements are intended as optional resources that can be customized for a variety of classes. If an instructor chooses to use these resources, the first step is to choose the sample statement that most closely meets the needs of the class: the first statement prohibits the use of GenAI, and the second allows the use of GenAI for certain assignments. The second step is to customize the sample statement to fit your specific pedagogical requirements and expected learning outcomes (ELOs). In the sample statements, text placed [in brackets] invites you to customize.

These statements are optional, not required. We are piloting them in autumn semester 2024 with two goals: (1) to help instructors communicate more clearly with students about GenAI, and (2) to solicit feedback from instructors to help refine these sample GenAI statements for the future. To that end, please consider taking this online survey. The survey will be open from August 15 through September 13, 2024.

This webpage provides information about GenAI teaching strategies. This webpage provides additional syllabus resources.

If you suspect that a student used GenAI inappropriately on an assignment (i.e., not according to course rules or assignment guidelines), we encourage you to communicate with the student within 24 to 48 hours after your suspicions arise. The best evidence will be gathered during this timeframe: if a student can speak intelligently about their work, they are more likely to have created it themselves; if a student cannot, they are more likely to have used GenAI. We also encourage the use of the academic integrity icons embedded in the statements below, as they can help students identify what is allowed in your class.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact me at jones.2376@osu.edu.

Wishing you a productive autumn semester,
Norman Jones
Vice Provost & Dean for Undergraduate Education

1. Sample syllabus statement if GenAI use is prohibited in your course:

Given that the learning goals of this class are [add examples from your class, such as developing your ability to use writing to articulate your scientific findings, and building your awareness of issues related to publishing and scientific writing], the use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools such as [add examples of GenAI platforms such as Copilot or ChatGPT, writers aids like Grammarly, or translation platforms such as Google Translate] is not permitted in this course. Any use of GenAI tools for work in this class may therefore be considered a violation of Ohio State’s Academic Integrity policy and Code of Student Conduct because the work is not your own. The use of unauthorized GenAI tools will result in referral to the Committee on Academic Misconduct. If I suspect that you have used GenAI on an assignment for this course, I will ask you to communicate with me to explain your process for completing the assignment in question.

If you feel you need to use GenAI for translation, please contact me first. If you have any other questions regarding this course policy, please contact me.

2. Sample syllabus statement if GenAI use is allowed for certain assignments in your course:

In this course, students are welcome to explore innovative tools and technologies for [provide an example from your course such as data analysis or presentation design], including generative artificial intelligence (GenAI). Students are permitted to use GenAI tools for most course assignments, except for [specify any assignments on which the use of GenAI is prohibited, e.g., essays, coding assignments, reflection assignments]. Your written assignments, including [add examples of assignments, such as discussion posts or essays], should be your own original work.

GenAI can be a helpful resource for drafting creative content, brainstorming ideas, creating a “reverse outline” from a rough draft, and enhancing productivity. Yet it is essential to approach its use thoughtfully and ethically. If you use GenAI in any of your assignments, please include the following statement with each assignment:

1. Application Used: Specify the GenAI application or tool you used (e.g., Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude AI, Gemini).
2. Intended Purpose: Describe the purpose for which you used GenAI (e.g., idea generation, content creation).
3. Quality of Initial GenAI Output: Evaluate the initial output generated by GenAI. For example, was it accurate, biased, coherent, and/or relevant?
4. Iteration and Refinement: Explain how you revised prompts or adjusted parameters to refine the GenAI output. Did you experiment with different input prompts to improve the output?
5. Incorporation in Completed Assignment: Reflect on how you incorporated the GenAI-generated content into your assignment. How did you edit, adapt, or combine it with other ideas?

While GenAI can be a valuable tool, remember that academic integrity remains paramount. You are responsible for developing and articulating your own ideas, so addressing how GenAI contributed to those ideas (as you would for any sources you use) is centrally important to your learning. Attribute GenAI-generated content with proper citations and avoid plagiarism. Additionally, consider the accuracy of information incorporated in your assignment and the ethical implications of using GenAI in educational contexts. You are responsible for ensuring that the information you submit based on a GenAI query does not contain misinformation, unethical content, or violate intellectual property laws. Submission of GenAI-generated content as your own work is considered a violation of Ohio State’s Academic Integrity policy and Code of Student Conduct because the work is not your own. The use of unauthorized GenAI tools will result in referral to the Committee on Academic Misconduct. If I suspect that you have used GenAI inappropriately on an assignment for this course, I will ask you to communicate with me to explain your process for completing the assignment in question.

Privacy Considerations: Students should familiarize themselves with the Terms of Use for the GenAI service they use, as well as the service’s expectations around data privacy and use. Students should not share private or sensitive information about themselves or others with GenAI services. As indicated in Ohio State’s February 2024 Security and Privacy Statement on Artificial Intelligence, “[u]niversity community members should not enter any institutional data that is categorized above the S1 (public) level into generative AI tools, except when using the protected environment of Copilot, meaning that you logged in with your university credentials and see the green ‘Protected’ button in the upper right-hand corner. Even when using the protected version of Copilot, it is best practice to put only S1 or S2 (internal) institutional data into the tool. S3 (private) and S4 (restricted) data should not be entered into any AI platform.”

Please contact me if you have questions regarding this course policy.

Issue at Hand: Throughout the academic year, military‐connected students may receive orders from the United States military that requires them to miss class for short periods of time. The goal of this document is to provide recommendations for instructors and outline the responsibilities of students who find themselves in this situation.

Definitions:

• Military‐Connected Students – Students who currently serve with the United States military.  Students’ military status may be one of the following: Active Duty, Guardsmen, Reservist, and/or ROTC Cadet/Midshipman.
• Orders – Official documentation received by military‐connected students usually detailing where, when, and for how long a student is to report to their unit for military duty.
• Short Period of Time/Short Term Absence – 14 or fewer consecutive calendar days.

Student Responsibilities: It is the responsibility of the military‐connected student to inform their instructor within a week of learning about their military orders. If students are aware of Drill or other military training dates at the start of the term, they should inform their instructors within the first week of classes. The student should work with the instructor to find a reasonable accommodation that allows the student to make up the missed lectures, assignments, quizzes, and/or tests either prior to the student’s departure or after their return. If the instructor requests a copy of the student’s orders, the student should comply with the request if possible. If official orders are not available at that time, the student should share other military documentation with the instructor until official orders are obtained or refer the instructor to Military and Veterans Services staff. It is strongly recommended that students work with their major and or military‐connected advisor throughout this process.

Recommendations for Instructors¹: It is recommended that instructors make reasonable accommodations for military‐connected students who are required to attend military duty. When a military‐connected student receives orders, you may:

• Confirm that the student has been in contact with Military and Veteran Services (MVS). MVS staff are experienced in providing guidance to students based on their individual situation. For your information, additional guidance that covers longer absences is provided here: https://veterans.osu.edu/military‐resources/when‐called‐duty.
• Request a copy of the student’s military orders. Please note that the military reserves the right to change the effective dates of duty at a moment's notice and withhold dates or location for security reasons. Just because the orders indicate return at a particular date does not mean you should hold the student accountable to that.
• Reasonable accommodations to offer to military‐connected students in this situation include and are not limited to:
  • Recording lectures that they can view while absent
  • Creating online assignments that can be completed while absent
  • Allowing an exam to be taken with proctoring while absent
  • Being flexible with deadlines
  • Having alternate forms of assignments typically completed in teams or labs
  • Discussing with the student the potential for assigning a grade of Incomplete (I) for the term and allowing the work to be made up after they return
• Take all factors into consideration when determining arrangements for makeup work that has an impact on the course grade. If a student has missed a component of the course that cannot be made up in exactly the same manner, the instructor may substitute another activity or assignment in order to assess the missed components. If no substitution can be devised, the missing component(s) should not be factored into determining that student's final grade for the course.
• Consider missed class time due to military service as an excused absence.

Educational Resources: 
Psych Armor Video, 15 Things Veterans Want You To Know:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0E7wbLmu8A 

The following can be added to a course syllabus or a CarmenCanvas page to indicate to military‐ connected students that you are willing to work with them should they need to miss class due to military orders. 

Military‐Connected Students 
The Military and Veterans Services (MVS) Office offers a wide range of resources for military‐ connected students. Whether using benefits or not, all military‐connected students are encouraged to stop by the office to learn more about how MVS can be of support (ie., information about tutoring, transition services, access to the veteran’s lounge, etc.). For service members, should you receive orders during the semester or know of classes that will be missed due to service commitments, please speak with me as soon as possible so that we can make any necessary arrangements. MVS contact information: milvets@osu.edu; 614‐247‐VETS; veterans.osu.edu/; 185 Student Academic Services Building, 281 W. Lane Avenue.