Table of Contents
Accommodations
If for any reason, elements of this class or the work it requires are difficult to participate in due to a recognized disability or similar difference, let me know how I can accommodate you. My aim is to provide a safe, inclusive environment for all learners. To begin, since this class is not lecture-based, and does not include timed-exams (or really any information storage and retrieval tasks), note takers and extra exam time should not be needed by most students who would otherwise require those in a typical class. However, this general observation may not fit all students. Again, please let me help to make this learning environment work for you.
According to UNM specifically:
In accordance with University Policy 2310 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), academic accommodations may be made for any student who notifies the instructor of the need for an accommodation. It is imperative that you take the initiative to bring such needs to the instructor’s attention through official channels, as he/she are not legally permitted to inquire. The Accessibility Resources Center (Mesa Vista Hall 2021, 277-3506) provides academic support to students who have disabilities. If you think you need alternative accessible formats for undertaking and completing coursework, you should contact this service right away to assure your needs are met in a timely manner.
Another sense in which this course needs to accommodate is in terms of the differences in its members. My classroom is anti discriminatory, not just for disability, but for gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, immigration status and age. Our classroom will likewise be a place bereft of sexual harassment.
This part of the syllabus, required and suggested at the university level, is a bureaucratic necessity in a large school with many parts. But within that Honors is a small place, with small classes, where problems that may arise can be dealt with humanely and personally. If you have any misgivings or concerns, please feel free ask me directly, or if for some reason that doesn’t seem like a tenable option, one of my other colleagues here in Honors, perhaps Dr. Lovata (our chair) or Dr. Donovan (our most senior faculty member). I will certainly do everything I can to improve the ability of our class to enable your learning and my colleagues care more about your wellbeing and the value and integrity of Honors education than they do my feelings.
Title IX Statement
Gender discrimination and sexual misconduct are taken seriously and I am what is called a mandatory reporter. If you have problems, I’m always there to listen, and will obviously uphold our classroom spaces, in person and online (as I know you will too), where these sorts of misdeeds are alien fictions. But if you need a confidential set of shoulders, I’d recommend a counselor at SHAC or other professional establishment.
Officially,
All UNM faculty members are required to inform the Title IX Coordinator at the Office of Equal Opportunity (oeo.unm.edu) of any report they receive of gender discrimination which includes sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, and/or sexual violence. You can read the full campus policy regarding sexual misconduct at policy.unm.edu/university-policies/2000/2740.html. If you have experienced sexual violence or sexual misconduct, please ask a faculty or staff member for help or contact the LoboRESPECT Advocacy Center at loborespect.unm.edu.
Academic Integrity Statement
I assume everyone is here to play a game that fits within certain rules that usually go under the heading of academic honesty. I also do my very best to ask of you things that are worth doing originally, and where other sources would be resources and not forbidden fruit. Borrowing is great as long as you cite and have something that’s your own to contribute.
And the official boilerplate reads:
Each student is expected to maintain the highest standards of honesty and integrity in academic and professional matters. The University reserves the right to take disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal, against any student who is found guilty of academic dishonesty or otherwise fails to meet the standards. Any student judged to have engaged in academic dishonesty in course work may receive a reduced or failing grade for the work in question and/or for the course. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, dishonesty in quizzes, tests, or assignments; claiming credit for work not done or done by others; hindering the academic work of other students; misrepresenting academic or professional qualifications within or without the University; and nondisclosure or misrepresentation in filling out applications or other University records
Email Use Statement
As near as I can tell, the boilerplate below says that if you use UNM email for official stuff like finding out about grades, you assume the liability that this entails. Between the lines it looks to maybe say that non-unm email is not to be used for these purposes. Either way, we don’t traffic much in grades, though interpreting this legalese is above my pay grade. Practically, you can ask me for a meeting to discuss your standing when you’re curious, or better yet, make a list of what you’ve accomplished and decide for yourself. I won’t initiate any such conversations in other media unless you ask first, and then will always default to private communications, not public fora.
Students often use email to inquire about protected and sensitive matters, including grades and class progress, and faculty often use email to individually report such protected and sensitive matters. Unless students opt out in writing to the Honors College, the Honors College and Honors Faculty will assume that all email sent individually to students via their official UNM email address (generally their @unm.edu address) is private and confidential and that the student assumes all risk of inappropriate interception of email transmissions. If students opt out of this policy, they are agreeing to only receive such information either in person (students may be required to show identification before information is shared with them) or through regular mail to the student’s official address on file with UNM.
According to UNM specifically:
Accessibility Services (Mesa Vista Hall 2021, 277-3506) provides academic support to students who have disabilities. If you think you need alternative accessible formats for undertaking and completing coursework, you should contact this service right away to assure your needs are met in a timely manner. If you need local assistance in contacting Accessibility Services, see the Bachelor and Graduate Programs office.
Another sense in which this course needs to accommodate is in terms of the differences in its members. My classroom is anti discriminatory, not just for disability, but for gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, immigration status and age. Our classroom will likewise be a place bereft of sexual harassment.
This part of the syllabus, required and suggested at the university level, is a bureaucratic necessity in a large school with many parts. But within that Honors is a small place, with small classes, where problems that may arise can be dealt with humanely and personally. If you have any misgivings or concerns, please feel free ask me directly, or if for some reason that doesn’t seem like a tenable option, one of my other colleagues here in Honors, perhaps Dr. Lovata (our chair) or Dr. Donovan (our most senior faculty member). I will certainly do everything I can to improve the ability of our class to enable your learning and my colleagues care more about your wellbeing and the value and integrity of Honors education than they do my feelings.
