Academic Policies

1. Policies Related to Teaching Assignments and Scheduling

   1. University Calendar

      1. The calendar for the school year is made up by the Provost and is published on the SAU website – Academic Calendar.

   2. Teaching Assignments

      1. Teaching assignments for each semester and summer term are recommended by the department chairs and deans of each college and approved by the Provost. Within the limitations set by curriculum needs and the requirements of a practical schedule, each college recommends the courses to be taught and the hours at which they will be offered. Class schedules are prepared utilizing the two-year cycle of courses.

   3. Classroom Use

      1. Since factors such as suitability to course requirements, needs of classes, and convenience for an instructor help determine the assignment of classrooms, instructors may not change classrooms without approval from the Office of the Provost.

   4. Meeting of Classes/Faculty Absence

      1. Faculty members are expected to meet their classes at the regularly scheduled time, on time, and for the entire length of time for which each class (or laboratory) is scheduled. In anticipation of absence for such legitimate purposes as attending a meeting of a professional organization, representing the University officially, or participating in the program, the faculty member, after consultation with the department chair, should make provision for classes to be missed. The Office of the Provost will provide a form on which the faculty member will indicate the reason for absence, date of absence(s), and arrangements made for the class(es) to be missed, which will be submitted in advance to the office of the appropriate dean, who forwards the form, if approved, to the Office of the Provost.

   5. Emergencies

      1. When an emergency arises, such as illness, the faculty member should, as soon as possible, inform the department chair, who will contact the college dean. If it is not possible to locate the department chair or dean, the faculty should report to the Provost.

   6. Office Hours

      1. For the convenience of students and others who may wish to contact them, faculty members will post on their office doors and on Blackboard each semester a schedule which shows their classes and identifies at least eight hours (for full-time faculty, prorated for part-time) per week of regularly scheduled office hours. College requirements may exceed eight hours per week.

      2. During posted office hours, faculty members will be in their offices or will leave clear messages where they can be reached and/or when they will return.

   7. Teaching Load

      1. The normal full-time teaching load for full-time faculty in tenured or tenure-track positions is twelve (12) semester hours or the equivalent per semester. The normal load for full-time faculty teaching only graduate courses does not exceed nine (9) hours. The load of a faculty member teaching both graduate and undergraduate courses is an appropriate proration of graduate and undergraduate hours. The normal load for full-time faculty hired as instructors into non-tenure-track positions is fifteen (15) semester hours or the equivalent per semester. The value in credit hours given to various activities is determined through deliberation and consultation among the faculty of the department offering the credit, the chair of the department, the college dean, and the Provost. If an instructor is asked to teach an overload, the instructor will be compensated for it.

      2. In the infrequent circumstance in which a faculty member’s load for a semester does not equal the normal load (for example, because a scheduled course has been cancelled), the instructor, the instructor’s dean, department chair, and the Provost, through consultation with one another, will determine assignments for the instructor that will bring the instructor’s load for the semester to the contractual level. Such assignments may include assisting teachers with heavy teaching loads, being responsible for non-instructional duties deemed important by the administration, or teaching an irregularly scheduled course such as a short course, a Saturday class, a night class, an outreach course, or a course in a succeeding semester or intersession.

      3. The administration may approve the teaching of small classes under the following conditions: the class is necessary for the timely completion of graduation requirements by the students enrolled (such as a course which is offered only in two-year rotation of courses or requires individualized instruction or use of limited facilities or equipment). The Provost will consult with the dean of the college, who will consult with the chair of the department, who will consult with the faculty member to determine whether the course will be taught and the circumstances under which it will be taught. They will weigh matters such as the nature of the course, the number of students enrolled in the course, the number of students taught by the faculty member, and the number of different preparations the faculty member is responsible for during the semester.

   8. Outreach, Saturday, and Night Courses That Carry Semester Credit Hours

      1. Teaching methods and procedures of outreach, Saturday, and night courses that carry semester credit hours, while employing methods appropriate to the course and the circumstances of the class, will conform to the same academic standards and contact hour requirements used in regular courses. When a student is enrolled in residence and desires to take at the same time an outreach course for credit towards a degree, the student must obtain the approval of the appropriate dean.

      2. Instructors of outreach, Saturday, and night classes will have the same qualifications as regular instructors.

      3. Adequate laboratory and library facilities when required must be available in towns where outreach courses are offered.

      4. Outreach courses should be self-supporting. The amount of payment for teaching a course is to be determined by the administration.

      5. Decisions as to scheduling of outreach, Saturday, and night classes will be worked out between the affected college and the Office of Provost and VPAA based upon such factors as student demand, availability of instructors, budget, and teaching facilities.

   9. Vocational and Technical Short Courses, Non-Credit

      1. Non-credit vocational and technical short courses may be offered on request as a public service to aid in training employees of nearby industries. There are no prerequisites, and the student does not need to meet University entrance requirements to be admitted to these courses. Courses given under this program must be self-supporting. Outside agencies may be used to give training in non-credit courses. All non-credit courses should be coordinated by the Division of Continuing Education.

   10. Online Instructor Qualification Policy

       1. Faculty who have taught online courses for SAU prior to Fall 2018 (including part-time faculty). Effective Fall 2018, faculty with previous online experience at SAU assigned to teach an online course(s) must complete the Applying the Quality Matters Rubric (APPQMR) online course or the Quality Matters Self Review (see the two options below) within one year of being assigned an online course in order to continue teaching online courses.

          • Obtain APPQMR Certification

          • OR

          • Complete the Quality Matters Self Review assisted by a certified APPQMR faculty member.

       2. Faculty who have not taught online courses for SAU prior to Fall 2018 (including part-time faculty) assigned to teach an online course(s) must complete the following in order to teach online courses:

          • Online Faculty Primer (prior to teaching), and

          • Obtain APPQMR Certification (ideally before teaching online, but within the first year of teaching an online course)

       3. Faculty not meeting qualifications can facilitate a course designed by APPQMR trained faculty/team.

2. Policies Related to Examinations and Assigning of Grades

   1. Examinations

      1. Each instructor is personally charged with the responsibility of keeping examination papers from falling into students’ possession before examination time.

      2. Final Examination

         1. There shall be no exemptions from final examinations.
         2. All one-hour courses will hold the final examination at the last regularly scheduled class meeting.
         3. Final examinations will be given according to the published final examination schedule.
      3. Special Examinations
         
         1. Any examination—final, periodic, standardized, or exemption—given outside its regularly scheduled time is a special examination. Instructors who wish to give a class examination at any time other than during the regular class period or scheduled exam period must obtain approval of the Provost at least one week in advance for the proposed examination.
      4. Credit Examinations
         
         1. The University participates in the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) sponsored by the Educational Testing Service. In addition, the institution makes available subject examinations in areas not covered by CLEP. Details of this program are outlined in the University Catalog.
      5. Make-up Examinations/Credit for Class Absences
         
         1. Make-up credit for work missed will be given under any one of the following conditions:
            
            1. Student is excused in advance for due cause determined by the Provost. This will include, but not be limited to, absences due to academic program or course field trips and events, inter-collegiate athletics, or school-sponsored lectures.
            2. Student has been ill and has a written excuse from the University nurse or personal physician.
            3. Student is excused by the instructor for emergency reasons.
         2. The types of work missed for which makeup credit may be given include major examinations, homework, presentations, and attendance. Work given to a student for makeup does not have to be in the same format as work missed but must be of equivalent credit.
         3. The absent student must contact the instructor no later than the start of the next class attended in that course to make arrangements for the makeup work. A student who fails to make arrangements prior to commencement of the next class attended forfeits the right to makeup credit, though the instructor may, for good cause, choose to allow makeup credit.
         4. A student is responsible for notifying all instructors as soon as possible when the reason for an absence is known in advance. A student forfeits the right to makeup credit for failing to meet this requirement, though the instructor may, for good cause, choose to allow makeup credit. Notification by administrative or instructional staff of a student’s absence, either before or after the absence, does not relieve the student of the responsibility for personal notification.

   2. Grading System

      1. The grading system used at Southern Arkansas University is described in the University Catalog. In addition to the grades of A, B, C, D, and, F, as described in the Catalog, the following grades may be given under certain circumstances:

         1. The grade of AU may be given only if a student has registered as “Audit” for a course.

         2. The grade of CR may be given only if the student has registered for credit only.

         3. The grade of P may be given only in courses designated as pass/fail.

         4. The grade of I is given only to students whose work is incomplete because of circumstances beyond their control, and it is given at the discretion of the instructor. A student who receives a grade of I must complete the required work for the course in which the grade was received during the next regular semester (i.e., spring or fall semester). The work must be completed and the grade changed by the instructor prior to the week before final examinations of that semester. A grade of I which is not changed by that point automatically becomes an F.

         5. The grade of NC is given only in certain classes which have made provisions for such a grade, and it is given at the discretion of the instructor only to students who have made a sincere and vigorous effort to do the work of the course satisfactorily (including attending regularly) but have not met the requirements of the course.

         6. The grade of W is given by the Registrar to students who have officially dropped a course before the deadline for such action. The grade WF may be assigned by instructors to students who were failing at the time of their withdrawal from the University after the deadline for dropping a course, or to students who come under the provisions of the Attendance Policy of the University, described in the University Catalog. Alternatively, instructors who remove a student for non-attendance may, at their discretion, assign a grade of WN (for “withdrawn for nonattendance”). While the WF grade is calculated in student grade points as an F, the grade WN removes the course from consideration in calculation of grade point.

         7. Consistent with the Academic Integrity Policy, the grade of XF is given in a class when students violate the policy at Level 2 or Level 3 (see policy below).

   3. Mid-Semester Grades

      1. Grade Reporting for regular Fall and Spring semesters:

         1. Four-week grades will be reported for 0000-2999 courses. Faculty are strongly encouraged to report four-week grades in all undergraduate courses, when prompted by the Office of the Registrar.
            
            1. Grades may be reported on a letter scale including A, B, C, D, or F.
            2. Alternatively, grades may be reported as “credit,” “no credit,” or “incomplete” at the instructor’s discretion. A grade of “credit” will display to students as satisfactory (S), while a grade of “no credit” represents unsatisfactory performance and will display to students as a U.
         2. Mid-semester grades will be reported for all undergraduate courses, when prompted by the Office of the Registrar.

   4. Semester Grades

      1. Semester grades will be electronically submitted to the Registrar’s Office by the time announced by the Provost and VPAA and Registrar. The Registrar is responsible for distributing students’ grades at the end of the semester.

   5. Grade Changes

      1. After semester or summer session grades have been submitted to the Registrar, changes may be made only through one of the following conditions:

         1. The instructor who assigned the original grade chooses (as a result of recalculation, completion of course requirements, or on the basis of appeal from the student) to initiate a Grade Change Request, in which the instructor outlines the reasons for the change. (Forms used in processing a grade change of this sort are available from the Registrar.) The college dean and Provost must approve such a request.

         2. The “Student Grade Appeal Policy” described in the current University Catalog concludes with a decision that a grade is to be changed (in which case the dean of the college initiates the Grade Change Request). The instructor involved will be notified by the dean. The appeal time limit (three weeks after the beginning of the next semester) will be extended indefinitely in any case where clear and compelling evidence is presented that the student has been unjustly awarded a grade. In cases of administrative withdrawal from the University during the semester the student is enrolled, signatures of all current course faculty are required for the student to be administratively withdrawn. If a WF has been previously assigned, the grade will be changed to W if the instructor agrees to such change. If the instructor does not, the student may appeal the WF through the “Student Grade Appeal Policy” defined in the University Catalog.

         3. The administration initiates a withdrawal from the University on behalf of the student. For administrative withdrawal, all grades posted to the student’s record will be changed according to the policy described in the current University Catalog. Administrative withdrawal will be used only in extraordinary circumstances such as medical conditions, nonacademic suspensions, family emergencies, erroneous enrollment (defined as a student’s inadvertently remaining enrolled in a course the student did not intend to be enrolled in), or situations clearly beyond the control of the student. The administrator initiating the withdrawal must personally sign the request for withdrawal. Administrative withdrawal for medical reasons requires that a written statement from the attending physical be placed in the student’s permanent academic record. All instructors involved must be consulted by the most expeditious means before grades are changed by the Registrar. If the instructor is not available, the appropriate dean will be consulted in a like manner. The instructors involved have the option of sending to the Registrar a memorandum of concurrence/non-concurrence that will be placed in the student’s permanent academic file.

      2. Under no other circumstances may a grade be changed by an employee of the University.

3. Academic Integrity Policy

   1. The mission of Southern Arkansas University empowers all members of the University community to develop and encourage learning environments that create, expand, acquire, share, evaluate, and communicate knowledge. Academic integrity at SAU is an organizational and individual responsibility. Students, faculty, and staff share responsibility for maintaining the highest standards for academic integrity.

      1. Academic Misconduct Definitions

         1. Any act of dishonesty in academic work constitutes academic misconduct and is subject to disciplinary action. Acts of dishonesty include, but are not limited to, plagiarism, cheating, and fabrication.

            1. Plagiarism

               1. Plagiarism is the act of taking and/or using the ideas, work, and/or writings of another person as one’s own. Plagiarism occurs both when the words of another (in print, electronic, or any other medium) are reproduced without acknowledgement and when the ideas or arguments of another are paraphrased in such a way as to lead the reader to believe that they originated with the writer.

               2. To avoid plagiarism, give written credit and acknowledgement to the source of thoughts, ideas, and/or words, whether you have used direct quotation, paraphrasing, or just a reference to a general idea.

               3. If you directly quote works written by someone else, enclose the quotation with quotation marks and provide an appropriate citation (e.g., footnote, endnote, bibliographical reference).

               4. All course work including research performed and all assignments such as a written paper, must be the work of the person seeking academic credit for the course. Under no circumstances can purchased papers, book reports, projects and/or other class assignments, or work otherwise obtained from individuals or companies be submitted as work of the student.

               5. It is not sufficient to provide a citation if the words of another have been reproduced – this also requires quotation marks. It is the responsibility of all University students to understand the methods of proper attribution and to apply those principles in all materials submitted.

            2. Cheating

               1. Cheating is an act of dishonesty with the intention of obtaining and/or using information in a fraudulent manner. Examples of cheating include

                  1. observing and/or copying from another student’s test paper, report, computer file, and/or other assignments;

                  2. giving or receiving assistance during an examination period. This includes providing specific answers to subsequent examinees and/or dispensing or receiving information which would allow a student to have an unfair advantage in the examination over students who did not possess such information;

                  3. using class notes, outlines, and other unauthorized information during an examination period unless permission is specifically given;

                  4. using, buying, selling, stealing, transporting, or soliciting, in part or entirety, the contents of an examination or other assignment not authorized by the professor of the class. This includes the uploading of quizzes, examinations, or any other graded material, with or without answers, to a third-party website; and

                  5. exchanging places with another person for the purposes of taking an examination or completing other assignments.

            3. Fabrication

               1. Fabrication is faking or forging a document, signature, or findings of a research project. Other forms of fabrication may include

                  1. unauthorized collaboration or submitting the same paper or portions of the same paper to two different courses without the consent of current instructor, or

                  2. forging a signature on an official SAU or other document.

      2. Academic Integrity Policy Application to All Students

         1. The University’s academic integrity policy applies to all students enrolled in courses at the University. All forms of academic misconduct at SAU will be regarded as serious and may result in the student being expelled from the University.

      3. Faculty Syllabus Requirements

         1. Faculty will place in every course syllabus the following language:

         2. Southern Arkansas University affirms its commitment to academic integrity and expects all members of the University community to accept shared responsibility for maintaining academic integrity. Students in this course are subject to the provisions of the University’s Academic Integrity Policy, approved by the President and published in the Student Handbook. Penalties for academic misconduct in this course may include a failing grade on an assignment or a failing grade in the course. Continued enrollment in this course affirms a student’s acceptance of this University policy.

         3. An instructor may include in the course syllabus additional information about academic integrity if the instructor wishes to do so.

      4. Academic Misconduct File and Assistance with Notice to Students

         1. All documentation relevant to a student’s academic misconduct will be maintained in the Office of the Provost in a digital form. Academic misconduct files shall only be used in accordance with University FERPA policy.

         2. If the student makes a formal appeal, it will be decided in accordance with the procedures set forth below. If the matter is appealed to the Academic Integrity Council, the Provost (or designee) will forward all forms and other materials associated with the specific violation and a summary of other Academic Integrity violations committed by the student to the Chair of the Academic Integrity Council, to be disseminated to members of the Council.

         3. Students may not drop a class until the allegation of the academic integrity violation has been resolved. If the allegation is confirmed, the instructor retains the ability to assign a grade for the course, consistent with the criteria below, if the student decides to drop the class after completion of the process.

      5. Notification of Charge of Academic Misconduct to Student

         1. All forms used in the process will be located on SAU Academic Integrity web page and will be sent via SAU email. All forms will be copied to the instructor and to the student to keep them informed of the process. A copy will be sent to the appropriate dean of the college in which the alleged misconduct occurred.

         2. When an instructor determines that a student has engaged in academic misconduct, the instructor may take one of two actions: 1) the instructor may complete the web-based academic integrity violation form; or 2) the instructor may choose to meet informally with the student to discuss the alleged academic misconduct and then decide, on the basis of that meeting, whether or not to complete and submit the web-based academic integrity violation form. The form is found on SAU’s Academic Integrity webpage. This form will notify the student, the dean, and the Provost of the allegation through the student’s SAU email account. The notice will include the justification for the allegation. Once the form has been received, the Office of the Provost will inform the dean as to whether the student has been found responsible for any previous violations of the Academic Integrity Policy and at what level.

         3. NOTE: Faculty members should not penalize a student for acts of academic misconduct unless an academic integrity violation form has been completed and the process described in this section has been followed. To do otherwise would deprive students of their due process right to appeal any actions taken against them.

      6. Meeting with the Dean

         1. The student will have three days (excluding weekends and holidays) to make contact with the appropriate academic dean and schedule a meeting. (Should the student fail to make contact with the dean within the prescribed time, the dean’s decision as to violation level and sanction will be final.)  Once contacted, the dean should ensure that the meeting takes place within seven (7) calendar days of the student’s receipt of the initial notification email. If the dean is unable to schedule a meeting within seven days, the dean may ask an assistant dean, an associate dean, or the Provost to serve in his or her place. At the meeting, the dean will inform the student of the violation level associated with the alleged academic misconduct and provide the student with a copy of the entire Academic Integrity Policy, pointing out the relevant sanctions. The dean will then inform the student that the student has seven (7) calendar days to submit an appeal. If the student does not submit an appeal within seven calendar days, the dean’s decision as to violation level and sanction will be final. At the end of the meeting, the dean must fill out (within 24 hours) the associated form including the sanction value of the violation. This form should be sent to the student, the instructor, and the Provost.

      7. Appeals Process

         1. A student may appeal the charge of academic misconduct and/or the proposed violation level through the procedures set forth below.

            1. Appeals at the College Level

               1. Within seven (7) calendar days of receipt of the appeal, the dean will review all materials submitted by the student and Provost and, if necessary, meet with the student to attempt to resolve the matter. Online students may speak with the dean via electronic telecommunications. After the meeting with the student, the dean will render a decision on the appeal and fill out the online form within 24 hours. The instructor, student, and Office of the Provost will be informed of the dean’s decision.

               2. If the student is not satisfied with the action of the dean, the student can appeal the decision of the dean to the University Academic Integrity Council.

               3. If the instructor is not satisfied with the action of the dean, the faculty member may also appeal the decision to the University Academic Integrity Council.

            2. Appeals to the University Academic Integrity Council

               1. Within seven (7) calendar days of receipt of the notice of the college/dean appeal decision, the student or instructor may appeal to the Academic Integrity Council. The party filing the appeal will use the appropriate form found on SAU’s Academic Integrity Council web page. Upon receiving this form, the Provost will forward all forms and other materials associated with the specific count and a summary of other Academic Integrity violations committed by the student to the Chair of the Academic Integrity Council and that material will be disseminated to all members of the Council.

               2. Within seven (7) calendar days of receipt of the appeal, the Academic Integrity Council will consider the appeal with at least three members of the Council being present. The decision of the Academic Integrity Council will be forwarded (within 24 hours) to the student, the instructor, the dean, the Registrar, and the Provost via the web-based form.

               3. The Provost will review all decisions recommending suspension or expulsion.

            3. Final Notification to Student and Instructor

               1. Once the process is complete, the student, the instructor, the dean, the Chair of the Academic Integrity Council, and the Registrar will receive information from the Provost of the final disposition of the case, including the violation level and sanction points if the student is guilty.

      8. Violation Levels

         1. The following violation levels are assigned to specific types of violations of the University’s Academic Integrity Policy; if a violation occurs that is not specifically provided below, then any sanctions will be based on the most similar type of violation that exists in the rubric. A violation will be considered as a single violation up until the point that a student receives notice of that violation; additional infractions occurring after that point will be considered separately for purposes of this rubric. If assignment of a sanction requires the Academic Integrity Council to interpret the sanction rubric, the Academic Integrity Council shall provide a rationale for its determination and application of the particular sanction(s). General guidance on substantial issues of interpretation of the sanction rubric shall be provided by the Provost.

         2. A student receives the assigned number of sanction points for each violation for which the student is found responsible. Sanction points are cumulative over the length of the student’s matriculation at Southern Arkansas University. Graduate students will be considered new matriculates.

         3. The violation levels are as follows:

            1. Level Zero Violation – 0 sanction points

               1. For plagiarism/copying in work done for a course, if the plagiarized/copied material constitutes less than 10% of the assignment (first offense only).

               2. Unauthorized collaboration on homework assignments constituting less than 10% of the assignment in the judgment of the dean (first offense only).

               3. Use of any materials or resources that are not authorized by the instructor in completing any assignment having a value of less than 10% of the assignment in the judgment of the dean (first offense only).

            2. Level One Violation – 1.0 sanction points for each violation

               1. Copying from or viewing another student’s work during an examination.

               2. Using any materials or resources that are not authorized by the instructor for use during an examination or in completing any assignment having a value equal to or greater than 10% of the assignment in the judgment of the dean, or a second offense.

               3. Collaborating during an examination with any other person by giving or receiving information without specific permission of the instructor.

               4. Facilitating or aiding in any act of academic dishonesty.

               5. Collaborating on laboratory work, or other assigned work when instructed to work independently.

               6. Submitting, without specific permission of the instructor, work that has been previously offered by the same student for credit in another course.

               7. Falsification of attendance and/or participation.

               8. Submitting as one’s own any theme, report, term paper, essay, computer program, speech, painting, drawing, sculpture, or other written or creative work or project of any nature prepared totally or in large measure by another/plagiarizing, in work completed for a class assignment, when that copying/plagiarizing constitutes less than 10% of the assignment in the judgment of the dean and is a second offense, or when that copying/plagiarizing constitutes 10% or more of the assignment in the judgment of the dean.

               9. Unauthorized collaboration on homework assignments constituting 10% in the judgment of the dean or more of the assignment, or less than 10% of the assignment in the judgment of the dean on a second offense.

            3. Level Two Violation – 2.0 sanction points for each violation

               1. Submitting as one’s own any work prepared totally or in large measure by another.

               2. Uploading of quizzes, examinations or any other graded materials, with or without answers, to a third-party website.

               3. Submitting altered or falsified data (in work completed for a class assignment).

            4. Level Three Violation – 4.0 sanction points for each violation

               1. Altering grades or official records.

               2. Falsifying or signing another person’s name on any academically-related University form or document.

               3. Buying or selling course work (paying another person to complete exams, assignments, etc. or being paid to do this for another).

               4. Sabotaging another student’s work.

               5. Note: For offenses not specifically mentioned in this rubric, faculty members may confer with the Academic Integrity Council Chair and propose a description of the offense and the level of sanction to be recommended in the faculty member’s syllabus. The proposed description and sanctions will be forwarded to the Academic Integrity Council Chair to review the proposed offense and sanction for consistency with existing offenses and sanctions. If a faculty member and Academic Integrity Chair disagree over a particular offense or sanction, the matter may be discussed with the relevant dean and/or the Academic Integrity Council.

      9. Sanctions: The possible university sanctions are as follows:

         1. Sanction points for Level 0 = 0.0 The student will be issued a Letter of Reprimand (first offense only). There will be no grade sanction for a Level Zero offense. Student must attend the Academic Integrity Course.

         2. Sanction points for Level 1= 1.0 For work for a course, the instructor will give the test or an assignment an immediate zero (0) which will then be averaged into the course grade. If that involves missing a stated deadline, the stated late penalty will apply. Student must take the Academic Integrity Course.

         3. Sanction points for Level 2= 2.0 The student will receive a course grade of XF for work done for a course. A 2.0 offense will result in academic integrity suspension for one semester.

         4. Sanction points for Level 3= 4.0 or more The student will be immediately and permanently expelled. An XF will be given for the course(s).

      10. Opportunity and Removal for the “X”

          1. After two semesters of acceptable performance at the University following the imposition of a penalty, with no student conduct or academic dishonesty infractions, the student may request grade forgiveness by the Provost.

          2. To remove the X on the transcript, the student may request that the X be removed by submitting a written petition to the Provost. This written petition must provide evidence that the student now understands ethical standards (e.g., GPA following the infraction; lack of subsequent infractions [academic and conduct]; proactive activities that the student has engaged in to learn about appropriate techniques for citation, etc.). The X will still be counted if future infractions occur.

      11. Degrees, Honors, and Awards

          1. The University reserves the right to withhold or withdraw degrees, honors, or awards due to violations of the Academic Integrity Policy.

      12. Suspension and Expulsion

          1. Suspension involves withdrawal of enrollment privileges for a specified period of time and ordinarily carries with it conditions that must be met for re-enrollment. Suspended students are not permitted to live or board in University facilities or approved student organization housing (i.e., facilities owned by the University and leased to a student organization). Students who are suspended may not receive credit for University work completed by correspondence or in residence at another university without prior permission from the Provost or designee. Records of suspension are maintained indefinitely.

          2. Expulsion is a permanent dismissal from the University. These records are maintained indefinitely. Expulsion from Southern Arkansas University for academic dishonesty will be permanently noted on the student’s transcript.

          3. Note: The Academic Integrity Policy of the University of Arkansas was a source for the update of this policy.

4. Grade Records

   1. Grade books may be obtained from the faculty member’s department chair or college dean. Upon leaving the University faculty, the faculty member is responsible for leaving all grade records with the college dean.

5. Other Policies

   1. Advising

      1. Academic advising is an important part of a faculty member’s workload. Faculty members may be given specific advising assignments each year, depending on the needs of the department and the college. Southern Arkansas University recognizes that advising is a service responsibility of the faculty.

      2. Freshman students are normally advised through the Academic Advising and Assistance Center during their first year. Academic departments may assist these students if they are declared majors or if students seek departmental assistance. Students who have selected a major in which the curriculum has heavy prerequisites will be urged to seek departmental guidance.

   2. Textbooks

      1. 1. Requisition by Faculty

            1. The management of the campus bookstore will send a textbook order form to the faculty at least two weeks prior to the October 15 and March 15 deadlines for book order submissions to ensure compliance with state statutes. The form determines 1) what textbooks each instructor will require the succeeding semester, 2) the approximate number of each text that will be needed, and 3) whether the books used during the current semester will be used the next time the course is offered. Textbook requisitions must be approved by the department chair, and one copy of all requisitions must be forwarded to the appropriate dean(s). A faculty member may borrow textbooks from the bookstore for a period of not more than 90 days. If not returned in good condition during the above period, the books will be charged to the teacher’s departmental budget.

         2. Student Responsibility

            1. Students are expected to acquire all textbooks assigned in courses in which they enroll.

   3. Faculty Attendance at Spring Commencement

      1. The deans and chairs are to develop a rotation of required attendance that will ensure sufficient faculty presence at each of the spring ceremonies. Faculty members who elect to attend the graduate ceremony are not expected to attend an undergraduate ceremony. Individual Faculty members who wish to participate in commencement ceremonies more often than expected may choose to do so. The Registrar will be provided a list of participants for the ordering of academic regalia for the faculty.

   4. Library

      1. Policies and information related to the functions and services of the Magale Library may be found in the University Handbook.

6. Intellectual Property Policy

   1. The primary purpose of the Intellectual Property Policy is to provide the necessary protections and incentives to encourage both the discovery and development of new knowledge and its transfer for the public benefit; a secondary purpose is to enhance the generation of revenue for the home institutions and the creators.

   2. Definitions

      1. Although the law provides for several different types of Intellectual Property, SAU faculty concerns center around two: copyrightable and patentable properties. The following definitions are adapted from the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) document “Sample Intellectual Property & Policy Contract Language,” which relies on pertinent federal statutes:

      2. The term “Copyrightable” shall be understood to mean that bundle of rights that protect original works of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression, now known or later developed, from which they can be perceived, reproduced, or otherwise communicated, either directly or with the aid of a machine or device. “Works of authorship” (including computer programs) include, but are not limited to, the following: literary works; musical works, including any accompanying words; dramatic works, including any accompanying music, pantomimes, and choreographic works; pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works (photographs, prints, diagrams, models, and technical drawings); motion pictures and other audiovisual works; sound recordings; and architectural works. “Tangible media” include, but are not limited to, books, periodicals, manuscripts, phonograph records, films, tapes, and disks. “Tangible media” also include material created for ordinary teaching use (including, but not limited to, traditional, distance, and online course delivery methods) and in departmental programs, such as course content/materials, syllabi, assignments, tests, activities, and exercises.

      3. The term “Patentable” shall be understood to mean that bundle of rights that protects inventions or discoveries which constitute any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof.

      4. “Directed work” or “work for hire” is defined as a work agreed upon between the University faculty creator(s), the creation of which is based upon a specific request by the University and which requires substantial University resources. To qualify as a “directed work” or a “work for hire,” the following three conditions must be satisfied:

         1. A specific request by the University;

         2. Substantial resources invested by the University; and
         3. Agreement between the University and the faculty creator. Such arrangement is to be agreed to in writing in advance, and in full conformance with other provisions of this agreement.
      5. Substantial resources will vary by department and context. To be “substantial,” the resources must be beyond the ordinary (e.g., computer or Blackboard or equivalent) and must be more than that to which other members of the department or unit are regularly offered as support for their work. For example, if a unit moves all courses online, support to move these courses online would not, in this context, be substantial as support was not differentially provided.
   3. Ownership of Copyright or Patent:
      
      1. Intellectual property created, made, or originated by a faculty member shall be the sole and exclusive property of the faculty, author, or inventor, except as the faculty member may voluntarily choose to transfer such property, in full, or in part, except when the work qualifies as a “directed work” or “work for hire” by meeting the three criteria stated in the definition of such work, found above.
   4. Ownership of Copyright of Course Materials:
      
      1. Material created for ordinary teaching use in the classroom or for distance or online courses or programs, such as course content/materials, syllabi, assignments, tests, activities, and exercises, shall remain the property of the faculty author, but institutions shall be permitted to use such material for internal instructional, educational, and administrative purposes, including satisfying requests of accreditation agencies for faculty-authored syllabi and course descriptions.
   5. Frequently Asked Questions:
      
      1. Do I own copyright in my course?
         
         1. To be copyrightable, a work must be “fixed in tangible form” – that is, it cannot be oral. Thus, “courses” are not copyrightable as a general matter. Course materials (syllabus, class notes, etc.) of sufficient originality can be copyrightable and as academic works, copyright in such materials belongs to the faculty member.
      2. For the University to own a directed work, must the agreement be in writing?
         
         1. No. However, administrators and faculty are encouraged to memorialize agreements in writing.
      3. What are “substantial resources” under this policy?
         
         1. The substantial resources threshold will vary by college, department, unit, and context. At the broad policy level, it would be unwise to try to capture such a variety of potential situations. However, resources beyond the normal provision made to faculty members are, at a minimum, a threshold factor in this determination. Remember also that the other two criteria (request and agreement by the faculty member) must be satisfied for a work to qualify as “directed” under this policy.

7. Copyright Policy

   1. Significant portions of this policy are derived from Complete Copyright: An Everyday Guide for Librarians, by Carrie Russell, Creative Deed License 2004, American Library Association. This use is subject to the following: original credit to the author, non-commercial use, and sharing based on these same conditions.
      1. Copyright Basics
         
         1. The founding fathers believed that authors and inventors would be more likely to create new works if they were given an incentive. Congress established a set of exclusive rights that gave copyright holders the sole right to reproduce and market their works to the public for “limited times.” During the term of copyright, copyright holders would have no competitors in the market for their particular copyrighted works. Initially, the exclusive rights pertained only to the rights of reproduction and distribution, but over the years, Congress has created additional rights. Copyright law is found in Title 17 of the United States Code.
         2. The owner of copyright, under this title, has exclusive rights to do and to authorize any of the following:
            
            1. to reproduce the copyrighted work in copies or phonograph records;
            2. to prepare derivative works based upon the copyrighted work;
            3. to distribute copies of phonograph records of the copyrighted work to the public by sale or other transfer of ownership, or by rental, lease, or lending;
            4. in the case of literary, musical, dramatic, choreographic works, pantomimes, motion pictures, and other audiovisual works, to perform the copyrighted work publicly;
            5. in the case of literary, musical, dramatic, choreographic works, pantomimes, pictorial, graphic, or sculptural works, including the individual images of a motion picture or other audiovisual work, to display the copyrighted work publicly; and
            6. in the case of sound recordings, to perform the copyrighted work publicly by means of a digital audio transmission.
         3. If a person other than the copyright holder uses one of the exclusive rights without the authorization of the copyright holder, that person has infringed copyright (unless an exemption applies).
         4. Once an expression is fixed in a tangible medium, it is afforded copyright protection immediately. A doodle made during a staff meeting, a webpage published on the World Wide Web, and the video one makes of a friend’s wedding are all equally copyrighted. In the past, to gain copyright protection for a work, the work had to be registered with the U.S. Copyright Office and/or contain a copyright notice (© 1999 Joe Creative) on the published work. The Berne Convention Implementation Act of 1988 (which went into effect on March 1, 1989) amended the Copyright Act of 1976 by eliminating the registration and notice requirement.
         5. Since copyright is automatic, copyright is the rule rather than the exception. The creator or author must do something in order not to have copyright protection. She or he can put notice on the work saying, “This material is not protected by copyright” or “I assert as the creator of this work that this work be recognized as public domain material.” If the creator does not take action to the contrary, all created works are automatically protected. Thus, materials are copyright protected, instantly.
      2. Duration of Copyright
         
         1. The copyright term has been extended many times throughout the history of copyright law, and the rules for copyright registration, renewal, and notice have also been amended numerous times. As a result, it can be very difficult to determine whether materials are protected by copyright. To complicate matters, additional modifications of the law have affected the term of unpublished materials.
      3. Exceptions to Copyright Protection
         
         1. Non-copyrightable work
            
            1. Copyright does not protect ideas, but it does protect expression. The idea of a story – “boy meets girl” – cannot be protected by copyright, but a “boy meets girl” story expressed in an original way can be protected.
            2. Works that are obvious in their nature, such as the 12-month Julian calendar, cannot be protected by copyright. However, other parts of the calendar, such as original art or photography, may be protected by copyright.
            3. Copyright law does not protect facts, but it does protect the original and creative selection and arrangement of facts. For example, a bibliography is a list of citations that cannot be protected. An annotated bibliography is copyright protected (not the list of citations but the original and creative annotations). On the other hand, a nonannotated bibliography might arguably qualify for copyright protection based on the originality of the selection of citations. Likewise, a bibliography arranged in a novel and creative way might also qualify.
            4. Current copyright law protects only those elements of databases that contain originality and creatively in selection, coordination, or arrangement. Copyright protection for databases is often considered minimal, since databases frequently are composed almost entirely of public domain materials. These types of works of authorship are sometimes said to have “thin” copyright protection.
            5. Since existing copyright law protects an original selection, arrangement, and coordination of facts in databases, librarians and other public interest groups have argued that additional copyright protection is not necessary. If database producers could also copyright the facts that reside within a database, basic tenets of copyright law would be challenged:
               
               1. Originality is a constitutional requirement for copyright protection.
               2. Copyright only protects expression and not ideas.
               3. Copyright’s purpose to advance learning demands that ideas and information presented by others be built upon to create new works.
               4. Once materials fall into the public domain, they cannot be copyright protected.
         2. Public Domain
            
            1. The public domain is information, knowledge, discoveries, and artistic creation never or no longer protected by copyright. Most of us know that facts, for example, are automatically part of the public domain, because facts cannot be copyrighted. The copyright law (§ 102) goes on to say that “in no case does copyright protection for an original work of authorship extend to any idea, procedure, process, system, method of operation, concept, principle, or discovery.” Thus, while a particular process a person may have designed for shelving books in his library cannot be protected by copyright, a description, explanation, or illustration of the process could be protected by copyright.
            2. In addition, works of the U.S. government produced by government employees are in the public domain. This category includes works that are created by all agencies of the federal government, such as the Internal Revenue Service, federal legislation, the president’s speeches, and court rulings. Works created by state governments and their employees may or may not be in the public domain.
            3. Once materials are in the public domain, anyone can exercise a right of copyright without the prior permission of the copyright holder. For example, publishing a work from the public domain is not violation of copyright. In fact, the re-publication of such a work can generate new revenue, not for the original copyright holder, but for whoever publishes and markets it.
         3. Fair Use
            
            1. Fair use is limited use without signing a license and without paying a fee. It not only allows but also encourages socially beneficial uses of copyrighted works such as teaching, learning, and scholarship. There is never an immediate answer to the question, “Is this a fair use?” One must make a fair use determination based on sound judgment and the careful consideration of the situation at hand and that determination may take some time. Those who prefer a “yes” or “no” answer may be troubled by the ambiguous nature of fair use, but fair use cannot be reduced to a checklist. Fair use requires people to think.
            2. But at least the fair use section of the copyright law is short and easy to read:
            3. Sec.107. Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonograph records or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright. In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is fair use, the factors to be considered shall be
               
               1. the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
               2. the nature of the copyrighted work;
               3. the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
               4. the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.
            4. The Supreme Court has framed the larger policy issue by saying that “to negate fair use one need only show that if the challenged use should become widespread, it would adversely affect the potential market for the copyrighted work.” Usually, one will need to investigate a few facts to assess the “market” and “effect” on the copyrighted work for a particular use. A person considering the issue of fair use might ask questions such as these:
               • What is the market and “potential” market?
               • Has a market developed at all?
               • What is its rough size – a handful of possible buyers for some precisely focused newsletters, or a wealth of takers for a Hollywood film?
            5. Making a copyrighted work available to a small group of enrolled students for the purpose of teaching, learning, and scholarship is likely an easier fair use case than sharing that work with six billion people worldwide on a publicly accessible website. Ease and cost of acquiring permission also is a question to ponder and address in assessing the potential market.
         4. The TEACH Act
            
            1. Before the TEACH Act was passed in 2002, section 110 did not address transmitting digital materials to students in distance education situations. Unlike fair use, the TEACH amendment is more of a checklist – one is allowed to do this and that, but you have to follow these particular conditions. The TEACH Act allows copyrighted works in digital formats to be digitally transmitted to students in the classroom or in distance learning environments without prior permission from the copyright holder. But make no mistake: the exemptions addressing the use of digital materials in the classroom are limited in scope. In particular, educational institutions must meet specific requirements before the exemption can be used.
         5. Public Displays and Performances in the Classroom
            
            1. In the face-to-face teaching situation (physical classroom or other place devoted to instruction), instructors and pupils at non-profit educational institutions may display analog works protected by copyright holder. For audiovisual works, like videotapes, the copy used must be a lawful copy. But, as you know by now, copyright has to be confusing most of the time. When transmitting material via digital networks, the rules for the display and performance of copyrighted works to the classroom are more complex and detailed in nature.
      4. Additional Rules for Digital Works and Digital Transmission of Works Protected by Copyright
         
         1. All materials used for display and performance in the classroom must be works that were lawfully made and acquired, or at least one should have every reason to believe that the copies are lawful copies.
         2. Teaching must occur at an accredited, non-profit educational institution. Accreditation for K-12 schools is recognition by the applicable state certification or licensing board. For higher education, the college or university must be approved by a regional or national accrediting agency recognized by the Council on Higher Education and Accreditation or the U.S. Department of Education.
         3. The use of the copyrighted resources must be within the confines of “mediated instructional activities” – integral to the course, under the direction of the course instructor, and analogous to the kinds of performances or displays one would expect in a physical classroom.
         4. The use of dramatic literary works – those works with a dramatic element like an opera or play – and any other work (including audiovisual works) is limited to smaller, discrete portions of the work unless performing or displaying the entire work is essential to the course. For example, an instructor teaching the course “Films of John Ford” probably needs to show one or more John Ford Films in their entirety to meet course goals. In the rare instance where it is necessary to transmit a digital copy of a film via a computer network to students in remote locations, TEACH could also apply, but only if the digital copy is necessary to meet pedagogical goals. The digital transmission is made for enrolled students only and to the extent technologically feasible, limited to enroll students.
         5. To use these exemptions, educational institutions must also have in place copyright policies and copyright educational resources that promote lawful use of copyrighted works and that are readily available to instructors, staff, and students. In addition, students should be alerted to the fact that copyrighted works used in courses may be protected by copyright. Labeling works as protected by copyright and including the notice of copyright whenever possible is more important when works are in digital formats. Furthermore, the educational institution that transmits digital works must use technological protection measure (passwords, watermarking, and encryption) that reasonably prevent:
            
            1. retention of the work in accessible form for any time longer than the class session.
            2. unauthorized further dissemination of the work to others.
            3. activities that would decrypt or otherwise interfere with technological measures already employed by the copyright holder to prevent retention or unauthorized distribution of the work.
         6. Digital materials are more vulnerable to copyright infringement because of the ease of reproduction and broad distribution. With TEACH, Congress said digital works should be more tightly controlled. To achieve this end, educational institutions are required to make a concerted effort to prevent infringements in two ways – by educating the educational community about copyright law and by using technology to limit the possibility of infringement.
      5. Effectiveness of Technological Controls Required by TEACH
         
         1. Arguably, the most difficult aspect of interpreting the TEACH Act is the technological requirements expected of institutions who want to exercise the TEACH exemptions. Congress used the “reasonable measures” language as an acknowledgement that educators’ judgment and our demonstration of good faith will come into play when educators implement protection technologies. The institution should take reasonable measures to protect copyrighted works as best as possible, given existing technology, its availability, and the technological capabilities of the individual school, college, or university.
         2. Fair use is always an alternative option for educational institutions. Teachers and students can use digital materials for teaching if the use is a fair use. In fact, before the TEACH amendment, many educational institutions exercised fair use when using digital materials for educational purposes. As far as can be determined, none of these actions led to litigation. If the use of digital material is fair, the institution is not infringing. Note that with fair use, the institution is not required by law to meet the technological requirements outlined in section 110.
      6. Course Packs
         
         1. Publishers and other copyright holders have long been concerned about course packs, for a number of reasons. If course packs are used rather than textbooks, profits are affected. Publishers and other copyright holders believe that they should be compensated – through permission fees, for example – for the use of copyrighted material in a course pack. Indeed, copyright permission fees are an increasing source of income for many publishers. Publishers are able to continue to collect royalties even on materials they no longer print or make available in the market.
         2. On the other hand, educators may feel that, if the materials are being used for non-profit, educational purposes, course packs are fair uses. After all, one of the exemplars of fair use listed in section 107 is “multiple copies for classroom use.” Even so, two court cases have found against course packs without copyright permissions.
         3. Unfortunately, the copyright law does not tell us when permission is necessary for the copyrighted works included in course packs. We know that if a copyright exemption such as fair use does not apply, permission should be sought. Some people assert that the “first use” of a copyrighted work in a course pack is fair, and subsequent uses of the same material are unfair. The copyright law does not provide a specific indication that repeated use of the same item is an infringement. However, if the repeated use is conducted to avoid a purchase, the fourth factor – effect on the market – would certainly come into play, and permission should be sought. For those institutions that rely on the Agreement on Guidelines for Classroom Copying in Not-for-Profit Educational Institutions, to make fair use decisions, repeated use may be in conflict with the “spontaneity” constraint. However, the Classroom Guidelines are merely one way to make decisions about copying. “True” fair use determinations (based on section 107) do not rely on the guidelines. Magale Library is the contact point for seeking permission for use when that need is determined. The Library currently is paying the copyright permission cost if it is not unreasonable.
      7. The TEACH Act and Reserves
         
         1. The legislative history for the TEACH Act makes clear that exemptions to public performance and public display of resources outlined in section 110 do not apply to reserves. This makes sense if one considers that rarely would an instructor publicly display a journal article for classroom purposes. Students do not read their materials during the class period. It is more likely that a portion of a resource (like a graph or illustrative model) may be displayed in the classroom. Public performance applies only to works that are publicly performed (recitation, theatrical production, choreography) or that are shown or heard by means of a playback device (videos, motion pictures, sound recordings). Public displays are for work “on display” as in works that would be displayed in an art gallery.
      8. Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) of 1998
         
         1. The DMCA is the principal amendment that attempts to update the copyright law for the digital environment. This law remains unsettled and controversial. The DMCA:
            
            1. provides some protection to online service providers from liability for online infringement if certain conditions are true and particular rules are followed;
            2. allows libraries and archives to make up three reproductions for replacement or preservation purposes under certain conditions;
            3. gives copyright holders the right to control or deny access to digital works protected by copyright;
            4. makes the circumvention of technology used to protect copyrighted materials a civil and criminal offense;
            5. prohibits the manufacture, provision, importation of, and trafficking of ant-circumvention and anti-copying devices or software;
            6. prohibits tampering with copyright management information;
            7. maintains that rights, remedies, limitations, or defenses to copyright infringement, including fair use, are not affected regardless of new prohibitions on anti-circumvention technologies (although fair use is not a defense to the criminal act of circumvention);
            8. establishes that an ongoing, administrative rule-making proceeding be held to evaluate the impact of the anti-circumvention provisions on non-infringing uses of copyrighted works;
            9. directs the U.S. Copyright Office and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration of the Department of Commerce (NTIA) to produce a joint report on first sale and computer software exemptions and how encryption research may be affected by DMCA; and
            10. directs the U.S. Copyright Office to hold public hearings and make recommendations regarding distance education.

8. Policy on Faculty Qualifications

   1. Southern Arkansas University adheres to Higher Learning Commission guidelines on “Determining Quality Faculty” (updated Oct. 1, 2015 following an adoption of a policy revision to Assumed Practice B.2. by HLC’s Board of Trustees). These guidelines state that “qualified faculty members are identified primarily by credentials, but other factors, including but not limited to equivalent experience, may be considered by the institution in determining whether a faculty member is qualified.”

   2. Faculty should possess a master’s degree and have completed at least 18 graduate hours in the discipline or subfield of the undergraduate credit courses for which they are the instructor of record and a terminal degree in the discipline if teaching graduate courses. Departments are responsible for determining, within recognized national standards, the definitions of “discipline” and “subfield” for the purposes of meeting the HLC guidelines on faculty qualifications. The key consideration in each case will be whether or not the faculty member’s graduate-level training demonstrably provides them with the substantive and/or methodological expertise necessary to teach the course in question. All departmental decisions are subject to review and approval by the appropriate dean and the Provost.

   3. Academic colleges may choose to assign faculty to teach courses or to employ faculty to positions based upon their equivalent experience as part or all of their formal credentials. The deans of the colleges must follow HLC guidelines in documenting that these faculty have “tested experience” that may include defined skills relevant to the courses, a record of accomplishment throughout their career and profession, and credentials or certifications that confirm expertise in the field. The exception to applying the “tested experience” in lieu of academic degree requirements are departments or colleges in which the governing agency or accrediting body prohibits the exception. The employment of regular or adjunct faculty with equivalent experience should normally occur only in cases where the faculty member in question possesses a critical technical skill set otherwise unavailable to SAU students; or where the faculty member in question has a documented record of exceptional personal or professional experience that, by virtue of its high level of responsibility and/or accomplishment, provides a depth and scope of knowledge in the field comparable to that of someone holding a terminal degree. A documentation letter of tested experience from the appropriate dean and approved by the Provost must be included in the personnel files of the faculty employed under this criteria. Faculty whose qualifications have been approved by the Provost prior to January 1, 2017, will be considered as meeting all standards described above.

   4. In emergency cases (for example, when professors assigned to courses are unable to fulfill their duties either just before or during a term), it may be necessary to hire someone who, while knowledgeable and competent in the subject matter, does not fully meet the standards described above. Such a hire will be considered temporary, and should not continue past the relevant semester. When such a hire is necessary, the appropriate academic dean must state in writing both the exigency involved and the qualifications that justify allowing the person in question to serve as instructor of record. The request must be approved by the Provost. The person hired on an emergency basis must have documented college-level training or experience in the field. Such hires should only be made after all efforts to find a fully qualified replacement are exhausted and when, in the judgment of the dean and Provost, significant harm would be done to students by cancelling the course.

9. Blackboard Minimum Expectations Policy

   • Blackboard is the learning management system (LMS) used to support all courses at Southern Arkansas University (SAU). Course shells are created in Blackboard for all in-person, online, and hybrid courses. Blackboard allows faculty to make course content and materials available to students online 24 hours a day 7 days a week. This policy lists the minimum expectations for all courses delivered at SAU.At a minimum, all SAU faculty are required to provide the following learning materials in Blackboard:

     • faculty contact information,

     • faculty-student communication policy (see Online Faculty-Student Communication Policy),

     • current course syllabus, and

     • active use of the Bb Grade Center so students are aware of progress in the course

     • This requirement would require, at a minimum, that assignment/test/exam grades be posted for student reference

     • This policy does not require grade calculations to be performed in the grade center

   • All content uploaded and generated in Blackboard should be designed with accessibility standards in mind.

   • Online and hybrid courses must meet the additional requirements as outlined in the Online Course Quality Policy and SAU Quality Assurance Checklist.

10. AI Policy 

1. 1. Faculty have the freedom to adopt their own course policies regarding the use of AI programs. All faculty members should clearly communicate in their syllabi whether they will allow the use of AI in each individual course they teach. If the usage of AI is approved for a given course, the faculty member must clearly specify any assignments, assessment activities, or other coursework where the use of AI will not be permitted. Unless explicitly authorized in the course syllabus, students may not use AI programs for any class assignments, assessment activities, or submitted coursework. Unauthorized use of AI programs will be considered equivalent to receiving unauthorized assistance, a violation of the University’s Academic Integrity Policy, and may be reported accordingly.
   2. AI and Data Privacy Policy
      
      1. The permitted use of AI programs must conform to the same policies that apply to all student work. This includes prohibitions on seeking or revealing private or confidential information, such as student academic records, health details, or any sensitive University data. The use of AI programs must comply with university regulations and state and federal laws, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

         Faculty and staff members are also prohibited from submitting any private or confidential information to AI programs. Violations may constitute a breach of FERPA and/or University policy.