Omnibus Language for Syllabus

Campus Academic Policies & Student Resources

Workload and Class Planning Policies

Credit Hour Standard

UMassD, in alignment with federal regulations and regional accreditation standards, sets expectations for the amount of work required to earn one academic credit. One credit hour is an amount of work that reasonably approximates not less than:

(1) One hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks (includes exam week) for one semester, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time.

(2) At least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1) of this definition for other academic activities as established by the institution, including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.

For a regular 3-credit class, 3 hours per week of in-class work and 6 hours per week of out-of-class work are required.

Academic Calendar

The Academic Calendar provides important planning information for students, faculty, staff and departments, such as class start dates, deadlines for adding, dropping or auditing a class, holidays schedule and the final exam schedule.

Academic Policies

Academic Integrity

All UMass Dartmouth students are expected to maintain high standards of academic integrity and scholarly practice. A high standard of academic integrity promotes the pursuit of truth and learning and respect for the intellectual accomplishments of others. These are values that are fundamental to the mission of this University. Such values are undermined by academic dishonesty.

The University does not tolerate academic dishonesty of any variety, whether as a result of a failure to understand required academic and scholarly procedure, or as an act of intentional dishonesty. All students should read and understand the University’s Academic Integrity Policy, which can also be found in the Undergraduate Catalog.

A student found responsible for academic dishonesty is subject to severe disciplinary action, which may include dismissal from the University.

Student Behavior

Students are expected to follow the Student Code of Conduct within the classroom settings.

Faculty may ask students to leave if the faculty member(s) determine(s) that the code of conduct has been violated and a student is creating an environment that is unsafe or not conducive to learning.

Attendance Policy

The attendance policy for the University is available in the "Student Enrollment" section of the catalog:

Faculty are free to augment the attendance policy for their own classes.

Course Withdrawal

View the academic calendar (above) to see the last day to withdraw each semester. The following information is from the undergraduate catalog:

Students may withdraw from courses through the end of the tenth week of classes of the semester via COIN, at the Student Service Center. Once processed, a grade of W will be recorded on the transcript. Grades of W do not affect a student’s GPA, but may impact financial aid Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements. Students who fail to complete this process by the withdrawal deadline will be ineligible for withdrawal and will be graded appropriately by the faculty.

  • Students may independently withdraw from a maximum of 18 cumulative credits. The college dean or designee must approve withdrawal requests above 18 and up to 24 credits. After a student has exceeded 18 credits of withdrawals during his or her academic career, the student’s college dean or designee must approve any further withdrawal requests, up to 24 credits. Students with more than 24 withdrawal credits are subject to dismissal from the University by the college. Withdrawal credits granted through an approved Medical Leave of Absence do not apply toward the 18 or 24 credit maximum.
  • Students who withdraw from all courses during the semester shall be deemed to have withdrawn from the University and will be subject to this policy and the readmission procedures of the University.

Withdrawal from the University

Students withdrawing or taking a leave of absence from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth are required to submit a written notification of withdrawal.

The Student Leave of Absence/Withdrawal Form may be obtained at the Registrar's Student Forms page. The last date of attendance will be the date indicated on the form or the date of the last documented academically related activity, whichever is earlier.

For additional information: Withdrawal Policy

Incompletes

According to both the Undergraduate Catalog and Graduate Catalog, an incomplete may be given only in exceptional circumstances at the instructor's discretion. The student must be passing at the time of the request or be sufficiently close to passing. If the work is not completed within one year of the recording of the incomplete grade (I), the grade will become an F(I).

Grade Appeal Process

Academic Advising: Grades

Students should be advised that grade appeals need to be filed by specific dates in order for appeals to be heard. For the fall semester, grade appeals are due by the Monday of the second week in January. For the spring semester, grade appeals are due by the Monday of the last full week of May. Information about what can be appealed, who to file a grade appeal with, and what the grade appeal process entails can be found at: Grade Appeal.

Accommodations and Support Policies

Accommodations for Documented Disabilities

In accordance with University policy, if you have a documented disability and require accommodations to obtain equal access in a course, please meet with the course instructor at the beginning of the semester and provide the appropriate paperwork from the Center for Access and Success. The necessary paperwork is obtained when you bring proper documentation to the Center, which is located in Pine Dale Hall, Room 7136, 508-999-8711.

Emotional Health, Violence, Sexual Harassment, and Title IX

The purpose of a University is to disseminate information, as well as to explore a universe of ideas, to encourage diverse perspectives and robust expression, and to foster the development of critical and analytical thinking skills. In many classes, students and faculty examine and analyze challenging and controversial topics.

If a topic covered in this class triggers post-traumatic stress or other emotional distress, please discuss the matter with the professor, or seek out confidential resources available from the Counseling Center, 508-999-8648 or - 8650, or the Victim Advocate in the Center for Women, Gender and Sexuality, 508-910-4584. In an emergency, contact the Department of Public Safety at 508-999-9191 24 hrs./day.

UMass Dartmouth, following national guidance from the Office of Civil Rights, requires that faculty follow UMass Dartmouth policy as a "mandated reporter" of any disclosure of sexual harassment, abuse, and/or violence shared with the faculty member in person and/or via email. These disclosures include, but are not limited to, reports of sexual assault, relational abuse, relational/domestic violence, and stalking. While faculty are often able to help students locate appropriate channels of assistance on campus, disclosure by the student to the faculty member requires that the faculty member inform the University’s Title IX Coordinator in the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at 508-999-8008 to help ensure that the student’s safety and welfare are being addressed, even if the student requests that the disclosure not be shared.

For confidential counseling support and assistance: Sexual Violence Awareness

myCourses

Technical support for myCourses is available 24/7:

  • Students can submit a request at IT Help or call the Student Help desk at 508-999-8900 during normal business hours (Mon-Fri 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. EST).
  • During off-hours, weekends, and holidays, technical assistance is available for students at the Help Center.
  • Support information for all other UMass Dartmouth technologies can be found here: Online Support.

Tutoring Support Services

If you are having difficulty with a class, please:

  • Contact the instructor directly using the contact information listed on the syllabus.
  • Contact the Multiliteracy and Communication Center for help with writing and communication projects. Liberal Arts building, Rooms 219-221
  • Contact the STEM Learning Lab for support with science, engineering, math, and business assignments. Science and Engineering building, Room 217, 508-999-8718

Career Planning

The Career Center offers an array of resources to help students make career decisions and ultimately launch their careers.