Student-Faculty Expectations

Attendance

In signing up for a zoology class you make an agreement with the instructor; who agrees to be present and prepared at scheduled class times as do you. You are expected to be in class every day, not to be tardy, and not to leave early. Attendance may be taken. Absences are excused for academic cause (university related activities and other reasons approved by the instructor).

If you must leave early, inform the instructor before class and sit where you can exit easily without disturbing others. If for any reason, you are absent, it is your responsibility to obtain and learn the material you missed. Hands-on work and labs are mandatory and students absent from such activities may not be able to make them up due to the time and materials required for preparation.
 

Coursework

You are expected to spend 2-3 hours per credit hour every week outside of class studying for each course. If you are involved in other activities that prevent you from devoting the necessary time to study, you need to make choices and adjust your schedule if necessary.

Students and faculty are expected to make full use of the assigned text and course materials. Assignments or exams are due or given on the day and time specified. Exceptions (for academic cause) must be cleared with the instructor well before the due date. Penalties for late assignments will be made according to instructor policy. Instructors will announce deadlines well in advance, give clear instructions, and return papers quickly with constructive criticisms.
 

Academic Honesty

Cheating and plagiarism are not tolerated. If you are caught cheating, you will be subject to academic discipline, including the imposition of university sanctions. A description of cheating and possible sanctions may be found in the Student Code. Copies are available from the vice president for Student Access & Success and WSUSA.

Plagiarism includes direct copying of others’ work, purchasing papers or assignments on the web or elsewhere, or using the ideas, pictures or other intellectual property of others without attribution. In addition, the same term paper cannot be used in more than one course. Penalties for plagiarism include being required to repeat the same assignment, grade penalties, or other sanctions.
 

Grading

The department does not participate in grade inflation. In accordance with university policy, an "A" grade is given only for excellent work, a "B" for good work, a "C" for standard work, a "D" is given for substandard work and is a passing grade, and an "E" is failing.
 

Classroom Ethics and Professionalism

You are expected to exhibit proper classroom behavior as outlined in the Student Code. In short, you are expected to demonstrate respect for whoever is speaking by listening and not causing a disturbance by making excessive noise (including the use of pagers or phones) or by packing up before the class ends.

Assignments are to be done in a professional manner, stapled and should include appropriate grammar and spelling and use of required citation format. In a lab, your work area should be cleaned and all materials returned to their appropriate location.
 

Traits of Excellent Students

Excellent students take responsibility for their learning. Students ask questions when they do not understand the material, come to class prepared, express curiosity in the subject, is enthusiastic about the discovery process, and are interested in obtaining the skills necessary for a future self-directed inquiry. If you wish to learn only what you "need to know" to pass the course, you should not expect excellent performance.