1. EDU 518 Course Policies:
Class Participation
Students in an online course must maintain an active and regular presence in the virtual
classroom to create a sense of student community just as a student must physically attend class
in a traditional environment. Using technology to monitor student access time and progress is an
online instructor’s prerogative and will be used when needed to assess if a student is at academic
risk.
Online instructional methods require a greater reliance upon the student as a peer-to-peer
collaborator and tutor. Student-to-student interaction will be assessed as the important aspect of
the learning that it is and will be part of the class participation grade. Students should realize that
online courses are just as rigorous as traditionally structured classrooms and may require more
self-discipline on the part of the learner. More detailed information will be found in the
Introduction Unit of the course.
Late Assignments
All assignments are due on the date/time indicated within this syllabus unless prior arrangements
have been made directly with the course instructor. Assignments must be submitted in the format
specified by the instructor and must be posted how/when/where required as by the assignment. A
variety of posting types and places will be used to provide students with a wide range of
experiences. All assignments must be submitted before a final grade will be issued for the class.
There will be a 10% loss of assignment points for each calendar day that an assignment is
submitted late. Exceptions to due dates will not be made for technological failure except under
extreme circumstances. More detailed information will be found in the Introduction Unit of the
course.
Grade of Incomplete
A request for a grade of incomplete will be considered only in the case of extenuating
circumstances such as serious illness or death in family. The student must submit a request
form; the Incomplete Policy as outlined in the University Academic Catalog will be followed.
Academic Integrity
Students are expected to comply with the University Academic integrity Policy as outlined in the
University Academic Catalog. Students who violate any section of the policy may be awarded a
course grade of F. Assignments submitted that are in violation of the academic integrity policy
will not be accepted, and a grade of zero will be assigned for the assignment. Any violation of
academic integrity will be reported by the course instructor to the Director of Graduate Education
Programs. The notification will become a part of the student’s academic file.
Grading and Academic Progression
Students in the Graduate Education Programs will be dismissed from their program if any of the
following occur:
 The student receives more than one grade of C or lower
 The student is unable to achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher after completing the
next six credits following notification of an academic progress warning
 The student is unable to successfully complete a course with a grade of B or higher after
repeating the course one time
Students with Disabilities
Any student with a disability that might impact their performance in the course should contact the
Disabilities Coordinator in the University Human Relations Office (724.852.3210) immediately so
that arrangements for reasonable accommodations can be made. In addition the student should
notify the course instructor of the nature of the disability and the need for accommodations no
later than the end of the first week of classes.