Syllabus Statements

Minimum requirements for all university syllabi are described in Board Policy 2-3-501. To ensure accurate and consistent messaging about UNC policies and student-support services, faculty are encouraged to use the statements found on this page, or simply include the link to this page on their syllabi and course websites.  To recommend revisions to a statement or get further information, contact the office who provided it. Offices that wish to provide additional recommended statements may send them to cetl@unco.edu.

ADA and TITLE IX Syllabus Statements 

Disability Resources

It is the policy and practice of the University of Northern Colorado to create inclusive learning environments. If there are aspects of the instruction or design of this course that present barriers to students’ inclusion or to accurate assessments of students’ achievement (e.g. inaccessible web content, use of videos without captions), students should communicate about these aspects with their instructor(s).

Additionally, if you have a temporary health condition or a permanent disability that requires accommodations, contact the Disability Resource Center (DRC) as soon as possible. DRC facilitates the interactive process that establishes reasonable accommodations.

Office: (970) 351-2289, Michener Library L-80.

Students can learn more here: www.unco.edu/disability-resource-center

Title IX / Equal Opportunity

The University of Northern Colorado is committed to providing a safe and inclusive learning environment for all students that is free from discrimination and harassment, including sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. Students who have experienced (or who know someone who has experienced) any of these concerns should know that they are not alone. UNC has staff members in the University’s Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance (OIEC) who are trained to support students in navigating these concerns and are able to provide on- and off-campus resources and supports, referrals to health and counseling services, academic and housing modifications, and mutual no-contact orders between individuals.

Please be aware all UNC instructors and most staff members are required to report their awareness of sexual misconduct to the OIEC.  This means that if students tell an instructor about a situation involving sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, or stalking, the instructor must share that information with the Title IX Coordinator and Equity Officer, Jimmy Kohles. Mr. Kohles or a trained staff member in OIEC will contact the reporting students to let them know about resources and support services at UNC as well as their options to pursue an investigation through OIEC, law enforcement, or both. Students who have experienced these types of incidents are not required to speak with OIEC staff regarding the incident. Students’ participation in OIEC processes are entirely voluntary.

If students do not want the Title IX Coordinator notified, instead of disclosing this information to the instructor, students can speak confidentially with the following people on campus and in the community. They can connect you with support services and help explore options now, or in the future. UNC has confidential victim advocates available 24/7 by phone – students can contact the Assault Survivors Advocacy Program (ASAP) at 970-351-1490 to seek confidential guidance and support.

Confidential Campus Resources

*Staff members at confidential campus resources are not required to automatically report incidents of sexual or relationship/dating violence or stalking to the University. There are limits to confidentiality, and before speaking with a staff member, those exceptions will be outlined.

Students who have experienced sexual or interpersonal violence, who are concerned about someone who has, who would like to learn more about sexual or interpersonal violence, or who wish to report an incident, can visit www.unco.edu/sexual-misconduct.  Students may also contact OIEC at 970-351-4899 or email titleix@unco.edu. 

Additional Syllabus Statements

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to practice academic honesty in every aspect of this course. Students who engage in academic misconduct are subject to grading consequences with regard to this course and/or university disciplinary procedures through the Dean of Students Office. Academic misconduct includes actions such as cheating, plagiarizing, fabricating false sources, unauthorized recording, and/or unauthorized use of artificial intelligence (AI). More information about the academic misconduct process can be found in University Regulations 3-2-203  and additional procedures outlined UNC’s Student Code of Conduct (Student Code).

Attendance

Students are expected to attend class regularly. Each instructor determines the relationship between class attendance, the objectives of the class, and students’ grades. Instructors are responsible for articulating their attendance policies and their effect on grades to students. Students are responsible for knowing the attendance policy of each course. Only the instructor can approve students’ absences. Students are responsible for requesting such approval. In an effort to create inclusive learning environments, instructors should not require doctors’ notes to determine whether or not to excuse an absence.

Center for Career Readiness

Come visit us at the Center for Career Readiness to talk about resume, cover letter, interviewing, career/major exploration, job/internship search, graduate school search, and everything else career.

For more information on student resources, or to schedule an appointment, visit the website: www.unco.edu/career/students or for student events, visit: www.unco.edu/career/events.

We are located:
Office: University Center 1^st floor
Hours: M-F, 8am-5pm
Appointments: Virtual and In-Person
Drop-Ins: Visit our website for up-to-date information

It’s never too early to talk about career!

Equity and Inclusion

The University of Northern Colorado (UNC) embraces the diversity of students, faculty, and staff. UNC honors the inherent dignity of each individual, and welcomes their unique perspectives, behaviors, and world views. People of all races, religions, national origins, sexual orientations, ethnicities, genders and gender identities, cognitive, physical, and behavioral abilities, socioeconomic backgrounds, regions, immigrant statuses, military or veteran statuses, sizes and/or shapes are strongly encouraged to share their rich array of perspectives and experiences. Course content and campus discussions will heighten your awareness of others’ individual and intersecting identities. For information or resources, contact the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, at 970-351-1944. If students want to report an incident related to identity-based discrimination/harassment, please visit www.unco.edu/institutional-equity-compliance.

Additionally, there are several cultural and resource centers across the campus that are equipped and designed to serve as caring and thoughtful centers for students, staff and faculty. You can find their information below:

Asian Pacific American Student Services (Cultural Center)
924 20th St
Greeley, CO 80639
(970) 351-1909
AsianPacificAmerican.StudentServices@unco.edu

César Chávez Cultural Center & DREAMer Engagement Program (Cultural Center)
1410 20th St
Greeley, CO 80639
(970) 351-2424
ChavezCenter@unco.edu

Center for Women's and Gender Equity (Resource Center) & Stryker Institute for Leadership Development
1915 10th Ave
Greeley, CO 80639
970-351-1492
cwge@unco.edu

Gender and Sexuality Resource Center (Resource Center)
2215 10th Ave., Campus Box 42
Greeley, CO 80631
970-353-0191
gsrc@unco.edu

Marcus Garvey Cultural Center (Cultural Center)
928 20th St., Campus Box 41
Greeley, CO 80639
(970) 351-2351
MGCC@unco.edu

Native American Student Services (Cultural Center)
924 20th St
Greeley, CO 80639
(970) 351-1909
nativeamericanstudentservices@unco.edu

Veterans Services (Resource Center)
1815 8th Ave
Greeley, CO 80631
970-351-1403
 veterans.services@unco.edu

Food Insecurity

Knowing that food insecurity is experienced at higher rates among college students, UNC offers assistance to students facing food insecurity through an on-campus food pantry and in navigating local food assistance programs.

For access to food and hygiene products at no charge, please visit the Bear Pantry is located in University Center 2166A and is open for regular hours throughout the semester. Please visit www.unco.edu/bear-pantry for more information.

Resources also exist in the local community through the Weld Food Bank, Mobile Food Pantry, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). If you or someone you know would like support navigating these local options, please contact UNC’s Student Outreach and Support to set up a time with a case manager.

Land Acknowledgment

The University of Northern Colorado occupies the lands in the territories of the Ute, Cheyenne, Lakota and Arapaho peoples. The University acknowledges the 48 tribes that are historically tied to the state of Colorado. Thus, the land on which UNC is situated is tied to the history and culture of our native and indigenous peoples. UNC appreciates this connection and has great respect for this land. Additionally, the University community pays its respect to Elders past, present, and future, and to those who have stewarded this land throughout the generations.

As part of the learning and reflection process please visit https://native-land.ca/ or call the Office of Equity & Inclusion at 970-351-1944.

Name in Use/Pronoun in Use/Name Change

Some students may have changed their names to better reflect their gender identity or for other reasons. The process to request that the University change the name that appears on Canvas and on the course roster is available here: https://www.unco.edu/registrar/name-change.aspx

Student Well-Being

Students often experience stressors that make it difficult for them to meet the challenges of their courses—stressors like sleep problems, financial concerns, relationship concerns, employment difficulties, feelings of anxiety, hopelessness, or depression.  

• • • If you are struggling with this class, please visit me during office hours or contact me via e-mail.  
    • If you’re not sure where to turn, the website for UNC’s Student Outreach and Support (SOS) office lists a wide variety of resources for students. Case Managers in the SOS office can assist students during difficult circumstances which may include medical, mental health, personal or family crisis, and illness or injury.  
    • Mental health professionals are available on-campus and in the community. See a wide variety of on- and off-campus resources on the Dean of Student’s webpage.
      • If you or someone else is experiencing a crisis:
        • On-Campus and During Business Hours: Call the UNC Counseling Center at 970-351-2496.
        • After Hours (including evenings, weekends, and holidays):
          • Contact North Range Behavioral Health by calling 844-493-TALK (8255) or text TALK to 38255
          • Contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 9-8-8.
      • For free, confidential consultations, check out the Counseling Center. To access staff in the Counseling Center, call 970-351-2496 or stop by the Center, located on the second floor of Cassidy Hall.

Technology Support

If you need technology support, come visit us at the Tech Den located on the first floor in the Michener Library for in-person support for all your technology needs. The Tech Den supports all Faculty, Staff, and Students. 
 
For more information on the Tech Den, including hours of operation, visit the website: https://www.unco.edu/information-management-technology/training-support/tech-den.aspx.
 
You can also call (970-351-4357), email (help@unco.edu), or visit our website (help.unco.edu). We're here to help!

Tutorial Services

Please consider including a statement about our services on your syllabus to encourage your students to take advantage of the academic support available in Tutorial Services. Below are sample statements for your use:

For all courses supported by individual tutoring:

UNC's Tutorial Services (TS) provides free academic support to UNC students enrolled in undergraduate courses. At TS, a trained peer tutor will work with you individually or in a small group to help you understand course content and be successful in this class. For more information or to make an appointment, stop by TS in the lower level of Michener Library (L-149), or visit the TS website at http://www.unco.edu/tutoring.

For all courses supported by Supplemental Instruction:

This course is supported by Supplemental Instruction (SI), through which a trained SI leader will offer three 1-to-2 hour study sessions each week to review course content, work through problems or activities related to this class, and help you prepare for exams. I strongly encourage you to participate in SI. For more information about the SI model, visit the TS website at http://www.unco.edu/tutoring.

University Libraries

The University Libraries has the spaces, resources, and support you need to help you achieve your academic goals. Visit us at Michener Library, on west campus, or at Skinner Music Library, on central campus. Check out all the resources we offer, from scholarly journal databases and streaming media to laptops and anatomical models, at our website: https://www.unco.edu/library/. Need research help from an expert? Ask a librarian. We offer multiple ways to get in touch: https://www.unco.edu/library/research-help/. 

Writing Center

Strong writers seek feedback.  
The UNC Writing Center is here to connect you with that feedback. Writing Center Consultants are interested readers who come from a variety of majors and backgrounds, and we are ready to talk about your writing projects. Consultants are trained to work with writing of all types, from all disciplines, and at all levels. We welcome all sessions, whether you’re just getting started or are ready to hand in your final draft. You’re the content expert; we’re the writing experts. Let’s work together!

Schedule your in-person, video, or email session today by visiting: http://www.unco.edu/writing-center

Final Exam Inclement Weather Policy 

The following are examples of policies faculty can include in their syllabus for handling assignments missed due to a university closure, including during Final Exam week.  These are only examples; instructors should customize their policy as best fits their course.

• If the university closes during our final exam period, final grades will be calculated based on the work you have completed prior to the final exam.  Specifically, in computing your final grade, the grade for the final exam will be replaced by [explain].
• If the university closes during our final exam period, the final exam will be moved to an online assessment, delivered through Canvas, due by [insert date and time].  Any student who is unable to access Canvas should contact me as soon as possible to make alternate arrangements.  
• The final exam for this course is scheduled for [date/time].  In the unlikely event that the university closes during that time, the final exam will move to [date/time].  Any student who is unable to attend the make-up exam time must contact me as soon as possible to make alternative arrangements.
• For asynchronous online courses, if the university closes during our final exam period, final exams and assignment schedules will not be impacted. 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use statements

Attention students: the following statements are provided to help faculty communicate their policies regarding generative AI, whose use might or might not be appropriate depending on the academic discipline and teaching methods their course uses.  Make sure to check the specific policies for each of your classes.

 No Use of Generative AI Permitted 

Sample: AI Writing tools are not permitted for any stage of work in this class. If you use these tools, your actions would be considered academically dishonest and a violation of Bryant’s Academic Honesty Policy. (from Bryant University)

Sample: Intellectual honesty is vital to an academic community and for my fair evaluation of your work. All work submitted in this course must be your own, completed in accordance with the University’s academic regulations. You may not engage in unauthorized collaboration or make use of ChatGPT or other AI composition software. (from Princeton University)

Use of Generative AI Permitted Under Some Circumstances or With Explicit Permission 

Sample: There are situations and contexts within this course where you will be asked to use AI tools to explore how they can be used. Outside of those circumstances, you are discouraged from using AI tools to generate content (text, video, audio, images) that will end up in any student work (assignments, activities, responses, etc) that is part of your evaluation in this course. Any student work submitted using AI tools should clearly indicate what work is the student’s work and what part is generated by the AI. In such cases, no more than 25% of the student work should be generated by AI. If any part of this is confusing or uncertain, please reach out to me for a conversation before submitting your work. (from Colorado University system)

Broader Use of Generative AI Permitted Within Guidelines 

Sample: AI Writing tools such as ChatGPT are welcome in this class, provided that you cite when and how you use the tool. You will be provided with examples of how to cite your use of this tool in your writing. (from Bryant University)

Sample: In all academic work, the ideas and contributions of others must be appropriately acknowledged and work that is presented as original must be, in fact, original. Using an AI-content generator (such as ChatGPT) to complete coursework without proper attribution or authorization is a form of academic dishonesty. If you are unsure about whether something may be plagiarism or academic dishonesty, please contact your instructor to discuss the issue. (from University of Iowa)