Policies
The APSU Department of Communication adheres to university policy regarding student behavior, as follows:
It is the policy of Austin Peay State University to exist for the transmission of knowledge, the pursuit of truth, the development of students, and the general well-being of society. Free inquiry and free expression are indispensable to the attainment of these goals. As members of the academic community, students should be encouraged to develop the capacity for critical judgment and to engage in a sustained and independent search for truth. Minimal standards of academic freedom of students are essential to any community of scholars.
University Course Policies
The APSU Department of Communication is guided by university course policies regarding graduate students’ rights and responsibilities.
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Graduate students who are registered for a course and do not submit work according to the instructor’s course policy are subject to the instructor’s discretion when assigning grades for missing or late work in violation of the instructor’s course policy.
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Graduate students who wish to register for a closed course must contact the instructor of record and formally request entrance to the closed course. Only the instructor of record can grant admission.
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If a graduate student is enrolled in a graduate course and does not post assignments or submit assigned work for the entire course, that student should expect a grade of “F” for not completing assignments, as subject to instructor’s discretion.
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Graduate students may withdraw from courses without instructor permission if they are within the withdrawal deadline for the semester. Students may access withdrawal deadlines via the Academic Calendar on the Registrar’s page under “Academic Calendar.” Withdrawal from a course outside of the deadline is dependent upon the instructor’s discretion on whether to assign a “W” or “WF”.
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Graduate students are encouraged to complete their final research paper/project/thesis within their expected graduation date to avoid the requirement to register for COMM 5991 until project completion.
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Graduate students are required to contact faculty about grades, projects, or other issues in a respectful manner.
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Graduate students should also familiarize themselves with the university’s Academic Honesty and Integrity Policy, and be aware that academic misconduct is the result of any of the following:
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Plagiarism – the adoption or reproduction of ideas, words, statements, images, or works of another person as one’s own without proper attribution.
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Cheating – using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or aids in any academic exercise or test/examination. The term academic exercise includes all forms of work submitted for credit or hours.
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Fabrication – unauthorized falsification or invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise.
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Facilitation or Collusion – assisting or attempting to assist another to violate a provision of the institution’s student code of conduct regarding academic misconduct.
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As per Academic Honesty and Integrity policy, graduate students should be aware that a violation of the policy by engaging in any of the previously mentioned activities can result in disciplinary action which could include failure for an assignment, failure for an entire course, probation, suspension, or expulsion from the university.
APSU has specific policies regarding student rights and behaviors both on-campus and online.
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Students have the right to enjoy the educational opportunities afforded by the university without discrimination because of age, race, sexual orientation, disability, veterans status, or national origin.
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Students are entitled to the right of due process provided and explained by the University’s Student Code of Conduct.
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Students are entitled to the freedom rom unreasonable search and/or seizure regarding their person, their residence, and their personal property.
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Students have a right to privacy, including the maintenance of confidential records in accordance with the provision of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act* as amended and qualified by the Tennessee Public Records Act.
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Students have the right of access to campus crime statistics and graduation rates, as defined by the Student Right-to-Know and Campus Security Act, as amended.
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Students have the right to affiliate with officially registered student organizations if the membership requirements of those organizations have been met and the right to establish through official procedures additional student organizations of their choosing.
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Students have the right to participate in University governance through the Student Government Association, student organizations and representation on University committees.
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Students have a right to peaceably assemble in accordance with federal, state, local, and Austin Peay State University regulations.
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Students have the right of access to the University campus and facilities.
Students have the right to expect:
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A campus environment conducive to learning and working that is free of any racial, sexual, or other form of harassment
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A drug-free University environment
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Accurate information concerning institutional services, regulations, policies, and procedures in published form
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Sound and accurate academic advice, including such matters courses required for graduation, course and program prerequisites and course sequence
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Reasonable notice of any changes in academic requirements for programs and assurance that such changes will not be made in a way that unduly impedes the academic progress of a student already enrolled
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Flexibility in course scheduling (by dropping or adding) or withdrawing within University guidelines
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Information about various types of financial assistance available
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Freedom to evaluate courses, programs and services and provide input to appropriate segments of the campus administration, and
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Classes to meet as scheduled and course and program requirements clearly stated
*FERPA is the acronym for the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. Originally enacted in 1974 as part of a bill extending the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, it has been amended over the years since. FERPA was enacted as a series of civil rights legislation, designed to assert and protect the rights of students and their parents. Its primary purpose was two-fold: to assure parents of students’ access to their education records and to protect such individuals’ rights to privacy by limiting the transferability of their records without their consent.