UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN River Falls
The University of Wisconsin - River Falls promotes safe, inclusive, and effective learning environments that protect the rights and support the interests of both faculty and students. Faculty and students are encouraged to review the inclusivity expectations and academic policies and requirements below.
COVID-19
All students are required to wear an appropriate face covering that covers their mouth and nose when in the classroom. Eating is not permitted in class, since it would require the extended removal of face coverings. Drinking from a sealable container (water or soda bottle) is permitted with a brief raising or lowering of the face covering. Students must also maintain appropriate physical distancing from their classmates and adhere to additional expectations communicated by the instructor or posted in the classroom. Students who do not abide by these expectations may face disciplinary action.
Additional details about safety and health protocols, including physical distancing, cleaning classroom equipment, attendance tracking, and so on, are available in the COVID-19 Reference Guide, located on the Falcons Forward page.
Faculty Senate
The following syllabus requirements were approved by the Faculty Senate on March 1, 2017, and amended on April 10, 2019.
The official course specifications, sometimes referred to as the official syllabus, have been defined by the University Curriculum Committee and the Faculty Senate. The requirements are located here.
A working syllabus refers to the document provided to students in each section of a course. A working syllabus in pdf format for each section of a course will also be filed in the university's syllabi repository. The repository is located here: T:Collaboration\Syllabi Repository\Working Syllabi.
All faculty and instructional staff will be expected to complete a working syllabus for each class, excluding courses focused on individualized instruction, such as internships, mentorship, independent readings, and independent study. The working syllabus will be provided to students, either online or as a hard copy, and will including the following items.
Religious Observances
In addition, the Faculty Senate has approved policies about religious observances, located in section 9.2.12 of the Faculty and Staff Handbook. It is possible to include in syllabi either summaries of or all of the following language related to religious observances and student rights.
The University of Wisconsin-River Falls, in concert with University of Wisconsin System Policy, promotes a commitment to the individual needs of students by reducing attendance conflicts between education requirements and the exercise of religious beliefs. University of Wisconsin-River Falls specific guidelines are as follows
1. The University of Wisconsin-River Falls strives to maintain our campus as a place of work and study for faculty, staff, and students that is free of all forms of prohibited discrimination and harassment. If you have concerns about such behavior, contact your instructor, the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards at 715-425-4844, or the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at 715-425-3833. For a list of prohibited behaviors and protected classes or to report something that is inappropriate using an online process, go to this page.
2. The University of Wisconsin-River Falls is committed to upholding standards that promote respect and human dignity in an environment that fosters academic excellence and professionalism. Sexual misconduct and relationship violence in any form are antithetical to the university's mission and core values, violate university policies, and may also violate federal and state law. Faculty members are considered "Responsible Employees" and are required to report incidents of sexual misconduct and relationship violence. If you or someone you know has been impacted by sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, stalking, or sexual exploitation, please visit Title IX to access information about university support and resources.
3. The University of Wisconsin-River Falls welcomes students with disabilities into its educational programs, activities, residential halls, and everything else it offers. Those who will need academic adjustments or accommodations for a disability should contact the Ability Services Office. Decisions to allow adjustments and accommodations are made by the Ability Services Office on the basis of clinical documentation that students provide to sufficiently indicate the nature of their situation.
Language regarding the University of Wisconsin-River Falls Academic Misconduct code, including a discussion of the appropriate policies and procedures to be followed in any case of potential misconduct, is located
here.
"UWS Chapter 14 is the chapter of the University of Wisconsin System Administrative code that regulates academic misconduct" for all campuses in the UW System and outlines the process by which the code is adjudicated.
UWS 14.03 defines academic misconduct as follows:
Academic misconduct is an act in which a student:
Examples include but are not limited to:
If you are suspected of misconduct, you may have questions and concerns about the process. If so, you should feel free to call the Office of Student Conduct & Community Standards at 715-425-4844, send an
email, and/or consult its
website for additional information.