Main Content
Syllabus
The information contained on this page is designed to give students a representative example of material covered in the course. Any information related to course assignments, dates, or course materials is illustrative only. For a definitive list of materials, please check the online catalog 3-4 weeks before the course start date.
C-S 563: Designing Staff Development Programs (3): Designing, implementing, and evaluating effective staff development programs for personnel in educational settings. Prerequisite: EDLDR 560
Overview and Learning Objectives
Over the last two decades, our approach to professional learning has changed dramatically. Unfortunately, the history of professional development in education has typically been one of short-term, poorly-conducted training sessions in which external experts were brought into schools to “inservice” teachers on the latest education ideas. Today, professional learning emphasizes teacher learning that happens on-the-job. It also underscores the idea that what teachers know about their craft is at the heart of their professional learning. As a result, teachers now assume a much greater leadership role in the planning, implementation and evaluation of professional learning.
This course is designed to develop a deep understanding of the process of professional learning in education. As you will discover, it focuses specifically on the leadership roles that teachers can and should play in designing, implementing, and evaluating powerful professional learning opportunities for themselves and colleagues. The course functions at both the theoretical and practical levels so that students can apply their knowledge and skill to creating powerful adult learning experiences.
The course is organized around three main units that focus on different but complementary concepts in thinking about powerful professional learning. Through in-depth reading and analysis of the literature, as well as focused interactions with the course instructor and colleagues, this course is designed to probe the following concepts:
Throughout the course, you will notice various methods of teaching and learning, including:
Unit 1: The Nature of High Quality Professional Learning
- What are the key characteristics and underlying principles of high quality professional learning experiences?
- How does a global perspective of professional learning inform the contexts within which educators work and learn?
Unit 2: Contextual Considerations in Planning and Evaluating High Quality Professional Learning
- How do school contexts and cultures in which teachers spend their professional lives influence professional learning?
- How can professional learning designs best support teachers in various stages of career development?
- What research-based strategies and structures exist related to professional learning and how do those models guide approaches to designing, delivering and determining the impact of professional learning?
- What are the criteria for evaluating the impact of professional learning?
Unit 3: Strategies for High Quality Professional Learning
- What are examples of powerful designs for professional learning that both improve educators’ learning and student success?
Required Course Materials
Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check LionPATH approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.
Using the Library
Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Libraries website, you can
- access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases;
- borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep—or even your desktop;
- get research help via email, chat, or phone using the Ask a Librarian service; and
- much more.
You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and service. The Off-Campus Users page has additional information about these free services.
Technical Requirements
One of the benefits of being a registered Penn State student is that you are eligible to receive educational discounts on many software titles. If you are interested in learning more about purchasing software through our affiliate vendor, please visit the Technology and Software page.
For this course we recommend the minimum World Campus technical requirements listed below:
| Operating System | Canvas, Penn State's Learning Management System (LMS), supports most recent versions of Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac operating systems. To determine if your operating system is supported, please review Canvas' computer specifications. |
|---|---|
| Browser | Canvas supports the last two versions of every major browser release. It is highly recommended that you update to the newest version of whatever browser you are using. Note: Cookies must be enabled, and pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows from Penn State websites. |
| Additional Canvas Requirements | For a list of software, hardware, and computer settings specifically required by the Canvas LMS, please review Canvas' computer specifications. |
| Additional Software | All Penn State students have access to Microsoft Office 365, including Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. |
| Hardware | Monitor: Monitor capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution |
| Mobile Device (optional) | The Canvas mobile app is available for versions of iOS and Android. To determine if your device is capable of using the Canvas Mobile App, please review the Canvas Mobile App Requirements. |
Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ)
During the semester you will receive information for completing the Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ). Your participation is an opportunity to provide anonymous feedback on your learning experience. Your feedback is important because it allows us to understand your experience in this course and make changes to improve the learning experiences of future students. Please monitor email and course communications for links and availability dates.
If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk.
For registration, advising, disability services, help with materials, exams, general problem solving, visit World Campus Student Services!
Structure of the Course
This 15-week course is cohort-based, meaning that there is an established start and end date and that you will interact with other students throughout the course. Use of the course website is required, as this is the central area for accessing Canvas, class notes and postings, the Canvas Conversations communication tool, synchronous meetings, sharing files, and retrieving electronic reserves. As such, you will be expected to keep pace with each course unit. Although it is possible to accelerate the reading and research schedule (and I encourage you to do so!), the peer and group interactions should adhere to the time frame or days within which each unit is presented.
Throughout these lessons, you will notice various methods of teaching and learning, including:
- Reading commentaries: notes from the instructor concerns the major points or concepts that should be attended to in the readings for each week
- Blogs: where you will be posting weekly reflections on the readings as well as reading and reacting to the postings of classmates
- Discussions: where we collectively generate and share pertinent resources, including guided writing responses and peer reviews
- Collaborative learning opportunities: small group projects and design group activities
- Individual learning opportunities: personal reflection, an individual learning activity, and the creation of a culminating professional development project.
- Synchronous Meetings: Zoom provides an opportunity to interact in real-time with the course instructor, peers and with potential guest speakers. The software package allows real-time voice, document, and whiteboard sharing, among other things. These sessions will be recorded and archived for those who may not be able to participate on a given week.
As it is synchronous, you will be expected to participate at a scheduled day/time. We will work as a class to find times that work best for most class members.
Evaluation
Weekly Blogs (25% of course grade)
Each week you will post an entry to your course blog that focuses on an analysis of some or all of the course readings for the given week. Typically, your initial blog posts will be due on Sundays. Please check each lesson for the specific due dates. The analysis will be based on questions about the readings that are posed by the course instructor. In addition to posting your own individual entries, you will also respond with comments and questions to the blog postings of other students.
The blog postings will be scored on a two-point scale. Postings that are done on time and demonstrate analysis and reflection beyond the literal texts will receive two points, whereas those posted on time, answer the questions literally without analysis and reflection will receive one point. Postings that are not done on time will receive no credit.
Class Participation (30% of course grade)
We all learn best when we function as a community of mutually respectful learners and inquirers. It is expected that each student contributes to his or her own learning, as well as to that of others within our learning community. In keeping with these beliefs, there will be multiple opportunities for small group interaction throughout the course. These include weekly blog posts as well as responses to the blog posts of others, discussions that are focused on particular topics and activities, a team structure called design groups that will allow for ongoing feedback concerning the development of the course culminating activity, and weekly opportunities for direct participation in synchronous (real time) meeting sessions. For those who are not able to participate in the weekly sessions, the sessions will be recorded and archived.
Therefore, your consistent participation in online activities and your willingness to become engaged with others are important tools for enhancing everyone's learning. Participation will be collaboratively assessed at the mid-point of the semester and at the end of the semester and assessed by the instructor at the sent of the semester, using the rubric that follows. Each of these assessments will count for half of the participation grade.
In order to most likely afford each course participant a successful learning experience, a few comments about course commitment, expectations and participation seem warranted. Passion and commitment are reflected by/through your participation.
This includes login time, timely completion of assigned readings, and active engagement in class discussions and activities. Active engagement means expressing your own thoughts and listening to those of others, engaging in respectful dialogue with classmates, and being willing to challenge and to be challenged by the issues addressed in this course.
Stating expectations, the need to have common goals, and acknowledging and valuing our input are three key elements in forging a sense of community. Each student comes to this course with both shared and differing expectations. First, read through the expectations for our group and its members. Then, read through what you can expect from the course instructor.
Expectations for the Group and Its Members:
- Keep on top of things. Although you may have a choice for which time of the day you log on and contribute, you do not have a choice for which week to respond. In other words, establish a routine that allows you to regularly pace yourself and remain actively involved with course happenings.
- Shared responsibility. We each have a responsibility for both our personal and collective learning. Our purposes for taking this course may vary, but hopefully we will generate common goals and shared interests that hinge on understanding and enhancing our teaching practices. Many of our learning activities will draw upon peer insight, experience and feedback and involve us in various combinations of individual and group learning activities.
- Online presence. Ideally, log on daily to the course to keep abreast of new postings, current Conversations messages, updated discussion, and overall course progress. Your “electronic personality” will evolve as time progresses and as we become a community of learners. Your open and honest communication will be an asset to our learning from both a social and subject matter perspective. If unexpected or extenuating circumstances arise that will keep you from being an active contributor, please communicate with me in advance of your “absence.” I will do the same with you. (It will be difficult to hide in this class!)
- Issues of confidentiality, privacy, and ethics. As teachers, we are faced with maintaining these issues daily. Similarly, we should be mindful of and honor these issues in our class. For example, what is “said” on our course site should stay there. Forwarding Conversations messages or other written communication to outsiders would be a breach of all three (not to mention the destruction of trust that might have been developed among us!). We'll work together on this.
What You Can Expect of the Course Instructor:
- Contact and presence. To be an active and regular contributor to our learning. I will be timely and predictable in my interactions with you.
- Responses. To promptly (ideally, within 24 hours) acknowledge or respond to personal and group questions, suggestions, dilemmas, or other course related issues. The grading of course activities will require additional days for turn-around time, though.
- Feedback. To provide meaningful feedback on course activities and learning tasks.
- Flexibility. To make adjustments, as needed, to our course schedule in the best interest of your learning and of the overall course design.
- Limited technological support. To be the initial contact for problems related to technology. If unable to solve the problem, I will direct you to someone that can. Make note of the Getting Help link in the menu bar to the left. There you can access the World Campus Help Desk (for technical assistance) and “how to” documents that will help use our course communications tools. Also, the course instructor will assist with seeking out additional resources for more general problem-solving issues.
Participation Assessment Rubric
The following rubric will be used to assess individual student participation at the mid-point and end points of the semester. You will use the same rubric to assess your own participation at the mid-point of the course.
| Criterion | Excellent (5 pts) | Good (3 pts) | Unsatisfactory (1 pt) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timeliness of Online Activity | The student consistently meets deadlines in posting required materials and in participating in interaction with classmates. | The student usually but not consistently meets deadlines in positing required materials and in participating in interaction with classmates. | The student sometimes meets deadlines in posting required materials and in participating in interaction with classmates. |
| Frequency of Online Activity | The student frequently logs on and participates in class activities more than 4 times per week. | The student consistently logs on and participates in class activities 3 to 4 times per week. | The student logs on and participates in class activities less than 3 times per week. |
| Quality of Online Participation | Original postings and responses to peers are consistently analytical including both comments and questions that move the conversation forward. | Original postings and responses to peers are sometimes analytical including both comments and questions that move the conversation forward. | Original postings and responses to peers are typically descriptive and routine and usually do not move the conversation forward. |
Individualized Learning Activity (15% of Course Grade)
The goal of this activity is to offer you the opportunity to learn about something that interests you and that will enhance your professional knowledge and expertise. To better meet the needs of individuals and also match their learning preferences, this course offers a menu of activities from which you can choose one that matches your interests and needs. Each student must do one of the following or negotiate a suitable alternative that will better meet your needs. Let me know what which alternatives you have in mind and we can work something out. Because the primary purpose of this activity is to provide an opportunity to learn something that is beneficial to you, full credit for the activity will be awarded as long as the minimum requirements for the specific option are present in the completed activity.
- Option A: Book Review. This option asks you to read a professional book that would be of interest and help to you in either your present role or some future role and to write a critical review of the book, approximately 6 to 8 pages double-spaced. The critical review should include a 2 to 3 page summary of the book followed by an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the book and its implications for you as an educator. A complete bibliographic citation must be included for the book. I will approve the book by Week 4 of the course. The final book review is due at the end of Week 9.
- Option B: Article Critiques. This option asks you to read five articles from either the course reserve list that are NOT required readings for the course or other scholarly articles that are of interest to you. For each article you will create a 1 page summary of the article along with a 1 page reaction in terms of strengths and weaknesses of the article as well as any implications. I will approve the articles by Week 4. A complete bibliographic citation must be included. The critiques are due at the end of Week 9. (Note: You may choose five articles from other sources and have them approved by the instructor.)
- Option C: Professional Development Webliography. This option asks you to search the Internet to find at least five, high-quality education websites that have relevance for your work. For each website, you will prepare a 2 page summary and analysis of the quality and usefulness of the website. Be sure to include the url. You will also include the URLs and titles of three websites that you explored but did not include in the bibliography with a one-paragraph rationale for not including them. At least 12 potential websites must be identified by Week 4. The webliography is due at the end of Week 9.
- Option D: Film Reviews. This option asks you to watch five films that are focused on or related to education and that have relevance for your work. You will write a 1–2 page summary of the film as well as a 1–2 page reaction that describes any implications that the ideas in the film have for you. I will approve the list of films you will view by Week 4. The completed summaries and implications are due by the end of Week 9.
- Option E: Your Choice. You design a learning experience that has relevance to your work. You must propose a project that I will approve by the end of Week 4. The final activity is due at the end of Week 9.
Culminating Activity (30% of Course Grade)
Contextualized Professional Development Plan
In order to make the concepts in the course more concrete and to make them applicable to the particular contexts in which you work, have worked, or might work in the future, you are asked to develop a professional development plan for a specific educational context in which you have worked or are currently working. The length of the experience can vary somewhat depending on the context and the goals but must be at least one year in duration. In your design you should include the following parts:
- a brief description (2–3 pages) of the educational context and the participants;
- a rationale that explains why this would be a useful professional learning activity for this particular educational context and why the participants would be ready for this type of professional learning;
- a statement of your key beliefs about high quality professional learning that are reflected in your plan;
- a set of goals for the professional development plan and a brief explanation of why these goals are appropriate and important;
- a description of each of the professional learning activities and the learning experiences in which participants will be engaged;
- a plan for evaluating the professional development plan and experiences;
- a self-evaluation of the quality of the professional development plan.
The entire plan should be no longer than 15 pages, double-spaced, twelve-point font.
Components A through D of the plan will be posted and turned in at the end of week 7 for feedback from design group members and the instructor. There will be no grade attached to this feedback. The entire plan will be due the last week of class. This final submission should include revisions based on the preliminary feedback. For this activity, you will be placed into design groups composed of three to five students each. Throughout the course, the members of the design group will have dedicated spaces where they can chat or video conference with each other about their prospective plans. In addition, the design group members will provide feedback to each group member on the initial section of the plan during Week 6 and also on the penultimate draft of the plan during our final week.
During the final 3 days of our class, we will have an opportunity to share mini-presentations of these plans.
Evaluation of the Plan
The quality of your final project will be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria:
- All required components of the plan are included (context description; rationale; goals; description of the learning experiences; plan to evaluate the experience and its effects; your self-evaluation of the plan)
- The goals, the rationale, and the evaluation plans seem congruent with each other
- The planned learning experiences are congruent with the beliefs and reflect high-quality, powerful professional learning designs
- The components of the plan reflect a deep conceptual understanding of the ideas that were introduced throughout the course and hence, references the research literature.
- The self-evaluation of the plan accurately depicts the plans strengths and weaknesses.
PD Plan Assessment Rubric
The plan will be evaluated using the following rubric.
| Criterion | Excellent (6 pts) | Good (4 pts) | Unsatisfactory (2 pts) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Completion | All required components of the plan are included and well developed (context description, rationale; goals, description of the learning experiences, plan to evaluate the experience and its effects, your self-evaluation of the plan). | All components are included but one of the components is under-developed. | Some components are missing or more than one component is under-developed. |
| Rationale-Goals- Evaluation Congruence and Coherence | The goals, the rationale, and the evaluation plans seem congruent with each other. | The goals, the rationale, and the evaluation plans are generally congruent with each other, but there are some minor discrepancies. | There are major discrepancies among the goals, the rationale, and the evaluation plans. |
| Beliefs- Professional Development Experiences Congruence and Coherence | The beliefs and the planned learning experiences are congruent with each other and reflect high-quality professional development experiences. | The beliefs and the planned learning experiences are generally congruent with each other, but fall short in reflecting high-quality professional development experiences. | The beliefs and the planned learning experiences are neither congruent with each other nor do they reflect high-quality professional development experiences. |
| Evidence of Understanding Course Concepts and Principles | The plan demonstrates clearly that the developer understands the key course concepts and principles. | Some of the plan reflects a deep understanding of the course concepts and principles, whereas other aspects do not demonstrate deep understanding. | The plans fails to demonstrate that the developer understands the key course concepts and principles. |
| Quality of Self-evaluation | The self-evaluation accurately reflects on the plans strengths and weaknesses. | The self-evaluation accurately depicts either the strengths or the weaknesses of the plan, but not both. | The self-evaluation depicts neither the strengths nor the weaknesses of the plan accurately. |
Course Schedule
The schedule below outlines the topics we will cover in this course, along with the associated time frames and activities.
Note: All due dates reflect North American eastern time (ET).
identifies readings that are available on E-Reserves through the Library Resources link.
Unit 1: Identifying the Characteristics of High Quality Professional Learning (Lesson 1–3)
Unit 2: Contextual Considerations in Planning and Evaluating High Quality Professional Learning (Lessons 4–7)
Unit 3: Models of High Quality Professional Development (Lesson 8–13)
Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please go to the Graduation Information on the My Penn State Online Student Portal.
Formal instruction will end on the last day of class. Provided that you have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password, you will continue to be able to access the course materials for one year, starting from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered (with the exception of library reserves and other external resources that may have a shorter archival period). After one year, you might be able to access the course based on the policies of the program or department offering the course material, up to a maximum of three years from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered. For more information, please review the University Course Archival Policy.
Grading
Your final course grade will be determined using the following scale:
| Points | Letter Grade |
|---|---|
| 94–100 | A |
| 90–93 | A- |
| 87–89 | B+ |
| 84–86 | B |
| 80–83 | B- |
| 77–79 | C+ |
| 70–76 | C |
| 60–69 | D |
| < 59 | F |
Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Graduate Courses for additional information about University grading policies.
Academic Integrity
According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity , an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.
Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity ). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic outcomes, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes which may include ineligibility for Dean’s List, pass/fail elections, and grade forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from their home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.
How Academic Integrity Violations Are Handled
World Campus students are expected to act with civility and
personal integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights, and
property; and help create and maintain an environment in which all
can succeed through the fruits of their own efforts. An environment
of academic integrity is requisite to respect for oneself and
others, as well as a civil community.
In cases where academic integrity is questioned, the Policy on Academic Integrity indicates that procedure requires an instructor to inform the student of the allegation. Procedures allow a student to accept or contest a charge. If a student chooses to contest a charge, the case will then be managed by the respective college or campus Academic Integrity Committee. If that committee recommends an administrative sanction (Formal Warning, Conduct Probation, Suspension, Expulsion), the claim will be referred to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.
All Penn State colleges abide by this Penn State policy, but review procedures may vary by college when academic dishonesty is suspected. Information about Penn State's academic integrity policy and college review procedures is included in the information that students receive upon enrolling in a course. To obtain that information in advance of enrolling in a course, please contact us by going to the Contacts & Help page .
University Policies
- Privacy Notice:
In order to protect your privacy, course access is limited to those individuals who have direct responsibility for the quality of your educational experience. In addition to the instructor, a teaching assistant or college administrator may be provided access in order to ensure optimal faculty availability and access. World Campus technical staff may also be given access in order to resolve technical support issues.
- Accommodating Disabilities:
Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. Every Penn State campus has resources for students with disabilities. The Student Disability Resources (SDR) website provides contacts for disability services at every Penn State campus. For further information, please visit the SDR website.
In order to apply for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability resources office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation based on the documentation guidelines. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus's disability resources office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.
- Counseling and Psychological Services:
If you have a crisis or safety concern, mental health services are available to you as a Penn State student. Crisis and emergency contacts are available, no matter where you are located:
- Anywhere in the United States: Call the Penn State Crisis Line at 1-877-229-6400 or text LIONS to 741741. You can also contact your local crisis services or hospital for emergencies.
- Outside the United States: Please contact emergency services in your current location. You can also use the International Crisis and Emergency Services listings.
- At University Park: Assistance is available at Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) locations on campus.
- At a Penn State branch campus: You can search for counseling information at your campus.
- Additional Policies:
For information about additional policies regarding Penn State Access Accounts; credit by examination; course tuition, fees, and refund schedules; and drops and withdrawals, please see the World Campus Student Center website.
- Deferred Grades:
If, for reasons beyond the student's control, a student is prevented from completing a course within the prescribed time, the grade in that course may be deferred with the concurrence of the instructor. The symbol DF appears on the student's transcript until the course has been completed. Non-emergency permission for filing a deferred grade must be requested by the student before the beginning of the final examination period. In an emergency situation, an instructor can approve a deferred grade after the final exam period has started. Under emergency conditions during which the instructor is unavailable, authorization is required from one of the following: the dean of the college in which the candidate is enrolled; the executive director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies if the student is enrolled in that division or is a provisional student; or the campus chancellor of the student's associated Penn State campus.
For additional information please refer to the Deferring a Grade page. - Military Students:
Veterans and currently serving military personnel and/or dependents with unique circumstances (e.g., upcoming deployments, drill/duty requirements, VA appointments, etc.) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, to the instructor in the case that special arrangements need to be made.
- Report Bias:
Penn State takes great pride to foster a diverse and inclusive environment for students, faculty, and staff. Acts of intolerance, discrimination, or harassment due to age, ancestry, color, disability, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, religious belief, sexual orientation, or veteran status are not tolerated and can be reported through Educational Equity via the Report Bias webpage.
- Student Responsibilities and Conduct:
- Students are responsible for online course content, taking notes, obtaining other materials provided by the instructor, taking tests (if applicable), and completing assignments as scheduled by the instructor. As a general rule, students should plan on logging into the course at least three times per week and spending at least three hours per course credit per week on the course, e.g., if the course is three credits, the student should plan on spending at least 9-12 hours per week on the course, just as they would in a residence course.
- Students are responsible for keeping track of changes in the course syllabus made by the instructor throughout the semester.
- Students are responsible for monitoring their grades.
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Students must contact their instructor (and teammates when working on any collaborative learning assignments) as soon as possible if they anticipate missing long periods of online time due to events such as chronic illnesses, death in the family, business travel, or other appropriate events. The instructor will determine the minimal log on time and participation required in order to meet course responsibilities. In the event of other unforeseen conflicts, the instructor and student will arrive at a solution together.
- Requests for taking exams or submitting assignments after the due dates require documentation of events such as illness, family emergency, or a business-sanctioned activity.
- Conflicts with dates on which examinations or assignments are scheduled must be discussed with the instructor or TA prior to the date of the examination or assignment.
- Students are responsible for following appropriate netiquette (network etiquette) when communicating with their instructor and classmates. For reference, see the Academic Success Kit.
- Behaviors that disrupt other students’ learning are not acceptable and will be addressed by the instructor.
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For severe and chronic problems with student disruptive behavior, the following will be applied for resolution:
- Senate Committee on Student Life policy on managing classroom disruptions: Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.
- Penn State Principles
Disclaimer: Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus are subject to change, and you will be responsible for abiding by any such changes. Your instructor will notify you of any changes.