Syllabus Institutional Policies

UTA students are encouraged to review these institutional policies and informational sections and reach out to the specific office with any questions.

The UT Arlington Syllabus Institutional Policies

 

Students may drop or swap (adding and dropping a class concurrently) classes through self-service in MyMav from the beginning of the registration period through the late registration period. After the late registration period, students must see their academic advisor to drop a class or withdraw. Undeclared students must see an advisor in the University Advising Center. Drops can continue through a point two-thirds of the way through the term or session. It is the student's responsibility to officially withdraw if they do not plan to attend after registering. Students will not be automatically dropped for non-attendance. Repayment of certain types of financial aid administered through the University may be required as the result of dropping classes or withdrawing. For more information, contact the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships.

Students who wish to observe a religious holy day that interferes with classes, examinations or completion of assignments must submit the Religious Accommodation Request Form to the instructor. The request form must specify each class to be missed and/or the planned absence(s). A request should be submitted as early as possible, but generally thirty (30) days in advance of the desired accommodation. Failure to provide reasonable advance notice may impact the University’s ability to accommodate the request. In accordance with Texas law a request to observe a religious holy day may be denied if the student’s absence will interfere with clinical care.

Pursuant to Texas law, a student who follows the procedure set out herein and is excused from class to observe a religious holy day may not be penalized, but the instructor may appropriately respond if the student fails to satisfactorily complete a missed assignment or examination within a reasonable time after the absence.
UT Arlington is on record as being committed to both the spirit and letter of all federal equal opportunity legislation, including The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), The Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act (ADAAA), and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. All instructors at UT Arlington are required by law to provide “reasonable accommodations” to students with disabilities, so as not to discriminate on the basis of disability. Students experiencing a range of conditions (Physical, Learning, Chronic Health, Mental Health, and Sensory) that may cause diminished academic performance or other barriers to learning may apply for services and/or accommodations from the Student Access & Resource Center (SAR Center). It is the responsibility of the student to contact the SAR Center so that eligibility can be determined through an interactive process. Instructors will be provided an official Faculty Notification Letter via the Student Access & Resource Center online services portal stating the approved accommodations. Application for services: https://bachelor.accessiblelearning.com/UTA/

Information regarding diagnostic criteria and policies for obtaining disability-based academic accommodations can be found at the SAR Center website or by calling 817.272.3364.

The syllabus is divided between course info and institutional policies. The institutional policies are gathered under one link so it is easier to update them as there are frequent changes by various units around campus-https://resources.uta.edu/provost/course-related-info/institutional-policies.php
It is the policy of The University of Texas at Arlington to provide an educational and working environment that provides equal opportunity to all members of the University community. In accordance with federal and state law, the University prohibits unlawful discrimination, including harassment, on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, disability, genetic information, and/or veteran status. The University also prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity, and gender expression. Retaliation against persons who oppose a discriminatory practice, file a charge of discrimination, or testify for, assist in, or participate in an investigative proceeding relating to discrimination is prohibited. Constitutionally-protected expression will not be considered discrimination or harassment under this policy. It is the responsibility of all departments, employees, and students to ensure the University's compliance with this policy.

The University’s Equal Opportunity Services and Title IX Office investigates allegations of discrimination affecting the UTA community. Complaints regarding unlawful discrimination should be brought to the Equal Opportunity Services and Title IX Office.

Copies of this policy and more information is available on the EOS/Title IX website: https://www.uta.edu/eos-title-ix/equal-opportunity-services

Title IX is a federal law that protects against sex in education. UT Arlington is committed to providing a learning, living and working environment that is free from discrimination based on gender and sexual harassment. Sexual harassment (including sexual violence, sexual assault, stalking, dating violence, domestic violence, sexual exploitation) and all forms of sexual misconduct including retaliation, in any form are prohibited and will not be tolerated. Any individuals who engage in such conduct will be subject to disciplinary action.

All employees, including student employees (with few exceptions) are Faculty members and certain staff members are considered “Responsible Employees” or “Mandatory Reporters,” which means that they are required to immediately report potential violations of Title IX to the Title IX Coordinator.

Title IX also prohibits discrimination against a student based on pregnancy, childbirth, false pregnancy, termination of pregnancy, or recovery from any of these conditions. The university is required to provide pregnant students with “reasonable accommodations” that may be necessary due to the pregnancy. If a student’s pregnancy involves a medical complication that impacts one or more major life functions, the student may be considered “temporarily disabled”, and the student may be referred to the Student & Access Resource Center (SAR Center), formerly the Office of Disability Services, to receive additional accommodation.

For more information about policies, reporting options and resources, visit the Title IX website: www.uta.edu/eos-title-ix/title-ix or contact the Title IX Coordinator Michelle Willbanks at: titleix@uta.edu.

As a military-friendly institution, and in accordance with federal regulations and Texas statues, the University of Texas at Arlington has established policies and procedures to accommodate Military-Connected Students. Military-Connected students can access support through UTA's Military and Veteran Services Center.

In accordance with section 51.9111 of Texas Education Code, a student is excused for attending classes or engaging in other required activities, including examinations, if he or she is called to active military service of reasonably brief duration. The student will be allowed a reasonable amount of time after the absence to complete assignments and take examinations. A student who must withdraw from the University as a result of military service will receive the following considerations according to Section 54.006 of the Texas Education Code:

  1. receive a refund of tuition and fees
  2. if eligible, be assigned a grade of incomplete (I) or...
  3. as determined by the instructor, receive a final grade or credit in courses where the student has satisfactorily completed a substantial amount of coursework and has demonstrated sufficient mastery of the course material.

Veterans, members of the National Guard or Reserves, and Active-Duty Military with military obligations (e.g., deployments, trainings, drill) or needs for accommodation are encouraged to communicate these to the instructor in advance whenever possible

Students enrolled all UT Arlington courses are expected to adhere to the UT Arlington Honor Code:

I pledge, on my honor, to uphold UT Arlington’s tradition of academic integrity, a tradition that values hard work and honest effort in the pursuit of academic excellence.
I promise that I will submit only work that I personally create or contribute to group collaborations, and I will appropriately reference any work from other sources. I will follow the highest standards of integrity and uphold the spirit of the Honor Code.

UT Arlington faculty members may employ the Honor Code in their courses by having students acknowledge the honor code as part of an examination or requiring students to incorporate the honor code into any work submitted. Per UT System Regents’ Rule 50101, §2.2, suspected violations of university’s standards for academic integrity (including the Honor Code) will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct. Violators will be disciplined in accordance with University policy, which may result in the student’s suspension or expulsion from the University. Additional information is available at Student Conduct. Faculty are encouraged to discuss plagiarism and share the following library tutorials Copyright & Fair Use: Plagiarism and Acknowledging Sources
UT Arlington has adopted MavMail as its official means to communicate with students about important deadlines and events, as well as to transact university-related business regarding financial aid, tuition, grades, graduation, etc. All students are assigned a MavMail account and are responsible for checking the inbox regularly. There is no additional charge to students for using this account, which remains active even after graduation. Information about activating and using MavMail is available at OIT: Student MavMail.
Effective August 1, 2016, the Campus Carry law (Senate Bill 11) allows those licensed individuals to carry a concealed handgun in buildings on public university campuses, except in locations the University establishes as prohibited. The new Constitutional Carry law does not change this process. Concealed carry still requires a License to Carry permit, and openly carrying handguns is not allowed on college campuses. For more information, visit News Center: Campus Carry.
Final Review Week for semester-long courses, a period of five class days prior to the first day of final examinations in the long sessions shall be designated as Final Review Week. The purpose of this week is to allow students sufficient time to prepare for final examinations. During this week, there shall be no scheduled activities such as required field trips or performances; and no instructor shall assign any themes, research problems or exercises of similar scope that have a completion date during or following this week unless specified in the class syllabus. During Final Review Week, an instructor shall not give any examinations constituting 10% or more of the final grade, except makeup tests and laboratory examinations. In addition, no instructor shall give any portion of the final examination during Final Review Week. During this week, classes are held as scheduled. In addition, instructors are not required to limit content to topics that have been previously covered; they may introduce new concepts as appropriate.
At the end of each term, students enrolled in face-to-face and online classes categorized as “lecture,” “seminar,” or “laboratory” are directed to complete an online Student Feedback Survey (SFS). Instructions on how to access the SFS for this course will be sent directly to each student through MavMail approximately 10 days before the end of the term. Each student’s feedback via the SFS database is aggregated with that of other students enrolled in the course. Students’ anonymity will be protected to the extent that the law allows. UT Arlington’s effort to solicit, gather, tabulate, and publish student feedback is required by state law and aggregate results are posted online. Data from SFS is also used for faculty and program evaluations. For more information, visit Student Feedback Survey.
The safety and security of our campus is the responsibility of everyone in our community. Each of us has an obligation to be prepared to appropriately respond to threats to our campus, such as an active aggressor. Please review the information provided by UTA Police regarding the options and strategies we can all use to stay safe during difficult situations. For more information, visit Crime Prevention: Active Shooter.
The Academic Success Center (ASC) includes a variety of resources and services to help you maximize your learning and succeed as an undergraduate student at the University of Texas at Arlington. ASC services include academic coaching, peer-led team learning, supplemental instruction, tutoring, and TRIO Student Support Services. Academic Success Center services are provided at no additional cost to undergraduate UTA students. For additional information visit: Academic Success Center. Visit Find Course Support to see what services are available for a particular course. To request disability accommodations for any of our services, please email asc@uta.edu.