Course Guidelines

The nuts and bolts of class policies, course expectations, and university resources 📜

Grading Policies and Calculation

Assignment

Participation 20%
Weekly Blogs 20%
Digital Humanities Pedagogy Project 30%
Pedagogy Project Reflection Essay 30%

Grading Scale
A = 4.0 quality points per semester hour
A- = 3.7
B+ = 3.3
B = 3.0
B- = 2.7
C+ = 2.3
C = 2.0
C- = 1.7
D+ = 1.3
D = 1.0
F = 0

A list of all possible grades at the University can be found in the Bulletin. Note that students will receive an “interim grade” at the seven-week point to give them an indication of their performance at that point in the semester.

Students may drop a course with no penalty in the first week of the semester. If students wish to leave a course with a grade of “W” (for “withdrawal”), they may request to do so before the 50th day (specific dates can be found on the Registrar’s calendar).  Important note: Students who receive a grade of W do not receive any money back and that grade is permanently included on their transcripts.

Students should be aware that anIncomplete grade (I) can only be assigned in cases of extraordinary circumstances beyond the student’s control.

Academic Integrity Statement

misconduct involves deception to improve a grade, earn course credit, complete a degree, or create an unfair academic advantage for oneself or disadvantage to another in the academic community. All students at the University of Southern Mississippi should familiarize themselves with the Student Academic Integrity Policy to become familiar with what actions constitute academic misconduct, a violation of that policy. Southern Miss values “an approach to academics, research, and personal conduct based on integrity and civility” and the Student Academic Integrity Policy supports that University value. Forms of academic misconduct may include, but are not limited to:

  • Cheating – Cheating is a broad category of academic misconduct characterized by an attempt to gain academic advantage through inappropriate means or impede the academic achievement of others.
  • Plagiarism – The use of another person’s or source’s words, creative works, or ideas without appropriate quotation or attribution; claiming or submitting for academic credit the work of another.
  • Lying – The misrepresentation of one’s academic work, lying to an instructor to increase a grade, or lying to an instructor regarding an academic integrity violation.
  • Acquiring or Distributing Information Inappropriately – The act of distributing or obtaining course assignments or examination questions or answers from sources not approved by the instructor or proctor (includes, but is not limited to, unauthorized use of the Internet, test banks associated with course text and previous student work).
  • Fabrication or Falsification of Data – Any statement of untruth in any matters related to the academic experience, including but not limited to forgery; false claims of authorship; falsification of information, data, or results derived from or related to research or to laboratory experiments.
  • Stealing or Defacing – The act of intentionally taking, transferring, defacing, or destroying, without right or permission, any property related to the academic mission of the University, including an attempt to impede others.
  • Multiple Submissions – The submission, more than once, without authorization by any instructors involved, of substantial portions of the same work, including oral reports or work submitted for retaken courses.
  • Conspiracy – The act of agreeing or planning with any person to commit any violation of the Student Academic Integrity Policy.
  • Unauthorized use of artificial intelligence- See the artificial intelligence policy in this syllabus for allowable or non-allowable use of artificial intelligence.

If you commit an act of academic misconduct, sanctions ranging from resubmission of work to course failure may occur to the possibility of receiving a grade of “XF” for the course, which will be on the student’s transcript with the notation “Failure due to academic misconduct.”  Should you be accused of academic misconduct, please visit the Academic Integrity Website or email integrity@usm.edu for any questions you may have about your rights and about the academic integrity process. Southern Miss provides many campus resources that are detailed in this syllabus and will be discussed by your professors; please utilize those to help you learn. At Southern Miss, we care about your personal work and learning journey.

Artificial Intelligence Statement

This section of the syllabus outlines the acceptable use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools in this course. Generative AI tools include types of artificial intelligence technology that are “capable of generating text, images, code or other types of content, often in response to a prompt entered by a user” (Hughes, 2023, TechRepublic).  

Each instructor will determine the permitted use of artificial intelligence in each course to ensure that student work demonstrates academic rigor, creativity, original research, and other discipline-appropriate aspects.  Students are responsible for understanding what, if any, artificial intelligence tools are permitted for use in each course.  

Permissible Use

There are specific instances in this course where you will be allowed to use generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) to assist in your learning. Limiting AI use to specific assignments or situations helps you develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills independently, while still benefiting from AI assistance when appropriate. Specific assignments where AI use is acceptable will be noted by the instructor clearly and unambiguously. Any use of AI outside of acceptable use in the course is in violation of the Student Academic Integrity Policy at The University of Southern Mississippi.

Student Accessibility Services

Student Accessibility Services (SAS) is Southern Miss’s designated office to assist the University in its commitment to protect the civil rights of students with disabilities. SAS protects students from discrimination and offers reasonable accommodations to give them equitable access to university courses and resources. Disabilities covered under the ADA may include but are not limited to ADHD, learning disabilities, psychiatric disabilities, physical disabilities, chronic health disorders, temporary injuries, and pregnancies. If a student feels that they need classroom or housing accommodations based on a disability they should contact SAS by phone at 601-266-5024, by email at sas@usm.edu, in person by visiting the SAS office located in McLemore Hall, Room 112, or online at usm.edu/sas.

Confidentiality, Mandatory Reporting, and Title IX

Hattiesburg Campus
Cook Library Room 129
601.266.6804
601.266.4466

Gulf Park Campus
Hardy Hall Room 332 (Monday 10 a.m. -2 p.m. or by appointment)
228.214.3363

Title IX Coordinator
Cristin Reynolds, Ph.D.
Email: cristin.reynolds@usm.edu

As an instructor, one of my responsibilities is to help create and maintain a safe learning environment on our campus. I also have a mandatory reporting responsibility related to my role as a faculty member. I am required to share information regarding sexual misconduct or information about a crime that may have occurred on USM’s campus with certain University officials responsible for the investigation and remediation of sexual misconduct. The information will remain private and will only be shared with those officials necessary to resolve the matter. The sharing of information to the Title IX Office does not initiate a Title IX investigation or the criminal investigation process. Reporting to the Title IX Office initiates office outreach to those impacted by the alleged behavior to discuss available resolution options and supportive measures. You do not have to file a formal complaint with the Title IX Office in order to access on and off campus supportive measures. If you would like to speak in confidence, resources available to students include Confidential Advisors with the Shafer Center for Crisis Intervention, the Counseling Center, Student Health Services, and Clergy. More information on these resources and University Policies is available at www.usm.edu/title-ix.   

Student Support Services

In the event of emergency, please call 911 or if there is a mental health crisis after business hours,
call or text the National Suicide Hotline at 988 (988lifeline.org).

Our goal is to ensure students have the resources that they need to be successful. Students needing support for academics, financial assistance, technical assistance, or mental, emotional, recovery, or other needs can use usm.edu/help to guide them to the resources available on campus as well as self-help options.

The Dean of Students Office can help you if you need information about your rights and responsibilities as a student, guidance in navigating university policies and procedures, need consultation on, or to report, a concern, referrals to campus resources, assistance with an academic notification to instructors about an extended absence, or to initiate a late withdrawal from a course or the university.

Academic Notification The Dean of Students Office will support students experiencing a crisis and/or medical emergency that causes the student to miss more than three consecutive days of classes and can provide documentation to a faculty member regarding the validity the absence. However, the documentation provided by this office does not “excuse”, nor does it guarantee, that the student will be permitted to make up tests or other missed assignments; it simply documents that the student’s circumstance(s) indicates that the student is/was unable to participate in class for the designated period of time. At their discretion, the instructor will make the final decision about the opportunity to complete missed course work. Students are encouraged to reach out to their instructors as soon as possible before or after any absence.

The Academic Success Center is located on the second floor of the Gulf Coast Library on the Gulf Park campus in Long Beach. Through peer tutors and professional support staff, the Academic Success Center offers a broad range of services including:

• Academic Coaching
• Learning materials and electronic resources
• Individual and small group tutoring
• Whole class support
• Proctoring: IVN classes and in-person at the Testing Center in the Gulf Coast Library
• Workshops and seminars
• Online and in person tutoring sessions in a variety of subjects

For more information, visit us at www.usm.edu/asc. To make an appointment, please visit gulfpark.mywconline.com/. If you have questions about our services, call us at 228.214.3346 or 228.214.3467 or email us at academic.success@usm.edu.

The Writing Center and the Speaking Center are friendly spaces that provide individualized feedback and support to help Southern Miss students succeed with writing and speaking assignments for any class. The Centers offer one-to-one consultations for any stage of the process, including brainstorming, creating an outline, revising, learning editing strategies, and developing presentation skills. In-person and online appointments are available.

To make an appointment, visit usm.mywconline.com and create an account. Instructions for making an appointment can be found at usm.edu/writing-center or usm.edu/speaking-center. Contact the Writing Center (Cook Library 112) by email at writingcenter@usm.edu or by phone at (601) 266-4821. The Speaking Center (Cook Library 117) can be reached at speakingcenter@usm.edu or (601) 266-4965.

Career Services staff strive to assist students in finding meaningful career paths, developing job-seeking skills and connecting with employment opportunities. Students will find assistance through personal meetings, on-line resources and attending events such as the Career and Internship Expos. Students are encouraged to attend the Career and Internship Expo each semester to explore potential career paths, identify internships, discover job opportunities, and build professional connections with employer contacts.  80 to 100 employers and graduate school representatives attend each semester. Dates and additional information on our website at www.usm.edu/cs or check out the events section in your Handshake account.

Southern Miss Libraries provide students with individualized assistance using library resources for coursework and scholarly research. Questions may be asked in person or by live chat, telephone, or email. Students may request a research consultation with a librarian to get help at any stage of the research process. Research consultations, available in-person and online, provide personalized assistance that is tailored to a class assignment or project. Librarians can help students search for, find, and obtain sources for their research projects.

The University Libraries’ website (www.lib.usm.edu) provides information about conducting academic research, as well as links to the Libraries’ search tool (Seymour Info), databases, and other resources. Library research guides are available through Canvas, as well as the library website. University Libraries also have a robust interlibrary loan (ILL) service which provides access to resources not available in our current collections or subscriptions. The Libraries at Southern Miss provide access to both print and electronic resources, including books, journal articles, newspapers, digital media, and more. University Libraries also include Special Collections which offer a variety of historical resources, such as rare books and historical artifacts, in addition to University Archives which offer documents and memorabilia from our University’s rich history. Visit your campus library or the University Libraries’ website to get started!

The University of Southern Mississippi recognizes that students, faculty, and staff members may experience financial challenges beyond their control that impact their ability to finance their education or establish a work-life balance that fosters academic success. If you find yourself in need of financial education, resources, or professional services, please visit the Office of Undergraduate Scholarships’ Financial Management Resource Center site at https://www.usm.edu/undergraduate-scholarships/financialcenter.php or use your USM credentials to receive customized help through iGrad at https://southernmiss.igrad.com/.  

Hattiesburg Campus

The University of Southern Mississippi recognizes that students and staff members may experience challenges beyond their control that impact their ability to take care of their essential needs, such as having food or a safe place to sleep. If you find yourself in need of food or shelter, please consider contacting the Eagle’s Nest Food Pantry on the Hattiesburg campus at 601-266-4025 or eaglesnest@usm.edu. All students, faculty, and staff are welcome to come to the Eagle’s Nest Food Pantry and utilize the available resources free of charge.

The University of Southern Mississippi recognizes that students and staff members may experience challenges beyond their control that impact their ability to care for their essential needs, such as having food or a safe place to sleep. If you find yourself in need of food, please consider contacting the Gulf Park Food Pantry at 228.214.3341 or gulfparkpantry@usm.edu. All students, faculty, and staff are welcome to come to the Food Pantry and utilize the available resources free of charge.

Gulf Park Campus

The University of Southern Mississippi recognizes that students and staff members may experience challenges beyond their control that impact their ability to care for their essential needs, such as having food or a safe place to sleep. If you find yourself in need of food, please consider contacting the Gulf Park Food Pantry at 228.214.3341 or gulfparkpantry@usm.edu. All students, faculty, and staff are welcome to come to the Food Pantry and utilize the available resources free of charge.

USM recognizes that students sometimes experience challenges that make learning difficult. If you find that life stressors such as anxiety, depression, relationship problems, difficulty concentrating, alcohol/drug problems, or other stressful experiences are interfering with your academic or personal success, consider contacting Student Counseling Services (SCS) on campus at 601-266-4829. More information is also available at https://www.usm.edu/student-counseling-services , or usm.edu/help.  Student Counseling Services offers currently enrolled students free, confidential counseling services and can provide referrals to campus and community resources. Currently enrolled students living outside Mississippi can receive a one-time consultation to assure they are informed about available resources in their community. Students on the Gulf Park campus also can contact our Mental Wellness Counselor at Alvin.Baker@usm.edu.