NDSU policy language for your syllabus

Academic Honesty

The academic community is operated on the basis of honesty, integrity, and fair play. NDSU Policy 335: Code of Academic Responsibility and Conduct applies to cases in which cheating, plagiarism, or other academic misconduct have occurred in an instructional context. Students found guilty of academic misconduct are subject to penalties, up to and possibly including suspension and/or expulsion. Student academic misconduct records are maintained by the Office of Registration and Records. Informational resources about academic honesty for students and instructional staff members can be found at www.ndsu.edu/academichonesty.

Academic Accommodations

Any students with disabilities or other special needs, who need special accommodations in this course are invited to share these concerns or requests with the instructor and contact the Disability Services Office as soon as possible. 

Veterans and Student Soldiers

Veterans and student soldiers with special circumstances or who are activated are encouraged to notify the instructor in advance.


The NDSU Syllabus Requirements link (under Course Documents, in the right-hand menu of this page) also provides you with a list of elements that must be included in the syllabus for every NDSU course.

Miwa's reading Notes #9

I really enjoyed reading the book “My Freshman Year” by Rebekah Nathan (2005), as her approach to become a freshman is totally surprising. I as an instructor always try to see things from students’ viewpoints when I consider my teaching, but I should not fully understand their situations until I actually stand in their shoes. Even though my appearance looks like a college student, I still greatly hesitate to behave as an undergraduate. In the sense that the author literally became a subject of her study, I could say that her experiment was quite successful.

However, our perspectives are greatly influenced by their individual culture, value, and background, and many of Nathan’s findings are not new to me because of my personal situation. I have been cross-culturally traveling (p. 134) as an international student (my current program is the 5^th one in the U.S.) for years, not only between Japan and the U.S. but also academic world and the business world. In addition, my academic life in the U.S. has been very close to the freshman’s one than the professors’ one (living on-campus, being exposed to the student community, taking courses, etc.) The situation made me highly capable of accepting different views, and I am not so surprised at freshmen’ behaviors and attitudes as Nathan was. 

Though the findings don’t surprise me so much, many of them are still beneficial for me to learn. I also cannot stop frustrating undergraduates’ irresponsible attitudes toward their study. I tend to compare their behaviors with my own experience and struggle to understanding them. Though I have much closer sense to students than Nathan did, I still appreciate to learn students’ circumstances that have generational and cultural differences from mine. For example, I have been experiencing extra difficulties in communicating with my students since I started teaching them. The difficulties are clearly different from the ones I feel when I communicate with others surrounding me (professors, colleagues, friends, etc.) I first doubted my own English proficiency, but the problem seemed to be something different. Nathan stated how difficult to have a conversation with students (p. 13), and her difficulty is very similar to the one I have been feeling with my students.   

I believe that something academically correct is not always humanly correct. Both undergraduates and instructors are humans who have to manage balancing their academic life and personal life. Therefore, both parties should at least try to take other’s individual circumstances as a human into consideration, rather than start considering their roles as students and instructors. Of course, we cannot accept everything only for the reason of personal empathy, but the perspective could still help us try understanding background lies in other’s behaviors that are hard to understand.  

Nathan’s surprises at students’ reality reversely highlighted my closeness to them, which gives me challenges to serve as an instructor. The more I feel empathy, the more I try to accommodate them. I am aware that such my attitude is not “academically” appropriate as it can invite unfairness for those who are strictly following rules. How to maintain a balanced distance from students is the most significant thing I learned from this reading.   

Ashley's Reading Notes #9

Most surprising: First off I was surprised that nobody found out her identity and that she was actually a professor at the university. The chapter on international students was very interesting and provided a unique insight. I was just as guilty as the students at this university where I stuck with the students that were like me. Since I did that, I always had the same perspective and thought that international students enjoyed being together. It really surprised me that they want to have other friends besides those from their same country, but I see the value in it. Now that I am a graduate student, I have friendships with many different people and it is enjoyable because you can learn about each other. I can’t believe that students are unaware of their surroundings and do not truly want to learn about other cultures. I think as Americans we are stuck in this bubble and unless we have the chance to study abroad or travel, many just think everything needs to be done the American way. The community aspect of the book was also very surprising. I think every university varies and even the groups of students vary. Nathan talked about the dining hall and how many would eat alone or take it back to their dorm rooms. Dinner was a big deal when I was in college, we would never go alone and would sit with a large group. We always saw it as a chance to get out of our dorm. I was also surprised in the lack of participation in activities and clubs. As an incoming freshman I was told to get involved and the dorm activities were always packed with people. I did live in a unique dorm where everyone was agriculture major and many of us knew each other before college due to FFA. We did stick together a lot, but whenever there was a club meeting on ag campus the dorm was bare.

Least surprising: This book made me think about when I was a freshman and how I viewed classes. It did not surprise me that I had some of the same attitudes as these students did. I would never sit in the front and very rarely did I read the book because the teachers did not talk about it. It was not surprising that Nathan was not accepted readily even though she lived in the dorm. Students learn at a young age to form groups because there is the fear of being alone. These students stick with those that they are familiar with, high school classmates or those that have the same major. Students tend to shy away from something that is different, an older student, instead of embracing the unique opportunity to meet somebody that has a whole new perspective.

Advice for a student: The most important advice is to try something new and not follow the group. College is the time to discover who you are and where you want to go. It was shocking to read that students were not involved. Being active in different clubs and holding leadership roles are going to get you a lot farther than straight A’s or who is holding the next party. I would also tell college students to get to know people other than who you are used to being with. We are all unique and it will make you a more well-rounded person when you learn different perspectives.

Advice for an instructor: It is easy to forget about our days in college, but an instructor needs to realize that they went through this same process and did not like certain professors or classes. Try not to be one of those, the class that students dread taking or coming to. Also, never stop researching because students change. It is good to stay up on what some of the norms are for today’s students.

Perspective: This book really has not changed my perspective because as I was reading it, I would get flash backs to my days as an undergraduate. Students learn how to work the system, especially at a large university. I felt like a number in many of my classes which led to the same attitude as the students in the book, why try too hard if the instructor doesn’t. It did change/surprise me about how close-minded today’s students are. Many do not realize how global our society is and do not think beyond America.

Reading Notes #9

I guess the most surprising aspect of this book, for me, is that there are professors out there who give students their phone numbers, that it seems to be a regular practice to give students outline notes from their lectures, and that dormitories have evolved to be like modern apartments all in order to please more students and attract them to the universities. The part about students wanting to be entertained is true. During my lectures, students need to take notes. At the end of the lecture, I pull up images, either on transparencies or on the computer. I am expecting them to listen to me while I point out the structures that I had just gone over. For some reason, I am expecting them to write things down. Well, the second I turn down the lights and turn on the projector, they are putting their books away in their backpacks and sitting back to watch the slide show. Sometimes, I’ll write something on the board to define a vocabulary term and then they are scrambling to take out their notebooks and write it down!

I was not surprised at all about the lack of participation in community activities. I am also not surprised that students do not like the required freshmen seminar as this is the same at NDSCS. Students are bombarded with different groups to join and clubs to be in and need to focus on their classes all at the same time. And, the majority, it seems, want to be involved with a party culture and hanging out and just enjoying college freedom. The students, in general, want to focus more on the “fun times” in college life and less on academia. I was also not surprised about the cheating. I’ve had a huge problem with this in my current classes. I even had a student confess that she had written her notes on index cards, put them in her sweatshirt pocket, and was planning to sit in the back of the room and cheat. Maybe she did. She was turned in by many students and confessed to me that she had the notes but swore that she didn’t cheat. There was nothing I could do because I didn’t see this myself.

The advice I would give to a new college student is to focus on their studies and not fall into the “party world.” They need to realize that their GPA is cumulative and CAN affect their future career more than they realize.

The advice I would give to a new college instructor is that all the reading regarding student apathy and laziness when it comes to putting forth effort for their own education is true overall. I see this everyday in my job. Students expect things handed to them. They EXPECT Powerpoint notes! They EXPECT the professors to give them outlines for lectures! I had several students who do not even bring a writing utensil, never mind a notebook or paper, to class! Many of them do not attend class on Fridays on a regular basis. Over half of one of my classes did not attend lecture Wednesday before Thanksgiving break. In fact, only 7 students out of 31 came to one class.

Don’t be surprised that student’s don’t read the book! This has been so true and actually surprising to me in my return to college teaching within the past two years. When I taught in the Twin Cities from 1989-1995, it seemed like students were more focused on their studies, not all, but the majority. We did not use Powerpoints, they didn’t exist. We WROTE ON THE BOARD, I know, interesting concept. But even more interesting: students TOOK NOTES! I cannot tell you how much has evolved or just changed completely during my 15 year hiatus. I also find it astounding the sense of entitlement exists with today’s students. The expect to make up tests and quizzes if they miss them even without a good excuse.

I found the comment, “Classes, in fact, were described in multiple instances as the ‘price one has to pay’ to participate in college culture, a domain that students portrayed in terms such as ‘fun,’ ‘friendships,’ ‘partying,’ life experiences,’ and ‘late night talks,’” to be very interesting.

No, this book has not changed my perspective of undergraduate students. I live this everyday. This book really “hits the nail on the head” in regard to student life, class attendance, student expectation, etc. I really enjoyed reading this book.

Charu's Reading Notes #9

The most surprising aspect:

First of all I was very excited to read this book because the book cover seemed intriguing to me. However, I was surprised to notice two things in the text that I think sort of questions the ethical aspect of the text. Following are the two questions that quite surprised me because I think telling/discussing these experiences upfront sort of misrepresented the author:

1. In chapter 1, Nathan discusses how she got busted by her RA for drinking beer out in the lounge (p. 12).
2. One important thing that I learnt in my grad school experience is that in academic work it is important for the author to identify the sources while quoting others in their work. I am aware that Nathan wanted to protect the anonymity but still my question is it acceptable to do that? I noticed that the author doesn’t identify her sources when she quotes students.

The least surprising aspect:

The least surprising aspect of this book was the Nathan discussion on “How does a “cultural expert” decide whether or not to read something for class?” (p. 137-139). From my current teaching project (COMM 110), I realized that most of the students will not do the class readings unless the material will be on their test. While reading this book, one question kept coming to my mind that Nathan taught for more than 15 years but then why she seemed to know so little about the students? 

Advice to a new college student: 

In light of the challenges faced by undergraduate students, following are the advice that I would give a new college student:

1. Try to get organized from the starting of the semester.
2. Actively participate in extracurricular activities.
3. Prioritize your workload by courses
4. More importantly try to create a perfect balance between your college and social life.
5. Try to get to know the people in charge (ex. RAs in your dorm, advisor, head of your department) so that they can help you and which will eventually smoothen your time in the college as well.

Advice to a new college instructor: 

To highlight, I will use this idiom “try to put yourself in other’s shoes.” I would advice other instructors to always keep a student perspective in their mind when dealing with situations/issues/problems. To emphasize, I think instructors can learn from Nathan admirable attempt to understand college from a student’s perspective. I would advice other instructors to not to forget your experience as an undergraduate especially the challenges you faced. You can use your own experience to understand your student perspective. I think this will certainly help you to build a strong and positive relationship with your students; and will also help you to improve your course design.

Has this book changed your perspective on undergraduate students:

After reading this book, my perspective on undergraduate students has changed a little. I think it has made me little bit more sympathetic towards my students and realized me the importance of being an empathetic listener at the same time. In my viewpoint, Nathan anthropological study of undergraduates and her attempt to assume the identity of an undergraduate to study the culture as an insider participant/observer was commendable.