Department of Philosophy - University of Missouri-Columbia

  Department Course Policies

The Department of Philosophy adopts the following policies in all its courses.

Americans with Disabilities Act
If a student has any special needs as addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act and need course materials or tests in alternative formats, notify the instructor immediately. All reasonable efforts will be made to accommodate the student's special needs. For further information please refer to the following:

Academic Dishonesty
"Academic honesty is essential to the intellectual life of the University. Thus, academic dishonesty, such as cheating and plagiarism, is a basis for disciplinary action. In all cases of academic dishonesty, the faculty member makes an academic judgment about the student's grade on that work and in that course and reports all incidents to the provost for disciplinary action." — University of Missouri Undergraduate Catalog

When facing a problem in a philosophy class

If a student has a problem in a philosophy class or with the instructor of a philosophy class, he or she should first discuss it with the instructor during the instructor's office hours. If, for whatever reason, a student feels uncomfortable discussing the problem with the instructor, or if talking to the instructor does not resolve the problem, then, in the case of faculty instructors, the student should contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies about the problem. In the case of a graduate teaching assistant (GTA), the student should contact either the faculty member teaching the large-lecture class in which the GTA is assisting or, if the GTA is teaching independently, the GTA's teaching advisor (whose contact information should be on the GTA's syllabus).

As a final step, but only a final step, a student may take the problem to the Chair of the Philosophy Department.

Writing in Undergraduate Classes

Evaluation of student work in upper-level undergraduate (i.e., 3000- or 4000-level) courses, other than logic courses, will include a substantial paper-writing component, typically in the form of one or more thesis-defense papers.