Use of Generative AI

Generative AI refers to a class of Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems that can create or generate new content, such as text, images, audio, or video. These systems are trained on large amounts of data and use statistical techniques to learn the patterns and characteristics of the data. Once trained, they can generate new content similar to the training data but not necessarily identical. Generative AI models include diverse applications, including natural language processing, computer vision, speech recognition, and more.

Generative AI applications include DALL-E, Stable Diffusion, and ChatGPT, among others. DALL-E is a generative AI model developed by OpenAI. It is a variant of the GPT-3 model that can generate images from text descriptions. ChatGPT is a large-scale pre-trained language model also developed by OpenAI. It is based on transformer architecture and is trained on massive text data, allowing it to generate human-like text.

The use of generative AI, whether via a platform and/or app, is included in, and subject to, the Plagiarism Policy described in the Course Policies section of this site.

Generative AI may not be used to generate content intended to be submitted as original work.
Students must indicate when they have used Generative AI’s AI-generated content in their work and provide proper citations.
Generative AI should not be used to generate content that is discriminatory or offensive in any way.
Students are responsible for ensuring that any information obtained from ChatGPT is accurate and up-to-date.
Plagiarism, including using Generative AI-generated content without proper attribution, will result in disciplinary action as per the University’s policies.
Students should refrain from using Generative AI to generate work that is then submitted under multiple usernames or pseudonyms.
Students should refrain from using Generative AI to generate work that is then submitted to multiple assignments or classes.
Students should refrain from using Generative AI to generate work that is then submitted as their own after making minimal changes.
Students are responsible for understanding and adhering to the University’s academic integrity policy.
Any suspicion of plagiarism or academic dishonesty should be reported to the responsible person or team.
Generative AI’s results are generated based on the data it has been trained on and may be similar to existing work. Students should use their judgment and critical thinking to avoid plagiarizing.
Generative AI usage should comply with the University’s policies and regulations.

N.B. This statement was developed using ChatGPT.

A Note on Sexual Misconduct

Our school is committed to fostering a safe, productive learning environment. Title IX and our school policy prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex. Sexual misconduct — including harassment, domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking — is also prohibited at our school.

Our school encourages anyone experiencing sexual misconduct to talk to someone about what happened, so they can get the support they need and our school can respond appropriately.

If you wish to speak confidentially about an incident of sexual misconduct, want more information about filing a report, or have questions about school policies and procedures, please contact our Title IX Coordinator.

Remote Learning

In the event that circumstances, e.g., hurricane, COVID spike, demand it, we are prepared to adapt and return to a remote, synchronous learning environment.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced us to move to a fundamentally different set of delivery modalities, e.g., HyFlex, hybrid, remote, synchronous, or not, or some combination of approaches to teaching and learning. We are increasingly working remotely in order to accomplish our work. That remote modality demands that we adjust our understanding of acceptable protocols for attendance and participation, whether a meeting or course attendance, engagement and participation.

While working together using a digital platform, e.g., Teams, Zoom, Slack, etc. it is important that you join the session with a live camera and muted mic. A live camera helps to create a sense of community and will help all of us to engage effectively during our discussions. If you only unmute your mic when speaking we can avoid feedback, unsolicited input from family, pets and others as well as any random noise. If you cannot be seen or heard by your classmates it will be difficult to actively engage in course meetings. That will have negative implications for your grade results. Please review the Protocols for Online Meetings and Classes for more information.

Online Courses

Before you move forward with any online or hybrid/blended course, I suggest that you complete the short survey prepared by the Teaching, Learning and Technology Center (TLTC) to help you in your decision to pursue online learning.

Some of you may be unfamiliar with an online learning environment. While the subject matter is generally the same as a face-to-face (F2F) course the differences in platform and delivery are frequently a challenge for some students. Online courses require you to be self-directed and organize your work differently than your previous experience in F2F classes. Online does not mean less structure or work. It is not an “easier” course than one offered in a F2F environment.

It is important that you consider a number of factors before you enroll in an online or hybrid/blended course. Those factors include time management skills, learning style and technology skills and access. Online learning anticipates that you are an active learner … someone who is motivated, self-directed and stays on task. If you prefer a more traditional lecture style learning environment where you use class meetings as an organizing structure to complete your assignments then an online course may not be the best choice. In my experience, considering these factors is an important prerequisite to enrolling in a course that offers an online or hybrid/blended learning environment.

You do not have to be physically present in a classroom or attend at a set time, or place, to take one of my online courses. There are no scheduled class meetings in my online courses. If you are enrolled in an online course, you need to be self-motivated and stay on task. All of our course interactions will occur in the cloud using Teams and Blackboard. That said, however, you will have assignments that must be completed when due. We will use Teams as our primary communication and collaboration platform. Please DM me in Teams if you need to reach me or have a question. We use Team for our video conversations, when necessary.

If you are concerned with your comfort level with an online learning environment, please DM me in Teams. I am happy to discuss your concerns.

Recording

Recording of classroom lectures, discussions, reproduction of web-based course materials and the redistribution of those recordings or other class materials for any purpose, without my written permission, is prohibited. My purpose is to assist in maintaining student academic integrity, to protect student and faculty privacy, to respect my rights to instructional materials, and to enhance compliance with copyright law.

Audio or visual recording, transmission, distribution of classroom lectures and discussions or reproduction of web-based course materials is prohibited, unless I have provided express written permission (on syllabi, course sites, email, or signed document), and all students in the class have been informed that audio/video recording may occur, and any guest speakers have also given permission. Permission to allow the recording is not a transfer of any copyright in the recording.

Any authorized recording of lectures or class presentations, distribution of classroom lectures and discussions or reproduction of web-based course materials, when authorized, is solely for the purpose of individual or group study with other students enrolled in the same class. The recording may not be reproduced, and/or uploaded to a web platform and/or environment that are publicly accessible or accessible to others not enrolled in the class.

Recordings of classes, course materials, or lecture notes, distribution of classroom lectures and discussions or reproduction of web-based course materials, when authorized, may not be exchanged or distributed for commercial purposes, for compensation, or for any purpose other than study by students enrolled in the class. Public distribution of such materials may constitute copyright infringement in violation of federal or state law, and/or University policy. Course materials include outlines, slides, presentations, readings, or any other content made available to students by me, including those made available through any course reserves system, learning management system, or equivalent.

It is not a violation of my policy for a student determined by the Office of Disability Support Services (DSS) to be entitled to educational accommodations to record or adapt classroom lectures or course materials for personal study. Students entitled to accommodations including recording must provide written notification to me from DSS. The restrictions on third-party web and commercial distribution set out apply to these cases.

Students must destroy any approved recordings at the end of the semester in which they are enrolled in the class unless they receive the instructor’s written permission to retain them or are entitled to retain them as an accommodation authorized by DSS.

Violation of this policy may subject a student to disciplinary action.

N.B. Policies of other Universities consulted in preparing this policy include those from the University of Virginia and Rutgers University.

Plagiarism

Cheating Is Wrong Plagiarism is wrong. I strongly advise against engaging in any activity that might be considered or misinterpreted as or appear to be plagiarism. This sort of activity includes using someone else’s ideas or work and representing it as your own, failing to give credit to a source of information correctly, and paraphrasing another’s work without credit, among others. Plagiarism also includes using the text or internet to find answers to quiz and/or exam questions and/or collaborating with others when completing a quiz and/or exam.

If you are unsure of what constitutes plagiarism, you will find a good primer at plagiarism.org. Please visit the site and review its materials carefully.

If you are wondering if there are any penalties for plagiarism, please visit the Seton Hall statement on Academic and Professional Integrity.

If I discover that you have engaged in plagiarism, you will fail the course. If I conclude that you knew, or should have known, that your submission needed to be correctly sourced or because you negligently did not take the steps necessary to avoid plagiarism, you will fail the course.

This policy includes the statement on the Use of Generative AI included in the Course Policies section of this site.

One last thing …

If you are enrolled in my course, you have agreed to conduct yourself according to this policy on plagiarism. There is no opt-out alternative!

Engagement

Engagement, i.e., attendance, preparation, participation and successful, and timely, completion of course deliverables, is mandatory. You will not succeed in our course if you do not engage.

It’s that simple.

Your performance will improve if you attend class regularly, are well prepared AND participate effectively in the learning environment, whether F2F or digital.

Yes … it IS that simple!

You are an important part of the team, including your professor and classmates, that create an effective learning environment. Your engagement in our course learning environment plays a significant role in my assessment of your performance, in other words, the grade you earn in our course. Our course will demand a substantial investment of time and effort and so will require a significant amount of preparation. You need to be self-motivated and stay on task in order to succeed. Dr. Jeffrey Bennett has developed some terrific “Hints on How to Succeed in College Classes” that I strongly suggest you review before we begin our course.

I will take attendance every time we meet in class. I will even take attendance if we have a class meeting in a virtual environment using a video conferencing platform. While our meetings will consist of both lectures and discussions, I am not a big fan of the “Sage on the Stage” model of teaching. Discussion will be the primary form of interaction in our course. Of course, those discussions will be both F2F and digital. We will use a variety of technology supported platforms to support or interactions, both in and out of class meetings. Your engagement in our digital discussions, whether enrolled in a F2F or web-based course, will also be an important part of my assessment of your performance.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to move to a fundamentally different set of delivery modalities, e.g., HyFlex, hybrid, remote, synchronous or unsynchronous or some combination of approaches to teaching and learning. We are increasingly working remotely in order to accomplish our work. That remote modality demands that we adjust our understanding of acceptable protocols for attendance and participation, whether a meeting or course attendance, engagement and participation.

Remember … if you are consistently unprepared, or even underprepared, it will be very difficult to take full advantage of our course learning environment. That lack of engagement is a lost opportunity for you and will reflect poorly when I assess your performance.

The Engagement Rubric below has been adapted by Professor Sara Calhoun Davis from The Teaching Professor and forms the basis of assessment of your course engagement.

Engagement Rubric
	A	B	C / D	F
Peer Interaction	Actively supports, engages, and listens to peers (ongoing)	Makes a sincere effort to interact with peers (ongoing)	Limited interaction with peers	Virtually no interaction with peers
Preparation	Fully prepared for every aspect of the course	Mostly, if not fully, prepared (ongoing)	Preparation is inconsistent	Rarely or never prepared
Participation	Plays an active role in discussions (ongoing)	Participates constructively in discussions (ongoing)	When prepared, participates constructively in discussions	Comments vague if given; frequently demonstrates lack of interest
Contribution to Class	Comments advance level and depth of dialogue	Relevant comments are based on assigned material	When prepared, relevant comments are based on assignments	Demonstrates a noticeable lack of interest on occasion
Group Dynamics	Group dynamic and level of discussion are often better because of student’s engagement	Group dynamic and level of discussion are occasionally better, but not worse, because of student’s engagement	Group dynamic and level of discussion are sometimes disrupted by student’s engagement	Group dynamic and level of discussion are often disrupted by student’s engagement

You can influence my assessment of your course engagement in a positive way by

Becoming more active and/or making more effective comments that raise overall level of discussion and set examples for others, and
Asking thoughtful questions that will enhance discussion and engage peers, and
Listening carefully to, supporting, and engaging your peers in discussion. This will essentially improve others’ learning experience.

That said, you can also influence my assessment of your course engagement in a negative way if you

Do not engage in the course regularly, through attendance, preparation and participation, even though you meet attendance requirements. Even though you may have submitted assigned work, your contribution will not have added to the course discussion, or
Dominating discussions, thereby restricting others’ participation, and
Disrupting others’ opportunity to listen and/or participate, or
Making negative, offensive, and/or disrespectful comments during discussions, or
Violating the privacy of individuals, or
Using electronic devices such as, but not limited to, a cell phone, tablet, or computer for personal or unrelated coursework during class unless instructed to do so. There are no exceptions.

Deliverables

Reading

You will have reading deliverables for each class meeting … they must be completed before you arrive for class. If you are not prepared for class it will be very difficult, if not impossible, for you to engage effectively in our class. If you consistently do not engage effectively in class discussions it will have a negative impact on your performance and, therefore, my assessment of your performance. Your success in our course will require you to actively participate in the discussions that we conduct in person and in the cloud. The difference between engagement in a F2F and an online course is really about the platform.

Writing on a Digital Platform

Many of you may be unfamiliar with writing in a digital platform. Since this may be the first time that you will work in a digital platform I suggest that you review Professor Gerald Lucas’ essay, Writing Top Ten, as a starting point. If you are unfamiliar with the appropriate way to source your digital writing, and most of you will be, please review his discussion of Digital Citation for additional guidance on citation when using a digital platform. Since the correct use of hyperlinks will be important to your success in our course discussions I recommend that you consider his advice on using links in your digital writing.

When you use digital platforms to support your submissions you must incorporate multimedia (audio, video and images) in all of your writing deliverables. It is important for you to transition from thinking in terms of text on paper to a text+ environment. As Bo Ren suggests in his essay Why I Believe in Text,

“The future of text is going to be text+ (text + multimedia e.g. photos, videos, gifs, podcasts etc). … readers and users want text+ for a faster, more immersive, gratifying consumption experience. Multimedia stories are the future of text.”

If you have never used Teams before, visit the Microsoft Teams for Education – Quick Start Guide and video training for Teams.

Writing and Research

Many of your course deliverables will involve research and writing. Those assignments will also require that you meet both content and form requirements. I describe the requirements of each deliverable in terms of minimums to provide you with the opportunity to exceed those minimums. Most deliverables involve the use of digital platforms to deliver the content you have developed.

The content requirements are straightforward. You must provide a thoughtful, substantive and well-reasoned submission that draws upon the course readings and materials and that details your perspective and analysis of the implications of the issues raised in the question(s) posed. It is also important that you address the ethics issues raised by the assignment. You must also include sources sufficient to support all aspects of your submission.

The content requirements represent a significant expectation of performance. I may set a minimum requirement for the number of sources used in your submissions. I expect that your sources will be sufficient, both in quality and number, to support the breadth of analysis that I have described above.

The form requirements are equally straightforward. These form requirements are generally described in terms of a minimum word count and the use of live, in-text hyperlinks in lieu of footnotes/endnotes (please see Writing on a Digital Platform above). When you use digital platforms to support your submissions you must incorporate multimedia (audio, video and images) in all of your writing deliverables.

My assessment of your submission will be based upon the extent to which you meet the minimum requirements as to content and form required by that particular deliverable. You can improve your prospects for a strong outcome by exceeding the minimum requirements of the deliverable, i.e., expanding the scope of your content and analysis of the question posed, including addressing potential ethics issues, broadening the scope of the sources used to support that content and analysis, and meeting the form requirements outlined above.

It is important to remember, though, that if you simply meet the minimum requirements the result will be an average grade.

Writing deliverables will be completed using a digital platform unless otherwise specified. Please see your course syllabus for the specific assignment requirements.

Do not post a Word document, pdf or Google doc unless the deliverable specifically requires it.

Connectivity

When taking a quiz or exam, please be certain that your broadband connection is reliable and stable. My students in past semesters have occasionally experienced connectivity issues. In the past, this type of connectivity problem arises as a result of an interruption in your connection (a hiccup in your broadband connection) to Blackboard or where the test has opened in a new tab or window. When that happens your connection times out in the first tab/window while you are working in the second. That has the same effect as the first possible cause … your connection to Bb is interrupted. Your quiz/exam stays active in the second tab/window but stops recording questions because the connection was interrupted due to the timeout in the first tab/window. Your best option is to be sure that your browser opens the quiz/exam in the same tab/window where you originally logged into Blackboard.

Most frequently connectivity issues arise when using Wi-FI particularly when using a public Wi-Fi hotspot. It is best if you avoid public Wi-Fi hotspots when taking a quiz/exam. Be certain that your Wi-Fi connection is strong and stable. I suggest, if possible, that you connect your computer directly to your Internet source (router) via an Ethernet cable. This should assure that you have a stable connection while completing the course assignments.

If your connection is interrupted, I suggest that you exit Bb, login again, try to reenter the same quiz/exam attempt and finish the quiz/exam.

In Class

What should you bring to class … in addition to yourself?

First, the course text or any materials required for that class are a must. It is always a good idea to buy the course text (if one is required) early in the semester. If you have not purchased the text, you will not be able to complete the reading assignments and then you will not meet my expectations related to in-class participation. That will not be good.

Next up is your device of choice (laptop, tablet, mobile) to bring to class. We will be actively using technology to search for answers to the questions raised during our discussions. Just be sure you can function in a class environment with the device you carry that day. Small screens and keyboards are occasionally difficult to work with under the wrong circumstances.

Finally, bring something to take notes. Many prefer to take notes using a device but you may prefer to use paper (a venerable technology in its own right) to take notes in class. Whatever works for you … go for it!

Assessment

This information is related to my undergraduate courses. I suggest you review it carefully before your course begins.

Performance

I describe my expectations for your performance in my classes in the Deliverables and Engagement pages of this section. If you have not reviewed them yet, please take a moment and review them before proceeding with this section.

I have very high expectations for performance for my students. I expect that you will bring your best efforts to all of your interactions with your classmates, our course and with me. I presume that you are attending college, and our course, because you are interested in your future success.

You are constructing the platform on which you will build your professional, and personal, lives. That should be sufficient incentive to encourage you to invest in the learning environment we are developing, and those involved in that learning environment, to the fullest extent possible.

Please approach this experience accordingly.

Deliverables

All of my deliverables have hard deadlines. If you miss a deadline you will receive no credit for that assignment. The excuse of “my dog ate my homework” or its 21^st century equivalent “my computer crashed” are not acceptable. “I forgot” or “I didn’t calendar the deliverable” or “I didn’t set a reminder” or “I had other assignments due” do not work for me … nor will they work for you.

It is important that you provide your analysis of the issues presented by any deliverable … whether that is a discussion board, journal post, blog comment or POV. Simply regurgitating the content of the question or article is not acceptable … think back to your first book report in elementary school … since I already know what happened in the book you do not really need to tell me again. It is infinitely more important that you demonstrate your understanding of the issues presented and their relevance in context.

My assessment of your submissions will also be based upon the extent to which you meet the minimum requirements of the deliverable. Most deliverables will be described with minimum word and source counts. Page counts are irrelevant when working in digital platforms so the minimum word and source counts will provide you with an expectation framework. You can improve your prospects for a strong outcome by exceeding the minimum requirements of the assignment. And remember that simply meeting the minimum requirements will result in an average grade.

OMG … Technophobia!!!

PLEASE do not tell me that you “are not a technology person” … we are clearly past the point where a lack of familiarity with technology is a good idea or at all acceptable. Since Fear of Technology
we rely on these devices and platforms you should be certain that your mobile device is connected to your SHU email and calendar accounts as well as Teams.

This site and Blackboard are not optimized to play well with Internet Explorer. I suggest that you use either Firefox or Safari as your browser.

That said, mine are not IT courses … they are courses that examine different areas of law. It happens that we will use a variety of different technology platforms to support our work … much the same as you will in your personal and professional lives.

I may be able to assist you with a hardware or software issue. However, it is your responsibility to be sure that both are in good working order. Be certain that your computer’s operating system, browser(s) and the variety of installed software is up-to-date, If something isn’t working … get it fixed … in a timely manner. That’s why we have PC Support Services and a Help Desk.

You are responsible for “figuring it out” when it comes to the “how to” aspects of a project. If you don’t know how to do something … “Google it!” … or, of you don’t want to be tracked use Duck Duck Go for search.

In fact, many of my past students have told me that mastering the art of “figuring it out” was both an unexpected and beneficial experience and a critical learning outcome in my courses.

Grading

Remember, as I noted above, that I have very high expectations for performance for my students. I expect that you will bring your best efforts to all of your interactions with your classmates, our course and with me. That will require you to do your best work in our course.

Engagement, i.e., attendance and participation during our course meetings is required. If you do not engage in the course it will have a negative impact on your grade results.

As I note in the Deliverables page, my assessment of your submissions will be based upon the extent to which you meet the deliverable’s minimum requirements as to content and form. You can improve your prospects for a strong outcome by exceeding the minimum requirements for that deliverable, i.e., expanding the scope of your content and analysis, including addressing potential ethics issues, of the question posed, broadening the scope of the sources used to support that content and analysis, and meeting the form requirements outlined above.

It is important to remember, though, that if you simply meet the minimum requirements the result will be an average grade.

If you fail to participate at all, or do not meet the deliverable’s deadline, you will receive zero points and a grade of “F” for that deliverable. If you only partially meet the deliverable’s requirements you will earn a maximum grade of “D”. If you meet the deliverable’s requirements your submission will be evaluated and assigned a grade subject to the Grade Ranges described below.

I generally do not accept late submissions for credit unless you have experienced a real emergency. I will consider your reasons for missing a deadline if you submit them for my consideration in a timely manner via a Teams DM. That said, a real emergency does not arise if you miss the assignment or deadline because you did not calendar it, or you experienced a conflict that was avoidable or you simply forgot the deadline.

Grade Ranges

This table describes the range of points assigned to a particular grade.


A	95% – 100%	C+	77% – 79.9%
A-	90% – 94.9%	C	73% – 76.9%
B+	87% – 89.9%	C-	70% – 72.9%
B	83% – 86.9%	D+	65% – 69.9%
B-	80% – 83.9%	D	60% – 64.9%
F		< 59.9%