CHAPTER 5 POLICIES PERTAINING TO CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

SECTION 14 - GUIDELINES FOR USE OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES IN CLASSROOMS AND LABORATORIES

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The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point is committed to providing an environment conducive to student achievement and learning. Electronic devices, while an integral part of today’s society, can severely disrupt that environment.

Electronic devices also represent a new frontier for students wishing to cheat in classes. Picture phones, especially, offer opportunities for this type of misconduct. Students can photograph relevant information (notes, book pages) and view it during class, or can take pictures of exam questions and answers and circulate these via picture mail or text messaging. Students have also sent messages to others in class asking them to sign in their spots on attendance rosters.

Recognizing these facts, the following guidelines are offered.

1. Instructors who have an electronic device policy of any sort must include it on the course syllabus. The reasons for the policy should be explained clearly, and consequences for breaking the policy should be outlined.

2. Instructors who elect to restrict electronic devices in their classrooms should consider making exceptions in extenuating circumstances, for example, if a family member is critically ill.

3. If students use electronic devices as a means for committing academic misconduct, instructors should follow the same procedures for investigating said misconduct that they would use if a student committed an act not facilitated by the use of technology. Full details of that procedure can be found in the University Handbook, Chapter 5.2.