Program Information and Policies

Covid-19 Updates

For the latest information, please continue to visit the University’s Safe Campus website and the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) COVID-19 Updates website.

Email

Your assigned student email (@umn.edu) is the official means of communication from the University and CEHD. Check your assigned email regularly. Failure to do so may result in missing information vital to your success in the program. It is possible to forward your email to another account (for example: gmail, yahoo, etc.); however, you risk losing important information due to provider spam settings. If you choose to forward email to a personal account, you are still responsible for all information sent to your email, including attachments.

Update Personal Information

Your Name
Your primary/legal name is the default name the University of Minnesota uses in communications and reporting. However, you can set a preferred name or degree name in the MyU: My info tab.

To update your legal name on your University record, please complete the Legal Name And/Or Gender (Sex) Change form and return it, along with the required documentation, to the listed address on the form. Please allow up to seven business days for processing.
You may contact the U Card Office after your preferred or primary/legal name change has been processed to find out how to obtain a new card.

Contact information
In MyU: My Info, click the Edit button to add or change the following contact information:

• Address(es)
• Phone number(s)
• Email account(s)
• Emergency contact(s)

The University’s official means of communication with you is your assigned email account. You will receive important information on this account throughout the year. Also note that emergency contact information is required. Please keep your contact information up to date.

Pronouns, gender identity, and assigned sex
You can add your pronouns and or gender identity to your student record by going to MyU: My Info. More information about pronouns and gender identity and where the information appears in the University system is available.

To update your legal gender on your University record, please complete the Legal Name And/Or Gender (Sex) Change form and return it to the address listed on the form. You will need to submit documentation (a copy of your driver’s license, court order, or passport/visa) along with your request form.

*Note: The University of Minnesota student and human resources systems only allow female/male legal gender options at this time. The University is working on updates to this system to allow a third non-binary option. If your documentation has a different legal gender option listed than what you are able to select on this form, please contact the Office of the Registrar at asrfiles@umn.edu to discuss how to proceed.

GPA/Grade Requirements

Remaining in good academic standing includes meeting the 2.80 (on a 4.00 scale) minimum GPA requirement each semester. All courses must be completed with a grade of C- or higher. Students who fall below the program’s minimum GPA requirement may be terminated from the program. Students must have a 2.80 overall GPA for courses included on the degree plan at the time of audit for degree clearance.

Grading Options

The maximum number of University S/N (pass/fail) credits permitted within the total University credits in the degree is 20.

Student Incompletes

Transcript Evaluation

If you completed coursework at a university outside of the United States, your transcripts must be evaluated by a professional credential evaluation center by requesting a “course-by- course” evaluation. This process can take 4-6 weeks. You may choose any member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services to do the review.

Enrollment Policies

• Undergraduate Enrollment Policies
• Graduate Enrollment Policies

Student Conduct Code – Scholastic Dishonesty/Plagiarism

Academic integrity is essential to a positive teaching and learning environment. All students enrolled in courses are expected to complete coursework responsibilities with fairness and honesty. Failure to do so, by seeking unfair advantage over others or misrepresenting someone else’s work as your own, can result in disciplinary action. The University Student Conduct Code, per the Office for Community Standards (OCS), defines scholastic dishonesty as follows:

Scholastic dishonesty means plagiarizing; cheating on assignments or examinations, including the unauthorized use of online learning support and testing platforms; engaging in unauthorized collaboration on academic work, including the posting of student-generated coursework on online learning support and testing platforms not approved for the specific course in question; taking, acquiring, or using course materials without faculty permission, including the posting of faculty-provided course materials on online learning support and testing platforms; submitting false or incomplete records of academic achievement; acting alone or in cooperation with another to falsify records or to obtain dishonestly grades, honors, awards, or professional endorsement; altering, forging, misrepresenting, or misusing a University academic record; or fabricating or falsifying data, research procedures, or data analysis.

Plagiarism is defined as representing the words, creative work, or ideas of another person as one’s own without providing proper documentation of source. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Copying information word for word from a source without using quotation marks and giving proper acknowledgement by way of footnote, end-note, or in- text citation
• Representing the words, ideas, or data of another person as one’s own without providing proper attribution to the author through quotation, reference, in-text citation, or footnote
• Producing, without proper attribution, any form of work originated by another person such as a musical phrase, a proof, a speech, an image, experimental data, laboratory report, graphic design, or computer code
• Paraphrasing, without sufficient acknowledgment, ideas taken from another person that the reader might reasonably mistake as the author’s
• Borrowing various words, ideas, phrases, or data from original sources and blending them with one’s own without acknowledging the sources

It is the responsibility of all students to understand the standards and methods of proper attribution and to clarify with each instructor the standards, expectations, and reference techniques appropriate to the subject area and class requirements, including group work and internet use. Students are encouraged to seek out information about these methods from instructors and other resources and to apply this information in all submissions of academic work.

If you are confronted with allegations of misconduct, the University has a process in place to resolve the issue. Review the Disciplinary Process outlined on the OCS website for detailed information. You can also obtain the assistance of an ombudsman through the Student Conflict Resolution Center to help you through the process.

Note: OCS does not assist with academic performance issues. Review the Conflict Resolution/Grievance Process (below) for more information about resolving those disputes.

Conflict Resolution/Grievance Process

The University of Minnesota takes student complaints and grievances seriously and has processes in place to ensure that complaints are addressed appropriately and in a timely manner. A first step for resolving most conflicts is at the local level, between the parties involved, and in some cases with an appropriate third party (another faculty member, department chair, director of graduate studies, residence hall staff, or other administrators). State specifically—verbally or in writing—what the concern is and what action is being requested to address the concern. If direct contact with the other party does not resolve the situation, or if it would make you uncomfortable or would be inappropriate (for example, a bullying or sexual harassment complaint), you can seek assistance through various channels depending on the nature of your complaint. There are a variety of channels for complaints and grievances based on the nature of the situation. Students may wish to contact the Student Conflict Resolution Center or similar support services for advice and possible mediation. If no informal resolution is reached at the lowest unit level, a student may seek informal resolution at the collegiate level with the other party and higher level administrators. If the issue is not resolved informally, the candidate may request a formal hearing in writing.  Information about filing a formal grievance can be accessed from the university policies and procedures on the Conflict Resolution Process for Student Academic Complaints. (see Formal Resolution of Student Academic Complaints).

Sexual Harassment Policy

The University of Minnesota is committed to taking prompt and effective steps intended to end sexual harassment, sexual assault, stalking, relationship violence, and related retaliation, prevent their recurrence and, as appropriate, remedy their effects.

University policy on Sexual Harassment, Sexual Assault, Stalking and Relationship Violence defines sexual harassments as unwelcome conduct on the basis of sex under the following conditions:

1. Quid pro quo sexual harassment: When a University member conditions the provision of a University aid, benefit, or service on an individual’s participation in sexual conduct.
2. Hostile environment sexual harassment: When conduct is severe, persistent or pervasive and:
   • unreasonably interferes with an individual’s employment or educational performance,
   • creates a work or educational environment that an individual finds, and a reasonable person would find, to be intimidating, hostile or offensive, or
   • effectively denies an individual equal access to a University program or activity.
3. Title IX sexual harassment is a subset of sexual harassment that occurs in the United States and: 1) on campus; 2) as part of the University’s operations; 3) in locations, events, or circumstances over which the University exercised substantial control over both the respondent and the context in which the prohibited conduct occurred; and/or 4) in buildings owned or controlled by a student organization that is officially recognized by the University. Title IX sexual harassment occurs when:
   • a University employee conditions the provisions of a University aid, benefit, or service on an individual’s participation in unwelcome sexual conduct; or
   • unwelcome conduct is determined by a responsible person to be so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive that it effectively denies a person equal access to the University’s education program or activity.
4. Sexual harassment under this policy encompasses all harassment on the basis of sex. This includes harassment based on gender, pregnancy, gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation. Sexual harassment does not include adverse actions based on sex, gender, pregnancy, gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation. Adverse actions include: 1) actions that adversely affect a term or condition of an individual’s employment or education; an 2) denials of reasonable accommodations for an individual’s pregnancy, childbirth, lactation, or related medical conditions. Reports of adverse actions based on sex, gender, pregnancy, gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation will be addressed pursuant to the University’s process for responding to reports of discrimination and related retaliation.

The determination of whether conduct is unwelcome is made according to a subjective standard. In other words, the determination is made based on whether the complainant viewed the conduct as unwelcome. This subjective standard reflects understanding that an individual may submit to or participate in sexual conduct with an individual with greater power (e.g., an advisor, supervisor, instructor) because the subordinate individual fears potential negative repercussions if they refuse, and not because they welcome the conduct.

Sexual harassment may include conduct that is verbal, nonverbal, graphic, and/or physical. Individuals of all genders can be victims of sexual harassment, and the complainant and respondent can be of the same or different genders. The following conduct may lead to a decision that a respondent engaged in sexual harassment:

• Unwelcome sexual advances, including touching or sexual comments.
• Implicit or explicit requests for sexual favors in exchange for employment or academic benefits.
• Distributing ratings of individuals’ attractiveness or sexual activity or performance.
• A pattern of sexually suggestive comments, jokes, or gestures.
• A pattern of disparaging comments or jokes about certain genders or based on gender stereotypes.
• Sexual exploitation: Taking sexual advantage of a person, which may include, but is not limited to, unwelcome: (1) exposure of one’s genitals to another person; (2) distribution of sexual information, images, or recordings of or about another person; (3) observation or recording of sexual activity or nudity where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy; and (4) knowingly transmitting sexual infections or diseases without the other person’s knowledge.

Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work or academic performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working or academic environment in any University activity or program. Such behavior is not acceptable in the University setting. For additional information, please consult Board of Regents Policy on Sexual Harassment, Sexual Assault, Stalking and Relationship Violence.  Also, see the University of Minnesota Sexual Harassment in an Internship document for resources, reporting, and accommodations.

Access to Educational Records

In accordance with University of Minnesota Board of Regents’ policies on access to student records, the University shall maintain the privacy of student education records. Student education records shall be disclosed only to the student, to persons within the University with a legitimate educational interest, to persons authorized by the student to receive the student’s education records, and to persons authorized to receive education records without the student’s consent. Some student information – name, dates of enrollment and registration status, college, class level, major, adviser, academic awards and honors received, and degrees earned – is considered directory information and is available to the public. In addition to public records, anyone with a University internet ID and password can log into People Search to look up University members. By default, People Search shows the information included in your directory information, plus your University email address. Additionally, some of your information (mailing address, email address, telephone number) is designated as limited directory information which is made available to student groups, staff, and faculty at the University of Minnesota by request. You can make your directory information private in the My Info tab of MyU at any time throughout your academic career. Students have the right to review their educational records and to challenge the contents of those records. More information on student records privacy and access can be found on the One Stop website.