Course Policies
Green Britain is a specialised field studies course created by Syracuse Abroad to make the most of experiential learning. Participants are asked to engage to the best of their ability throughout the trip. While there will likely be sessions that do not appeal to them, other sessions will. All students enjoy and learn best from slightly different approaches: something one student does not enjoy will be another student’s favourite activity. The course itinerary is designed to provide everyone with the chance to thrive through a diverse array of experiences. Field studies include structured site visits, guided tours, group discussions, and independent reflection. This page reviews guidelines for different forms of academic engagement.
Study Visits
The most common activity on this course is guided time at location-specific museums and projects.
During Study Visits, students are expected to:
give guest speakers their full attention;
ask questions, having prepared several relevant to their role and resource; and
be respectful of communities’ space, perspectives, and time hosting visitors.
Tours
Tours are like Study Visits, but involve active movement through an area (e.g., by walking or cycling). Students are required to stay with the group during these tours. There will be time at each site for further independent exploration, but full attention should be given to the official guide during all tours. Students are further required to obey all safety instructions and make appropriate use of equipment.
Seminar Sessions
Throughout the course, field activities will be paired with classroom-style critical discussions.
During group debriefs, students are expected to be fully engaged in conversation. This involves:
being prepared with assigned readings and field studies notes;
respecting multiple viewpoints by actively listening to others share their perspectives and not using aggressive or abusive language; and
not using phones and other electronic devices.
Groupwork
Throughout the Seminar, students will be expected to collaborate with classmates, especially in groups formed based on disciplinary backgrounds or focal interests. Students should be prepared to share lessons from readings and give full input on group assignments. Being a productive group member involves both contributing and stepping back to allow others to take the spotlight. Groupwork will be assessed based on how well students incorporate a variety of perspectives, rather than allowing the loudest voice to have the strongest say.
Ethnographic Exploration
Unstructured time allowing for student-led investigations is purposefully built into the Seminar experience.
During independent time, students are required to abide by the Syracuse University Code of Conduct.
In particular, students are reminded to respect local customs, ensure they are fully aware of regional laws, and engage with communities in ways that reflect positively on themselves and Syracuse.
Attendance and Illness
Punctuality and attendance are critical for academic and professional success. They are especially important in field studies with time-specific travel and location-centric activities that cannot be made up. Students are required to participate fully in all events on the itinerary. If a student takes ill on the road or is involved in an incident of any type, the student should inform seminar staff as soon as possible so that arrangements can be made to support them.
Disability, Discrimination, and Bias
Syracuse University values diversity and inclusion. We are committed to a climate of mutual respect and full participation. If any aspects of the instruction or design of this course result in barriers to full participation, the instructor invites any student to contact her to discuss strategies and make adjustments in order to ensure success. Students are further invited to discuss disability-accommodations or register with the Center for Disability Resources: disabilityresources.syr.edu. The CDR coordinates disability-related academic accommodations and will work with the student to develop an access plan. Since academic accommodations may require early planning and generally are not provided retroactively, please contact CDR as soon as possible to begin this process.
The University does not discriminate and prohibits harassment or discrimination related to any protected category including creed, ethnicity, citizenship, sexual orientation, national origin, sex, gender, pregnancy, disability, marital status, age, race, color, veteran status, military status, religion, sexual orientation, domestic violence status, genetic information, gender identity, gender expression or perceived gender. Any complaint of discrimination or harassment related to any of these protected bases should be reported to Sheila Johnson-Willis, the University’s Chief Equal Opportunity & Title IX Officer. She is responsible for coordinating compliance efforts under various laws including Titles VI, VII, IX and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. She can be contacted by email via titleix@syr.edu or by telephone at +1-315-443-0211. Students can also obtain 24/7 confidential counseling support from the Sexual and Relationship Violence Response Team at the Counseling Center (315-443-8000, Barnes Center at The Arch, 150 Sims Drive, Syracuse, New York 13244).
Students are encouraged to engage with the STOP Bias initiative and actively report incidents: syracuse.edu/life/accessibility-diversity/stop-bias/.
Academic Integrity
Syracuse University’s Academic Integrity Policy: https://class.syr.edu/academic-integrity/policy/ reflects the high value that we, as a university community, place on honesty in academic work. The policy defines our expectations for academic honesty and holds students accountable for the integrity of all work they submit. Students should understand that it is their responsibility to learn about course-specific expectations, as well as about university-wide academic integrity expectations. The policy governs appropriate citation and use of sources, the integrity of work submitted in exams and assignments, and the veracity of signatures on attendance sheets and other verification of participation in class activities. The policy also prohibits students from submitting the same work in more than one class without receiving written authorisation in advance from both instructors. Under the policy, students found in violation are subject to grade sanctions determined by the course instructor and non-grade sanctions determined by the School or College where the course is offered as described in the Violation and Sanction Classification Rubric.
Orange SUccess
Syracuse Abroad makes use of Orange SUccess to signpost resources and support communication between advisors, instructors, and students. Information about this tool can be found at http://orangesuccess.syr.edu/getting-started-2/.
Use of Student Academic Work
Academic work completed during the semester may be used by the instructor for educational purposes in the class. Students’ registration and continued enrolment constitute consent for this purpose. Before using work in subsequent semesters or sharing with wider audiences, the instructor will either request students’ permission in writing or render the work anonymous by removing all personal identification.
The instructor will frequently invite students to highlight their work on London’s Virtual Classroom. The public sharing of any contribution will be at the discretion of the student and is in no way required.