Guidelines
The following are guidelines and general reminders in online classes and online interactions in an
academic setting. While they are not matters immediately and explicitly sanctionable under the student
handbook, repeated infractions may be the subject of disciplinary action if they impede or interfere in
the academic work of others.
Remember that online classes are still classes and engaging with teachers or administrators
online is still a formal affair. Act accordingly
Always be respectful and courteous in interacting with administrators, teachers, or students.
Refer to others as Mr, Ms, or their professional titles.
Use full and coherent sentences when messaging or speaking with others
Engage with the teacher or other students in the class. Teaching and learning is hard when there
is no immediate live feedback or body language that can be seen.
Respect personal privacy of others
Do not engage in offline behaviour that may negatively impact administrators, teachers, or
students or their academic work
Follow academic directions, requests, and recommendations as much as possible
Use email addresses, profile pictures, and backgrounds that are appropriate in an academic
setting
Be punctual in entering online classes
Always be properly dressed and groomed in online classes
Appear presentable when in online classes or when engaging with others
Complete assignments and all academic work in a timely and prompt manner
Handbook
The following actions are ones that would merit disciplinary actions as found in the student handbook.
They are actions that would tend to be harmful to the safety and well-being of students or teachers,
impede the smooth flow of classes, online or otherwise, open up UCV to liability, or besmirch the
reputation of the university. Actions with similar import but are not included in the following
enumeration may still be subject to disciplinary sanctions.
The following rules may be applied to social media posts and other online behaviour, as long as such
posts are public and can reasonably be attributed to the student in question. Private posts or posts with
a reasonable expectation of privacy or anonymity are not covered by these rules.
General online etiquette
Having or sharing posts containing inappropriate, obscene, or unduly hostile material
Engaging in online behaviour that affects physical safety of others or the reputation of UCV
Violating current and future UCV online or computer use policies
Uploading or being involved in distribution or profiting from viruses, malware, and other
malicious code.
Cyberbullying
Engaging in cyberbullying
Threatening, intimidating, or harassing others, or generally acting in an aggressive manner
Sending or displaying to others information or messages that are hostile, obscene, offensive, or
threatening
Using UCV accounts or online systems to engage in harassment
Illegal online actions
UCV students are subject to local ordinances and national laws governing Internet behaviour, and UCV
will cooperate with law enforcement in their investigations.
Unauthorized entry, editing, copying, and transfer of files and programs
Violating software license agreements or copyright laws
Violating data privacy laws or infringing on the data privacy of others
Engaging in identity theft; assuming or misrepresenting the identity of another person online,
unauthorized use of another person’s accounts,
Using internet resources or electronic means in illegal activities, including infringement of
intellectual property rights.
Using internet resources or electronic means to interfere with the systems of UCV or other
institutions
Behavior during online classes
Failure to be present for classes without permission from or notification of the teacher in charge
Engaging in behaviour that disrupts or tends to disrupt online classes or the proceedings of a
learning environment
Sending or sharing material or messages that are obscene or unduly hostile in group chats or
online discussion threads
Using hostile, obscene, offensive, or threatening language or material in communicating with
teachers or other students or in submissions or assignments
Using in online class and online educational matters email addresses or profile pictures that are
hostile, obscene, offensive, or threatening
Entering or attempting to enter online class sessions without permission from the teacher in
charge of the class
Sharing class meeting IDs without permission
Recording the audio or video of an online class session, taking screenshots of the class, creating
copies of files, folders, emails, and academic materials without permission or consent of the
teacher in charge
Interfering in the academic work of administrators, teachers or students
Academic misconduct
Cheating
Having unauthorized assistance in answering or accomplishing assignments, submissions,
quizzes, tests, and other academic work
Having unauthorized materials in answering or accomplishing assignments, submissions,
quizzes, tests, and other academic work
Substituting or in any way interfering with the integrity of tests and other online academic work
Unauthorized collaboration with others
Copying or taking recordings of academic materials and tests of the teacher or administrator
without permission
False reporting and recording of data in laboratory or experiments
Any other actions that may be construed as cheating
Plagiarism
Falsely claiming ownership or authorship of another person’s words, writings, data, or ideas
Paraphrasing or copying text from the written works of another, without attribution and citation
Submission of reports or papers written by another person or bought from another person
Creation of reports or papers with the intent of selling them to another person
Any other actions that may be construed as plagiarism
