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Academic Tips

Tips for Classroom Success

  • Attend Class. Student-athletes have the responsibility of attending all classes, even if attendance is not taken or required.
  • BE ON TIME.
  • Sit toward the front of class and be prepared to participate in discussions.
  • Do not sit with teammates.
  • Pay attention. Don’t fall asleep, talk with other students, or text during class.
  • If you miss a class for an athletic event, you must communicate the absence to your professor PRIOR to the absence.
    • You will be given absence letters on the 1st day of class which spell out days you must miss class for competition. You are still responsible for all missed information and assignments.
    • Best practice is to remind your professor one week in advance of each missed class and follow-up when you return.
    • If you need an exam proctored while traveling, let your MAC counselor know a week in advance if possible. Send your counselor an email with name of professor, class, and date of the missed exam.
  • Communication with your professor throughout the semester is a key component of being a successful student. Professors are here to help you.
  • If you are struggling in school, let your MAC counselor know immediately. It will not go away and chances are they can help you.

Student-Athlete Handbook

McNamara Student-Athlete Planner

Academic Integrity

According to the University of Minnesota Student Conduct Code, “Scholastic dishonesty means plagiarizing; cheating on assignments or examinations; engaging in unauthorized collaboration on academic work; taking, acquiring, or using test materials without faculty permission; 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 , or misusing a University academic record; or fabricating or falsifying data, research procedures, or data analysis.”

University of Minnesota students are expected to act with integrity regarding academics. In general terms, integrity on the part of students means earning grades/credit honestly– earning credit where it is due through one's own efforts.

The most common forms of academic dishonesty by students are:

  1. Cheating on exams: For your own protection, avoid even the appearance of cheating - do NOT sit near friends during tests, etc.
  2. Cheating on assignments: Copying another's work, turning in work that you have not done, or turning in the same work for more than one assignment/class.
  3. Plagiarism: Improper or inadequate citation of references for papers which misrepresents another's work as yours. When in doubt, provide a reference!

Remember, anyone who is a party to misrepresentation is guilty of misconduct! With this in mind, be particularly careful not to lend your computer disk to others or lend your work on computer hard drives.

MAC Computing Ethics Policy

Computers, networks, and electronic information systems are essential resources for all educational and academic pursuits at the University of Minnesota. Access to MAC's systems will not be denied to any user without cause. It is the responsibility of all MAC computer users to use computer technology and electronic information resources in an effective, efficient, ethical, responsible and lawful manner. The MAC Computing Ethics Policy applies to all users of MAC systems, including students, faculty, staff, and visitors.

All MAC users have the right to privacy in computer files, data, and network communications. All files and all data belong to somebody. It is up to the owner to determine whether a file should be private or public. Gaining access to private files without the owner's permission is a violation of this policy. It is the responsibility of MAC to take reasonable security measures to protect confidential files and information, and it is the responsibility of each user not to subvert those security measures. Users are responsible for keeping their passwords secure and private, for taking reasonable security measures to protect their own accounts, and for maintaining protection on files.

MAC computing resources may only be used in a manner that is consistent with the instructional, administrative, research and outreach objectives of the University of Minnesota. All use of MAC's networked computers must comply with Acceptable Use of Information Technology Resources Policy. This policy includes the following requirements:

  • Irresponsible uses which cause network congestion, such as chain letters and transmission of large files, are not permitted.
  • Users must avoid interfering with the work of other network users, disrupting network services, spreading viruses, or interfering with normal operation of systems on the network.
  • The network is not to be used for commercial purposes, such as marketing, advertising, or business transactions between commercial organizations. Private, for profit activity is not acceptable use of MAC's network and systems.

MAC computing users have the constitutional right to freedom of speech in electronic communications. However, all users bear responsibility for the content and consequences of their own communications. Federal, state, and local laws apply to all electronic interactions and publicly-presented online information, whether local to the University of Minnesota or disseminated to one or more distant users via the Internet. Among the most important of these are laws prohibiting:

  • harassment, verbal assault, threats, slander, libel, and sexual harassment;
  • address forging and delivery of anonymous messages with intent to harass or defraud;
  • unauthorized access to systems;
  • software piracy, copyright and trademark violation, and any unauthorized use of programs, databases, and privately-owned files; and
  • distribution or presentation of materials deemed by community standards to be obscene.

MAC's World-Wide-Web site and other institutional information systems are considered to be University publications and so are governed by more restrictive University policies on content. Unrestricted access to place material on these systems is not a guaranteed right for any MAC user.

MAC is the administrative unit in charge of setting specific usage policies and guidelines for these computing labs under the scope of this overall MAC Computing Ethics Policy. MAC has the responsibility to create and disseminate enforceable rules, to manage and monitor system use, to investigate problems, and to respond to violations. During investigation of a potential violation, MAC has the right to temporarily restrict a user's access to systems. Permanent revocation of access requires the involvement of appropriate MAC personnel and disciplinary procedures, and will be contemplated for serious violations.

A person in violation of this policy may be subject to administrative action, supervisory review, and/or Student Behavior Committee action. Such actions may result in penalties including reprimand, fines, restitution for services used, or loss of system access, depending on the severity and frequency of the offense. Some actions covered by this policy are also covered by University of Minnesota regulations or all-University policies, violation of which can lead to academic judicial proceedings. In addition, some actions discussed in this policy are also covered by Federal, state, or local law, and violations may lead to civil or criminal prosecution.

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