Course rules for self-managed courses and learning units

The following course rules were created in order to propitiate successful interaction dynamics in the digital learning environments. They are mandatory for all actors involved in the online distance education modality.

Of the didactic material of the course

• Material will be available in digital format in the digital class of each course.
• It will not be sent by email or by any other means.
• Didactic materials will be for the personal and exclusive use of the participants, therefore it cannot be used in any other activity outside the course without prior authorization from the Sistema Universitario de Multimodalidad Educativa (SUME). 
• Participants are responsible for downloading the didactic materials that they wish to keep on their devices, and for making the corresponding backups in order to avoid losses.

Of the counseling

• If necessary, participants may request help to understand the theoretical proposals and to do the learning activities of each course.  
• This help can be requested once the student has finished reading the didact material provided.
• All communication with the counselors will be held exclusively through the internal e-mail of the platform and the forums scheduled in the course for this purpose.

Deadlines

• A delivery deadline may be established for each activity and will be specified in the platform. The deadline cannot be modified or negotiated between the counselor and the participants. Thus, delivery deadlines are not extendable.
• In case an activity would not be delivered on time within the established in the course, it will be graded with “zero”.
• In case a participant is in an extraordinary situation that prevents him/her from maintaining a regular participation, he/she must notify and show evidence to the SUME Responsible by e-mail to distanciaug@ugto.mx, in order to assess his/her request. If approved, the participant will be reached to agreed on a personalized work plan. Otherwise, he/she will be notified that his/her request do not proceed.

Regularity

• To pass the learning unit (UDA, for its acronym in spanish) or course it is necessary to maintain regularity. Consequently, it is essential to comply on time with all the activities established in the program, as well as obtain passing grades.
• Students are responsible for keeping a record of their delivered activities and their own participation.
• Even though an attendance control is not applied in online distance modality, it is precise to access the platform frequently in order to do the readings and activities in the established deadlines.
• In general terms, it is considered necessary to entry to the corresponding courses at least twice a week on different days.
• In the program, it does not exist another way to study than regular, permanent and continuous participation, so the activities can be fulfilled within the established deadlines for each UDA or course.

Assessment

• Assessment is continuous and progressive, so overall performance and the one expressed in the performance of each activity established as mandatory are evaluated.
• Devolutions (Devoluciones in spanish) is the name of the feedback made by advisors (such as comments, critics and observations) of the individual works received.
• Returned works must be adjusted and delivered again on the platform under the terms indicated by the advisor.
• Participants may also have “devolutions” on the forums or in any other collective activity. 
• The only via to deliver works is through the platform. Activities sent by any other via will not be considered and will be graded with zero on the platform.
• At the end of each course, a numerical note that reflects the quality of performance will be assigned. This note will be considered on a scale of 0 to 10.
• Taking into account the previous scale, the minimum grade to consider the course or UDA passed is 7.
• The person responsible of assess and grade is the titular advisor of the UDA or course.

What is assessed?

Besides the competencies established by the advisors in each activity, the following aspects for the evaluation will be taken into account: 

• Participation in collective activities, regarding quality, relevance and quantity.
• Willingness to collaborate with other participants. 
• Format of the written documents presented. 
• Drafting, spelling and grammar. The above demand that all written productions (messages and participations in forums) have clarity and coherence in their structure and content, following the regulation of the Spanish language. 
• Correct use of the communication tools available on the platform, especially the forums.

Originality of works

It is strictly forbidden to submit someone else’s work as your own, regardless of the source.

• To copy will be contemplated as inadmissible behavior and a serious misconduct.
• Regardless of the ethical issues involved, the requirement to submit original written productions is essential for the achievement of the graduate profile indicated in the program. Using texts by other authors without giving them credit will avoid assessing the quality of the written productions of the participants.
• It is also not allowed to present as individual productions the work done by two or more participants.
• If any of the above cases is proven to be present in the documents submitted by the students, the participant will be penalized and any digital recognition that has been granted in the context of the UDA or course will be withdrawn.
• If the participant engages in improper behavior (such as denying the offense, disqualifying the advisors, among others) upon receiving notice of the offense and its respective sanctions, it may aggravate the initial penalty. 
• If the defendants are within the framework of any type of agreement with other institutions, the sanction will be communicated to their authorities.

Knowledge of the rules

• These rules are available to all participants on each main page of a UDA or course, therefore, ignorance of its content is no excuse to attempt to avoid the effects of any of the situation described above. 
• Unforeseen situations in these rules will be solved by the Sistema Universitario de Multimodalidad Educativa.