Rutgers Business School is recognized for its high-quality education. To that end, maintaining the caliber of classroom excellence, whether in person or online, requires students to adhere to the same behaviors that are expected in professional career environments. These include the following principles:
Discussion and Correspondence
- Each student is encouraged to take an active part in class discussions and activities. Substantive dialogue requires a degree of mutual respect, willingness to listen, and tolerance of opposing points of view. Disagreement and the challenging of ideas must happen in a supportive and sensitive manner. Hostility and disrespectful behavior will not be tolerated.
In both correspondence and the classroom, students should demonstrate respect in the way they address instructors. Students should use proper titles in addressing instructors unless there is an explicit understanding that the instructor accepts less formal address. Similarly, appropriate formatting in electronic communication, as well as timely responsiveness, are all expectations in every professional interaction, including with instructors. Everything said and written should demonstrate respect and goodwill.
Punctuality and Disruption
- Class starts and ends promptly at the assigned periods. Students are expected to be in their seats or present online and ready to begin class on time.
In person, packing belongings before the end of class is disruptive to both other students and the instructor. Barring emergencies and within reason, students are expected to remain in their seats for the duration of the class. Online, typing or attending to other tasks aside from the class is distracting. In addition, even if the use of webcams is not required in your course, your attention is fundamentally lacking if you are engaged in multiple tasks at once.
Technology
- The use of technology is sanctioned only as permitted by the course instructor. As research on learning shows, peripheral use of technology in classes negatively impacts the learning environment in three ways:
- Individual learning and performance directly suffer, resulting in the systemic lowering of grades earned.
- In the classroom, one student’s use of technology automatically diverts and captures other people’s attention, thus impeding their learning and performance. Moreover, even minor infractions have a spillover effect and result in others doing the same.
- Subverting this policy (e.g., using a phone during class, even if hidden below the table or out of sight from your webcam; tapping on a smartwatch; using a laptop for non-course related matters) is evident to the course instructor and offensive to the principles of decorum in a learning environment.
- Networking, computing, and associated resources in the trading rooms, advanced technology rooms, and general classrooms are to be used in the manner intended.
- Sharing links to private online classes, attempting to join an online class that you are not enrolled in, or posting disruptive content during these sessions are strictly prohibited and may lead to disciplinary action.
- For more instructions on information technology resources at Rutgers University, please refer to the Acceptable Use Policy for Information Technology Resources.
Misappropriating Intellectual Property
- Almost all original work is the intellectual property of its authors. These works may include syllabi, lecture slides, recorded lectures, homework problems, exams, and other materials, in either printed or electronic form. The authors may hold copyrights in these works, which are protected by U.S. statutes. Copying this work or posting it online (on sites such as Chegg or Course Hero) without the author's permission may violate the author’s rights. More importantly, these works are the product of the author’s efforts; respect for these efforts and the author’s intellectual property rights are important values that members of the university community take seriously.
For more instructions on copyright protections at Rutgers University, please refer to the Rutgers Libraries.
Rutgers Business School is committed to the highest standards of integrity. We value mutual respect and responsibility, as these are fundamental to our educational excellence both inside and outside the classroom.
Questions?
Any question of interpretation or application of this policy should be referred to the Director of Special Projects, Mason Ameri at mason.ameri@rutgers.edu.