Course Commitments#
Commitment to an Inclusive Classroom#
I am deeply committed to creating an inclusive classroom - one where you and your classmates feel comfortable, intellectually challenged, and able to speak up about your ideas and experiences. This means that our classroom, our virtual environments, and our interactions need to be as inclusive as possible. Mutual respect, civility, and the ability to listen and observe others are central to creating a classroom that is inclusive. I will strive to do this and I ask that you do the same. If I can do anything to make the classroom a better learning environment for you, please let me know.
If you observe or experience behaviors that violate our commitment to inclusivity, please let me know as soon as possible.
If I violate this principle, please let me know or please tell the undergraduate department chair, Stuart Tessmer (tessmer@pa.msu.edu), who I have informed to tell me about any such incidents without conveying student information to me.
Commitment to Learning with Integrity#
I am committed to fostering a learning environment that is based on integrity. This means that you and your classmates should do your own work. If you are unsure about what constitutes cheating or plagiarism, please ask me. If you observe or experience behaviors that violate our commitment to integrity, please let me know as soon as possible.
Spartan Code of Honor Academic Pledge
As a Spartan, I will strive to uphold values of the highest ethical standard. I will practice honesty in my work, foster honesty in my peers, and take pride in knowing that honor is worth more than grades. I will carry these values beyond my time as a student at Michigan State University, continuing the endeavor to build personal integrity in all that I do.
Commitment to a Safe Learning Environment#
I am committed to ensuring that our classroom is a safe learning environment. This means that you should feel comfortable and safe in our classroom. If you observe or experience behaviors that violate our commitment to safety, please let me know as soon as possible. That being said, there are specific policies that I must follow in the event of an emergency. Please read the following information carefully.
Confidentiality and Mandatory Reporting#
College students often experience issues that may interfere with academic success such as academic stress, sleep problems, juggling responsibilities, life events, relationship concerns, or feelings of anxiety, hopelessness, or depression. As your instructor, one of my responsibilities is to help create a safe learning environment and to support you through these situations and experiences. I also have a mandatory reporting responsibility related to my role as a University employee. It is my goal that you feel able to share information related to your life experiences in classroom discussions, in written work, and in one-on-one meetings. I will seek to keep information you share private to the greatest extent possible. However, under Title IX, I am required to share information regarding sexual misconduct, relationship violence, or information about criminal activity on MSU’s campus with the University including the Office of Institutional Equity (OIE).
Students may speak to someone confidentially by contacting MSU Counseling and Psychiatric Service (CAPS) (caps.msu.edu, 517-355-8270), MSU’s 24-hour Sexual Assault Crisis Line (endrape.msu.edu, 517-372-6666), or Olin Health Center (olin.msu.edu, 517-884-6546).
Handling Emergency Situations#
In the event of an emergency arising within the classroom, Prof. Caballero will notify you of what actions that may be required to ensure your safety. It is the responsibility of each student to understand the evacuation, “shelter-in-place,” and “secure-in-place” guidelines posted in each facility and to act in a safe manner. You are allowed to maintain cellular devices in a silent mode during this course, in order to receive emergency SMS text, phone or email messages distributed by the university. When anyone receives such a notification or observes an emergency situation, they should immediately bring it to the attention of Prof. Caballero in a way that causes the least disruption. If an evacuation is ordered, please ensure that you do it in a safe manner and facilitate those around you that may not otherwise be able to safely leave. When these orders are given, you do have the right as a member of this community to follow that order. Also, if a shelter-in-place or secure-in-place is ordered, please seek areas of refuge that are safe depending on the emergency encountered and provide assistance if it is advisable to do so.
Commitment to Research Mentoring#
I am committed to helping you find opportunities to do research if you are interested. I conduct education research, but our department does an enormous amount of research in physics and astronomy.
If the idea of doing research appeals to you, MSU is a great place for undergraduate students to do research. We have many research groups across the Department of Physics and Astronomy. Getting started with a group early in your undergraduate career is a great way to figure out what about physics you like, and what you think you want to do with physics in the future. If you are a 3rd year student, consider applying for research experience for undergraduates (REU) programs at other universities. These are great opportunities to get a taste of what research is like at other universities and to meet other students who are interested in physics. They also pay!
Tip
If you are interested in doing research, you should start by talking to your professors. They can help you find a research group that is a good fit for you. If you don’t know how to get started, you can also talk to Danny directly.
Planning to get involved with physics research? Make a plan