Program Policies and Requirements
Below are some important policies for our ESL students in the Online Texas State Intensive English Program.
Student Conduct Policy
Students enrolled in the Online Texas State Intensive English Program through Texas State University are subject to the rules of conduct as stated below, along with being a respectful student towards peers and instructors, while in the virtual classroom.
Civility
Members of a learning community interact with others in a courteous and polite manner. Members of the community are expected to respect the values, opinions or feelings of others. Examples of uncivil conduct include speaking harshly or using profanity to others while in class; attending class in an area with loud background noise that disrupts or distracts during class; any other behavior in class that is considered disruptive by the instructor or fellow students. If a student attends class in a loud area, it is recommended that they inform the instructor that they wish to simply observe a class that day and not actively speak aloud.
Ethical Behavior
The pursuit of higher education is a privilege. Associated with that privilege is an obligation to aspire to a set of principles and values that demonstrate a commitment to fairness, honesty, empathy, and achievement. Examples of unethical behavior include plagiarism, cheating, copying homework, etc.
Respect
Every member of this community should seek to gain and demonstrate respect. Examples of disrespectful behavior include demeaning comments regarding the culture, background, gender or nationality of others.
Students found in violation of the Conduct Policy may be given a warning, suspended from class, or suspended or dismissed from the program based on the severity of the violation and as decided by the administrator of the program. Students will be notified by email. If students wish to appeal this decision, they must follow the appeals procedure.
Attendance Policy
Students must attend at least the majority of their classes to maintain a good standing. Absences and lateness will be assessed accordingly. A student may receive an excused absence a maximum of one time per semester with a documented reason submitted to the OTSIE Administrator. All other absences will be counted. Students may be placed on probation for low attendance and subsequently fail the course if the attendance policy is not met.
If Absent | Consequences |
|---|---|
3 Classes | Student is placed on probation and given an official attendance warning from the University. |
4 Classes | Student fails the class and is given an official notice of failure by the University. |
Students should expect to make up assignments missed due to absence. However, it is the student’s responsibility to contact the instructor immediately and to check with other students about what was missed.
Repeat Policy
To pass a course, a student must achieve an 80% or higher. If a student cannot meet the requirements above, they may repeat the course twice (equaling to three times taking the course).
In addition, if the student is seeking entry into a TXST Graduate Program with the use of the OTSIE program completion, the student must achieve a 90% or higher in their final level.