Classroom Policies 

Part of your responsibilities as the instructor is directing students to PACE regarding refund requests and administering policies on late work.  In this section of the playbook you’ll receive detailed guidance on how do handle both of these scenarios with dignity. 

Refunds 

If a student needs to cancel their attendance, they must notify PACE Student Services via email at learn@uvm.edu or call (802) 656-2085 at least 10 business days prior to the start date of the course to receive a 75% refund.  No refunds will be issued for cancellations made after this deadline.  

Cancellation requests can be initiated through the registration student portal 10 days prior to the start of the course. Non-Credit Registration Office (NCRO) is notified of the request and processes the withdraw/refund to the students’ account according to the policy.   

Once a student is withdrawn, they will also be removed from the appropriate LMS section. 

If a student contacts you about a refund, please use the following template for your response: 

Dear [Student Name], 

Thank you for reaching out. I am very sorry to hear [STATE THE ISSUE STUDENT IS HAVING]. 

Instructors are not involved in the refund process. UVM PACE requires students to contact Student Services directly to request a refund. 

To contact Student Services please email learn@uvm.edu or call 802-656-2085. An advisor will be able to assist you in this process. 

Note: A refund decision may take 1-2 weeks. Unfortunately, I am not given any information on your case. Please contact Student Services to check the status of your request. 

We wish you the best and hope you’re able to continue your studies with us at another time. 

Best regards, 
[Instructor Name] 
[Course Name or Department, if applicable] 

Late Work 

We urgeall instructors to accept late assignments without penalty since we primarily serve adult learners who are balancing and prioritizing multiple responsibilities in their lives.  Discussion posts are an exception, since they need to be submitted on time to preserve the value of interacting with other students. In the course syllabus, you will see the following fixed notations: 

  1. Late assignments (or quizzes) will be accepted within 7 days of a due date, except for the final week of the course (See #3). 
  2. Discussion board posts must be submitted by published due dates. 

    Plagiarism/Cheating 

    Many of our learners are returning to an academic environment after several years, and some may not have had prior instruction on the nuances of paraphrasing, summarizing, and proper citation. Others may be unfamiliar with the ethical use of emerging tools such as artificial intelligence. 

     Given these factors, approach first instances of plagiarism or potential cheating with understanding and a coaching mindset. Our goal is to help learners develop academic integrity skills that will serve them beyond the course.  
     
    For the purposes of this guidance, plagiarism or cheating includes—but is not limited to: 

    • Copying another learner’s work or reusing one’s own work without attribution 
    • Taking content directly from a published or online source without citation 
    • Using generative artificial intelligence tools (e.g., ChatGPT) to produce work without permission or acknowledgment  
    • Submitting assignments that do not reflect the learner’s own understanding or effort 

    Step-by-Step Instructor Procedure 

    First Instance: Coaching and Education 

    1. Reach out to the learner directly with a caring, constructive message that both addresses the concern and supports learning. 
    2. Share the UVM Code of Academic Integrity with the learner to reinforce expectations. 
    3. Use a coaching tone, such as the following example message: 

      I think you may have taken more from Kevin’s post than you intended, or you were trying to paraphrase. Our goal in our courses is for each learner to bring their personal experiences into the coursework, so I do need to be sure you are only representing your own thoughts in the future (or using quotation marks and giving the original author credit). Would you want to connect on a phone call to discuss further? We’ll consider this a misunderstanding, though future instances will result in you losing credit for the assignment.” 
    4. Document the incident by making a brief note in your course records (e.g., date, summary of issue, and your communication). 

    The first instance should be treated as a learning opportunity rather than a disciplinary matter. 

    Second Instance: Loss of Credit 

    If a learner repeats the behavior after coaching: 

    1. Notify the learner that the assignment will receive no credit. 
    2. Reinforce the seriousness of the issue while maintaining a professional, respectful tone. 

      Example language: 
      As we discussed earlier, all submitted work must reflect your own ideas and words. Because this is a second instance, I will need to assign no credit for this submission. Please take care moving forward: Any additional instances will result in dismissal from the course. 
    3. Document the incident, including a copy of your communication. Share this documentation with your program coordinator, who can share with the Director of Academic Operations. 

    Third Instance: Dismissal from the Course 

    If a learner commits a third violation: 

    1. Inform the program coordinator and the PACE Director of Academic Operations. 
    2. After confirming next steps with PACE staff, the instructor will notify the learner that they are being dismissed from the course for repeated academic misconduct. The program coordinator and Director of Academic Operations should be CC’d on the message to ensure the dismissal is processed appropriately (we will provide the text and email addresses to be used). 
    3. Provide documentation of prior communications and instances. 

    Notes and Best Practices 

    • When in doubt, ask: If you are unsure whether an instance qualifies as plagiarism or AI misuse, consult with your program coordinator before taking action. 
    • Consistency matters: Apply this procedure uniformly to all learners to ensure fairness and transparency. Support the learner’s growth: Whenever possible, frame feedback as part of helping learners develop skills for ethical academic and professional work.