WGS Course Outline Notes

Download a PDF version of the course notes

1. Your course outline should be considered a guideline only. Time constraints and other unforeseen factors may require that some of the topics listed in the course outline may be omitted, covered in an order other than which they appear, or covered in less detail than indicated. A permitted or necessary change in mode of delivery may require adjustments to important aspects of course outlines, like class schedule and the number, nature, and weighting of assignments and/or exams.

2. Students can find answers to updates and frequently asked questions related to COVID-19 here.

3. Work submitted for evaluation must be submitted in the format requested by the instructor (e.g., typed, printed, and submitted in person and/or on Nexus using file submission [not text submission]).

It is the student’s responsibility to retain a digitized copy of ALL assignments submitted for grading; in the event the file is lost, a duplicate copy is required.

4. Cellular phones and other electronic devices MUST be turned off and put away during classes unless the instructor explicitly authorizes otherwise. No unauthorized material or equipment may be used during tests or exams.

5. When it is necessary to cancel a class due to exceptional circumstances, instructors will make every effort to inform students via a posting on the classroom door (for in person classes) and via Nexus and/or their University emails or preferred method of communication, as indicated on the course outline.

6. Students are reminded that they have a responsibility to regularly check their UWinnipeg email addresses to ensure timely receipt of correspondence from the University and/or their course instructors. If requested by your instructor, please communicate via Nexus email or by their preferred mode of communication.

7. The voluntary withdrawal (VW) date, without academic penalty:

November 13, 2024 for Fall courses which begin in September 2024 and end in December 2024

February 14, 2025 for Fall/Winter courses which begin in September 2024 and end in April 2025

March 4, 2025 for Winter courses which begin in January 2025 and end in April 2025

Please note that withdrawing before the VW date does not necessarily result in a fee refund.

PLEASE speak with the course instructor before withdrawing. There may be alternatives to you losing your money and the work you have done. To withdraw from one course or more, students must notify the Student Records Office by email. Withdrawals will not be processed on the basis of telephone calls. See the University of Winnipeg Resource Guide or Course Drop Information for more details.

8. For Fall courses, the first day of class is September 3, 2024. Last class will be held on December 2, 2024. Make up classes will be held on December 3 and 4, both on a Monday schedule. Evaluation period is December 7 to 20, 2024.

For Fall/Winter classes, the first day of class is September 3, 2024. Last class will be held on April 4, 2025. Fall term evaluation period is December 7 to 20, 2024 and Winter term evaluation period is April 9 to 23, 2025.

For Winter classes, the first day of class is January 6, 2025. Last class will be held on April 4, 2025. Evaluation period is April 9 to 23, 2025.

See the full calendar of important dates.

9. Regulations, Policies, and Academic Integrity. Students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Regulations and Policies found in the University Academic Calendar. Particular attention should be given to subsections 8 (Student Discipline), 9 (Senate Appeals), and 10 (Grade Appeals).

Please consider seriously the importance of maintaining academic integrity, and the potential consequences of engaging in plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic misconduct. Even unintentional plagiarism is a form of academic misconduct. Similarly, uploading essays and other assignments to essay vendor or trader sites (filesharing sites that are known providers of essays for use by others who submit them to instructors as their own work) is a form of misconduct, as it involves aiding and abetting plagiarism.

More detailed information can be found in an updated and expanded U of Winnipeg library site outlining principles of Academic Integrity and in the Academic Misconduct Policy and Procedures.

Concerning plagiarism, cheating, and other academic misconduct, please note that as a general rule a penalty of zero or “F” will be the grade recommended by the DS/WGS Departmental Review Committee (DRC) to the University’s Senate Committee on Academic Misconduct.

10. Students facing a charge of academic or non-academic misconduct may choose to contact the University of Winnipeg Students’ Association (UWSA) where a student advocate will be available to answer any questions about the process, help with building a case, and ensuring students have access to support. For more information or to schedule an appointment, visit the UWSA website.

11. Academic Integrity and AI Text-generating Tools

Students must follow principles of academic integrity (e.g., honesty, respect, fairness, and responsibility) in their use of material obtained through AI text-generating tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Bing, Notion AI). If an instructor prohibits the use of AI tools in a course, students may face an allegation of academic misconduct if using them to do assignments. If AI tools are permitted, students must cite them. According to the MLA, “you should

1. cite a generative AI tool whenever you paraphrase, quote, or incorporate into your own work any content (whether text, image, data, or other) that was created by it
2. acknowledge all functional uses of the tool (like editing your prose or translating words) in a note, your text, or another suitable location
3. take care to vet the secondary sources it cites”

If students aren’t sure whether or not they can use AI tools, they should ask their professors.

12. Respectful Learning Environment. All students, faculty, and staff have the right to participate, learn, and work in an environment that is free of harassment and discrimination. Students are expected to conduct themselves in a respectful manner on campus and in the learning environment irrespective of platform being used. Behaviour, communication, or acts that are inconsistent with a number of UW policies could be considered non-academic misconduct. See the Respectful Working and Learning Environment Policy and Acceptable Use of Information Technology Policy. More detailed information is outlined in the Non-Academic Misconduct Policy and Procedure.

13. Copyright and Intellectual Property. Course materials are the property of the instructor who developed them. Examples of such materials are course outlines, assignment descriptions, lecture notes, test questions, and presentation slides—irrespective of format. Students who upload these materials to filesharing sites, or in any other way share these materials with others outside the class without prior permission of the instructor/presenter, are in violation of copyright law and University policy. Students must also seek prior permission of the instructor/presenter before, for example, photographing, recording, or taking screenshots of slides, presentations, lectures, and notes on the board. Students found to be in violation of an instructor’s intellectual property rights could face serious consequences pursuant to the Academic Misconduct or Non-Academic Misconduct Policy; such consequences could possibly involve legal sanction as indicated in the Copyright Policy.

Learn more about Copyright by visiting the UWinnipeg Copyright Office website, or see some of the most common copyright mistakes.

14. Research Ethics. Students conducting research interviews, focus groups, surveys, or any other method of collecting data from any person, including a family member, must obtain research ethics approval before commencing data collection. Exceptions are research activities done in class as a learning exercise. For submission requirements and deadlines, see the Human Ethics page on the UWinnipeg website.

15. Privacy. The University’s Student Privacy Notice provides important information about the collection, use, and disclosure (collectively, “processing”) of the personal information you provide to UWinnipeg in relation to your application for admissions and at time of registration. It also informs you of your privacy rights. Please read it carefully.

Student interaction on Zoom will not be recorded or posted. Please read the Zoom Privacy Notice. Students may turn off their cameras/microphones and use pseudonyms to remain anonymous (except where class participation is required). Otherwise, students are encouraged to use their full names and pronouns as their Zoom name. Zoom names can easily be changed for a lecture and then changed back again. Students with concerns, or who wish to seek alternate arrangements, may discuss the matter with the instructor.

16. Dates the University is closed for holidays in 2024-25:

• September 2, 2024 (Labour Day)
• September 30, 2024 (Truth and Reconciliation Day)
• October 14, 2024 (Thanksgiving Day)
• November 11, 2024 (Remembrance Day)
• December 23, 2024 through January 1, 2025
• February 17, 2025 (Louis Riel Day)
• April 18, 2025 (Good Friday)

Fall mid-term reading week is October 14-18, 2024.

Winter mid-term reading week is February 17-21, 2025.

17. Students may choose not to attend classes or write examinations on holydays of their religion, but they must notify their instructors at least two weeks in advance. Instructors will then provide opportunity for students to make up work or examinations without penalty. A list of religious holidays can be found in the Academic Calendar.

18. Accessibility Services: Students with documented disabilities, temporary or chronic medical conditions, requiring academic accommodations for tests/exams (e.g., private space) or during lectures/laboratories (e.g., access to volunteer note-takers) are encouraged to contact Accessibility Services (AS) at 204.786.9771 or email accessibility@uwinnipeg.ca to discuss appropriate options. All information about a student’s disability or medical condition remains confidential.

19. Indigenous students seeking additional supports, academic or other, are encouraged to contact the Aboriginal Student Services Centre (ASSC). The ASSC offers a variety of support services, and was created to maintain a safe, educational, and culturally sensitive environment for all Indigenous students (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) as they pursue their academic studies at The University of Winnipeg.

20. Attendance. Please refer to the Regulations and Policies section of the Course Calendar, paragraph 3a which reads in part: “Students are expected to be regular in their attendance at lectures and in the completion of work required in each course. Absence may be excused by instructors on the grounds of illness, physical disability, or adverse domestic circumstances. The instructor may require a medical certificate or other evidence. Poor attendance may result in loss of term marks.”

If you need to leave a class early, please inform the instructor before class begins. No accommodation will be provided to students who book or have booked any travel that takes place during the course.

21. Please note that registering in a course commits you to the date and time of the course mid-term and final examinations, if there are exams scheduled. If you are aware of possible conflicts with these dates, please see the instructor immediately during the first week of the course, in case you need to register in another course to accommodate the conflict. Please see more information about final exam conflicts or appeals for deferred exams.

22. Late Assignment Penalties: Individual instructors will have their own late assignment policies and penalties. Generally speaking, all assignments are due on the dates specified in the course outline. If your assignment is going to be late, make alternative arrangements with the instructor prior to the due date. The instructor may decide that no late assignments will be accepted after the last day of classes.

23. Students registered for WGS courses are expected to demonstrate competency in English appropriate to the course level (i.e., first-year, second-year, third-year, or fourth-year). Students needing additional assistance may contact the Writing Centre for writing resources and tutoring services, or contact the English Language Program for classes in English as an Additional Language and related services.

24. Students are advised that the UW Bookstore may run out of textbooks early in the term. Also, the bookstore ships textbooks back to the publisher if they are not purchased within the first few weeks of term. Students are responsible for communicating directly with the bookstore if they need to order texts or ask for texts to be held for them. Visit the Bookstore’s website, call 204-258-2909, or email 0915mgr@follett.com.

25. The University of Winnipeg affirms the importance of student mental health and our commitment to providing accessible, culturally appropriate, and effective services for students. Students who are seeking mental health supports are encouraged to reach out to the Wellness Centre atstudentwellness@uwinnipeg.caor 204-988-7611. For community-based mental health resources and supports, students are encouraged to dial 2-1-1. This program of United Way is available 24/7 in 150 languages.

26. For more information regarding the Women’s and Gender Studies program, please refer to our website. Our site includes a section about Online WGS Courses.

The WGS Department Chair is Dr. Sharanpal Ruprai, s.ruprai@uwinnipeg.ca and the Department Assistant is Angela McGillivray, ad.mcgillivray@uwinnipeg.ca. The WGS Department office is 4G09.

We acknowledge that we are gathered on ancestral lands, on Treaty One Territory. These lands are the heartland of the Métis people. We also acknowledge that our water is sourced from Shoal Lake 40 First Nation.