Program Policies

Professional Conduct and Expectations

As future business leaders, professionalism and timeliness are paramount in the Science and Business program. We expect all students to uphold workplace standards in their behavior and communication. 

Attendance and Punctuality

  • Attend all classes punctually. In case of illness, refer to the Course Policies section. 

  • Lack of attendance will impact on your course grade. 

  • Arrive on time and remain until the end of class. 

Mobile Device Usages

Mobile devices (cellphones, laptops, etc.) must be turned off/on silent mode during class, except during designated breaks and class activities that require their use. 

Assignment and In-class Expectations

  • Follow instructions provided in assignment notes and the course outline. 

  • Avoid social media use during class time to maintain focus. 

  • Adhere to designated procedures for assignment submissions. 

Group work and Professionalism

Group assignments are assigned based on predetermined criteria to simulate real-world team structures. Each member is expected to contribute fairly, as outlined in the team charter/contract. In case of unequal contributions, adjustments to individual grades may occur. 

  • Honor the group contract and actively support team members. 

  • Contribute meaningfully to class and group activities. 

  • Dress professionally (business casual) for group presentations, akin to a workplace setting. 

  • Act with integrity. 

Professional Conduct Expectation

You are expected to conduct yourself professionally (as you would in the workplace) and actively participate in class activities/discussions. This expectation reflects your readiness for the workplace and includes: 

  • Regular attendance and timely submission of work. 

  • Active participation in class activities and discussions. 

  • Timely preparation for class and group meetings. 

  • Contribution to group projects and awareness of team dynamics. 

  • Ability to give and receive constructive feedback professionally. 

  • Professional communication with peers and teaching staff. 

  • Effective management of unexpected challenges. 

General Information

  • Attendance and punctuality are mandatory, with advanced notification of absences. 

  • Professional behavior is always expected, including respectful participation in class discussions. 

  • Professional email etiquette must be followed when communicating with the teaching team. 

  • Responses to emails will occur within 48 work hours. 

  • Group assignments require collaborative work documented in shared files. 

  • Deadlines are based on Eastern Time (ET) and late submissions result in zero marks. 

  • Requests for reevaluation of grades must be submitted within one week of receiving graded assignments. 

  • Any changes to the course outline will be communicated in class and via LEARN. 

Cheating and Plagiarism

Cheating and plagiarism, whether individual or collaborative, are serious offenses with severe consequences, including academic penalties and expulsion. 

Intellectual Property

Respect the intellectual property of instructors, TAs, and the University. Sharing course materials without permission is prohibited and constitutes a violation of intellectual property rights. 

Use of Generative AI

Generative AI is NOT ALLOWED:

Use of generative AI is not allowed: This course includes the independent development and practice of specific skills, such as problem solving and team building. Therefore, the use of Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) trained using large language models (LLM) or other methods to produce text, images, music, or code, like Chat GPT, DALL-E, or GitHub CoPilot, is not permitted in this class. Unauthorized use in this course, such as running course materials through GenAI or using GenAI to complete a course assessment is considered a violation of Policy 71 (plagiarism or unauthorized aids or assistance). Work produced with the assistance of AI tools does not represent the author’s original work and is therefore in violation of the fundamental values of academic integrity including honesty, trust, respect, fairness, responsibility and courage (ICAI, n.d.). You should be prepared to show your work. To demonstrate your learning, you should keep your rough notes, including research notes, brainstorming, and drafting notes. You may be asked to submit these notes along with earlier drafts of your work, either through saved drafts or saved versions of a document. If the use of GenAI is suspected where not permitted, you may be asked to meet with your instructor or TA to provide explanations to support the submitted material as being your original work. Through this process, if you have not sufficiently supported your work, academic misconduct allegations may be brought to the Associate Dean. In addition, you should be aware that the legal/copyright status of generative AI inputs and outputs is unclear. More information is available from the Copyright Advisory Committee: https://uwaterloo.ca/copyright-at-waterloo/teaching/generative-artificialintelligence 

Generative AI ALLOWED: 

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) trained using large language models (LLM) or other methods to produce text, images, music, or code, like Chat GPT, DALL-E, or GitHub CoPilot, may be used in this course with proper documentation, citation, and acknowledgement. Permitted uses of and expectations for using GenAI will discussed in class and outlined on assignment instructions.  Recommendations for how to cite generative AI in student work at the University of Waterloo may be found through the Library: https://subjectguides.uwaterloo.ca/chatgpt_generative_ai. Please be aware that generative AI is known to falsify references to other work and may fabricate facts and inaccurately express ideas. GenAI generates content based on the input of other human authors and may therefore contain inaccuracies or reflect biases.  

In addition, you should be aware that the legal/copyright status of generative AI inputs and outputs is unclear. Exercise caution when using large portions of content from AI sources, especially images. More information is available from the Copyright Advisory Committee: https://uwaterloo.ca/copyright-at-waterloo/teaching/generative-artificial-intelligence  You are accountable for the content and accuracy of all work you submit in this class, including any supported by generative AI.