Recording of classes
Without the express permission of the relevant instructor(s), a student may not make any kind of audio or visual recording of any (1) classroom discussion; (2) discussion with any instructor(s); (3) presentations by any instructors(s) and/or guest speaker(s); (4) visual aid (including but not limited to PowerPoint slides); (5) exam review session, examination test question, or other assignment; (6) answer to any examination, test question or other assignment; or (7) any post-exam review session. An individual instructor, however, can expressly vary this policy with respect to his or her own course(s) or discussion(s).
Classes are generally recorded if a make-up class is scheduled. In cases of prolonged illness or unforeseen family emergency the Office for Student Affairs, with the professor’s permission, may arrange video recording.
Tardiness and other classroom policies
Students are required to follow the classroom policies of their individual faculty.
- Disruption of the classroom environment is prohibited, including the use of cell phones except for translations.
- Unless explicitly permitted by faculty, students may not use electronic devices to access materials unrelated to class.
- Professors may choose to ban all laptops from the classroom.
Attendance
Our desire for you to learn, supported by American Bar Association (ABA) standards and bar admission rules in many states, requires regular and punctual class attendance, preparation, and participation.
Instructors ordinarily set their own attendance requirements, prescribe penalties for failure to meet them, and advise students of their policies in their syllabi. However, in no case may a student’s attendance fall below 80 percent of a course’s scheduled meetings. A student whose attendance falls below 80 percent will receive a failing grade for the course or, in cases of serious extenuating circumstances and with the approval of the Dean of Students, will be withdrawn from the course. Instructors may issue a warning if a student has excessive absences or lateness. Ultimately, however, the onus is on the student to attend on time and to assure that they are adhering to classroom requirements, and no warning from the instructor is required.
Students with documented medical conditions that may require absences or a frequent need to leave the room must discuss their situation the Office of Accessible Educational Services to determine what accommodations are appropriate. The law school will provide flexible attendance/flexible absence accommodations as approved by the Office of Accessible Educational Services, but such accommodations cannot result in a student missing more than 20 percent of a course’s scheduled meetings. Students with other types of serious personal issues that may cause them to miss multiple classes should discuss their situation at the earliest possible opportunity with the Dean of Students.
Accommodations for religious observances
Indiana University requires that instructors reasonably accommodate students’ religious holiday observance. The Law School will make reasonable accommodations, upon request, for such observances. Please contact the Office for Student Affairs.
Course evaluations
At the end of each semester, students will be asked to complete course evaluations. These are essential avenues for professors’ improvement and for the administration to learn about successes and concerns in the classroom. Faculty members do not review course evaluations before completing the final exam period and the submission of final course grades.
Adverse weather and class cancellation
The Law School follows the status of the Bloomington campus. In case of inclement weather and possible canceled classes, students should check the IUB Office of Emergency Preparedness website and look for the campus status listed on the website. Students should also sign up for IU-Notify to receive alert messages and updates in real-time. Alerts sometime arrive in the middle of the night so it may be worth it to turn off the volume when you go to bed. Additionally, students should monitor the law school website, their IU email account, as well as local radio and television announcements for further information.
Crimson Cards
The Crimson Card is the official IU photo identification card for the Bloomington campus. Each card is assigned a unique 16-digit card number and a separate 13-digit printed barcode. Along with the cardholder’s printed name and photograph, the numbers allow accurate identification of the cardholder both on and off campus. A financial account is associated with each Crimson photo identification card. Cardholders may deposit funds in their account for use both on and off campus. To get your first ID card at no charge present your 10 digit University ID number and a valid government issued photo ID at a Card Services office located at the Indiana Memorial Union on the Mezzanine Level or at Eigenmann Hall on the bottom level. You must be registered for the current academic term in order to get a card. New students may receive their ID card one week before the start of an academic term.
Smoking policy
Indiana University is a non-smoking campus. Faculty, staff, and students are not permitted to smoke on university premises, including university-owned vehicles. There is no smoking permitted near any entrance to the law school or the sidewalk in front of the law school. This is particularly important because we have people in our community with asthma and other breathing difficulties exacerbated by second-hand smoke.
The nearest place to smoke is across Indiana Avenue near the restaurants off campus. The university offers free smoking-cessation support, which can be scheduled as part of a group or individually. To make an appointment at the IU Health Center Bloomington location, call (812) 855-7338 or email quitnow@indiana.edu.