Women and Sexuality in Buddhism Syllabus

Photo credit: Wiki Commons

Instructor Details:

Professor Cape (She/her/hers)
Religious Studies Department
Office Location: Gibson S36
Office Hours: MWF 12pm-6pm

Instructor Details:

Professor Dr. Cape, PhD (She/her/hers)
Office Location: Religious Studies Department, 25 Park Place Office 1716
Office Hours: T & Th 12:30-3pm and Zoom by appointment

Course Description:

This course explores the topics of Women, Gender, and Sexuality in Buddhism through philosophy and Tibetan life stories. In particular, it will focus on a Buddhist philosophy of personhood and ideal lives through narratives of two female Buddhist masters. While women in Buddhism materials often focus on nuns, this course will include a history of the nuns, however it will focus on non-celibate women in Tibet. Thus, religious sexuality and the understudied area of Buddhist romance will be explored through life stories. Readings will explore human women, female buddhas, and Ḍakinīs, female enlightened beings that may be unembodied or appear as human. Although there is little scholarship on the following topics in – we will also devote several classes to homosexuality and transgender in Buddhism in Tibet and post-modern Tibetan Buddhist thought (and its Indian Buddhist precedents).

Readings will feature a combination of primary and secondary materials in Buddhist Studies. As mentioned, the primary materials will focus on first person narratives by or about Buddhist heroines. The goal of encountering these translated narratives is for students to explore and analyze the Buddhist worldview. In the readings, students will analyze:

• Historical/cultural context
• Tensions between Buddhist philosophy and practice
• Power dynamics in textual transmission
• Literary/aesthetic conventions
• Multiple layers of interpretation/translation
• Methodological challenges in studying women’s history

Students will develop a nuanced understanding of Buddhist theories of emptiness, personhood, identity and gender from multiple perspectives. Other subjects that will be discussed in class include gender essentialism, cis-gender, femininities, masculinities, androgyny, third genders, body and sexuality in Buddhism.

Syllabus Draft: This is a draft of the syllabus for both undergraduates and graduate students. It will be updated once the enrollment demographics are finalized after the first week and it may be updated during semester based on the needs of the class. (Updated syllabus will be posted in iCollege)

Specific Course Goals

Describe Buddhism doctrines of empty, non-essential persons and Buddhist theories of gender as it variously pertains to divine figures, human beings, monastics and tantric adepts

Describe Buddhism’s distinctive narrative practices for articulating gender theory

Observe one’s own thinking in cross-cultural encounters, to question, confirm, validate or correct assumptions and judgments.

Critically reflect on multiple, contradicting frameworks of Buddhist genders and sexualities

Confidently read, understand, evaluate, and discuss a classical religious text from another culture in a critical, non-partisan manner

Understand how religious traditions are constructed and reconstructed in changing contexts.

Comprehend, summarize and contextualize the meanings of various genres of religious writing.

Synthesize information to develop a thesis and support an argument.

Participate in a learning community to debate and discuss controversial topics in religion.

Overarching Goals of Any Religious Studies Course

1. Students will be able to distinguish between public, lived religion and academic approaches, becoming aware of and engaging critically the knowledge of religions that they bring into the classroom.
2. Students will apply what they learn to daily public conversations about religion and its influence on societal change through engagement with community partners, scholarly debates, and cultural representations of religious traditions.
3. Students will think intersectionally, understanding the embodied nature of religion, the interplay of religion, race, gender, class, and science.
4. Students will develop a transferable skill set, including critical reading, strong writing and research skills, that can be used across the curriculum and for personal and professional pursuits. Students will express themselves clearly and persuasively in written and oral communication.
5. Students will be able to recognize and critically engage scholarly conversations in Religious Studies.

Required Textbooks

Gayley, Holly. Love letters from Golok: A tantric couple in modern Tibet. Columbia University Press, 2016.

Jacoby, Sarah H. Love and liberation: Autobiographical writings of the Tibetan Buddhist visionary Sera Khandro. Columbia University Press, 2014.

*Supplementary Readings & Materials as PDFs or Links

Cape, Kali. “Non-duality as yab yum in Tibetan Great Perfection (rdzogs chen),” Journal of Dharma Studies 7 (2024): 41–61.

Cape, Kali. “Anatomy of a Ḍākinī: Female Consort Discourse in a Case of Fourteenth-Century Tibetan Buddhist Literature.” Journal of Dharma Studies 3, (2020): 349–371.

Cape, Kali. “One Desires You, One Cries; A Tibetan Taxonomy of Female Disciples,” Revue d’Etudes Tibétaines, (Forthcoming).

Mahmood, Saba. “Feminist theory, embodiment, and the docile agent: Some reflections on the Egyptian Islamic revival.” In Readings in the Theory of Religion, pp. 206-240. Routledge, 2016.

McClellan, Joseph.  Trans*AM Cis Men and Trans Women in Love. ThreeL Media, 2017.

Powers, John. A Bull of A Man; Images of Masculinity, Sex and the Body in Indian Buddhism. Harvard University Press, 2009. 1-23 and 203-234

Spivak, Gayatri Chakravorty. “Can the subaltern speak?.” In Imperialism, pp. 171-219. Routledge, 2023.

 

Weekly Schedule

INTRODUCTION TO FEMINIST THEORY

Tuesday Jan 14

Introduction to the Syllabus and to the Students

Thursday Jan 16 Reading Against the Docile Agent

Reading iCollege: Mahmood, Saba. “Feminist theory, embodiment, and the docile agent: Some reflections on the Egyptian Islamic revival.” In Readings in the Theory of Religion, pp. 206-240. Routledge, 2016.

Tuesday Jan 21 Can the Subaltern Speak?

Reading Online: Spivak, Gayatri Chakravorty. “Can the subaltern speak?” In Imperialism, pp. 171-219. Routledge, 2023. Find it online: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/http://users.uoa.gr/~cdokou/TheoryCriticismTexts/Spivak-Subaltern.pdf

Thursday Jan 23 I’d Rather be a Cyborg than a Goddess

Reading Online: Haraway, Donna. “A cyborg manifesto (1985).” Cultural theory: An anthology 454 (2010). Find it online here: https://usa.anarchistlibraries.net/library/donna-haraway-a-cyborg-manifesto

Optional Reading iCollege: Puar. Jasbir K “I’d rather be a cyborg than a goddess, becoming intersectional in assemblage theory.” Project Muse, Rutgers University

PHILOSOPHY FOR BUDDHISM AND GENDER

Tuesday Jan 28 Women in Mahayana Buddhism

Reading Online: Thurman, Robert, translator. “The Goddess, ” The Holy Teaching of Vimalakīrti; A Mahayana Scripture. Pennsylvania State University Press, 2000. 56-63 Find this and other copies for free in many places online especially here: https://84000.co/translation/toh176

SEXUALITY IN BUDDHISM

Thursday Jan 30 Sexuality in Buddhist Traditions

Reading iCollege: Cape, Kali. “Sexuality in Buddhist Traditions,” in The Cambridge World History of Sexualities: Volume 2, Systems of Thought and Belief, edited by Wiesner-Hanks, Merry E., and Mathew Kuefler. Cambridge University Press, 2024.

Feb 4 Tantric Buddhism

Powers, John. “Tantra,” Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism Revised Edition. New York: Snow Lion Publications, 2007. 249-257

Optional: Reading online: Cape, Kali. “Non-duality as yab yum in Tibetan Great Perfection (rdzogs chen),” Journal of Dharma Studies 7 (2024): 41–61. Find it here: https://kalicape.com/580-2/

Optional Reading iCollege: Cape, Kali. “One Desires You, One Cries; A Tibetan Taxonomy of Female Disciples,” Revue d’Etudes Tibétaines, (Forthcoming).

DAKINIS & FEMALE CONSORTS IN TIBETAN LITERATURE

Feb 6 Introduction to Esoteric Buddhist Traditions

Powers, John. “Tantra,” Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism Revised Edition. New York: Snow Lion Publications, 2007. 257-315

Optional Reading Online: Cape, Kali. “Anatomy of a Ḍākinī: Female Consort Discourse in a Case of Fourteenth-Century Tibetan Buddhist Literature.” Journal of Dharma Studies 3, (2020): 349–371. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42240-021-00094-2 Find it here: https://kalicape.com/anatomy-of-a-%e1%b8%8dakini-consort-discourse/

Feb 13 Human Women, Ḍākinī & Consorts

Reading Textbook: Jacoby, Sarah. “Chapter 1: The Life and Times of Sera Khandro,” Love and Liberation, The Life and Times of Sera Khandro. Columbia University Press, 2014. 36-74

Feb 18 Ḍākinī Dialogues

Reading Textbook: Jacoby, Sarah. “Chapter 3: Dakini Dialogues,” Love and Liberation, The Life and Times of Sera Khandro. Columbia University Press, 2014. 113-150

Feb 20 Ḍākinī Talks

Reading PDF: Gyatso, Janet. “Chapter 6: The Dakini Talks: On Gender, Language and the Secret Autobiographer.” Apparitions of the Self: The Secret Autobiography of a Tibetan Visionary.” Princeton University Press, 1998. 243-264

Film: Jacoby, Sarah. “The Relatable and Extraordinary Life of Sera Khandro Dewé Dorjé.” The Goodman Lectures. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9bX8IJRRQw

Feb 25 Religious Sexuality

Reading Textbook: Jacoby, Sarah. “Chapter 4: Sacred Sexuality,” Love and Liberation, The Life and Times of Sera Khandro. Columbia University Press, 2014. 188-212

Feb 27  Ethics in Tantric Buddhism

Reading online: Gayley, Holly, and Somtso Bhum. “Parody and Pathos: Sexual Transgression by “Fake” Lamas in Tibetan Short Stories.” Revue d’Etudes Tibétaines 63 (2022): 62-94.

March 4 Consort Ethics in Tantric Buddhism

Reading online: Gayley, Holly. “Revisiting the ‘secret consort’ (gsang yum) in Tibetan Buddhism.” Religions 9, no. 6 (2018): 179.

March 6 Buddhist Love in Personal terms

Reading Textbook: Jacoby, Sarah. “Chapter 5: Love Between Method and Insight,” Love and Liberation, The Life and Times of Sera Khandro. Columbia University Press, 2014. 212-248

March 11 Special Guest Speaker in lieu of online meeting
“Anthony Petro, “Provoking Religion,” Tuesday March 11th, 2025, 4:30-6:00pm EDT
GSU Library Special Collections and Archives 103 Decatur St. SE Atlanta, GA GSU
Religious Studies alum Dr. Anthony Petro returns to campus to discuss his upcoming book, Provoking Religion: Sex, Art, and the Culture Wars (Oxford University Press, Spring 2025). Now an Associate Professor at Boston University, Petro is a leading scholar on religion, medicine, public health, gender, and sexuality.  Tuesday, March 11, 2025  4:30-6:00 PM EDT GSU Library Special Collections and Archives 103 Decatur St SE, Atlanta, Georgia

March 13 Women in the Tantric Couple

Reading Textbook: Gayley, Holly. “Introduction: Journey to Golok” Love letters from Golok: A tantric couple in modern Tibet. Columbia University Press, 2016. 1-33

March 18-20 Spring Break
Midterm Reflection essay due by March 18th

March 25 The Life of Tāre Lhamo
Reading Textbook: Gayley, Holly. “Chapter One: Daughter of Golok, Tāre Lhamo’s Life and Context.” Love letters from Golok: A tantric couple in modern Tibet. Columbia University Press, 2016. 33-74

March 27 Tibet During the Life of Tare Lhamo

View online film: Scorsese, Martin, et al. Kundun. Touchstone Home Video, 1997. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfaNtUU_Oec

April 1 Trauma and Treasures

Reading Textbook: Gayley, Holly. “Chapter Four Emissaries of Padmasambhava: Tibetan Treasures and Healing Trauma.” Love letters from Golok: A tantric couple in modern Tibet. Columbia University Press, 2016 167-208

April 3 Autoethnography

Reading iCollege: Ellis, Carolyn, Tony E. Adams, and Arthur P. Bochner. “Autoethnography: an overview.” Historical social research/Historische sozialforschung (2011): 273-290.

April 8 Autoethnography

Reading iCollege: Ellis, Carolyn, and Tony E. Adams. “Practicing autoethnography and living the autoethnographic life.” (2020).

April 10 Cultural Revitalization

Reading textbook: Gayley, Holly. “Chapter Five: A Tantric Couple: The Hagiography of Cultural Revitalization,” and “Epilogue: The Legacy of a Tantric Couple.” Love letters from Golok: A tantric couple in modern Tibet. Columbia University Press, 2016 1208-256

April 15 Cultural Revitalization
Reading textbook: Gayley, Holly. “Chapter Three: Inseparable Companions: A Buddhist Courtship and Correspondences.” Love letters from Golok: A tantric couple in modern Tibet. Columbia University Press, 2016.116-166

Paper Drafts due by April 15^th 
April 17 Student Presentations & Peer review of papers
April 22 Student Presentations & Peer review of papers
April 24 Student Presentations & Peer review of papers

***Final essay due April 26 by midnight.***

Criteria for Evaluation

Attendance 10%
Weekly quizzes 15%

Class discussion participation 15%

Midterm self-reflection 10%

Final Essay 3-5 pages 30%

Final Essay Oral presentation 20%

Attendance. Students who attend class with their cameras on will be counted as attending that class. Two absences will be dropped from grade.

Participation. Class participation grading is based upon your contribution in classes and based upon the quality of your questions submitted in the forum. Your participation will be measured according to your contributions to small group discussions and to discussions in the whole class. This includes raising relevant questions, answering questions posed by the instructor based on the reading and being able to refer to the other authors we have read during our discussions. Students can prepare for class discussions by considering the following questions while the read:

• What are the main points?
• When was this text written?
• What is the function of this text – how does it function didactically to convey philosophy or make arguments?
• Who is this text written for, who is the audience?
• Who is missing from the text, what voices or perspectives are present and what voices or perspectives are absent?
• What are the counter arguments that this text is responding to?
• How does the author’s positionality show up in this text?
• What morals or ethics are expressed in this text or absent in this text?
• What questions does this text raise for you?
• What is your immediate reaction to the text? Does that change while you continue reading?
• How does this text relate to your own experience or current events?
• What surprises you about this text? What confused you while you read it?

Midterm self-reflection. The study of religions requires encounters with other cultures and these encounters are best metabolized through self-reflection and dialogue. For the midterm assignment, students will self-reflect on the impact of the course. write a one page essay on what they have most valued and most benefited from in the class far and why. One paragraph minimum, one page maximum.

Weekly Quizzes

Weekly quizzes cover the reading and lecture. The three lowest quiz grades will be dropped. Quizzes are available for twenty four hours, take as long as you would like to complete them within that twenty-four hour period.

Final Paper and Oral Presentation: Recovering Women’s History
Undergraduate Students
Each student will write a paper on an influential religious or spiritual woman in their life, this will be a biography but it should include principles of autoethnography as described in the article “Practicing Autoethnography, Living the Autoethnographic Life,” in iCollege. Also, these principles are listed below in the syllabus addendum. Following the themes of the biographies read in this course, students will be mindful to reflect on how themes of celibacy, romance, religious sexuality, marriage, divorce or other relationship issue had an effect on the life and identity of this woman.

Honors Students

Each student will write a paper on an influential religious or spiritual woman in their life, this will be a biography but it should include principles of ethnography. These principles must be detailed in a paragraph on methodology with citations.

Graduate Students

Graduate students will do the same assignment as undergraduates and honors but they will also write about these subjects through the lens of the theorists studied in class, Spivak, Mahmood, Haraway or Schiffman et al. or another major religious studies theorist along with the biography.

The final paper will count for 30% of the grade. It is due on the last day of class, the draft of the paper for peer review is due on April 10^th and the final draft is due April 24^th by midnight. Students must use Chicago Style Formatting and provide footnotes and bibliography. The paper will be written in Times New Roman, 12 point font, spaced 1.5. height. Undergraduate papers will be 1-3 pages maximum. Graduate student papers will be three to five pages maximum. This challenges students to focus their ideas and make the paper dense, therefore every page after five pages will reduce the paper grade by 10%.  See final paper grading rubric below.

A brief oral presentation and peer discussion of the papers will be given in the last few days of the course, a sign-up sheet will be distributed. Each student will have no more than ten minutes to present. Points are deducted for each minute after ten minutes in order to keep the timing fair and equal for all students. The presentation should have slides and images and where appropriate, footnotes and photo credits.

More Details on Evaluation

Attendance and Participation. This is an interactive classroom, where students are expected to speak about the readings and discussion topics everyday. To receive an “A” in participation requires consistent positive contributions to class. This includes comments that demonstrate comprehension of the reading and careful reflection, preparation for the discussion topics and respecting the viewpoints and contributions of your classmates. Attendance will be taken at every class. Only excused absences will count as having attended.

Grades

A +  99-100      A 93-98.99       A- 90-92.99

B+   87-89.99    B 83-86.99       B- 80-82.99

C+   77-79.99    C 73-76.99        C- 70-72.99

D 60-69.99       F 59.9 and below

Please note that grades do not round up.

Class Discussions

This class requires a critical engagement. To study religion is to engage in a cross-cultural encounter and therefore to encounter the unfamiliar. To study religion is also to engage with topics that one may have already formed strong opinions about. Students should be open minded enough to allow the assignments to challenge their ideas and preconceived notions. Students should also actively be questioning the arguments and ideas advanced in the texts. This type of critical reflection is expected during the discussions, response papers and in your final paper.

Technology

Students may use technology in a way that is relevant to class; to receive attendance points, students must be visible on screen. During lectures, you may use your laptop or tablet to take notes. Please be aware that if you use technology for non-class activities, this will result in a lowered participation grade.

Accommodations

I am committed to creating a welcoming and effective learning environment for all students. If you have any type of disability or require accommodations for another reason, the University asks that these requests may be made through this service: https://access.gsu.edu/

Sensitive Topics

The study of religion and its history may raise difficult topics including race, class, gender, sexuality, sexual orientation, war and violence. If you ever feel that a topic may be too distressing, please notify me and you will be excused from that class and offered a writing assignment instead.

Optional Reading for Extra Credit:
Upload a one paragraph of the following into iCollege for one extra credit point up to five points:

Reading ebook Alderman Library: Schiffman, Jessica, Laura O’toole, Margie Edwards and Margie L. Kiter Edwards. “The Roots of Male Violence,” and “Chapter Three The Socio-Cultural Context of Rape.” Gender Violence, Interdisciplinary Perspectives. New York, University Press 2007. 1-10 and 56-71

Reading PDF: Chapter Four, “Teaching and Instruction,” Lady of the Lotus Born, The Life and Enlightenment of Yeshe Tsogyal. Shambhala, 2002. 44-66 and 127-129

Reading Online Ebook: McClellan, Joseph. “Against Interpretation: Liberating Bodies from Restrictive Languages.” and “The Naked World: Merleau-Ponty’s Phenomenology of the Body Without Interpretation.” Trans*AM Cis Men and Trans Women in Love. ThreeL Media, 2017 (Available as an e-book, page numbers differ based on your device.)

Reading Textbook: Cabezón, José. Buddhism. Sexuality in Classical South Asian Buddhism. Wisdom Publications, 2017. 500-528

Reading Textbook: Cabezón, José. Buddhism. Sexuality in Classical South Asian Buddhism. Wisdom Publications, 2017. 79-114

Reading Textbook: Cabezón, José. Buddhism. Sexuality in Classical South Asian Buddhism. Wisdom Publications, 2017. 114-172.

Reading PDF: Zwilling, Leonard “Homosexuality as Seen in Indian Buddhist Texts,” in Buddhism,

Sexuality, and Gender, 203-214

Principles of Auto-ethnography

Autoethnography is a research method that involves using personal experiences to explore cultural, social, or political contexts. Some principles of autoethnography include:

1. Use personal experience: Autoethnography uses a researcher’s personal experiences to describe and critique cultural beliefs and practices.
2. Consider other perspectives: Autoethnographers should consider how others may experience similar epiphanies.
3. Be reflexive: Autoethnographers should use self-reflection to explore how their experiences intersect with society.
4. Be creative: Autoethnography can involve creative writing, such as storytelling, to evoke and capture the researcher’s experiences.
5. Be ethical: Autoethnographers should consider the ethical implications of sharing their stories, including the stories of others who may be involved.
6. Be organized: Autoethnographers can organize their data chronologically or by theme.
7. Be familiar with existing research: Autoethnographers can compare their experiences to existing research.
8. Use a variety of methods: Autoethnographers can use a variety of methods to gather data, such as interviews, focus groups, and journaling.
9. Doing collaborative autoethnography – Autoethnography is often used to explore topics that are personal, emotional, or difficult to access through traditional research methods.

Sample Final Paper Grading Rubric

TOTA POSSIBLE POINTS	Paper Grading Rubric
20 points	TOPICS
	The topic relates to course theme
	The theme analyzed is clear and consistent throughout the paper project.
	Refers to specific passages from readings or videos, quotes them, analyzes them and cites them. Integrates them into the paper.
	Synthesize theories, models and/or course readings
	Clear argument about this issue is stated and consistent throughout the paper/project
	It is interpreted or analyzing this theme in terms of at least two texts with name of the text, pages, passages or section of those texts being worked with clearly identified
	First piece of evidence cited and interpreted
	A second piece of evidence cited and interpreted
	A third piece of evidence cited and interpreted
	Introduction and Conclusion clearly summarize and synthesize the work
20 points	ARGUMENT
	Identifies a clear argument from the beginning
	Key points relate to the argument
	Named a possible counter argument to my argument
	Gave a response to that counter argument with textual evidence backing up that response, or identified why it is beyond the scope
	Identified the scope of the argument and or limitation of this argument.
	The entire paper is making a clear point
	This point is sufficiently narrow so it is not a broad, generalized claim or opinion
20 points	FORMATING & STRUCTURE FOR WRITTEN WORK
	Includes a proper Chicago Style Citation in a bibliography.
	A clear limited context is delineated.
	Are formatted according to Chicago Manual of Style for citations and bibliography
	Uses and properly cites scholarly sources (rather than non-academic sources)
	Has been proofread and edited several times and is polished
	Does not use the second person point of view “You….”
	Whenever claims are made, there is evidence and citations. Avoid broad claims.
	There is a clear delineation between opinions and research based claims
	Adheres to the page limit or time limit for multimedia projects
20 points	SCHOLARLY VOICE/ACADEMIC VOICE
	Has been spell checked, edited and revised so that it is a polished paper
	Is clearly structured and focused, with clear transitions. The theme analyzed is clear and consistent throughout the paper.
	Has a scholarly voice: • Evidenced based • Unbiased •Highly focused •
	Has good grammar, syntax and tone
	Easy to read and easy to follow
10 points	MAGIC
	Has style, it is enjoyable to read/listen to
	Is creative and interesting
	Shows engagement with the course materials and themes in specific, cited, and synthesized ways
	Is turned in on time, follows the length/page restrictions

 

Department of Religious Studies 

General Syllabus Statement Spring 2025 

Welcome to Religious Studies at Georgia State University! GSU is home to a student body from varied backgrounds and with wide-ranging interests, and our classrooms are spaces for respectful teaching and learning. As a student taking a class in Religious Studies, you are responsible for reading and understanding department, college, and university policies. Students in our classes are held to in the 2024-2025 Student Handbook and other policies discussed in the Student Handbook. If you have questions about the policies below or policies included in the Student Code of Conduct or Student Handbook, please ask your instructor.  

Respect & Civility 

Faculty and students in Religious Studies courses commit to supporting students. We strive to construct a safe and inclusive environment by respecting each other’s dignity and privacy. We honor each class member’s experiences, beliefs, perspectives, and backgrounds, regardless of race, religion, language, immigration status, sexual orientation, gender identification, ability status, socio-economic status, national identity, or any other identity markers. 

• Please use the names and pronouns preferred by students and faculty. Students who wish to use a name or pronoun other than what is available on the class roll may introduce themselves to the class using it, or they may contact the instructor via email. 
• In instances of sexual misconduct, instructor(s), teaching assistants, and all other university employees are designated as Responsible Employees and are required to share with administrative officials all reports of sexual misconduct for university review. If you wish to disclose an incident of sexual misconduct confidentially, there are options on campus for you to do so. For more information on this policy, please refer to the Sexual Misconduct Policy which is included in the Georgia State University Student Code of Conduct.
• Students who wish to request an accommodation for a disability must do so by registering with the Access and Accommodations Center (AACE) located in Student Center East, Suite 205. Students may only be accommodated upon issuance of a signed Student Accommodation Letter through the AACE.  The signed Student Accommodation Letter may be submitted electronically to the course instructor or hand delivered by the student to all classes in which the student is seeking accommodation.

Academic Honesty & Netiquette 

• While the penalty for academic dishonesty is a matter of the instructor’s discretion in the Department of Religious Studies, the customary penalty for a violation of the academic dishonesty rules is an “F” in the course. See the University Policy on Academic Honesty on the reverse of this sheet.
• The selling, sharing, publishing, presenting, or distributing of instructor-prepared course lecture notes, videos, audio recordings, or any other instructor-produced materials from any course for any commercial purpose is strictly prohibited unless explicit written permission is granted in advance by the course instructor. This includes posting any materials on websites. Unauthorized sale or commercial distribution of such material is a violation of the instructor’s intellectual property and the privacy rights of students attending the class and is prohibited.
• In keeping with USG and university policy, instructors will make every effort to maintain the privacy and accuracy of your personal information. Specifically, unless otherwise noted, your instructor will not actively share personal information gathered from the course with anyone except university employees whose responsibilities require access to said records. This course may use websites and technologies such as iCollege. As such, some information collected from iCollege, websites, or other technologies may be subject to the Georgia Open Records Act. This means that while your instructor does not actively share information, in some cases your instructor or university officials may be compelled by law to release information gathered from the site. Also, the course will be managed in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which prohibits the release of education records without student permission.

Deadlines & Withdrawal 

• Students are responsible for confirming that they are attending the course section for which they are registered. Failure to do so may result in a WF or F for the course.
• The midpoint is Tuesday, March 4^th.  The withdrawal period begins Tuesday, January 21^st and ends Tuesday, March 4^th. Please view the calendar for other dates and information.
• Students who are involuntarily withdrawn may petition the department chair for reinstatement into their classes.
• A student may be awarded a grade of “W” no more than 6 times in their career at Georgia State. After 6 W’s, a withdrawal is recorded as a WF on the student’s record. A WF counts as an F in a GPA.
• By University policy and to respect the confidentiality of all students, final grades may not be posted or given out over the phone. To see your grades, check the web (student.gosolar.gsu.edu).
• Your constructive assessment of this course plays an indispensable role in shaping education at Georgia State University. Upon completing the course, please take the time to fill out the online course evaluation.

Finally, please keep in mind that your instructor’s syllabus provides a general plan for the course. Deviations may be necessary. 

Policy on Academic Honesty, from the GSU Catalog 

As members of the academic community, students are expected to recognize and uphold standards of intellectual and academic integrity. The University assumes as a basic and minimum standard of conduct in academic matters that students be honest and that they submit for credit only the products of their own efforts. Both the ideals of scholarship and the need for fairness require that all dishonest work be rejected as a basis for academic credit. They also require that students refrain from any and all forms of dishonorable or unethical conduct related to their academic work.  

The University’s policy on academic honesty is published in the Faculty Handbook and the Student Handbook, On Campus, which is available to all members of the university community (Georgia State University Catalog System). Academic honesty is a core value of the university and all members of the university community are responsible for abiding by the tenets of the policy. Georgia State students, faculty, and staff are expected to report all instances of academic dishonesty to the appropriate authorities. The procedures for such reporting are outlined below and on file in the offices of the deans of each college, the office of the Dean of Students, and the office of the Provost.  

Lack of knowledge of this policy is not an acceptable defense to any charge of academic dishonesty. In an effort to foster an environment of academic integrity and to prevent academic dishonesty, students are expected to discuss with faculty the expectations regarding course assignments and standards of conduct. Students are encouraged to discuss freely with faculty, academic advisors, and other members of the university community any questions pertaining to the provisions of this policy. In addition, students are encouraged to avail themselves of programs in establishing personal standards and ethics offered by the university.  

No instructor or department may impose academic or disciplinary penalties for academic dishonesty outside the parameters of this policy. This policy applies to all incidents of academic dishonesty, including those that occur before a student graduate but are not discovered until after the degree is conferred. In such cases, it is possible that the application of this policy will lead to a failure to meet degree completion requirements and therefore a revocation of a student’s degree.  

Many colleges and/or departments provide statements of what constitutes academic dishonesty within the context of their discipline and recommend penalties for specific types of academic dishonesty. As noted in the Faculty Handbook, all syllabi are required to make reference to the Academic Honesty Policy; syllabi should also include a link to departmental standards where they exist.  

Definitions and Examples 

The examples and definitions given below are intended to clarify the standards by which academic honesty and academically honorable conduct are to be judged. The list is merely illustrative of the kinds of infractions that may occur, and it is not intended to be exhaustive. Moreover, the definitions and examples suggest conditions under which unacceptable behavior of the indicated types normally occurs; however, there may be unusual cases that fall outside these conditions which also will be judged unacceptable by the academic community.  

Plagiarism: Plagiarism is presenting another person’s work as one’s own. Plagiarism includes any paraphrasing or summarizing of the works of another person without acknowledgment, including the submitting of another student’s work as one’s own. Plagiarism frequently involves a failure to acknowledge in the text, notes, or footnotes the quotation of the paragraphs, sentences, or even a few phrases written or spoken by someone else. The submission of research or completed papers or projects by someone else is plagiarism, as is the unacknowledged use of research sources gathered by someone else when that use is specifically forbidden by the faculty member. Failure to indicate the extent and nature of one’s reliance on other sources is also a form of plagiarism. Failure to indicate the extent and nature of one’s reliance on other sources is also a form of plagiarism. Any work, in whole or part, taken from the internet without properly referencing the corresponding URL (along with the author’s name and title of the work, if available) may be considered plagiarism. Finally, there may be forms of plagiarism that are unique to an individual discipline or course, examples of which should be provided in advance by the faculty member. The student is responsible for understanding the legitimate use of sources, the appropriate ways of acknowledging academic, scholarly or creative indebtedness, and the consequences of violating this responsibility. 

Cheating on Examinations: Cheating on examinations involves giving or receiving unauthorized help before, during, or after an examination. Examples of unauthorized help include the use of notes, texts, or “crib sheets” during an examination (unless specifically approved by the faculty member), or sharing information with another student during an examination (unless specifically approved by the faculty member). Other examples include intentionally allowing another student to view one’s own examination and collaboration before or after an examination if such collaboration is specifically forbidden by the faculty member.  

Unauthorized Collaboration: Unauthorized collaboration means working with someone or getting assistance from someone (a classmate, friend, etc.) without specific permission from the instructor on any assignment (e.g., exam, paper, homework) that is turned in for a grade. It is also a violation of academic honesty to knowingly provide such assistance to another student. Collaborative work specifically authorized by a faculty member is allowed.  

Falsification: It is a violation of academic honesty to misrepresent material or fabricate information in an academic exercise, assignment or proceeding (e.g., false or misleading citation of sources, the falsification of the results of experiments or of computer data, false or misleading information in an academic context in order to gain an unfair advantage).  

Multiple Submission: It is a violation of academic honesty to submit substantial portions of the same work for credit more than once without the explicit consent of the faculty member(s) to whom the material is submitted for additional credit. In cases in which there is a natural development of research or knowledge in a sequence of courses, use of prior work may be desirable, even required; however, the student is responsible for indicating in writing, as a part of such use, that the current work submitted for credit is cumulative in nature.