Dying, Death, & Post Death in Buddhist Cultures
for Perspectives: Comparative Cultures
Professor Dr. Cape, PhD (She/her/hers)
Office Location: 2525 Park Place
Office Hours: Tues/Thurs

Course Description:

What happens after death? Can the dying process be stopped or altered? What does science say about reincarnation? Students will encounter comparative cultures through a poignant exploration of a shared human experience, dying and death, as it has been interpreted in a different culture. Thus, this course covers theories of dying, death, post-death, and reincarnation in Asia. Particularly, students will focus on the rich history and philosophy of Tibetan and Indian Buddhism’s traditions around death, as well as American and scientific interactions with these traditions. Students will read primary and secondary texts, watch films, look at ancient art, and listen to podcasts to think carefully about how a worldview is translated into funerary rites and eschatological views.

In Module One, to set the stage for this course, the course begins with an overview of major Buddhist tenets and explore the death of the Buddha, a human teacher who lived in India five hundred years before the common era. In Module Two, students will study concepts of karma and reincarnation in Buddhism as it relates to death and post-death. In Module Three, students will read the history of the so-called, “Tibetan Book of the Dead,” a famous book commented on by Carl Jung and an object of fascination for Timothy Leary and the Beatles. This module will include fascinating primary literature about bardo, the intermediate state of post death as described in Indian and Tibetan scriptures. In Module Four, Corpses, Mummies & Sky Burials: Tibetan Funerary Traditions, students will study the various traditions of disposing of and preserving corpses for religious purposes in Tibet. The final section is Module Five, which looks at reincarnation in the West, beginning with a study of reincarnation debates in Christianity and America, followed by an examination of scientific research in reincarnation. In addition to exams, for the final project students will work in teams to design a funeral ceremony based on a religious worldview and present this in class. The mode of the course is primarily in-person and will have some synchronous meetings online as well including those meetings for special events and guest speakers.

Special Benefits of this Course – Students will:

Connect in a learning community through teamwork, dyad work, and large group sharing.
Identify key texts, figures and practices in distinct Buddhist traditions and American adaptations.

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

Conduct research using primary and secondary sources to form interpretations and arguments.

Participate in debates and discuss controversial topics in religion.

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.

This is a Core IMPACTS course that is part of the Humanities area. Core IMPACTS refers to the core curriculum, which provides essential knowledge in foundational academic areas. This course will help students master course content and support students’ broad academic and career goals.

This course should direct students toward a broad Orienting Question: How do I interpret the human experience through creative, linguistic, and philosophical works?
Completion of this course should enable students to meet the following Learning Outcome: Students will effectively analyze and interpret the meaning, cultural significance, and ethical implications of literary/philosophical texts or of works in the visual/performing arts.
Course content, activities, and exercises in this course should help students develop the following Career-Ready Competencies: 1) Ethical Reasoning, 2) Information Literacy, & 3) Intercultural Competence

Overarching Goals of a Religious Studies Course

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.
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.
Students will think intersectionally, understanding the embodied nature of religion, the interplay of religion, race, gender, class, and science.
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.
Students will be able to recognize and critically engage scholarly conversations in Religious Studies.

Topics Covered

Module One Introduction to Buddhism and Buddhist Cultures

Module Two Reincarnation and Karma in Buddhism

Module Three Tibetan Book of the Dead & Bardo Literature

Module Four Corpses, Mummies & Sky Burials: Tibetan Funerary Traditions Module Five Reincarnation in the “West”

Required Textbooks

Lopez, Donald S. The Tibetan Book of the Dead: A Biography, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2011.

Powers, John. Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism Revised Edition. New York: Snow Lion Publications, 2007.

Cuevas, Bryan J. The Hidden History of the Tibetan Book of the Dead. Oxford University Press, 2005.

Schedule Overview

Module One: Introduction to Buddhism

Tuesday Jan 14

Lecture: Class Introductions and Syllabus Review

Reading: N/A

Assignment: Meet and greet with your learning team.

Thursday Jan 16

Lecture: Understanding Assumptions about Death

Reading: N/A

Assignment: Prepare for the following discussion in class. Students will begin the course by discussion their own understanding and assumptions about death in class including:

Their earliest memory of encountering death
Their cultural/religious background’s views on death
Their current beliefs about what happens after death
How they would want to be remembered
Reflect on what remains after we’re gone

Tuesday Jan 21

Lecture: The Buddha’s Life and Death II

Lecture is based on this optional reading: Hayes, Richard P. “Chapter Twenty Nine, The Buddha,” The Buddhist World, John Powers, Editor. New York: Routledge, Taylor and Francis, 2016. 487-495.

Reading Textbook: Powers, John. “Chapter One, Buddhism in India.” Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism Revised Edition. New York: Snow Lion Publications, 2007. 31-62

Assignment: Explore the Buddha’s life online through examining seventeenth century murals: https://lotb.iath.virginia.edu/ Identify one or two scenes in the life of the Buddha that you find the most memorable.

Thursday Jan 23
Lecture: The Universe Is the World Real or Illusion?

Reading Textbook: Powers, John. “Chapter Two, Some Important Buddhist Doctrines,” Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism Revised Edition. New York: Snow Lion Publications, 2007. 63-80
Assignment: Examine the photo “The Six Realms,” a painting of the universe according to Buddhism [See Images in the Appendix after the schedule below] Prepare to discuss: What emotions do this image evoke?

Optional Reading Textbook: Powers, John. “Chapter Three, Meditation,” Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism Revised Edition. New York: Snow Lion Publications, 2007. 81-100

Write the weekly journal entry, in iCollege

Tuesday Jan 28

Continue to Review Reading Textbook: Powers, John. “Chapter Two, Some Important Buddhist Doctrines,” Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism Revised Edition. New York: Snow Lion Publications, 2007. 63-80

Thursday Jan 30

Lecture: Compassion and Soteriology in Buddhist Philosophy

Reading Textbook: Powers, John. “Chapter Four, Mahayana,” Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism Revised Edition. New York: Snow Lion Publications, 2007. 101-136

Assignment: Examine a photo of the Bodhisattva and the Hungry Tigress [see Image Appendix after the schedule below]

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Tuesday February 4

Lecture: How Many Vehicles To Get Free From Suffering? The Tantras

Reading Textbook: Powers, John. “Chapter Nine, Tantra,” Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism Revised Edition. New York: Snow Lion Publications, 2007. 249-324

Assignment:

Watch a video of the foundational tantric meditation, the VajraSattva practice with chanting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gGyDPNCdxA
Prepare to discuss: Prepare to discuss, what experience is this meditation practice meant to evoke?

Module Two: Karma and Reincarnation

Thursday February 6

Lecture: Karma and the Search for Redemption in Buddhist Philosophy

Reading PDF: Lopez, Donald S. Jr., Editor. “A Murderer Becomes A Monk,” Buddhist Scriptures. New York: Penguin Classics, 2004. 252-268

Assignment: Prepare to discuss in class, does everyone deserve forgiveness? Is redemption always possible? What would change about one’s approach to life if one believed everyone could have redemption?

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Tuesday Feb 11

Lecture: Karma Theory in its major points

Reading PDF Online: Wright, Dale S. “Critical questions towards a naturalized concept of karma in

Buddhism.” Journal of Buddhist Ethics 12 (2005): 78-93 Click to find it here

Assignment: Discuss karma as actions and consequences with your team, what kind of consequences are necessary to evolve? Is punishment necessary or useful? Is there a difference

Thursday Feb 13

Lecture: Tibetan Book of the Dead as a Way of Life

In class discuss excerpts from film: Tibetan Book of the Dead as a Way of Life (1994) narrated by Leonard Cohen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyPwBIOL7-8

Reading Online PDF: MacKenzie, Matthew. “Enacting selves, enacting worlds: on the Buddhist theory of karma.” Philosophy East and West (2013): 194-212 Click here to find it or search online

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Tuesday Feb 18

Lecture: What is Death (in the Tibetan context)

Reading PDF: Powers, John. “Chapter Ten: Death and Dying in Tibetan Buddhism,” Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism Revised Edition. New York: Snow Lion Publications, 2007. 325-354

Assignment: Prepare to discuss in class: What is death? And how would you explain death to a child for the first time? What terms would you use or avoid?

Assignment: Team presents reading synopsis

Thursday Feb 20

Lecture: Death & the Afterlife in Tibetan Buddhism

Reading Online: Hackett, Paul. “Chapter Sixteen Death and the Afterlife,” The Buddhist World. John Powers, editor. 282-294.

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Assignment: Team presents reading synopsis

Assignment: Prepare to discuss in class: do you believe in an afterlife? If so describe it in detail? Self-reflect – how do you know this? What were the ways that you learned it, who told it to you, how and when?

Module Three: Post Death and The Tibetan Book of the Dead

Tuesday Feb 25

Lecture: Introducing the Tibetan Book of the Dead

Reading Online: Lopez, Donald S. Jr. “Chapter Two, The Book,” Prisoners of Shangrila. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1998. 46-85.

Assignment: Team presents reading synopsis

Thursday Feb 27

Lecture: The Tibetan Book of the Dead in Tibet

Reading Textbook: Lopez, Donald S. “Chapter Three, Tibet,” The Tibetan Book of the Dead: A Biography, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2011. 49-70.

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Assignment: Team presents reading synopsis

Tuesday March 4

Lecture: Bardo Theory Part I – Liminality and Post Death

Reading Textbook: Cuevas, Bryan J. “Transitions, The Buddhist Intermediate State,” The Hidden History of the Tibetan Book of the Dead. Oxford University Press, 2005. 39-68

Assignment: Team presents reading synopsis

Thursday March 6 **Meets online
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6432481131?pwd=a2swZ2hVVi9QSmZwdUV4b1JudEVUQT09
Meeting ID: 643 248 1131 Passcode: t19aaK
Lecture: Guest Lecturer, Julia Hirsch, Stanford, “Light of Kailash Lecture#10: The Making of Whole-Body Relics in Tibetan Buddhism” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRQ6yJQ5Hyw

Assignment: With your team, meet and compose a funeral that incorporates all the worldviews of the members of your team in symbols, ritual, format, location, theme, and persons. Prepare a presentation. It will include multimedia elements such as photos, slides, music, poetry and other aesthetic elements. To emphasize collaboration, everyone in the group will receive the same grade.

Tuesday March 11

Lecture: Bardo Theory Part II – Liminality and Post Death

Vimilamitra, “Chapter 10: Bardo,” Buddhahood in This Life the Great Commentary by Vimilamitra.

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Assignment: Team presents reading synopsis

Thursday March 13 – Online Review for Final Exam
Midterm Exam Online – Asynchronous

March 18 – 20 Spring Break

Module Four: Reincarnate Lamas, Corpses, Mummies & Sky Burials in Tibetan Funerary Traditions

Tuesday March 25 Online Class
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6432481131?pwd=a2swZ2hVVi9QSmZwdUV4b1JudEVUQT09
Meeting ID: 643 248 1131 Passcode: t19aaK

Lecture: Tukdam the Movie excerpts part one
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6432481131?pwd=a2swZ2hVVi9QSmZwdUV4b1JudEVUQT09
Meeting ID: 643 248 1131 Passcode: t19aaK

Write the weekly journal entry, in iCollege

Thursday March 27 Online Class Death, Dying & Other Opportunities

Lecture: Tukdam the Movie excerpts part two
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6432481131?pwd=a2swZ2hVVi9QSmZwdUV4b1JudEVUQT09
Meeting ID: 643 248 1131 Passcode: t19aaK

Tuesday April 1 Online Class Death, Dying & Other Opportunities

Thursday April 3 Online Class
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6432481131?pwd=a2swZ2hVVi9QSmZwdUV4b1JudEVUQT09
Meeting ID: 643 248 1131 Passcode: t19aaK

Lecture: Guest Lecturer Dr. Rory Lindsay: Caring for the Dead in Tibetan Funerary Practices

Listen to ten minutes of the Podcast: Rory Lindsay, “Saving the Dead: Tibetan Funerary Rituals in the Tradition of the Sarvardurgatipariśodhana Tantra” (WSTB, 2024) New Books in Buddhist Studies Podcast. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rory-lindsay-saving-the-dead-tibetan-funerary-rituals/id458210899?i=1000661880162

Write the weekly journal entry, in iCollege

Tuesday April 8 Sky Burial

Lecture: Films Sky Burial, by Dr. Cape; Vultures of Tibet by Bush. 00-10:29

Reading Online: Chatzisavva, Varvara. “The Great Tibetan Funerary Tradition: Tibetan Deathscapes in the Past, Present, and the Future.” International Journal of Buddhist Thought and Culture 33, no. 2 (2023): 137-165.

Thursday April 10

Lecture: Delog, Women Returned from the Dead

Reading iCollege: Prude, M. Alyson. 2016. “Women Returning from Death: The Gendered Nature of the Delog Role.” Revue d’Etudes Tibétaines, 36: 69-92. source: http://himalaya.socanth.cam.ac.uk/collections/journals/ret/pdf/ ret_36_03.pdf https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/philosophy-facpubs/5

Write final changes journal: final synthesis on accepting change. In this class we will discuss the change journal. Review your journal from each week of the class and note, what changes? what stays the same? What would Buddhist philosophy say?

Module Five: Reincarnation in the “West”

Tuesday April 15

Assignment: Group Presentations

Lecture: Time travel in Tibet: the Tulku System

Assignment Watch a Film on Youtube: Mukpo, Gesar. “Tulku, Divine Birth, Ordinary Life.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qr_xQL5REy8

Assignment: What if you could come back and do it again knowing all you know now? What would you do differently?

Write the weekly journal entry, in iCollege

Thursday April 17

Assignment: Group Presentations

Lecture: Life Before Life Critical Reflections from Religious Studies & Science

Reading: Tucker, Jim B. Life Before life: A Scientific Investigation of Children’s Memories of Previous Lives. Macmillan, 2005. Xi-30

Assignment Watch Video on Youtube: “Is There Life After Death, Fifty Years of Research at Uva,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AtTM9hgCDw

Tuesday April 22 Group Presentations

Reading Online: Irwin, Lee. “Reincarnation in America: A brief historical overview.” Religions 8, no. 10 (2017): 222. https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/8/10/222

Thursday April 24 Last Day of Class – Final Exam – Asynchronous Online

Final Exam Review Online

Final share: Students will share insights from their projects and discuss how studying Buddhist approaches to death has influenced their understanding.

Criteria for Evaluation

Attendance 10%
Participation 15%
Final project 15%

Midterm quiz 25%

Weekly journal 5%

Team oral presentation 5%

Final exam 25 %

Supplementary Readings & Materials (Found by PDFs, Links, or iCollege)

Cuevas, Bryan J. The Hidden History of the Tibetan Book of the Dead. Oxford University Press, 2005. 3-70

Fremantle, Francesca. “Introduction,” The Tibetan Book of the Dead, Great Liberation through Hearing in the Bardo.” Boston: Shambhala, 1992. Xi-1

Hackett, Paul. “Chapter Sixteen Death and the Afterlife,” The Buddhist World. John Powers, editor. 282-294.

Hayes, Richard P. “Chapter Twenty Nine, The Buddha,” The Buddhist World, John Powers, Editor. New York: Routledge, Taylor and Francis, 2016. 487-495.

Lingpa, Karma. Tibetan Book of the Dead; Awakening Upon Dying. Elio Guarisco, Translator. 137-164 Lopez, Donald S. Jr. “Chapter Two, The Book,” Prisoners of Shangrila. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1998. 46-85.

MacKenzie, Matthew. “Enacting selves, enacting worlds: on the Buddhist theory of karma.” Philosophy East and West (2013): 194-212.

Tucker, Jim B. Life Before life: A Scientific Investigation of Children’s Memories of Previous Lives. Macmillan, 2005.

Vimilamitra, “Chapter 10: Bardo,” Buddhahood in This Life the Great Commentary by Vimilamitra. 254-284.

Please note* This syllabus may be adjusted to the student’s pace and therefore may be updated at any point throughout the semester. If the syllabus changes, an email will be sent and the updated version will be posted.

Assignments

Midterm and Final Exam. There will be a midterm focused on the classes up to that point and a final exam focused on the second half of the course. These exams will be multiple choice. They will focus on reading comprehension, featuring the main ideas and main arguments of the author, comprehension of videos and audios, as well as class lectures. They are open book and therefore they will be detailed in nature, with an emphasis in reading comprehension and understanding lectures.

Team Oral Presentation

Each team will be responsible for summarizing the assigned reading for that class. Summaries should involve every team member and be completed within ten minutes. The summary should include: the main points of the reading, key terms discussed in the reading, and addressing how this reading relates to other themes in the course or other readings in the course.

Final Project. The final paper will be completed in March. Students will meet with their team to create a funeral and identify the worldview behind each element of the funeral. This will be presented in a group oral presentation at the end of class. Students will receive a grading rubric to use as a guideline. This presentation should include multimedia elements such as photos, slides, music, poetry and other aesthetic elements. To emphasize collaboration, everyone in the group will receive the same grade. If you have concerns about your group, please speak with Dr. Cape ahead of time to make arrangements to switch.

Weekly Changes Journal

Students will be studying a worldview that is oriented around concepts of impermanence. To examine impermanence in a self-reflexive manner, students will write a short journal entry every week that documents changes that they notice. Weekly changes journal entries are given 1 point each only so that they are used only as a short self-reflective note, no longer than one to two sentences. There are no wrong answers. Any attempt at the journal will receive full credit. Journals will be discussed in class at the end of the semester. Students will document any changes they notice in one of the following areas:

Their body
Their relationships
Their environment
Their thoughts/feelings

Extra Credit: The following assignments may be used for up to eight extra credit points.

Students may visit a local funeral parlor and write a one paragraph description of the worldviews represented there, identify the context, history, and meaning of objects, rituals, and persons.
Students will write a one paragraph describing a contemporary Buddhist death ritual from any culture and include two annotated photos. Analyze the following:

 Key Buddhist concepts illustrated (impermanence, non-self, karma)

 Cultural context and significance

 How it compares to other religious/secular approaches to death

 Contemporary relevance or applications

How do I want to be remembered? Students will write a eulogy for themselves, up to two paragraphs. The eulogy includes what they would want to be said about them at their own funeral and by whom.
Write a one paragraph summary of this reading from your textbook:
1. Powers, John. “Chapter Five, Tibetan Religious History,” and “Chapter Six “The Twentieth Century,” Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism Revised Edition. New York: Snow Lion Publications, 2007. 137-143 and 169-218
Write a one paragraph summary of one of these readings. Include the main points of the reading:
1. Fremantle, Francesca. “Introduction,” The Tibetan Book of the Dead, Great Liberation through Hearing in the Bardo.” Boston: Shambhala, 1992. Xi-1
2. Tibetan Book of the Dead; Awakening Upon Dying. Elio Guarisco, Translator. 137-164
3. Woeser and Dechen Pemba. “Rinchen, the Sky-Burial Master.” Manoa24, no. 1 (2012): 92-104.
Attend the Annual Religious Studies Lecture and sign the attendance sheet. Details announced in class.

Other Elements of Evaluation

Multimedia discussions. Daily assignments may include review of books, articles, paintings, recordings, maps, videos and artifacts related to the readings. This media will be discussed at each class and this is students earn their participation grade. The discussion is meant to engage curiosity, powers of observation and to exercise interpretative skills. To prepare for these discussions, look in the schedule overview. Before class, read, review, and examine the readings, videos, or podcasts listed for that day.

Attendance. This is an interactive classroom, where students are expected to speak about the readings and discussion topics every day. Attendance will be taken at every class. Three absences will be automatically dropped from your grade – it is unnecessary to write to the professor to get permission for absences. If students have more than three absences and wish to earn additional points to make up for missed classes, then they may do extra credit assignments, see below.

Participation. This class is taught in a learning community. Students will work on a learning “team” throughout the entire semester for small group discussions and dyad work. Good team members answer the prompts sincerely and come to class prepared. Teams submit notes of their work in class in iCollege each day. To receive an “A” in participation also requires consistent positive contributions to class during large group discussions. 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.

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 not use technology in class, namely phones and computers. During lectures and group discussions, computers will be closed. Please be aware that if you use technology in class, 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 office: https://access.gsu.edu/

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

Photo Credit: Tricycle Magazine

Photo Credit: Enlightenment Thangka

The center of the six realms, zoomed in Photo Credit: Chronicles of Chogyam Trungpa

Photo Credit: https://psenuri5.wixsite.com/buddhism/the-six-realms

The Buddha’s past life as a Bodhisattva who feeds himself to a hungry Tigress

Photo credit: Khangsar.wordpress.com

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.