Syllabus Learning Agreement | Cascadia College

Syllabus Learning Agreement

Please see your course syllabi for faculty-specific course policies and procedures. This Syllabus Learning Agreement (SLA) outlines Cascadia’s services to you as a student, the resources we provide to support our students, and your own Rights and Responsibilities as a student at Cascadia College.

Updated for Fall 2026

Health, Safety & Continuity of Instruction

Emergency procedures are posted in each classroom. To reach campus security personnel, dial 425-352-5359. City of Bothell fire and police may be reached by dialing either 9-9-1-1 or 9-1-1 from any campus phone. Campus emergency phones are located on campus walkways and parking lots.

Find information about and sign up for alerts and notifications at Emergency Notifications Cascadia FlashAlert. The site includes instructions for subscribing to alerts.

In the event of inclement weather affecting morning classes, there will be notification on the local media by 5:30 AM. You may also call the main campus number: 425-352-8000 to hear a message that will be updated with the latest Cascadia closure information. Should the weather deteriorate during the day, you may check online, listen to the main campus message, check email or the media to hear news about closures or class schedule changes.

In the event of a prolonged outage of our Canvas/WAMAP Learning Management Systems, communication about your classes will come through your Cascadia Student email or through the Navigate text messaging system. The college will provide general messaging to students and post updates as needed on the College website.

If there is a prolonged server outage on campus, your instructors may default to Canvas, if available. Please see your individual class syllabi for more detailed, course-specific information.

Learning & Learning Resources for Students

Cascadia provides equal access to educational programs and opportunities for all students, including those with disabilities. The goal of Cascadia’s faculty is to create a learning experience that is inclusive in its design. If at any point in the quarter, you find yourself unable to access the content, space, or full experience of this course, please let your instructor know immediately.

If you are a student with a disability or think you may have a disability, you can also contact Student Accessibility Services (SAS). Even if you are unsure if accommodations are appropriate, SAS can provide you with more information about possible temporary assistance and connections to resources. SAS can be reached by phone at 425-352-8128 or by emailing accessibility@cascadia.edu. If you have existing accommodation approval, please request your accommodations by visiting the SAS website. SAS advises completing this process before or at the start of the quarter. You can also discuss your accommodations with your course instructor(s) in a private setting.

Students should schedule an appointment to meet with an advisor to consult about classes and degrees, and to create a tentative education plan. Visit the Academic Advising webpage for information on scheduling an appointment with an academic advisor or email advising@cascadia.edu with questions. At the time of the appointment, students are encouraged to indicate which degree they are pursuing. See the Cascadia website for information about Drop-In Advising hours.

Cascadia College offers online, hybrid, and web-enhanced (face-to-face) classes. Please see the FAQ for choosing courses to see the full explanation of course modality expectations for students. Some online classes are regularly scheduled in real time and others may require at least one campus visit.

Every course at Cascadia has one or more dedicated websites. The most common course website is the college Learning Management System, CANVAS; all mathematics courses use WAMAP. Access to course websites is through Internet browsers, and students will use personal user IDs and passwords to log in.

  • Students may not share their user IDs and passwords with anyone else or allow anyone else to participate in course sites on their behalf.
  • Students need reliable access to the Internet. Some devices, such as smartphones, cannot access all aspects of CANVAS and most other course websites. Cascadia does not recommend that students attempt to complete a course using only a smartphone. A limited number of laptops are available for student checkout and can be requested through the campus Helpdesk support portal.

Students who enroll in courses that make use of a course website are expected to check that site frequently. For help accessing learning management systems, email ELHelp@cascadia.edu.

You may be asked to use various forms of technology (including software, apps, browser extensions, plug-ins, or websites) to complete assignments in your courses. Not all technology is compatible with all devices. Review the specific technology needed for each course and visit the Information Services Helpdesk support portal for tech support or to check out a laptop if your own devices do not meet course needs. Additionally, Cascadia provides multiple places throughout campus where students can access computers.
To support student success, Cascadia offers a variety of support services through its John and Margaret Bock Learning Center (The Bock Center). The Bock Center provides tutoring in a range of subjects, space for students to work individually or in small groups, computer and printing resources, technology support, and graphing calculators available for checkout. Check hours and contact information for the Bock Center.
Cascadia provides additional online access to live tutors in a variety of subjects through the Western e-Tutoring Consortium. This service includes live, interactive sessions and asynchronous feedback through an Essay Center. Many subjects have convenient tutoring hours late into the evening and seven days a week, depending on tutor availability; schedules are available online. To learn more or get started, visit the Bock Learning Center’s etutoring webpage.

Personal Support & Resources

The primary function of the Cascadia Ombuds is to assist faculty and students with opening communication channels to facilitate conflict resolution through various tools, including non-judgmental listening, clarifying issues and policy, brainstorming next steps, providing resources, coaching, training, and referrals to Cascadia’s offices and services. If all parties agree, the Ombuds can also facilitate direct conversations through, for example, mediation and shuttle diplomacy.

The Ombuds differs from other campus services and offices in important ways – and crucially, does not supersede them. The Ombuds is not a decision-maker; an Ombuds will not conduct formal investigations and will not make findings of fact.  An Ombuds works collaboratively with various departments and officers at the campus, such as Human Resources, Title IX, Conduct, and the CARE Team. These offices have legally mandated procedures in place to address various grievances. The Ombuds operates distinctly, offering a safe space for problem solving and referring issues outside their scope of authority to the appropriate campus resources. The Ombuds, thus, supplements services offered by the College without replacing formal and informal processes available at the College.

Need help talking to a professor and not sure where to turn? Visit the Cascadia Ombuds. The ombuds is a resource to open communication channels with faculty. The Ombuds can help you understand policies, explore options, brainstorm next steps, connect with campus resources, and, with everyone’s consent, facilitate a conversation to resolve conflict. The Ombuds is one more tool in the student toolbox – it complements other Campus services and will connect you to the resources you need.

Need more information or to make an appointment? Contact:

If you have a personal problem or stress that is affecting you and would like to talk with mental health, please contact the CC/UWB Counseling Center. The Counseling Center provides students with free and confidential counseling sessions. Counseling covers a wide range of topics including stress management, anxiety, depression, family conflict, and any other issues causing distress or interfering with academic progress or their daily life.

For immediate or crisis support, please call or text 988. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides 24/7, free, confidential, judgment‑free support for anyone experiencing a mental health or substance‑use crisis. Students can call, text, or chat 988 at any time to connect with trained crisis counselors.

Students who are concerned about their own or another student’s well-being (including concerns about mental health, financial trouble, food & housing insecurity, victim of violence) should file a report with the CARE Team. The CARE Team is a collective of staff and faculty who work with students facing difficult situations to connect them with appropriate resources. After filing a report with the CARE Team, a member will reach out to gather information in a confidential manner to discuss with appropriate resources. The CARE Team is for non-emergency situations. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please call 911.
If you have recently lost a job, had your hours cut, faced emergency medical expenses, or faced any other financial hardship, you can access the Cascadia’s Emergency Grant Program. The grant is designed to keep students enrolled in their classes by supporting them with emergency financial costs. The grant can cover emergency expenses related to housing, groceries, utilities, transportation, childcare, course materials, and other expenses. Please complete a CARE Team report if you want to access this grant (only available to currently enrolled students).

Student Rights & Responsibilities

Cascadia is a student-centered college, operated to provide knowledge and skills for the achievement of learners’ academic, professional and personal goals. Inherent in the college’s mission are certain rights and freedoms needed for learning and personal development. Admission to Cascadia provides these rights to students, and also assumes that students accept the responsibility to conduct themselves in ways that do not interfere with the purposes of the college in providing education for all of its learners. For the complete Student Rights and Responsibilities, please see the Cascadia College chapters of the Washington Administrative Code.

Responsibilities

The College regards acts of academic dishonesty, including such activities as plagiarism, cheating and/or/violations of integrity in information technology, as very serious offenses. These offenses are prohibited by the Washington Administrative Code regarding student conduct. In the event that cheating, plagiarism, or other forms of academic dishonesty are discovered, each incident will be handled as deemed appropriate. Care will be taken that students’ rights are not violated and that disciplinary procedures are instituted only in cases where documentation or other evidence of the offense(s) exists. A description of all such incidents may be forwarded to the Student Conduct Officer, where a file of such occurrences is maintained. The Student Conduct Officer may institute action against a student according to the college’s disciplinary policies and procedures.

For details, view the Student Code of Conduct, then view the Cascadia section of the Washington Administrative Code.

Many people are using AI tools like Co-Pilot, ChatGPT, and Claude AI in their daily lives. These applications can also be useful as learning tools and in completing coursework. However, using AI without the permission of your instructor may violate the student code of conduct and academic honesty policies.

n some classes, your instructor will guide you through the appropriate and effective use of these AI tools, while others may designate which parts of an assignment can allow AI. The goal of your instructors is to provide you with the appropriate skills and knowledge necessary for success in their class and the field. This will often mean learning without outside assistance - like AI tools - first.

To avoid problems, students should do the following at the beginning of each quarter:

  • Read each course syllabus carefully so you understand your instructor’s expectations about AI usage.
  • Ask your instructor for clarification if you’re unsure whether using a specific resource or technology is allowed before using it on assignments or exams.
Students who will be absent from course activities due to reasons of faith or conscience may seek reasonable accommodations so that grades are not impacted. Such requests must be made within the first two weeks of the quarter, in writing, to the faculty member and must include specific dates for which the student requests accommodations. Please see the Student Handbook on the Cascadia website for more information.
In general, the same ethical conduct that applies to the use of all college resources and facilities applies to the use of Cascadia’s systems and technology. These systems may only be used for authorized purposes, using only legal versions of copyrighted software, and with consideration and respect for the conservations of resources and the rights of other users. For additional information, see College Policies or go to the Bock Learning Center for assistance with any questions.
Students may not record classroom lectures without instructor consent. If instructor permission is given, recordings may be used for the student’s individual educational purposes only and must be deleted upon completion of the course. Class recordings cannot be posted online, shared with others, or distributed without explicit permission from the instructor. Students who violate this policy may be subject to discipline.

Students who have a concern about a course should first try to resolve any issue directly with the faculty member. If they are unable to resolve a concern directly, they have the right to bring their concern to the Office of Student Learning (email at StudentLearning@cascadia.edu), and have the option of meeting with the dean to discuss their concern.

Additionally, all students are encouraged to complete a Course Instructor Evaluation (CIE) at the end of the term to provide feedback on the class for the both the instructor and the college. CIE’s are available through Canvas, they are anonymous and take less than 10 minutes to complete.

Students enrolled in science labs are required to complete and submit lab safety forms to their instructors before they are allowed to participate in course labs. Students who are under 18 may be asked to complete and submit high-risk acknowledgments for some course labs. All students under 18 must have parent/guardian signatures on their safety and high-risk lab forms.

Rights

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs or activities that receive Federal financial assistance. In compliance with Title IX, Cascadia is committed to providing an educational environment free from sexual harassment, including acts of sexual violence or sexual assault. The College is equally committed to ensuring that those who raise complaints or participate in the investigation and resolution of complaints are free from retaliation. To raise a complaint or voice a concern with Cascadia's compliance with Title IX, go to Title IX reporting.

Cascadia College complies with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 concerning the information that becomes a part of a student’s permanent educational record and governing the condition of its disclosure. Under FERPA, students are protected against improper disclosure of their records. See the Federal and State Regulations for details.

Even if a release of information form is on file, only registered students, SAS-approved individuals, and faculty-invited guests can attend class. Release of information forms do not authorize anyone else to act as a proxy for a student by attending classes, joining office hours, or submitting information on behalf of a student, whether online or in-person.

Students who need to record lectures to gain equal access to the classroom can request this from Cascadia’s Student Accessibility Services office.

Director of Student Accessibility Services, Bryan Fauth
18345 Campus Way NE
Bothell, WA, 98011
bfauth@cascadia.edu
425-352-8261

 

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