Proper Netiquette

Distance conveys a degree of anonymity, and as a result, many people feel less inhibited in online situations than in their everyday lives. This lessening of inhibitions sometimes leads people to drop their normal standards of decorum when communicating online. Become familiar with the following guidelines regarding both online discussions and email messages.

• Use appropriate language. Excessive use of “chat” or “instant messaging” jargon is not acceptable for online course discussions.
• Read existing follow-up postings and don’t repeat what has already been said.
• Inappropriate and/or offensive language, especially comments that might be construed as racist or sexist, are not appropriate and will be dealt with on an individual basis.
• Be careful with humor and sarcasm. One person’s humorous comment can be another person’s boorish or degrading remark.
• Do not use all caps in an online environment. Using all caps is considered SHOUTING.
• Use proper spelling, capitalization, grammar, usage, and punctuation. Utilize the Spell Check feature.
• Remember that there are other human beings reading your postings, so treat everyone with respect. Don’t post anything you wouldn’t be willing to communicate face to face.
• Be sure to include relevant information in the Subject line of emails.

When using video or video conferencing tools for any purpose for Southeastern Oklahoma State University, including live/virtual class sessions, student behavior and dress should mimic that of a traditional classroom or professional setting. This includes individual meetings with an instructor in which a student’s behavior and dress should mimic that of an office setting. As a student at this university, you are expected to maintain high degrees of professionalism, commitment to active learning, and participation in class and also integrity in your behavior in and out of the classroom. Your instructor is required to manage a positive learning environment and thus will not tolerate inappropriate conduct in his or her course. All students are expected to maintain a professional demeanor and respect the presence and opinions of fellow students, and any guest participants. During video conferencing or while using video tools, please be mindful of your location and the people and objects that appear in the background. Please be aware that events and objects in your background may serve as a distraction to other learners and the instructor.  The instructor has the right to ask you to adjust your camera or to disconnect you from the meeting if they perceive a distraction. If an instructor views or hears anything indecent during a video conference or within video content that violates the University Code of Conduct, they are required to report the incident to the Vice-President for Student Affairs. All Southeastern students are bound by the University of Code of Conduct.