Academic Dishonesty and Integrity
For all Academic Dishonesty and Integrity issues, please contact the Office of the Provost.
Academic Dishonesty refers to forms of cheating and plagiarism (see Plagiarism Workshop) which results in students giving or receiving unauthorized assistance in an academic exercise or receiving credit for work which is not their own (Pavela, 1978).
Forms of Academic Dishonesty
- Cheating intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any academic exercise. The term academic exercise includes all forms of work submitted for credit or hours.
- Plagiarism the deliberate adoption or reproduction of ideas, words or statements of another person as one's own without acknowledgement.
- Fabrication intentional and unauthorized falsification or invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise.
- Facilitating academic dishonesty intentionally or knowingly helping or attempting to help another to violate a provision of the institutional code of academic integrity.
Proactive strategies to protect yourself from charges of academic dishonesty:
- Prepare thoroughly for examinations and assignments.
- Take the initiative to prevent other students from copying your exam or assignments, e.g., shield your answer sheet during examinations, do not lend assignments to be turned in to other students.
- Check your faculty member's course syllabus for a section dealing with academic dishonesty for that course. There may be special requirements. If you cannot find a written section in the syllabus, ask the faculty member what his/her expectations are.
- Consult the Code of Student Conduct for a detailed definition of academic dishonesty.
- Do not look in the direction of other students' papers during examinations.
- Utilize a recognized handbook for instruction on citing source materials in papers.
- Consult with individual faculty or academic departments when in doubt.
- Utilize the services of the University Writing Center, located in room 105 of the Auditorium Building, for assistance in preparing papers.
- Discourage dishonesty among other students.
- Refuse to assist students who cheat.
Proactive strategies for faculty to encourage academic integrity among students:
- Include a statement in the course syllabus regarding academic honesty as it relates to that particular class. As an example, the following might introduce such a statement: "You are encouraged to become familiar with the University's Policy of Academic dishonesty found in the Student Handbook. The content of the Handbook applies to this course. Additionally, the following specific requirements will be expected in this class: (enter specific requirements). If you are in doubt regarding the requirements, please consult with me before you complete any requirements of the course."
- Discuss the issue of cheating, academic misconduct, fabrication and plagiarism at the beginning of each semester and before examinations.
- In assigning term papers, discuss the issue of plagiarism, make certain that students understand referencing requirements, the specific extent of collaboration on class/team projects, assign specific topics and set a time limit.
- Give essay tests, instead of multiple choice tests, when appropriate and where class size permits.
- When using proctors, more than one should be present for over forty students. Instruct proctors about their responsibilities during exams.
- Require positive identification from students (University student identification card, driver's license) when students enter the classroom to take an examination or when they turn in their answer sheets if the students are not familiar to you. This is particularly important in large size classes.
- Have each student sigh his/her answer sheet. Signatures can be compared if a question arises over who actually took the examination.
- Keep examinations in a secure location, e.g., locked desks, locked files, etc. faculty offices may not be secure locations for examinations.
- All waste copies for an examination should be destroyed.
- Number exams and count the number distributed and returned.
- Alternate forms of the same examination, particularly with short answer examinations, should be administered during the test period. Color coding of the alternate forms will emphasize the difference.
- When bluebooks are used for examinations, faculty should collect the bluebooks from students and redistribute them before the examination begins.
- The question of whether or not students may have materials in their possession, e.g., books, notes, scrap paper, calculators, programmable portable computers, should be specified before the examination by the faculty member. Scrap papers should be turned in with the examination so that information related to the examination may not be taken from the classroom. Faculty members may wish to supply the scrap paper as part of the examination packet.
- Design a pre-arranged seating plan or sign-in sheet by seat number so that the location of each student can be determined.
- Students should be seated so that at least one seat exists between students during an examination, if possible.
- If possible, in departmental examinations, seat discussion or lab sections together. The teaching assistant or lab instructor for each section should be able to recognize a student who may be substituting for another student in a section.
- Files of past examinations are maintained by organizations, and are readily available to students. Faculty members are encouraged to prepare new examinations each semester and to consider making copies of the past examinations available to all students.
- Do not use student worker to type or duplicate examinations.
- Verify faculty signatures on change of grade forms.
Using the following resources for additional information: