Guidelines for Faculty on Academic Integrity
- Introduction
Extent of the problem
Factors likely to bring about a decrease in levels of cheating
- Heightening awareness of academic integrity and educating
students about expectations and standards regarding academic integrity in
the context of your course
Suggestions (to be adapted as appropriate to your course
or discipline)
- Informing students about resources available for dealing
with academic difficulty
Resources
- Guidelines for preventing/minimizing cheating
Examinations
Papers and other projects
- Guidelines for confronting cheating in progress
- What to do after the fact if you suspect cheating
Consult
Address
Decide what to do next
- Reporting a case of academic dishonesty to the Office of
Student Conduct ("OSC")
- Disciplinary process Procedures are in PennBook and on
OSC's web site
Important aspects of disciplinary procedures
FINAL NOTE REGARDING GRADING
- Introduction
- Extent of the problem
- both extensive national surveys and internal, less formal research
at Penn show high percentages of self-reported academic dishonesty
- Factors likely to bring about a decrease in levels
of cheating
- perception that institution/faculty take it [integrity] seriously
- likelihood of detection
- perception that serious negative consequences (i.e. probability
of serious sanctions) will be imposed if detected
- Heightening awareness of academic integrity and educating
students about expectations and standards regarding academic integrity in
the context of your course
- Suggestions (to be adapted as appropriate to your
course or discipline)
- refer to the Code
of Academic Integrity in your syllabus and in the classroom;
particularly during introductory classes, or just before examinations
or papers are due. (Sample statements on
syllabi may be found here).
- emphasize requirements and standards of conduct with respect to
completion of research, homework assignments, and examinations--be
specific
- provide specific examples of ways that students might handle assignments
etc. for the particular course that would be violations of the Code
of Academic Integrity (negative examples)
- clarify the permissibility of the use of old examination questions,
old examination answers, lab reports, case studies, etc. prepared
in previous years
- clarify expectations with respect to permissible collaboration--both
for group work and individual work; repeat expectations as assignments
come due
- specify whether papers must be entirely new work or whether duplications
and alterations of students' previous work are acceptable
- educate students about plagiarism where appropriate [see resource
section for help with this]
- explain to students that violations of the Code of Academic Integrity
will be confronted if detected and referred to the OSC where appropriate
- particularize the importance and relevance of integrity and ethics
to your discipline, wherever possible
- Informing students about resources available for
dealing with academic difficulty
- Resources
- Guidelines for preventing/minimizing cheating
- Examinations
Suggestions:
- explicit instruction regarding what materials, aids, etc. can
be used (e.g. programmable calculators; electronic organizers; cellular
phones)
- reasonable seating arrangements/rooms of appropriate size
- multiple versions of same examination/alternating distribution
- avoid excessive re-use of old examinations
- refuse credit on correct answers unless all work is shown
- choose and train proctors carefully; have adequate number of proctors
- "ringers" will take examinations (or entire course) for an enrolled,
but absent, student. To prevent this get to know your students (note
availability of computerized photos for all Penn students) and require
ID's for examinations
- consider having students sign bluebooks attesting to compliance
with academic integrity rules
- photocopy graded examinations before returning them to students.
Alternatively photocopy a random sample of graded examinations and
tell students you will be doing so
- develop a required statement for students to sign attesting that
they have not altered examinations submitted for regrades. (Ask
OSC for model statements).
- set up a process to handle late requests to take an examination
at an alternate time so that you are not taken unaware by these
requests. For example, decide how to handle illness on the morning
of the examination or how to handle the claim that extracurricular
activities interfered with time to study, leading to a late request
to take an examination at another time.
- Papers and other projects
Suggestions:
- change paper topics; use narrow, specific topics
- photocopy good papers and keep a file of them (let colleagues
know you have them)
- clarify expectations for assignments regarding citation of sources,
collaboration permitted, etc.
- explain plagiarism - use examples
- ask for/review drafts, outlines, and research notes
- explain requirements regarding collaboration on group projects,
identify a process to be initiated early if discord develops within
a group
- familiarize yourself with Internet "term paper mills"; know how
to search them
- familiarize yourself with web sites and computerized software
designed to aid in the detection of plagiarism.
- Guidelines for confronting cheating in progress
Suggestions:
- immediately and quietly remove or confiscate notes a student is using
(it is important that the notes be saved as potential evidence)
- ask that students move apart, change seats, etc.
- reiterate your examination-taking expectations/rules
- permit a student to complete an examination, even if you suspect cheating.
Interrupt the impermissible conduct, identify the student(s) involved,
set the completed examinations aside, record names, keep a seating chart
in order to contact witnesses at a later time, if necessary.
- What to do after the fact if you suspect cheating
- Consult
- with appropriate colleagues, senior faculty, department chairs,
etc.
- with Michele Goldfarb, Director of the Office of Student Conduct,
for preliminary advice (this can be confidential and involves no
commitment to submit a formal disciplinary case) 898-5651
- with policies and procedures manual, i.e. the
"Pennbook".
- Address
- inform the student promptly and in private
- always keep the original of suspected work of academic dishonesty
(you can return copy to student)
- meet with the student and let him/her know your specific concerns;
ask an open-ended question of student, e.g. what do you have to
say about it?
- if appropriate, try to determine how justified your concerns are
by:
- checking student's familiarity with vocabulary or concepts
used
- asking about sources
- requesting to see sources/research notes, etc.
- Decide what to do next
- do nothing if you have become convinced that there has been no
academic dishonesty
- consider whether this is poor academic work or academic dishonesty
- consider academic support resources for a student who is struggling
to do it right but needs help
- know and follow University procedures
- even if you are convinced a student has cheated or lied, treat
him/her respectfully, professionally, and candidly
- tell him/her what you intend to do (e.g. refer matter to the Office
of Student Conduct; require rewriting, extra work, etc.)
- Reporting a case of academic dishonesty to the Office
of Student Conduct ("OSC")
- can always call (898-5651) to consult first
- refer in written and timely way to Michele Goldfarb at the OSC
- no special format required; include a narrative of events and provide
the suspect materials, if applicable
- save and be able to provide originals of all suspicious work
- permit the student to complete the required coursework remaining;
until the matter is concluded at the OSC, submit an "incomplete" for
a grade
- Disciplinary process Procedures are in PennBook
and on OSC's web site
- Important aspects of disciplinary procedures include:
- notice to student from OSC
- thorough, impartial investigation by OSC
- consultation with faculty by OSC staff
- student provided with advisor
- confidential outcome (shared with faculty and Dean)
- result is most often an agreement reached between student and
the University
- sanction can often include suspension
- if responsible, a disciplinary record is created which can, under
certain circumstances, be shared with outside agencies (e.g. dean's
letters to medical and law schools, etc.)
- occasionally a disciplinary hearing is required at which student,
faculty and T.A.'s required to appear as witnesses
- FINAL NOTE REGARDING GRADING
- the disciplinary charter states that if a student is found responsible
for an academic integrity violation, faculty may assign any grade
for the course deemed appropriate. If a student is found not responsible
for the misconduct, faculty should assign a grade based on the student's
academic performance in the course.
