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Putting Policy Into Practice: An Academic Honesty Policy Tip Sheet

Written by

Jeremy Van Hof

/ Published on

AUTHORS:

This post was written by Dr. Melissa McDaniels (of the MSU Graduate School), Dr. Patricia Stewart (of the MSU Academic Advancement Network), and Madeline Shellgren (of the MSU Graduate School).

 

 

The student and faculty share the responsibility for maintaining the integrity of scholarship, grades, and professional standards.

Policy Link (s):  

http://splife.studentlife.msu.edu/student-rights-and-responsibilities-at-michigan-state-university/article-2-academic-rights-and-responsibilities

MSU Office(s):

Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education – http://undergrad.msu.edu/academic-integrity

Office of the University Ombudsperson: https://ombud.msu.edu

TIPS FOR FACULTY, ACADEMIC STAFF AND GRADUATE TAs

LEAD – respond, model and engage in ongoing learning  

  • Clearly outline the policy, as well as acceptable and unacceptable practices for work in your course
    • Ensure that your syllabus reflects the expectations around academic integrity. Refer to the Spartan Code of Honor, Integrity of Scholarship and Grades and the Student Rights and Responsibilities document.
    • Discuss the expectations both at the beginning of the course, as well as at key moments throughout the course. Continuous reminders about how students can succeed in the course by following clear instructions and guidelines will let them know that you not only take academic honesty seriously but believe that they are capable of achieving the goals of the course.
    • Provide guidance and resources on study habits and tips that help students meet the goals of the course.
    • Share the consequences of violation(s) of the institutional policy with students.
    • Some colleges/departments require students to agree to/sign a document of understanding about academic integrity. Find out if your unit has such documents or procedures before you encounter an issue.
  • Model expected behavior
    • Provide examples of proper citation and attribution in your course materials.
    • Emphasize the importance of learning over grades and ensure that assessment properly measures student learning whenever possible.
  • Respond to issues as soon as you become aware of them
    • Address all infractions of academic integrity directly with the student(s) involved. For assistance with how to have these conversations, the MSU Ombudsperson’s Office is available for confidential consultation.
    • Document the incident(s) and conversations that result from the incident(s).
    • Follow university policies and procedures for addressing all infractions of academic integrity.
  • Learn by reaching out to the resources available that promote student learning and success.
    • Familiarize yourself with the Code of Teaching Responsibility, Student Rights and Responsibilities, and the Spartan Code of Honor.
    • Take advantage of opportunities to engage with other educators around student learning and success.

EMPOWER – Help students make their own choices and develop confidence and competence by creating conditions for inclusive teaching and learning

  • Promote a learning-centered environment – by emphasizing learning and growth over grades, you can reduce the motivation to cheat or take shortcuts. Some ways you can do this include:
    • Provide assignments that allow students to demonstrate and apply their learning in authentic ways.
    • Make explicit connections between the course and learning objectives and the curriculum and future career prospects whenever possible.
    • Give timely feedback on how students are progressing in the course with specific suggestions on how they can improve on the areas they may be struggling in.
    • Offer appropriate resources that students can access to strengthen their own learning.

ADVOCATE – Refer students to campus and community resources and follow through and check-in with students.

  • Respond from the perspective that students are motivated to learn.
    • Do not take infractions as a personal insult.
    • Listen to the student’s position carefully and without judgment.
    • Address misperceptions directly.
    • Offer reasonable options for the student to correct the issue, if possible.
    • Provide appropriate resources and refer to support offices.  

DESIGN – Use learner-centered approach to make decisions about your curriculum, how you engage students, and how you assess learning and get student feedback.

  • Establish a rapport with students.
    • Clearly articulate their responsibility to do their best to learn and your responsibility as the educator to guide them.
    • Encourage open (one on one) discussion about challenges the students may be facing in their learning and provide reasonable opportunities to support them in working toward progress.
  • Establish expectations, communicate the process for achievement and the penalties for academic dishonesty.
  • Create a classroom experience that aligns with the goals and objectives of the course and program (if relevant).
  • Develop evaluations that assess student understanding and application of knowledge.
  • Remember, a violation of stated classroom policy does not necessarily equate to a violation of the Integrity of Scholarship and Grades policy.
  • Outlining expectations for collaboration is helpful.  Students are not always certain what is acceptable from course to course.

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