The following resources are available to assist instructors, advisors and TAs in matters of academic integrity.
All students are expected to adhere to high standards of academic integrity. In this class especially, that means that all work presented as original must, in fact, be original, and the ideas and contributions of others must always be appropriately acknowledged. Quotations must, of course, be acknowledged, but so must summaries, paraphrases, and the ideas of others. Please see the university policies website for the university’s policy on academic integrity. If you have any doubts or questions about documentation requirements, please ask me. Since this course is offered through the College of Arts & Sciences, any violations of academic integrity policy will be referred to the College’s Academic Integrity Officer.
Upon arrival at Washington University you signed a statement indicating that you have read and that you understand and that you will abide by the policies of the College of Arts and Sciences regarding academic integrity. You will be expected to honor that commitment. Academic honesty is at the very core of a university’s mission of research, teaching, and learning. We cannot grow and develop as scholars and citizens of this community without honoring these promises that we make to one another. Remember: In many cases, academic integrity violations are the result of getting behind in coursework and making bad decisions under pressure. Keep up with your assignments, ask questions when you are unsure what is expected of you, and do not give in to the temptation to cut corners. Many today would agree that ready availability of prose on the internet presents greater temptation than in years past to cheat; many would also acknowledge that plagiarism is easier to detect in the computer age. The best way to guard against such a situation is to get an early start: don’t neglect your coursework, don’t procrastinate.
One further note: sanctions from the Academic Integrity Committee or the University Judicial Board range from warning, failure of an assignment, or failure of a course, to probation, suspension, or expulsion, depending on the severity of the offense. You should also be aware that graduate and professional schools routinely ask the Dean’s Office to report serious violations of academic integrity to their admissions committees. Professional organizations such as the various state Bar Associations also request this information, as do some employers. The university answers all such inquiries fully and with exactitude. Hasty decisions at 4 a.m. the day before an assignment is due can have a longer train of consequences than you imagine.
1) Geist, N.K. (Spring 1993). “Confronting Cases of Academic Dishonesty: Where policy and Practice Meet.” Synthesis: Law and Policy in Higher Education.
2) Kibler, W.L., Nuss, E.M., Paterson, B.G., & Pavela, G. (1998). Academic Integrity and Student Development: Legal Issues, Policy Perspectives. Asheville, NC.: College Administration Publications.
Type of Dishonesty |
Preventive Measures |
How to Detect |
All Types of Cheating |
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Test Preparation |
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Obtaining a copy of the test |
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Test-Taking |
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Copying or Passing Answers |
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Crib sheets or other means of having answers in the classroom |
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“Ringer” taking the test for another student |
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“Stooge” who sits in on the exam and leaves |
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Following the Test |
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Turning in a lifted exam as test taken in class |
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Changing grades on exams |
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Changing answers on exams |
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Take-Home Tests |
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Take-home test done by “expert” |
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Homework/Reports |
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Copy solutions from instructor’s manual |
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Copy solutions from fellow students |
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Copy from old sets from previous semesters |
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Get report done by “expert” |
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Writing Assignments |
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Plagiarism, using a previous paper for a current class, and hiring a writer |
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Letter from Sean McWilliams, Acdemic Integrity Officer of the College of Arts & Sciences
If you believe that a student has cheated on an exam, plagiarized all or a portion of a paper, collaborated inappropriately on an assignment, changed exam answers and asked for a regrade, or otherwise behaved in a dishonest manner, we ask that you bring the matter to our attention in the Dean’s Office. We have a Committee on Academic Integrity, made up of two members of the faculty and two undergraduate students, which convenes to consider charges of academic dishonesty made against students. Placing cases before the Committee removes you from the role of sole decision-maker, ensures some measure of fairness and consistency across departmental lines, and allows us to document incidents of dishonesty in a central location so that repeat offenders can be identified.
The Committee conducts hearings within 30 days of receiving the formal charge from the faculty member. Penalties for academic dishonesty are usually a reprimand; the Committee may also recommend to the faculty member that the student fail the assignment in question or fail the course. Especially serious cases or repeat offenders are referred to a university-wide Judicial Board that has the power to suspend or expel undergraduates from the university.
If your case arises at the end of the semester, please leave the student’s grade blank in E-grades.
To proceed before the Committee on Academic Integrity, I will need from you:
- A summary (in letter or memo form) of why you believe the student has behaved dishonestly
- Evidence for your belief: e.g. the source(s) from which material was plagiarized, names of eyewitnesses to exam cheating, other students’ papers which are too similar, copies of original vs. re-submitted exam papers, etc. (ArtSci Computing and the Teaching Center/ Blackboard Service can provide technical help with finding plagiarized sources from the internet or elsewhere.)
- A copy of the assignment, if it is not on the syllabus
- A copy of the course syllabus, which includes any instruction you provide about academic integrity and the consequences of dishonest behavior
All of this material will be given to the accused student(s) to aid in preparation for the hearing, and it will be circulated to the Committee before the hearing, along with any written statement the student wishes to furnish.
The hearing will be conducted in the following manner:
- The instructor will be asked to summarize the complaint.
- The committee may pose questions to the instructor.
- The student will be asked to give his/her side of the story.
- The committee may pose questions to the student.
- Follow-up questions may be posed to either the instructor or the student by the Committee.
- The instructor and student are free to leave; the Committee stays and decides whether the student behaved in a manner that breaches the standards of academic integrity, and – if so – decides what sanctions should be imposed.
- The result is communicated to the Dean of the College, who writes the formal letter to the student. Once you receive a copy of the letter, then you may enter the appropriate grade.
- A student who admits to all charges may waive his/her right to a hearing and request an expedited sanction from the Academic Integrity Officer for the College.
Sean McWilliams
Assistant Dean & Academic Integrity Officer for the College
314-935-7353[/accordion-content]
Key points to consider in a discussion of academic integrity with advisees
Set a positive tone
- We expect that our students behave honestly and honorably in everything they do.
- In a university setting, nothing is more important than academic honesty—here, you could talk about researchers’ needing to trust the reliability and completeness of published findings, the importance of attributing properly the ideas and statements of others, etc. You might draw an example from your own discipline.
What are the most frequent reasons students resort to cheating?
- Competition for grades—you could address the importance of learning as opposed to just earning grades; and point out the unfairness to other students that results from gaining a higher score through unethical means.
- Stress/poor self management—this is an occasion to reinforce other messages about managing time well, keeping up, and utilizing all the support services that are available, e.g. TA and faculty office hours, help sessions, tutors, etc.
- Confusion about expectations and rules—remind students that if they are not certain of a professor’s expectations concerning collaboration on assignments, use of outside sources and attribution of source material, etc., it is the student’s responsibility to ASK.
How we handle accusations of cheating in the College of Arts and Sciences at Washington University:
- Each case is treated individually. For classes in the College of Arts & Sciences, accusations are heard by a Committee that is 50% students, 50% faculty. The student has an opportunity to tell what happened, as does the faculty member. The Committee asks questions until the members believe they understand all aspects of the situation, including extenuating circumstances, and then decides whether to impose a penalty.
- Penalties might be a reprimand, probation, or referral to the University-wide Judicial Board, which has the power to suspend or expel undergraduates. A grade penalty for the assignment or course is usually recommended to the instructor as well.
- Graduate schools (especially medical and law schools) will ask applicants about academic integrity violations during the undergraduate years. While such violations will not automatically disqualify an applicant, it is certainly much better for a student to be able to report truthfully that there are no violations in his/her record.
TAs are encouraged to discuss academic integrity with their students throughout the semester, especially as workload increases or major projects are assigned.
For more on this subject please see the Teaching Assistant Handbook (PDF).
Class Environment
Above all, it is important to maintain an atmosphere of high expectations for both the quality and the integrity of work provided by students.
For questions, contact the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards or call 314-935-7296.