Faculty Resources for Academic Integrity
How to Encourage Academic Integrity
- Affirm integrity as a central value in academic work. Be aware of and support University policies and practices regarding academic integrity.
- Communicate expectations for academic integrity. Include SVSU's academic integrity policy as well as clear course expectations in your syllabus; include a clear definition of plagiarism and a statement of repercussions. Discuss these with students to be sure they understand the reasons as well as the strategies for preventing plagiarism. Explain why integrity matters and how citations show respect for scholarly work.
- Plan your course calendar and sequence the assignments to allow adequate time for students to complete learning tasks successfully.
- Create tests and assignments that are explicitly linked to specific course learning goals and difficult to complete in dishonest ways. (Example assignment: create a historical persona and, writing from that moment in history, recount events in the language of the person [in the form, say, of a diary or personal journal]. Add links to the [electronic] text that open "explanatory" footnotes in which you say more, in an academic voice, with references, about particular things the invented person is recounting. Include at least one piece of information from the text or class discussion.)
- Become involved in students' writing processes. "Prevention is a critical line of defense against academic dishonesty" (ASJA Law and Policy Report, Gary Pevala). Of particular value are seven tips for designing writing assignments that may prevent plagiarism; these specific practices make it unlikely that students will be able to download papers that meet these requirements:
- Create unique assignments (e.g., require both primary and secondary sources; specify specific journals or dates for articles; require an abstract, which is hard to construct if a student didn't write the paper; if appropriate, require a relevant image or table)
- Require paper topics to be approved
- Review working bibliographies/outlines/sections of the paper, to be approved before the paper is submitted
- Require drafts and source materials to be submitted with the paper
- Require written peer review
- Add a reflection piece to the paper, in which students reflect on the most useful sources, or the questions left unanswered by research, or the ways their papers evolved from first to final draft
- Collect a piece of student writing at the beginning of the semester as a “benchmark.” (This could take many forms: a response to course objectives, a reflection on a core question in the course, a short exploration of a relevant case or situation to set the stage for future learning. This also provides an immediate alert about issues of disability, English language proficiency, and lack of previous preparation that can be addressed in subsequent assignment design.)
- Establish mutual trust with students and get to know them. Use the "benchmark" writing pieces to identify issues a student may struggle with and direct the student to University resources available to assist him or her (e.g., the Office of Disability Services, the English Language Program, the Writing Center).
- Be aware that some international students may come from cultures that do not place the same emphasis on intellectual property as Americans do. Be explicit about how and why intellectual property is important in American universities and workplaces.
- Use University Resources available to assist faculty (e.g., Turnitin.com, the Writing Center).
- Focus on developing the writer, rather than on teaching formats and documentation styles
(see "Citation Obsession? Get Over It!" in a recent article in The Chronicle). - Report violations of the Code of Student Conduct to the Student Conduct Officer. "Faculty members who ignore or trivialize academic dishonesty send the message that the core values of academic life aren't worth enforcing" (ASJA Law and Policy Report, Gary Pavela). Keep documentation for any reported instances of plagiarism.
Addressing Suspected AI Violations of Academic Integrity
Review the AI Faculty FAQ page linked below for more information.
Contacting Students About Academic Integrity Policy Violations
Dear Student,
As I was reviewing (insert assignment/test) for (insert class section), I was concerned about (insert behavior). As such, I would like to schedule a meeting with you so we can discuss my concerns.
Please send me your availability so I can schedule the meeting. I am also available during my office hours (list office hours).
Prior to our meeting, I would encourage you to review the class syllabus and the SVSU Academic Integrity Policy.
Dear Student,
On (date/time of meeting), we met and discussed the concern I had with (insert assignment/test) that you completed for (insert class section). As a result of our conversation, I have decided to refer the matter to the Office of Student Conduct Programs as an “informal” report. Please review the SVSU Academic Integrity Policy for information about an “informal” report.
Regarding your grade for (insert assignment/test), I have decided to (insert your decision. Options may include redoing the assignment, redoing the assignment for a partial grade, “0” for the assignment, or “F” for the class).
Please let me know if you have any academic questions about the class. If you have questions about the SVSU Academic Integrity Policy, please contact the Office of Student Conduct Programs at 989-964-2220 or by email at jmfinney@svsu.edu.
Dear Student,
On (date/time of meeting), we met and discussed the concern I had with (insert assignment/test) that you completed for (insert class section). As a result of our conversation, I have decided to refer the matter to the Office of Student Conduct Programs as a “formal” report. Please review the SVSU Academic Integrity Policy for information about a “formal” report.
Please note that I will not be grading this assignment until I’ve received a resolution from the Office of Student Conduct Programs.
Please let me know if you have any academic questions about the class. The Office of Student Conduct Programs will follow up with you regarding next steps.