Academic Integrity: Information for Faculty

How do I promote academic integrity in my classes?

Below are some of the non-tech best practices to promote academic integrity:

• Discuss both academic dishonesty and standards of integrity at the beginning of the course and throughout the semester
• Teach academic integrity like you teach anything else in course
• Create an Integrity Agreement for the entire course and/or add a student Affirmation of Integrity to each assignment, quiz, exam, or project
• Require an academic honesty module early in semester

There are online tutorials through Indiana University Bloomington and the University of Maryland. A Saint Joseph's tutorial will be available in the summer of 2021. Please check back soon for more information. 

Rather than using generic assignments that are easily found/solved on Google. Use higher-level thinking and analytical skills, exploring the higher level strategies of Bloom’s taxonomy (remembering>understanding>applying>analyzing>evaluating>creating).

• Break a large midterm exam into short, weekly, rigorous quizzes as this is better for overall learning and can build students’ confidence that they can succeed in the course
• Use a variety of assessments and ask students to explain their answers in open-ended questions. Use open book/open notes format with timed quiz/exam
• Rotate quiz questions through use of a question bank
• Replace the final exam with a project or an oral final exam

Require students to affirm an honor/academic integrity pledge at the beginning of each assessment (The Quizzes tool in Canvas does not have a built-in honor pledge but you can use or adapt the following sample statements or create your own. 

• For this [quiz/exam], you may use your book and your notes from class, but may not receive help from, or consult with, anyone as you take the quiz. By continuing on to take this [quiz/exam], you are indicating your agreement to comply with these terms of Academic Honesty. 

• Course-specific pledge in the form of a fill-in-the-blank question: "I, _____, pledge that I will ..."

• I agree not to discuss any part of this final oral exam with anyone other than the professor, including sharing the topics and/or questions that are asked. I agree not to record any portion of this exam. Continuing with this oral final exam means that I agree to uphold these conditions.

Some creative ways to require students to affirm the statement, "I will neither give nor receive aid on this assessment."

Regarding not only course content, but also how to use external sources appropriately to draft an argument, how to cite sources in the text, and how to create a final list of references/bibliography.

• TurnItin Encourage original work, investigate authorship, and deter students from submitting assignments that compromise academic integrity.
• Respondus Better manage the test environment using Respondus, through a combination of LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor. Browser lockdown discourages cheating by not allowing students to visit outside websites or to use unauthorized digital resources while taking an exam or quiz. Respondus Monitor is exam proctoring software that uses a computer’s webcam to verify a student’s identity and to monitor a student’s test-taking environment during an exam.
• Academic Integrity Tools
• Additional resources can also be found on TeamDynamix.

Why should I file a violation report?

Filing a violation report puts the student on notice that they cannot cheat throughout their four years at SJU. It also allows the student an opportunity to request an appeal hearing regarding the allegations in the violation report. The right to appeal is a fairness and justice issue related to our Jesuit mission. In addition, some mercy is built into our violation report system, since nothing happens on a first report beyond the sanction that you as a faculty member have designated for the student in your course. If the student does not appeal, nothing further happens. It is only on the second violation report (thus, showing some pattern) that the Academic Honesty Board is notified and makes a determination on whether a broader sanction is warranted. The first report primarily puts the student on notice that they need to take steps to show academic honesty in their work. 

How do I file a violation report?

1. Notify student by letter/phone/e-mail of the alleged infraction within ten days of discovery.
2. Interview student via Zoom/phone/email as soon as possible after notifying him/her. 
3. After the interview, if you believe that the student is guilty, record either an F or zero for the test/assignment or an F for the course. 
4. Complete a Violation Report on the Nest (Faculty & Advisors>Academic Honesty Menu).