Academic Integrity – Learning Guide
Key
Name ______
1. Did you complete the required reading? This means that you carefully read all of pages 191-197.
_____ yes ______nosigned: ______
1. What's wrong with cheating?
a) How does it hurt the student who cheats?
bad self-esteem, doesn't learn
b) How does it hurt other students?
discouraging, may hurt their grade
c) How does it hurt the university?
bad reputation, students who aren't qualified graduate
d) How does it hurt future employers, clients, or patients of people who cheated?
get bad service, likelihood of more dishonesty
2. Reasons for cheating
a) Why do some students cheat?
ignorance, everyone's doing it, pressure to succeed, course too easy/too hard, lazy, think they deserve it
b) Have you ever been tempted by any of these excuses? [open answer]
c) Do any of these excuses justify cheating? NO
d) What are some motivations not to cheat?
fear of consequences, positive peer pressure, integrity, self-respect, desire for learning
3. Who's job is it to stop cheating?
a) What should professors do?
make sure assignments are not trivial or impossible; design them to discourage cheating
b) What should students do for each other? encourage each other to be honest, report cheating
c) What should each student do for him/herself? take responsibility for yourself!
d) What should you do if you discover cheating by another student? report in writing to professor in 15 days
e) If you are not sure if something is cheating, who should you ask? the professor
4. What are the consequences for cheating?
a) According to DSU policy, a professor must act if he or she has evidence of cheating. Which of the following are possible actions they may take?
_√__ ask you to redo the assignment/exam
_√__ reduce your grade for that assignment/exam
_√__ give you an F for the assignment/exam
_√__ reduce your grade for the course
_√__ give you an F for the course
The penalty will depend on how _knowing______, __intentional______, and _____serious____
the professor believes the cheating to be.
A student can appeal the professor's decision to the __Academic Integrity Committee______.
b) The professor may also refer the case to the Academic Appeals Committee. Which of the following are possible actions they may take?
_√__ put you on probation
_√__ suspend you from a program or from the college
_√__ dismiss you from a program or from the college
_√__ make a note on the transcript that you failed because of cheating
_√__ require you to perform community service
_√__ deny or revoke your degree
These actions can be appealed to the ___Vice President of Academic Services______.
5. How can you decide if something is cheating?
a) If you put your name on it, it means you are saying that it is your work!
b) If something gives you an unfair advantage over other students, it is cheating!
Each of the following scenarios could easily occur at Dixie State University, but each one represents some degree of academic dishonesty. Comment about each of these situations. Why are these cheating? What justification is being used? Does it depend on the circumstances? What could be done to fix or prevent these situations?
a) You are using an internet web site to get information to write a paper. You see a few sentences that fit exactly what you want to say. You copy them onto your paper, then change the wording around to make it your own words.
rearranging it doesn't make it your own words; you need to write down the essential ideas as notes, then construct your own sentences from scratch
b) Homework in one of your science classes always seems to take hours. You get together with some other students to work on it, and one of them suggests that you divide up the problems so that you can get done more quickly. You do your share, then copy the answers of the answers to the questions the other students did.
You are taking credit for problems you didn't do. If everyone does the problems on their own, then compares answers, this is ok.
c) You were sick to your stomach all evening, just when you had planned to finish some homework problems that are due the next day. In the morning you feel well enough to attend class, and see a classmate before you get there. He agrees to give you the answers to the last few problems.
Just because you were sick doesn't give you an excuse to copy answers. Ask the professor if you can turn in the assignment late or miss the points on those answers.
d) On the first day of school you are happy to discover an assigned essay in one of your classes is on a topic you wrote a paper on last semester. When the due date comes, you change a sentence or two, print off a new copy with the new date and course, and turn it in.
Self-plagiarism seems harmless, but it means you are not doing the amount of work required for the credit you are getting in the class. If you have permission, it is ok.
e) You see a fellow student coming out of the testing center. You ask her if she has just taken the test for a class that you both have. She says yes, and that it was pretty hard. You ask what kinds of material was covered on the test so that you can focus your studying on that.
Asking a student who has already taken the test what was on it is like sneaking a peak at the exam in the professor's office. It gives you an unfair advantage over other students!
f) You are stumped on an on-line assignment while working in a computer lab on campus. You notice two of your classmates discussing the same assignment nearby. You join them and work through the assignment together while one student types in the information on his computer. You each copy and paste the assignment and print off copies to hand in to the instructor.
You need permission to write the program together, especially as they will be identical. You could discuss approaches, then each write on your own.
g) Your friend agrees to edit your paper. He re-writes sections of your paper and you think his changes to your paper are excellent. He was able to explain what you actually meant to say. You hand in your paper confident of a high grade.
If someone else revises it, it is no longer your writing. Ask for suggestions, then rewrite it yourself.
h) Last semester your roommate took the same class that you are taking now. He has kept his graded homework problems. You do your own work, but then check your answers against his and change your answers if yours were wrong.
Corrected homework is basically a key. If you correct your answers based on a key, you have an unfair advantage over other students. (Exception: if answers are available in the back of the book.)
6. How can you avoid the temptation to cheat? Rate the following on how important they could be in helping you to maintain your academic integrity.
3 = very useful
2 = somewhat useful
1 = not very useful
[open answers]
_____ Make sure you understand what behaviors constitute cheating.
_____ Make sure you know what is and is not allowed in each of your classes.
_____ Make a commitment to yourself that you will avoid all behaviors that are not honest.
_____ Don't get yourself into a situation that makes you feel like the only way to succeed is to cheat.
_____ Don't put off studying for an important exam.
_____ Don't wait until the last minute to start on papers or projects.
_____ Make sure you understand what constitutes plagiarism.
_____ When writing a paper, take notes in your own words; use your notes, not the source, to write.
_____ If you have personal problems, health problems, etc, approach your professor to ask for help.
Write a few sentences below that explain how you will avoid the temptation to cheat.
[open answer]
7. Compose your own statement showing your commitment to maintain your academic integrity. Use the examples below (composed by previous students) to get ideas.
“I, ______, hereby state that I will not cheat, not today, tomorrow, or ever.”
“I, ______, will maintain my academic integrity and will never cheat on any assignment in any class throughout all of my schooling. I will try my best and always maintain academic integrity.”
“I, ______, do hereby swear that I shall uphold all academic and personal integrity. I swear not to cheat, plagiarize, or commit any other academic or personal offense. “
“I, ______, make a promise to myself not to cheat or go against academic integrity no matter how pressured I feel. Cheating is not okay and never will be.”
“I will not cheat and will maintain my academic integrity. I want to get the grades that I deserve and will study more so I will not be tempted to cheat. I do not want to be punished so I will not do anything that will cause me to get in trouble.”
“I promise to myself, my classmates, and my college that I will not cheat in any way shape or form.”
“I will not cheat no matter what it comes down to, the thing about cheating is that there is no sense of achievement after, and that is what I'm looking for.”
Your statement:
[open answer]
Sign your name: [open answer]