Rice University Honor Council Orientation

The Council is a panel of both graduates and undergraduates who hear and decide upon cases of Honor Code violations. What is the Honor Council?

What is the Honor Code of Rice University? 1. The Purpose of the Rice University Honor Code is to ensure the freedom and security of all students studying at Rice. 2. Having an “Honor Code” means that students at Rice are on their honor not to cheat on any assignment, infringe on the academic or intellectual integrity of their fellow students, or violate the trust placed upon them. 3. The Honor Code allows a culture of trust between students and faculty alike.

Who is responsible for the enforcement of the Honor Code? While all assignments completed and evaluated at Rice University are done so under the Honor Code, it is the responsibility of the professor to outline how the Honor Code applies to a specific course. For example, in some classes collaboration on some assignments may be encouraged, while in others similar sharing of information would constitute a violation. Just as it is the responsibility of the teacher to make an Honor Code policy clear and explicit for the course in question, it is the responsibility of the student to make sure he or she understands the regulations, and to ask any questions that arise.

What are you pledging? “On My Honor I have neither given nor received any unauthorized aid on this assignment” With this pledge that applies to all assignments at Rice, you are signifying that the assessment you are submitting respects and upholds the Rice University Honor Code.

Academic Fraud at Rice University While policies are further specified by individual instructors, academic fraud of any sort is a violation of the Honor Code. Primary forms of academic fraud are: 1. Plagiarism 2. Multiple Submission 3. False Citation 4. False Data

Plagiarism Quoting, paraphrasing or otherwise using another’s words or ideas as one’s own without properly crediting the source. All un-credited work is assumed to be, and should be, a student’s own. Any contribution, general or specific, of another individual should be noted. Specifics regarding how citation should be included in an assignment are at the discretion of the professor.

Acknowledgment of Sources: Laboratory and Computer Work collaboration on lab reports, problem sets, etc. MUST be authorized by the professor. Without explicit permission for collaboration, the use of another student’s ideas is in violation of the Honor Code.

Acknowledgement of Sources: Written Work 1. Quotations—Any quotation regardless of length must be placed in visible quotation marks. All quotations must be accompanied by a citation with author’s name, the date of publication, the place of publication, and page numbers. Chicago Manual of Style: 2. Paraphrasing—Any material summarized or paraphrased from a source must be specifically acknowledged. Ideas, like words, must be noted by in text citation or footnote. It is not a sufficient or valid excuse to say that the ideas of a source were duplicated due to time lapse between reading the material an writing a paper. 3. Facts and Ideas not considered to be “common knowledge” must be cited explicitly.

Multiple Submission The resubmission of work in either identical or similar form by a student that has been used for academic credit at this or any other institution. If a student wants to expand upon an idea, in certain cases professor will allow a rewrite of a previously completed assignment. However, permission from the professor is MANDATORY before turning in any version of a previously submitted work.

False Citation Any Attribution to, or citation of, a source from which the referenced material was not in fact obtained. This includes the use of a quoted reference from a non- original source while implying reference to the original source.

False Data Data that have been altered or contrived in such a way as to be deliberately misleading.

A Few Discussion Points Take home Exams Open Note Assessments Self Accusation Failure to report a violation Deceit—Aggravation vs. Cooperation—mitigation

Examples! Example #1 Richard is writing a History research paper. While reading for his project, he finds a passage in Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States that perfectly states the idea he is trying to get across. Richard reads the passage carefully, and decides to paraphrase it by putting the idea in his own words. Because the writing is his own, and he already had the idea before he accessed the book, he feels that he does not have to cite the Zinn in his paper. Would this be considered a violation of the Honor Code? If so, what should Richard have done differently?

Example #2 Christina has a take home examination for Chemistry, and has 2 hours to complete the assessment. Christina chooses to take her exam in her dorm room; however, in the course of completing her test, she loses track of time and accidentally continues to work on her test 15 minutes longer than the allotted time. Since it is a take home test, and it was an honest mistake, Christina decides to say nothing about the incident. Did Christina violate the Honor Code? If so, what could she have done differently?

Example #3 Henry is struggling to finish a paper the night before it is due. In the course of his frenzied work, he comes across a quotation for which he forgot to record the proper source. Because he is flustered and only has a few hours to finish his assignment, Henry attributes the quotation to a book and author that he had previously referenced, but from which the quotation did not originate. He assigns the quote a random page number. Because the quote did come from a source, Henry did acknowledge that the words were not his own, and cited a source that does exist, he does not believe he has violated the Honor Code. Did Henry violate the Honor Code? If so, what could he have done differently?

Example #4 Megan and her roommate Leah are in the same Calculus class. One evening, the class is assigned to complete a closed book, closed note take home quiz on Owlspace. Megan notices her roommate open the tab for the quiz, and subsequently take out her textbook. Leah flips through pages, and obviously references the book throughout the course of the assessment. Not wanting to ruin her friendship or make her living situation awkward, Megan says and does nothing even though she is aware of the fact that her roommate has violated the Honor Code. Is Megan in violation of the Honor Code? If so, what should she have done differently?

Example #5 Craig and Jake are assigned to be lab partners for a Biology class. For their first lab assignment, they are allowed to collect data, take notes, and complete their experiment together, but are required to produce a report that is independently crafted. The two students work together appropriately in the completion of the experiment. When it comes time for them to craft their independent reports, they decide to sit at the same table in Fondren, so they can ask each other questions if any arise. As they work on their reports, they exchange a few ideas about the project that ultimately end up in both reports. Did Craig and Jake violate the Honor Code? If so, what could they have done differently?

Strategies For Avoiding a Violation 1. Ask Questions! Professors are always available to address any inconsistencies in their Honor Code policies to assure that students can follow them. 2. Use Resources! The Honor Code Website is a great resource that contains all the information presented today as well as additional educational resources to help you keep from violating the Honor Code. 3. Read Course Honor Code policies CLOSELY. Know exactly what is expected of you by the professor and the Honor Code. 4. Don’t let stress get the better of you. It is easy to make a snap judgment that you will regret when overwhelmed. Make sure you do not let this cause you to violate the Honor Code. 5. Always be straightforward with professors. Lying to a professor can result in an elevated penalty if you are found in violation. 6. Take the F! If you are stuck between committing a violation or failing an assignment, the consequences will always be more severe if you commit a violation. 7. Use your college Honor Council Representative! They are there to answer any questions! 8. Like “Rice University Honor Council” on facebook for updates and important information on the Honor System at Rice.

Additional Resources Honor Council Website: Honor System Handbook: Acknowledgment of Sources: Chicago Manual of Style: Rice University Honor Council Facebook Page

Questions?