Academic Integrity at TCNJ

What Is TCNJ’s Academic Integrity Policy? Through your FSP you are receiving a brochure about the college’s academic integrity policy and the consequence for violating it. Keep it and read it carefully. This presentation seeks to explain some of the details of the policy.

Does Academic Integrity Matter? Student Perspective: “What does all my hard work matter if someone else cheats and gets away with it?” Student Perspective: “What does all my hard work matter if someone else cheats and gets away with it?” Faculty Perspective: “How can I teach effectively if I can’t trust my students to do their own work?” Faculty Perspective: “How can I teach effectively if I can’t trust my students to do their own work?” Everyone’s Perspective: “What kind of school do we want TCNJ to be? A school of cheaters or a community of scholars?” Everyone’s Perspective: “What kind of school do we want TCNJ to be? A school of cheaters or a community of scholars?”

What Is Academic Dishonesty? Academic dishonesty is any attempt by the student to gain academic advantage through dishonest means, to submit, as his/her own, work which has not been done by him/her or to give improper aid to another student in the completion of an assignment. Academic dishonesty is any attempt by the student to gain academic advantage through dishonest means, to submit, as his/her own, work which has not been done by him/her or to give improper aid to another student in the completion of an assignment. *From TCNJ’s Academic Integrity Policy

Common Violations Submitting work that is not your own whether through plagiarism (not properly acknowledging the words, ideas, data, etc. of others), purchase, or using another person’s work Cheating on an exam Collaborating when instructions called for independent work Submitting an assignment with falsified or fabricated data or results Submitting the same assignment in multiple classes Feigning illness or personal circumstances to avoid a required academic activity Concealing, destroying, or stealing research or library materials to deprive others of their use or sabotaging someone else's work

When Is Something Dishonest? Bottom line: Would you be willing to tell the professor what you did? Bottom line: Would you be willing to tell the professor what you did?

Why Might a Student Behave Dishonestly? Desperation: For example, a student has been under pressure at school and home. Several assignments are due at the same time, and there isn’t time to complete everything. So, the student copies a paper from a web site. Desperation: For example, a student has been under pressure at school and home. Several assignments are due at the same time, and there isn’t time to complete everything. So, the student copies a paper from a web site. Shortcuts: For example, a student decides to use falsified bibliographic entries in a paper for a class outside her major under the belief that this class isn’t as important as those in her major. Shortcuts: For example, a student decides to use falsified bibliographic entries in a paper for a class outside her major under the belief that this class isn’t as important as those in her major. Lack of understanding: For example, a student isn’t intending to be dishonest, but doesn’t realize that copying material from a website and pasting it into a paper or presentation without citation or attribution is academically dishonest. Lack of understanding: For example, a student isn’t intending to be dishonest, but doesn’t realize that copying material from a website and pasting it into a paper or presentation without citation or attribution is academically dishonest.

How To Avoid Violations Ask about professor’s policies for collaborating, use of sources, etc. Talk to your professor if you have academic problems or need an extension. Good planning can prevent many problems from ever happening. For proper use of sources, get help such as: “Links” tutorial on the library’s website Help at the tutoring center Turnitin, a service that searches Internet and a database of over 40 million student papers to help you or your professor tell if you are relying too heavily a source. Turnitin is available on SOCS. Just go to Academic Links at the top of the SOCS page and then “Plagiarism Prevention” which lets you upload a paper to check on its degree of “originality.”

Case Studies Some of these cases may have clear-cut answers; some may depend upon circumstances in a specific class; but all of the cases are worth discussing to get a better idea about academic integrity issues.

Academic Integrity Case #1 Jane writes a paper for an Introduction to Management course on the topic of “Flexible Workplace Benefits in a Diverse Workforce.” The following year, in a class on Benefits and Compensation, she submits the same paper. Has she behaved dishonestly? Jane writes a paper for an Introduction to Management course on the topic of “Flexible Workplace Benefits in a Diverse Workforce.” The following year, in a class on Benefits and Compensation, she submits the same paper. Has she behaved dishonestly?

Academic Integrity Case #2 Jeff is writing a paper for a political science class. He needs to describe the workings of the British parliamentary system. He has a source that explains the system very concisely and well. He can’t think of a better way to summarize the system, so he uses some of the exact phrases of the source interspersed among his own words. He cites the source at the end of the paragraph. Has he behaved dishonestly? Jeff is writing a paper for a political science class. He needs to describe the workings of the British parliamentary system. He has a source that explains the system very concisely and well. He can’t think of a better way to summarize the system, so he uses some of the exact phrases of the source interspersed among his own words. He cites the source at the end of the paragraph. Has he behaved dishonestly?

Academic Integrity Case #3 Isaac was working on a group project with three other students. Each student was required to complete a fair share, 25%, of the work. Isaac completed about 10% of the total project. Has he behaved dishonestly? Isaac was working on a group project with three other students. Each student was required to complete a fair share, 25%, of the work. Isaac completed about 10% of the total project. Has he behaved dishonestly? Does the answer change if Isaac doesn’t contribute anything?

Academic Integrity Case #4 Sarah and Peter were lab partners in a chemistry class. One week they split the 30 homework problems (unrelated to their lab) in half. Sarah did the odd numbers and Peter did the even numbers. They met Sunday night to share the answers. On Monday, Sarah and Peter individually submitted the completed 30 problems. Have they behaved dishonestly? Sarah and Peter were lab partners in a chemistry class. One week they split the 30 homework problems (unrelated to their lab) in half. Sarah did the odd numbers and Peter did the even numbers. They met Sunday night to share the answers. On Monday, Sarah and Peter individually submitted the completed 30 problems. Have they behaved dishonestly?

Academic Integrity Case #5 Sylvia is writing a paper for her economics class. She finishes the paper a couple days before its due date and sends a copy to her mother by . Her mother corrects the paper to fix the grammar, spelling, and typos and then sends it back to Sylvia by . Sylvia turns in the copy corrected by her mother. Has Sylvia behaved dishonestly?

Academic Integrity Case #6 Arnold hasn’t finished his reading for his history class. The professor sometimes asks students questions point-blank about the reading, and Arnold doesn’t want to risk not being able to answer something. So, he s the professor to say that he’s feeling sick and skips class. Has he behaved dishonestly?

Other Academic Integrity Cases What kinds of hard-to-judge cases can you imagine? What kinds of hard-to-judge cases can you imagine? Do you have a question about a specific case you know about or can imagine? Do you have a question about a specific case you know about or can imagine?

What Happens in Academic Integrity Cases? Academic integrity cases may be decided by the faculty member, an Academic Integrity Officer in a School, or the All-College Academic Integrity Board Academic integrity cases may be decided by the faculty member, an Academic Integrity Officer in a School, or the All-College Academic Integrity Board Result of academic integrity cases may include: Result of academic integrity cases may include: Being cleared of any wrongdoing Being cleared of any wrongdoing Redoing the assignment in question (with or without a penalty) Redoing the assignment in question (with or without a penalty) Receiving an F for the assignment Receiving an F for the assignment Receiving an F for the course Receiving an F for the course Receiving a Disciplinary F (which permanently counts in the GPA) Receiving a Disciplinary F (which permanently counts in the GPA) Being suspended or dismissed from TCNJ. Being suspended or dismissed from TCNJ.

Academic Integrity Procedure. An instructor will consult with the student about a suspected incident of academic dishonesty. An instructor will consult with the student about a suspected incident of academic dishonesty. If the instructor believes it to be intentional, s/he will reports it to the appropriate Academic Integrity Officer. If the instructor believes it to be intentional, s/he will reports it to the appropriate Academic Integrity Officer. The AIO investigates. The matter may be settled by the AIO. The student has a right to a hearing before the All- College Academic Integrity Board. The AIO investigates. The matter may be settled by the AIO. The student has a right to a hearing before the All- College Academic Integrity Board. If the instructor believes the incident to be unintentional, s/he may report it or take other actions such as giving a grade of zero or requiring the work to be redone. If the instructor believes the incident to be unintentional, s/he may report it or take other actions such as giving a grade of zero or requiring the work to be redone.