Academic Integrity Matters: the AUC experience Aziza Ellozy Director, Center for Learning and Teaching Jayme Spencer Director, Public Services

What is Academic Integrity? "Academic integrity is a commitment, even in the face of adversity, to five fundamental values: Honesty, Trust, Fairness, Respect and Responsibility. From these values flow principles of behavior that enable academic communities to translate ideals into action." Guiding principles of academic integrity as set out by the Center for Academic Integrity at Clemsen University,

Sample of research data (US) Academic dishonesty is most likely to occur when: Cheating is an accepted part of the campus culture Universities do not have an academic honor code Penalties for cheating are lenient, and chances of getting caught are low Faculty support of academic integrity policies is low publications/iie/v9n1/cheating.html

What is AUC’s stand on academic integrity? Maintaining high standards of ethical conduct is explicitly part of AUC’s mission

AUC’s initiative Despite established policies and procedures, faculty, administrators and students alike recognized that similar problems existed on our campus. Six years ago, AUC President, BOT, Provost and faculty made academic integrity issues a top priority.

AUC’s initiative In May 2001 AUC Provost established a Task Force on Academic Integrity. Its mandate: To assess current status and policies and to “work on meaningful criteria for a healthy and ethical learning environment”.

Mission of Task Force Strengthen and promote the understanding and the implementation of academic integrity concepts, attitudes and behavior within the AUC environment, and to establish an effective vehicle for continuous assessment and evaluation

Action Plan Assessment Raising awareness Pledge Preventive measures Punitive Measures

Assessment Tools Oral and written input from Task Force members Discussion with faculty and students as well as forums. Discussion and input from the AUC Senate Input from AUC’s BOT and administration Survey conducted at AUC campus Data acquired from anonymous peer institutes its.foxvalley.tec.wi.us/iss/curric-assessment/ Image37.gif

Survey results

Awareness (Students’ Perspective)

Awareness (Faculty Perspective)

Summary of Reasons Given for Cheating Time pressure and overload of work Parent pressure GPA and Grades Stress of exams Everyone cheats Faculty are not explaining well Checking their answers Forgetting the answer (very prevalent)

Examples of Dishonest Academic Behavior Cheating Plagiarism Fabrication Multiple Submissions Obtaining Unfair Advantage Unauthorized Access Aiding and Abetting Criminal acts, Bribing, Stealing, etc. Intellectual Property Right Violations in Research Work

Awareness Campaign aimed at Students Faculty Teaching/research assistants Staff Parents Students’ activities Gaining support of top administrators Visits to schools

Pledge: Code of Ethics What is a Code of Ethics? Faculty, Staff and Students Implementing the Code AUC Website

Raising awareness Students First Year Experience Code of Ethics Syllabus Notes on exam booklet Instructors discussing the issue

Faculty Orientation Code of Ethics Teaching at AUC booklet Discussion with peers Faculty Raising awareness

Teaching/Research Assistants Orientation Workshops Raising awareness

Preventive Measures Proper design of curriculum Adequate load Innovation in assignment & exams Interaction with students Monitoring performance Proper exam proctoring Turnitin.com: plagiarism prevention system (or similar technology solution)

There is nothing new about plagiarism Nor about students’ creativity in explaining it

Internet Plagiarism: the “new” plagiarism just a click away

Turnitin.com originality report

Similarity Index Originality Report Matching sources by color and number Matching sources by color and number

AUC usage

“Trying to fight the technology without a dialogue on values and expectations is a losing battle," "I think there's kind of a backdoor benefit here. As teachers are thinking about how technology has corrupted, they're also thinking about ways it can be used productively." Tim Dodd, Executive director of The Center for Academic Integrity at Duke

So what has been effective? Ask the students

Noticed Enhanced Awareness re Academic Integrity at AUC? Yes No

How Did You Learn about Academic Integrity Policies? First Year Experience Code of Ethics Program Counselor/ Faculty Advisor Student Handbook No/ Learned little/ Learned some/ Learned a lot

How Did You Learn about Academic Integrity Policies? Other Students Faculty No/ Learned little/ Learned some/ Learned a lot

Disciplinary Procedures Formation of Academic Integrity Committee Clustering of violations Reporting of violations Investigating cases Recommending penalties Database Coordination with registrar

Challenges Complexity of the issue Need for value change Need for involvement of all parties Time and effort involved Sustainability

Questions? Thank You