| Senate approves revised Academic Integrity Code BY SALLY ACHARYA What should faculty do when they receive a paper written in part by cutting and pasting from Web pages? Must the case be sent to the dean’s office? Should the student receive an F for plagiarism? The Academic Integrity Code that sets the guidelines for these decisions has just undergone a two-year review, and a revised version was presented to the Faculty Senate last week and approved. The substance of the code, and much of its text, has not changed. But it has been updated and clarified to address certain topics more clearly, such as misuse of computers, and to emphasize the need for faculty, staff, and students to approach violations as an opportunity to educate. In cases of students who plagiarize, cheat, or otherwise break the code of academic integrity, the first responders are the faculty—who, of course, are generally the ones to spot the violations. A student suspected of intentional dishonesty should be referred to the dean’s office, so that there may be disciplinary action and the university could check for recidivism. But faculty are encouraged to use discretion in making that choice. For instance, is a violation seemingly made in ignorance by a freshman who still has a great deal to learn about academic practice? Or was it done by a graduate student? “It gives new, special attention to appropriate sanctions, particularly in the consideration of student level,” Ward said of the updated code. A faculty member who believes the student made an “honest mistake”—a term now used instead of the broader “error in judgment”—could choose to penalize the student without the episode going on a permanent record. Faculty no longer need to notify the dean in all cases, the revised code says, but could pursue other options, such as giving the student an F. “Failure for the course is listed as the first possible sanction, though each case should be looked at individually,” said Kogod associate dean Lawrence Ward in his presentation to the senate. The revised Academic Integrity Code will be posted shortly at american.edu/academics/integrity/code. The senate also heard from Interim Provost Ivy Broder on the progress of the effort to implement the variable course load policy. Based on data collected from the five main campus schools and colleges, there has been a reduction in the average number of courses taught by tenured and tenure-track faculty over the past three academic years. Broder also noted that three finalists for the position of university librarian will come to campus over the next several weeks as part of the interview process. Faculty who would like to find out how to meet with the candidates can get in touch with Dean Kay Mussell, College of Arts in Sciences. |
