Academic Honesty and Dishonesty

Academic Honesty and Dishonesty

Academic honesty and dishonesty are both moral and administrative concerns for a teacher at Stanford. Stanford University’s Office of Judicial Affairs (within the Office of the Dean of Students) administers the student judicial process for Stanford and works toward an honest and responsible community. Under the process, students are held accountable for adhering to established community standards including Stanford's Fundamental Standard and the Honor Code. The Fundamental Standard states: Students at Stanford are expected to show both within and without the University such respect for order, morality, personal honor and the rights of others as is demanded of good citizens. Failure to do this will be sufficient cause for removal from the University.

The Honor Code with Interpretations and Applications is quoted in full in the Appendixes (and is available on the web at http://honorcode.stanford.edu).

Spend some class time at the beginning of the quarter discussing the code, as well as the broader topic of academic honesty. Your discussion of academic honesty should presume the integrity and honesty of your students and be used to clarify expectations as well as answer any questions students have.

Three main points should be emphasized in discussing the Honor Code with students:

1. The Interpretations and Applications of the Honor Code, enacted by the Board on Judicial Affairs, supplement and clarify the Honor Code. The Board on Judicial Affairs does not presume, nor is it possible, to eliminate all ambiguities or uncertainties. It is the responsibility of each instructor to define what type of aid is and is not permitted in his or her course. The effectiveness of the Honor Code depends ultimately upon the good faith and conscientious judgment of all individuals concerned. You can get further information on the Honor Code by talking to the judicial advisor at 725-2485.

2. The Honor Code was not imposed upon the students by the administration or faculty. The students originally assumed its responsibilities at their own request.

3. Those who suffer most from students’ academic dishonesty are not administrators or faculty but the honorable and conscientious students. Hence it is in their interest to make individual and collective efforts to see that the highest standards of honesty are always maintained. The code specifically enjoins students, in the name of “third-party responsibility,” to discourage dishonesty by drawing attention to violations, talking with offenders, or—if all else fails—initiating formal procedures. The judicial advisor has pointed out that because students too rarely take such actions, faculty are tempted to question the code and resort to other means to prevent cheating.

For questions about appropriate procedures in particular cases or ambiguous areas, the judicial advisor may be consulted. TAs, students, and faculty are all encouraged to use the services of the judicial advisor with regard to the Honor Code. If you are TAing, you should discuss the Honor Code and academic honesty with the faculty member in charge of the course at the beginning of the quarter.Make sure your interpretations are compatible and you agree on what to do if violations occur. This will ensure that all students in a course are treated fairly.

Not only should you inform students about the Honor Code and procedures in regard to violations, you should also try to create a learning environment that will reduce the temptation to cheat.Make sure students know your grading criteria, what kinds of exams they will be given, and what materials they are responsible for. If you assign any term papers, you ensure higher quality work if you regularly check on students’ progress on their papers during the quarter. You may ask them to submit their first draft early on or to turn in rough copies along with the finished version. This reduces the likelihood of receiving “file” or purchased papers. The issue of plagiarism should be discussed in some detail, particularly in introductory or writing-in-the-major courses, since not all forms of plagiarism are understood and recognized by students.

Effective learning does not occur in an atmosphere of suspicion. You have an obligation under the Honor Code not to proctor exams or to take unusual measures to prevent cheating, and to treat students as if they are honest, until proven otherwise.