SPSU 1001
Hitchhiker’s Guide to SPSU
Academic Conduct and the Honor Code
Copyright © 2010 by Bob Brown
SPSU’s Honor Code
• Adopted by the Student Government
Association August 24, 2010.
• Rolled out in 2011.
• The Faculty Senate has recommended that
the same document be adopted by the
faculty.
• You can make this promise to yourself
now, as I have done.
The Honor Code
As a member of the Southern Polytechnic State University community of
scholars, I understand that my actions are not only a reflection on
myself, but also a reflection on the University and the larger body of
scholars of which it is a part. Acting unethically, no matter how minor
the offense, will be detrimental to my academic progress and self-image.
It will also adversely affect all students, faculty, staff, the reputation of
this University, and the value of the degrees it awards. Whether on
campus or online, I understand that it is not only my personal
responsibility, but also a duty to the entire SPSU community that I act in
a manner consistent with the highest level of academic integrity.
Therefore, I promise that as a member of the Southern Polytechnic State
University community, I will not participate in any form of academic
misconduct. I also understand that it is my responsibility to hold others
to these same standards by addressing actions that deviate from the
University-wide commitment to working, living, and learning in an
environment conducive to a quality education. Thus, I affirm and adopt
this honor code of Southern Polytechnic State University.
Honor Code: Key Points
• My conduct reflects on the entire University.
• My conduct affects my academic progress.
• My conduct affects the value of the degrees
we award.
• I promise not to engage in any form of
academic misconduct.
• I promise to address misconduct on the part
of others.
Address Misconduct by Others?
• When you subscribe to the Honor Code,
you promise to “address” misconduct on
the part of others.
• You are far more likely to become aware
of misconduct than your professors.
• Because misconduct affects the value of
your degree, you have a duty to yourself as
well as to the University.
What does “Address” Mean?
You have several options:
• Talk with the person suspected of
misconduct; “I saw what you did and I
don’t like it.”
• Talk with the professor
• Talk with your advisor, the department
chair, or dean.
• Initiate a charge to the Honor Council.
The Results of Misconduct
• An academic penalty
• Possibly a non-academic penalty, like
community service.
• A permanent record of the event:
•
•
•
•
No security clearance
Exclusion from many jobs requiring trust
No admission to a reputable grad school
No possibility of election to high office
What is “Misconduct?”
•
•
•
•
Plagiarism
Fabrication of results
Cheating
Anything that interferes with the free
exchange of ideas
• Anything that interferes with the fair
evaluation of others’ academic progress.
Avoiding Misconduct
• Don’t procrastinate
• Understand the policies
• Of the University
• Of your school or department
• Of your particular class.
• If in doubt, ask!
• Use the “Mother test.” Would I want my
mother to know about this? If the answer
is no, you shouldn’t do it.
Will I Get Caught?
• Most decisions about bad behavior are
founded in the assumption that one won’t
get caught.
• So, the consequences do not matter.
• However, the consequences of academic
misconduct can be life-long, and…
Will I Get Caught? Probably
• Your colleagues pledge to address
misconduct by others.
• The human brain is an excellent pattern
recognizer.
• Your professors are experts in their fields.
• Your professors know your writing style.
• If you don’t get caught, you will become
more aggressive in your misconduct.
“On the Shoulders of Giants”
If I have seen farther than other men, it is
because I have stood on the shoulders of giants.
– attributed to Isaac Newton.
Two rules of scientific progress:
• It is appropriate to build upon the work of
others.
• You must give appropriate credit when
you do so.
Plagiarism
• Defined: “the use of the words or ideas of
another without giving proper credit.”
• Possibly the easiest type of misconduct to
“slip into.”
• Range: From a sentence or two copied
from an on line article, to a paper written
entirely by someone else.
What is “Proper Credit?”
Three requirements:
• Quotation marks around exact quotes
• A citation in the text of your paper
• A bibliographic entry at the end, tied to the
citation and giving enough information for
another to find the cited material.
Example
The text of the paper:
As Margret Amatayakul writes, “The healthcare
industry will be left to establish its own baseline,
and will likely be judged on the basis of ‘common
practice’ within the framework of the rules”
(Amatayakul, 2000).
The bibliography entry:
Amatayakul, M. (2000). “Security measures
required for HIPAA privacy,” Journal of
Healthcare Information Management, 14-4, (5-13).
More Advice
• Paraphrase rather than quoting; by
paraphrasing, you show your professor
that you understand the material. (But you
still have to have a citation.)
• Cite as you write; you cannot “add in”
citations after your paper is complete.
You will inevitably miss some. Besides,
it’s easier to put the citations while you
have the source material at hand.
The Form of Citation May Vary
• The previous example was in “APA style.”
• Your professor may prescribe another
format. (And you have to use it!)
• The key idea is that you must give credit
every time you use the words or ideas of
someone else.
• And, you must enclose direct quotes in
quotation marks.
You’re Not Expected to Know Everything
• Sometimes beginning college students have
the idea they’re supposed to “know” the
material.
• So, they try to fudge, and end up plagiarizing.
• More citations indicates more research…
• … and so usually results in a better grade!
About Buying or “Borrowing” Papers
• The people who make such papers
available are liars and cheats.
• They will cheat you.
• You don’t know the history of such a
paper. Consider the consequences of
turning in a paper the professor’s already
received once!
• Worse yet, consider turning in a paper the
professor wrote!
Cheating
• Observing another’s paper
• Passing an answer
• Unauthorized access to notes or other
material during the exam, electronically or
on paper.
• Unauthorized access to exam material.
• Changing answers after the exam is
returned (and claiming a correct answer.)
• Taking an exam in another’s place.
Other Offenses
• Plagiarism
• Reference padding or fabrication of
references
• Fabrication of lab or research results
• Collaboration beyond what is allowed by
the assignment
• Purposeful destruction, mutilation, or theft
of academic material
• Falsification of records
Mechanism
• The professor meets with the student to
discuss the alleged academic misconduct.
• If convinced that misconduct has taken
place, the professor proposes a penalty on
the “Allegation of Academic Misconduct”
form.
• The student has three working days to
consider the charge and proposed penalty.
Choices
• The student can sign the form and accept the
penalty. (If there is a previous record of
misconduct, the penalty may be increased by
the department head.)
• The student can appeal to the Honor Council
on the basis of innocence.
• If the penalty exceeds University guidelines,
the student can appeal to the department head
on the basis of harshness.
• The student can refuse to sign, in which case
the proposed penalty is applied.
The Honor Council
• Composition:
• Three students selected by the SGA
• Three faculty members elected from the faculty
• Chaired by the Dean of Students
• Hears evidence
• Makes determinations of fact
• Imposes penalties
• From reduction of an assignment grade
• To expulsion from the University
Determinations of Fact
• The Honor Council will weigh the
“strength of the evidence.”
• More serious allegations may require more
substantial proof.
• The determination of the Honor Council is
final.
Determination of Penalties
• The penalty is determined by the:
• Seriousness of the allegation
• Strength of the evidence
• History of prior misconduct
• The decision is final except in cases of
expulsion.
• A decision to expel may be appealed to the
Vice President for Academic Affairs.
Homework
• Read Standards of Academic Conduct
http://www.spsu.edu/cs/faculty/bbrown/papers/conduct.html
• Read An Example of Proper Writing:
http://www.spsu.edu/cs/faculty/bbrown/papers/writing_example_apa.html
• Complete Assignment – Scavenger Hunt
Questions