Ethics in Academic Work

1. Ethics in Academic Work Wilfrid Laurier University Student to Student 2008 - 2009

2. Introduction • The presenters... • The purpose… • Agenda • Cheating – what it is • Detection • Consequence • Importance of academic integrity www.wlu.ca/academicintegrity

3. CHEATING

4. Discussion • What are your personal experiences with cheating? (Not expecting confessionals) • How did you react to cheating in your high school? www.wlu.ca/academicintegrity

5. Academic misconduct • “Academic misconduct is an act by a student, or by students … which may result in a false evaluation of the student(s), or which represents an attempt to unfairly gain an academic advantage … Whether or not a student intended to commit academic misconduct is not relevant for a finding of academic misconduct.” Source: WLU Undergraduate Academic Calendar 2007-2008 www.wlu.ca/academicintegrity

6. Types of cheating • Plagiarism • “...the unacknowledged presentation...of the work of others as one’s own...” • Cheating • “...involves using, giving, receiving, unauthorized information...” • Impersonating another studentSe.g., using another student’s clicker www.wlu.ca/academicintegrity

7. Types of cheating • Submitting the same piece of work • “...for more than one course without permission..” • Falsifying, misrepresenting, forging • “anything including academic record or supporting documents” • Buying academic work • Unauthorized collaboration www.wlu.ca/academicintegrity

8. Get help, ask questions • Your professor / teaching assistant • University Calendars (www.wlu.ca/calendars) • Learning Services (www.wlu.ca/learningservices) • Library (www.wlu.ca/library) • Counselling Services (www.mylaurier.ca/counselling) • Academic Integrity Website (www.wlu.ca/academicintegrity)

9. DETECTION

10. Discussion • How did teachers catch students in high school? • Did students ‘tell’ on one another? www.wlu.ca/academicintegrity

11. Detection - technology • Turnitin.com • Compares your paper to: • other student papers submitted (over 40 million) • Internet websites (over 12 billion) • Major newspapers/magazines/journals (over 10,000) • Facebook groups • Google searches Source: Turnitin.com www.wlu.ca/academicintegrity

12. Detection - instructors • Professors and teaching assistants can spot plagiarism by comparing your work to: • Previous assignments that you have submitted • Assignments that your classmates have submitted • Itself (e.g,. consistency of style within a single assignment) www.wlu.ca/academicintegrity

13. CONSEQUENCES

14. Discussion • What did your previous school do to deal with cheaters? www.wlu.ca/academicintegrity

15. Consequences • At Laurier there are three levels of action depending on severity: 1) Instructor/relevant administrator (e.g., Chair, Program Co-ordinator, Associate Dean, Dean, or designate) 2) Dean of faculty 3) VP: Academic or President • Throughout process, students are given the option to defend themselves and appeal the decisions made www.wlu.ca/academicintegrity

16. Consequences • Offences are divided into: Minor offences have less severe consequences Major offences have very significant and severe consequences www.wlu.ca/academicintegrity

17. Consequences for first-time offences www.wlu.ca/academicintegrity

18. Consequences for first-time offences www.wlu.ca/academicintegrity

19. Consequences forsubsequent offences • A record is established after first offence, and may remain on student’s transcript for 1-3 years following offence • Consequences for subsequent offences are more severe www.wlu.ca/academicintegrity

20. Get help, ask questions • Your professor / teaching assistant • University Calendars (www.wlu.ca/calendars) • Learning Services (www.wlu.ca/learningservices) • Library (www.wlu.ca/library) • Counselling Services (www.mylaurier.ca/counselling) • Academic Integrity website (www.wlu.ca/academicintegrity)

21. IMPORTANCE OF ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

22. Academic integrity • Integrity is defined as: "moral uprightness; honesty...unimpaired or uncorrupted..." • Canadian Oxford Dictionary (2004) • The expectations placed on students at Laurier include honesty and integrity in both their academics and behaviour on and off campus. www.wlu.ca/academicintegrity

23. Who does cheating harm? • The following groups of people are all affected by academic misconduct: • The university • Your classmates • YOU! www.wlu.ca/academicintegrity

24. The university • Damages the institution’s reputation and credibility • Increases administrative and faculty workload • Devalues degrees • Bad press means: • More difficult to attract outstanding faculty / students • More difficult to raise money for the institution www.wlu.ca/academicintegrity

25. Headlines… University uncovers plagiarism bombshell Simon Fraser wants to give failing grades to 47 copycats (National Post, January 7, 2002 p. A1) Cheating scandal shocks university (The Record, January 7, 2002, p. D9)

26. Your classmates • Faculty resort to cheat-proof evaluation methods instead of what’s best for learning • Questions about value of degree • Perception that the playing field is not level • Places classmates in a difficult or awkward situation Source: “Surviving with Integrity”” Presentation, Mark Baetz, 2006 www.wlu.ca/academicintegrity

27. You • No learning • Penalties up to and including expulsion from the university • Career difficulties (incidents of academic misconduct are noted on your transcript!) • Stigmatization, ostracism • Embarrassment, lowered self-concept • Stress www.wlu.ca/academicintegrity

28. Get help, ask questions • Your professor / teaching assistant • University Calendars (www.wlu.ca/calendars) • Learning Services (www.wlu.ca/learningservices) • Library (www.wlu.ca/library) • Counselling Services (www.mylaurier.ca/counselling) • Academic Integrity Website (www.wlu.ca/academicintegrity)