Academic integrity policy reviewed

In order to give students facing plagiarism or cheating charges a timelier and fairer appeal process, Eastern's academic integrity committee is suggesting changes to the way such cases are handled by the university.The Student Government Association Student Senate viewed the changes and made suggestions last Tuesday.

Judy Spain, co-chair of the ad hoc academic integrity committee, said the university does have an adequate system for dealing with student plagiarism or cheating situations, but a better policy focusing more on educating students about what is right and wrong when it comes to cheating should be on the top of the university's agenda.

"With the current policy we have minimal problems, but couldn't we do a better job?" Spain said. "Shouldn't that be our priority?"

As an institution, Spain said, the university should be showing why academic integrity and ethics are important to students and making sure they learn the right way to complete assignments instead of the wrong way, encouraging good behavior.

Members of the academic integrity committee, including Spain, suggested a better process that combines the appeal and judicial processes and is fairer and faster for students.

"The academic integrity office is faster," she said.

The policy suggested by the academic integrity committee says professors should confront the student after the cheating incident. If the professor chooses to continue investigating the situation and discovers that a violation has occurred, a report is to be sent to the Office of Academic Integrity. The professor also tells the student about the allegation and the right to contest the allegation. If the student takes responsibility for their violation, the case is closed, and the student cannot appeal after this.

If the student doesn't accept responsibility and chooses to appeal or contest the allegation of cheating, the professor will refer the case to the Academic Integrity Office within five class days after the meeting. The Academic Integrity coordinator will meet with the student, and if the student decides to take responsibility and not contest the allegation, the case is closed and there is no appeal from this decision.

However, if the student decides to contest or appeal the cheating allegation, the Academic Integrity Office will schedule a hearing with the Academic Integrity Committee of the college involved. If the student wants to appeal his or her decision, the case can be taken to the University Academic Integrity committee, which includes members from all five colleges, the student population and library staff.

Two ways exist in university policy to handle plagiarism or cheating behavior among students, Spain said.

In the appeal process, the professor has the right to assign a failing grade for the class or assignment if they suspect a student is cheating. In essence, students have to wait until the end of the semester to dispute the failing grade.

At the beginning of the next semester, students have 30 days to appeal a grade to the department chair, Spain said. If a student is not satisfied with the decision the department chair makes, the student may appeal it to his or her department academic practices committee. Once again, students are allowed to appeal the academic practices committee's decision to the dean of that college and then to the interim provost and vice president of Academic Affairs if they are unhappy with the dean's decision.

The second way to handle plagiarism or cheating behavior involves the professor. If the suspected student and the professor cannot resolve the problem, professors may let the situation go through Student Judicial Affairs as a case of academic dishonesty, Spain said. Student Judicial Affairs investigates by bringing in the student accused of cheating and having a discussion to see if the student will admit to cheating. At this point, Spain said, the next step depends on the severity of the charge.

"If a student were part of a cheating ring in a class, and if he or she were the ringleader," she said, "then this may be a case where the student may (deserve) suspension or expulsion from the university and would be sent to the Student Disciplinary Council, the only body in the university that has the authority to expel a student."

Students may appeal this decision to the vice president of Student Affairs if they are expelled by the student disciplinary council, and then to University President Joanne Glasser. Finally, the student may appeal the president's decision to uphold the Student Disciplinary Council's decision to the Board of Regents.

Spain said this process posed some concerns to the academic integrity committee. Cheating is "an academic issue, and it allows cases to go through Student Affairs and not Academic Affairs, which is very slow," she said. "Clearly, this could lead to inconsistencies in departments and colleges."

Katy Clipson, the appropriations chair of the Student Government Association and student academic integrity committee member, said she supports the changes the committee suggested.

"I'm all for it, not just because I'm on the committee," Clipson said. "The changes that are being made (will make the process) much quicker and more fair for students."

Clipson attended the National Conference on Ethics in America at West Point last September and learned "there are other schools that are way ahead of Eastern in academic integrity processes and policies," she said.

Clipson spoke with representatives from West Point, the University of San Francisco and various schools in New York.

"The changes bring us up to speed with other universities," she said. "Students will have more of a say."

"The real issue is not having students not cheat again," Spain said, "but making them realize what they did and why it is wrong."

Reach Megan at
megan_jones123@eku.edu