Academic Integrity

As a lecturer, tenured professor, or proctor, you should familiarize yourself with the Student Code on academic integrity violations, ensure academic integrity is upheld, and pursue any violations. Take steps to support a culture of academic integrity and ethical decision-making among students.

Plagiarism Detection

Copyleaks is a software program available through Canvas that helps you identify potential instances of plagiarism by matching text from a student's assignment to a database of other student work and publicly available sources. Enable Copyleaks in your course today and help stop plagiarism. You can easily and quickly run all written assignments through Copyleaks.

Use Authentic Assessment

Authentic assessments help prevent cheating by replacing multiple-choice or standardized exams with performance-based work. An authentic assessment is evaluated by a rubric and usually includes a task for students to perform, such as group reports, literature reviews, presentations, etc.

Pursue Violations

Sooner or later, you will have a student who cheats or plagiarizes. The Student Code requires that faculty complete the Academic Integrity Reporting Form (AIVF) before the application of a sanction. The Code says faculty “must” do so. This is to check for repeat offenders, but also to ensure students’ minimum due process rights are met. This is the only way for the university to systematically address academic integrity and know if the student has a prior history of violation(s).

Contact the Office of Student Conduct at 435-797-3137 if you have questions about the reporting process.

Proctored Exams

It is recommended that all instructors create proctored exams for high-stake exams. USU provides options for live-proctored exams through the various testing centers found throughout the state of Utah, or you can have exams remotely proctored through Proctorio.

If you have any questions regarding proctored exams, see the resources below. If you still can't find an answer to your question, call CIDI at (435) 797-9506.

Limit Cheating Opportunities

By limiting cheating opportunities, you can help promote a culture of honesty, integrity, and fairness, which can benefit both your students and the learning environment as a whole. Here are a few ways to do that:

Do not use unaltered multiple choice test bank questions. Students can gain access to publisher test banks and the questions are often horrible.
Do not reuse exams. Exam answers inevitably leak out and student groups can track answers over time, especially if you return exams to students.
Use multiple versions of exams. Vary the order of questions across versions.
Use a different version for makeup exams. Ensure the format or questions differ from the original exam.

Publicize Your Standards

Students are more likely to engage in academic misconduct if they think you are not concerned with it. Include statements about academic integrity in the following locations:

In your syllabus: This statement should include reference to the USU Honor Pledge, and clarify any specific practices used in your course.
On assignments: Include expectations in assignment descriptions, especially around citations and students completing their own work.
In test instructions: Include a first question that reminds students to do their own work and not look up answers. Ask them to agree to these conditions before continuing the exam. Test time is when they will be most tempted to cheat, so reinforcement is essential before or during exams.
In-classroom discussions: Don't let it be forgotten amidst the other items listed on your syllabus. Be sure to openly address it. Ask students if they have any questions about it.

Here is an example of an Academic Integrity Statement:

Academic Integrity: I do NOT tolerate academic misconduct, including cheating, plagiarism, and falsification. You are responsible for understanding the USU Honor Pledge. I will strongly enforce this Policy and pursue all violations. For all examinations and assignments, you will be required to sign the USU Honor Pledge, which states, “I pledge, on my honor, to conduct myself with the foremost level of academic integrity” For all written assignments, I will screen your work through an automated plagiarism detection service that compares your work against a large database of past work. My sanction for academic misconduct is ________.

Tools for Online Submission

Proctorio

Remotely proctor your students through this third-party tool.

Copyleaks

Copyleaks is a software program that helps you identify potential instances of plagiarism.

Canvas Question Banks

Question banks in Canvas help ensure that the questions and correct answers in a quiz are generated differently for each student.