By Larry B. Dendy
The University Council this week will consider a proposed new policy that raises the bar on student academic honesty, calling on every student, faculty and staff member to promote, uphold and--if necessary--help enforce honest behavior in academic work.
The policy focuses on educating students about academic honesty and encouraging them not to cheat on academic work--and it imposes harsher penalties if they do.
Under the policy, administrative responsibility for academic honesty would rest in the office of the senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. The policy recommends creation of a full-time position and a budget in the office to handle training, investigations, hearings and publication of educational materials.
The policy was developed by a student-faculty task force appointed last year by the Educational Affairs Committee of the University Council. The council’s Executive Committee reviewed the proposal this month and voted to place it on the agenda for the council meeting Feb. 25 at 3:30 p.m. in the law school auditorium.
“Academic honesty is vital to the very fabric and integrity of the university,” states the preamble to the policy, titled “A Culture of Honesty.” “All students must comply with an appropriate and sound academic honesty policy and code of honest behavior. All members of the university community are responsible for and involved in bringing about an honest university, and all must work together to ensure the success of the policy and code of behavior.”
The policy requires that students perform academic work “without cheating, lying, tampering, stealing, receiving assistance from others (except help authorized by a faculty member) or using sources to assist in that work without giving fair attribution.”
The rules apply to all forms of academic work, including tests, term papers, lab assignments, group projects and computer assignments.
The task force says incoming students should be informed when they apply for admission that UGA demands the highest level of academic honesty. That message should be repeatedly reinforced through meetings, printed materials, reminders from faculty and printed warnings on syllabi, class materials and exams.
“It is imperative that students understand that this policy is contributing in a positive way to a rich academic life,” the policy states.
Suggested procedure
Under the suggested procedure for handling cases of academic dishonesty, a student, faculty or staff member would file a written, signed charge of mis-conduct. Trained students would investigate the accusation and present the university’s case before a hearing panel composed of three students and two faculty members and chaired by an employee who is a non-voting “hearing officer.”
Any student, faculty or staff member who has knowledge of the alleged violation would be required to cooperate in the proceeding, including providing information to the panel and testifying if necessary.
Students found guilty of violations would receive the lowest possible grade for the academic work on which they are accused of cheating. They would also receive one of three additional penalties: a notation on the grade transcript that the student was “found in violation of the academic honesty code,” suspension for a semester or permanent expulsion.
For a first offense, the penalty could also include community service, restrictions, probation or revocation of a previously awarded degree. Repeat offenders could receive permanent expulsion and degree revocation.
Task force chair Robert Boehmer, associate professor of legal studies in the Terry College of Business, emphasized to the Executive Committee that the policy’s main purpose is encouraging students to be honest--not punishing them.
“Education about academic honesty is the critical point. Everything else is detail,” Boehmer said.
To foster education, the task force condensed the major points of the 28-page policy into a single-page “plain language summary,” which is intended for wide circulation.
In addition, the task force recommends posting notices about academic honesty in classrooms, labs and libraries; creating a web page; integrating academic honesty into student leadership development programs; and developing seminars on ethics in various disciplines.
But the task force warns that ignorance of the policy--even after all the education efforts--would not be an acceptable defense for violations.
Boehmer told the executive committee that the proposed policy, though detailed, could not cover all possible scenarios and circumstances. “It has to be a living document that must be reviewed every year as we move along the academic honesty spectrum,” Boehmer said.
The Executive Committee also voted to place on the agenda for this week’s council meeting a proposal to designate the entire university campus as an arboretum. The designation would include placing identifying labels on trees, mapping trees, and developing a campus tree guide and walking tour.
Other action
In other action, the committee elected Clifton Smith, assistant to the dean of the College of Education, as Executive Committee chair for the 1999–2000 academic year.
The committee also voted to schedule a called meeting of the University Council for April 1 to help ease a possible heavy agenda for the last regular meeting of this academic year on April 29.
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