Faculty/Instructors of Undergraduates

This part of our Web site is designed to give you information you need to help minimize the risks of academic integrity violations in the course(s) you teach, and also what to do if you believe academic dishonesty has occurred.

Tips for Faculty in Promoting Academic Integrity

On the Written Syllabus

• Include the Duke Community Standard
• Set expectation for academic integrity in all aspects of the course
• Provide specific guidelines for collaboration
• Note standards for use of data, electronic translators, etc. specific to your discipline
  

In the Classroom

• Be a role model (cite sources in lectures, etc.)
• Highlight issues of academic integrity through ongoing discussion
• Require students to write and sign a pledge on all assignments that their work was completed honestly
  
• Instruct about proper research techniques, including note-taking strategies and citation methods
• Inform students of such resources as the Writing Studio, reference texts, Web sites, etc.

As Follow-Up

• Act on suspected cases of academic integrity violations (as required by the Faculty Handbook)
• For undergraduates, call Office of Student Conduct in the Dean of Students Office (684-6938) to discuss appropriate steps
• Discuss matter with student and inform him/her of referral of case to appropriate officials (for undergraduates, Office of Student Conduct)
• Refer parent calls/email in reaction to a suspected case of academic dishonesty to the Office of Student Conduct. We want to reduce any stress that may be placed on you.
• If incident occurs at the end of the semester, do not submit a course grade until matter resolved through the appropriate process. (Grading is at discretion of instructor, however.)

Procedures for Handling Cases of Suspected Academic Dishonesty

The Faculty Handbook requires faculty who suspect an instance of academic dishonesty to contact our office (919-684-6938) for advice and guidance on how to approach the issue. We will be happy to discuss with you what you have suspected, check the disciplinary history of the student in question, offer to check the full text of a student's paper (if that is in question), and discuss with you appropriate next steps.

If a suspected case of academic dishonesty is one in which the student in question has no prior academic offense, and, if it went before the Undergraduate Conduct Board would result in a sanction of disciplinary probation or less, the faculty member may choose to resolve the matter through a faculty-student resolution.

If it is more appropriate for a suspected case of academic dishonesty to be referred to our office for resolution, Stephen Bryan, associate dean for Student Conduct, will ask the faculty member for a copy of all related materials as well as a cover letter outlining surrounding circumstances. The faculty member should let the student know that the matter has been referred to the Office of Student Conduct. At that point, the student should communicate directly with our office about the matter. If there is sufficient information to believe that a violation may have occurred, the case may be forwarded to a hearing panel. The panel will determine whether a violation occurred and, if so, will impose an appropriate sanction. If the student denies responsibility, the faculty member will likely be asked to attend the hearing to answer questions about the class or the assignment. That is, the faculty member will serve as a witness only. If a student willingly accepts responsibility for academic dishonesty, the case may be resolved directly with the Office of Student Conduct staff without proceeding to a hearing.

Grading 

Grading for an assignment or the course for a student who has committed academic dishonesty is up to the discretion of the instructor. The Undergraduate Conduct Board will not recommend a grade to be assigned. Most faculty choose to give a student an 'F' on the assignment in question. Some faculty choose to give an 'F' in the course, and a few instructors discount either the assignment or the final course grade. Note that if the outcome of a disciplinary process results in a finding of "not responsible," grading may not be based upon a belief that the student did in fact cheat.

If an incident arises at the end of the semester and has not yet been resolved through our process, a grade for the student should not be submitted until the case has been resolved. Do not submit an "Incomplete."  Submit an "N," or "no grade."  

Other Services We Provide

We recognize that you do not have a lot of time to be looking for source material for suspected plagiarized papers. We are happy to do that for you and let you know what we find. Then, if appropriate, you may resolve the matter through a faculty-student resolution or we can commence our formal disciplinary process.

Missing a lecture during the semester? Don't cancel class-- we'd be happy to come into your classroom and discuss with students academic integrity issues and potential pitfalls they can avoid as they work on their assignments. Contact us and we'll confirm our availability.

Background

In 1999-2000, Duke University took part in a nationwide assessment of academic integrity on college campuses. The results were informative and sobering. Almost half of the undergraduates completing the survey reported that they had engaged in unauthorized collaboration one or more times since coming to Duke. Almost 40% had copied a few sentences without footnoting, or had falsified laboratory or research data. Only about a quarter of respondents thought that unauthorized collaboration, receiving substantial unpermitted help on assignments, or falsifying data were serious matters. On the faculty side, the survey revealed that our faculty were not as engaged in promoting academic integrity as their colleagues at other private universities with honor codes: they spoke about it less in their classrooms, included less information about it on their syllabi, and brought fewer cases of suspected dishonesty to the judicial officer.

In the face of these data, the campus began to mobilize more cohesively and intensively to address the issues and to improve the state of academic integrity at Duke. The Academic Integrity Council was formed in 2001 to play a major role in this process. In Fall 2003 a new honor code, the Duke Community Standard, took effect.

In the fall of 2005 another survey was given to undergraduates and the faculty who teach them.  Results showed a decline in most self-reported areas of cheating.  Regarding faculty behavior,  more instructors placed information about academic integrity on their syllabi.  Our next in-depth survey is scheduled for the 2010-11 academic year.

A revised Duke Community Standard was implemented in the fall 2007 semester.  This new version emphasizes an obligation to act-- to do something- in the face of behavior contrary to the ideals of the DCS.