Syllabus Statements
Faculty at UMW are required by our handbook (§5.4.6) to include a statement of adherence to the Honor Code. There is no standard statement that faculty must use, although the syllabus must contain a statement that affirms that the Honor Code applies to all elements of the course.
Faculty are encouraged to explain the application of the Honor Code to students in a way that is personal to them, relevant to their discipline, and specific to their course. This can happen in class or on the syllabus. At minimum, a good syllabus statement should include the following as appropriate:
- The rules and expectations for independent work and collaboration for the course
- The rules and expectations for citation
- The rules and expectations for appropriate sources
- The rules and expectations that govern exams and quizzes
- Any other behavior that would be construed as dishonest in the context of the course
Some example syllabus statements are provided below as examples, but faculty are encouraged to create their own statements just as we ask students to create work that is uniquely their own.
Honor Code: All work in this course is covered by the UMW honor code. Please pledge all assignments. Except where specifically indicated otherwise, all work in this course is to be completed individually. Please do not discuss tests or quizzes with others. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT CONSTITUTES CHEATING OR PLAGIARISM IN THE CONTEXT OF THIS COURSE, PLEASE SEE ME EARLY.More information is available here: http://academics.umw.edu/academicintegrity.
Academic Integrity in this class: All work in this class is expected to be your own, completed by you specifically for this class. If you receive tutoring or any other help, in person or online, you must indicate that on the assignment, including any relevant links or contact information for live tutors. Note that campus resources notify me on your behalf, so that’s not required. For everything in this class, all sources must be cited. Sharing course materials with anyone outside the class is prohibited. All use of commercial homework assistance for anything related to this course is prohibited, and considered an honor code violation! Use campus resources and please contact me for help! (Dr. David Rettinger)
Honor System: All graded work (hourly exams, online exercises, ALEKS, extra credit assignments, graded assignments, final exam) must be your own. Online submission constitutes you abiding by the Honor System and pledging as such. All written work must have the Honor Pledge written in full and your signature. You must use these words: I hereby declare upon my word of honor that I have neither given nor received any unauthorized help on this work. Signed It is recommended that the suggested problems (i.e., not submitted for a grade) be done individually and then as a group when questions arise. No late assignments will be accepted. Please, discuss difficulties with the homework problems or lecture material with me. (Chemistry 101)
Academic Dishonesty
The UMW Honor System is in effect for our course. I may authorize specific assignments as collaborative work, but all other work must be your own, as per Article 1, Sections 1 and 2 of the University of Mary Washington Student Honor Code. Academic dishonesty typically boils down to taking credit for someone else’s work. Whether you’ve done so accidentally or maliciously, it’s still an honor violation. Some examples include:
- Including a quote in a blog post without identifying the source of that quote
- Using an image in a blog post without permission from its copyright holder
- Asking another student to “edit” your paper for you
- Creating a blog entry or essay that is mostly quotes, even properly attributed quote (Games and Culture)
Honor and Integrity
I trust and expect you will act with honesty and integrity in all that you do in this course and beyond. It is difficult for me to imagine working with anyone if I cannot trust they always tell the truth.
Yet I will monitor your work for signs of inappropriate collaboration and plagiarism. I do this because if one person cheats it is not fair to everyone else and, as Pres. Ronald Reagan said “trust, but verify.” I’m just not doing my job if I don’t keep an eye on the possibility of student cheating.
I ask that you do your part by following the UMW Honor Code and pledging all work for this course. (Dr. Alan Griffith)
