Academic IntegrityStudent Guide to

at Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Published by the WPI Dean of Students Office, with support from the WPI Committee on Advising and Student Life, August 2011

12

Student Guide to

Academic Integrityat Worcester Polytechnic Institute

A Message from the Dean of Students Office

The Dean of Students Office has developed the Student Guide toAcademic Integrity at WPI to articulate to students the high value WPI places on academic integrity. The guide is intended to assist thecommunity in understanding the subject of academic honesty and toorient students to WPI’s specific policies and procedures. It alsoprovides hints about how to avoid becoming involved in a case ofacademic dishonesty.

Topics covered:

• WPI Aspirations for Academic Integrity

• What Constitutes Academic Dishonesty at WPI

• A Look at Academic Honesty at WPI

• Responsibilities of Students

• What If I Am Accused of Academic Dishonesty?

• Academic Dishonesty Flow Chart

• Facts and Myths about Academic Dishonesty at WPI

• Hints to Avoid Committing an Act of Academic Dishonesty

The Dean of Students Office welcomes comments and suggestions from students on ways to enhance this guide. Email us at dean-of-students@wpi.edu.

For more informaton about Academic Integrity, please consult theAcademic Honesty website, www.wpi.edu/offices/policies/honesty.html.

Hints to Avoid Committing an Act of Academic Dishonesty

Consider implementing the following best practices to minimize orprevent being accused of an act of academic dishonesty:

• Make sure that you are aware of each professor’s guidelines forAcademic Honesty at the beginning of each course. If yourprofessor does not articulate his/her guidelines in the course syllabus or on the first day of class, do not hesitate to ask him/herquestions about what specifically constitutes cheating in the course.Do not assume that the guidelines for one professor or one classapply to all your classes.

• Pay particular attention to class guidelines about group and projectwork and when it is appropriate to work in teams. The same holdstrue for homework or computer programs. If you are confused orunclear, ask your instructor for clarification.

• If you are not permitted to work together on assignments, usecaution when you are helping a classmate. Do not lend your home -work, provide copies of exams or quizzes, or provide assistance whenit is specifically prohibited. Some students have tried to help out afriend, only to find themselves accused of facilitating academicdishonesty.

• If you are having difficulty with an assignment, homework, orproject, don’t cheat. Get help from your professor, teachingassistant, or tutor.

• When doing research or writing a paper, make sure that you givefull and proper credit to your sources, including those from theInternet, and appropriately attribute direct quotes. An excellentresource is a copyright booklet entitled “Campus Copyright Rightsand Responsibilities,” which is located at www.aau.edu/reports/Rights_and_Responsibilities_2005.pdf. Remember that it is just as easy for your professor to search the web for your sources as it was for you to find them. If you are unsure about properdocumentation practices, make an appointment with the WritingCenter to educate yourself. Ask your professor about his/herspecific requirements for documentation. WPI also has access toRefWorks, an on-line program that helps you create an on-linebibliography and reference tracking system. It helps you keep trackof the sources you are using for your research, including the abilityto paste in sections of the text of the documents and your ownnotes about the sources. Go to http://libguides.wpi.edu/refworks.

2 11

WPI Aspirations for Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a fundamental principle of learning and anecessary foundation for all academic institutions, particularly thosededicated to independent project-based education, such as WPI.Violations of the principle deny the violators an opportunity toobtain confident command of the material they are credited withknowing, cheat their classmates out of deserved rewards andrecognition, debase the institution, and demean the degree that itawards. It is, therefore, a matter of great and mutual concern to allmembers of the WPI community that a concerted effort be made tomaintain high standards of integrity, both to protect the value of theeducational process in which we are engaged and to maintain thecredibility of the institution.

What Constitutes Academic Dishonesty at WPI

Individual integrity is vital to the academic environment becauseeducation involves the search for and acquisition of knowledge andunderstanding, which are, in themselves, intangible. Evaluation ofeach student’s level of knowledge and understanding is an essentialpart of the teaching process, and requires tangible measures such asreports, examinations, and homework. Any act that interferes withthe process of evaluation by misrepresentation of the relation betweenthe work being evaluated (or the resulting evaluation) and thestudent’s actual state of knowledge is an act of academic dishonesty.

The following acts constitute academic dishonesty at WPI:

Fabrication (examples)

• Altering grades or other official records

• Changing exam solutions after the fact

• Inventing or changing laboratory data

• Falsifying research

• Inventing sources

• Sabotaging another student’s work or academic record

appropriate without the student’s permission to determine if the studenthas any record of prior offenses involving academic honesty.

Myth:International students will be deported if they are found responsible ofacademic dishonesty.

Fact:Academic honesty violations are not reported to Immigration and CustomsEnforcement (ICE) for action against an international student. If a studentis in the United States on a visa and is suspended or expelled, the univer -sity must report that the student is no longer registered as a full-timestudent. Unless that student becomes accepted and enrolled as a full-timestudent at another institution, the ICE may begin the deportation processbecause the student is no longer “in status.”

Myth:A student’s judicial record is destroyed or sealed upon graduation orwithdrawal from the university.

Fact:Judicial records are maintained by the Dean of Students Office, and arekept separate from a student’s academic records. It is the policy of WPIthat judicial records shall be reportable by the Dean of Students Office fora period of two years from the date of graduation, transfer or withdrawalfrom WPI, except when the sanction includes suspension or expulsion. Incases involving suspension or expulsion from WPI, disciplinary recordsshall be kept in perpetuity. Records for cases that are pending completionof the hearing and/or sanction shall be kept in perpetuity.

Myth:Students found responsible of academic dishonesty are alwayssuspended from the university.

Fact:WPI does not subscribe to an automatic sanction for violation of itsAcademic Honesty Policy. Rather, each violation is reviewed individuallyand sanctioning takes into consideration the unique situation surroundingthe incident. Having said that, reviewing past precedent, most faculty who adjudicate cases within the department impose either a “0” for theassignment or an “NR” for the course. In cases where the student has aprior record of academic dishonesty, the Campus Hearing Board mostoften imposes a sanction of suspension or disciplinary probation.

10 3

Myth:My professor can lower my grade or give me an “NR” on anassignment (or an “F’ for a graduate student) if he/she suspects that I have committed academic dishonesty.

Fact:Faculty may impose punitive action only if the student has admittedresponsibility and agreed to the professor’s sanction. The maximumpenalty that can be applied at the department level is dismissal from acourse or a project without credit. If a student has a past record or thestudent claims innocence, the case must be referred to the CampusHearing Board. If the Board finds the student responsible, it canrecommend a grade action to the professor. The Campus Hearing Boardhas a greater range of sanctions, up to and including expulsion from WPI.

Myth:If I admit to academic dishonesty and accept an agreed uponsanction, my professor has the option to retain all records for the casewithout reporting the case to anyone.

Fact:All cases must be reported in writing to the Dean of Students Office citingthe student’s name, student ID number, facts of the case, and sanctionimposed. The student and faculty member must sign the report before it issent. This is the only way that the Dean of Students Office can accuratelyreport to another faculty member if a student has a past record and ensurethat a student does not have multiple violations in different courses that gounreported.

Myth:My academic dishonesty record will remain confidential and will notbe shared with anyone.

Fact:Records will be available to prospective employers and other authorizedindividuals in accordance with applicable state and federal law andregulations. Judicial records may be shared both internally (e.g., IGSD,honor societies) and externally (e.g., transfer applications, prospectiveemployers, law school) in accordance with federal regulations that requirewritten permission from the student involved. In keeping with the WPIAcademic Honesty Policy and the Constitution of the WPI CampusJudicial System, a student’s judicial record may be shared internally as

Plagiarism (examples)

• Misrepresenting the work of another as one’s own

• Inaccurately or inadequately citing sources, including those fromthe Internet

Cheating (examples)

• Using purchased term papers

• Copying exams, homework, or take-home exams

• Using unauthorized materials or sources of information (e.g., cheat sheet, preprogrammed calculator)

• Assisting another person in cases where prohibited

Facilitation (examples)

• Sharing test questions or answers from an exam with anotherstudent

• Letting another student copy a solution to a homework problem,exam, or lab

• Taking an exam for another student

• Assisting in any act of academic dishonesty of another student

A Look at Academic Honesty at WPIWPI has collected data about attitudes and practices associated withacademic dishonesty at the undergraduate level at the university. Thefollowing is a sampling of data from the most recent survey of bothfaculty and students.

Report of Undergraduate Students

One third of the students and over half of the faculty reported thatacademic dishonesty is a problem at WPI.

One third of the faculty reported that they had encountered a case of academic dishonesty in one of their classes.

More than half of the students saw another student cheat during an exam.

Over 80% of the faculty considered it dishonest to obtain an examquestion from a student who had already taken the exam. Accordingto faculty who witnessed cheating, the most common forms were:

4 9

• Working on assignments in groups when prohibited to do so

• Copying assignments, homework, or computer programs fromanother student

• Plagiarizing or not citing sources properly.

Responsibilities of Students

Students should make sure that they are familiar with WPI’s AcademicHonesty Policy, which is articulated in the WPI Student Planner andResource Guide. In addition to the institutional policy, individual facultymembers may have more specific guidelines for their classes. Studentsshould find out from each faculty member what their policies areconcerning evaluation procedures and their expectations pertaining toacademic integrity at the beginning of each course. These policies maybe outlined in the course syllabus, posted on the Web, or discussed inone of the first classes of the term. However, many faculty members maynot highlight their specific policies in any of these ways, and may onlyutilize the campus policy.

Because of the differences in disciplines and the type of work involved,faculty interpretation regarding what constitutes academic honesty mayvary across campus. Since project-based education places a strongemphasis on group work, students should be particularly attentive totheir professors’ distinction between group work and individualperformance expectations. If a student is in doubt about what isexpected of him/her or how he/she will be evaluated, it is always betterto seek clarification from his/her instructor rather than run the risk ofviolating the academic honesty policy.

What If I Am Accused of Academic Dishonesty?

The WPI faculty and administration have developed a set ofprocedures designed to ensure uniform (and fair) treatment ofundergraduate or graduate students suspected of academic dishonesty.

1. When a faculty member suspects that a student has committed anact of academic dishonesty, he/she will investigate the situation andconsult with his/her department chair. The chair or instructor willcheck with the Office of the Dean of Students to determine if thestudent has any record of prior offenses involving academicdishonesty.

Myth:I’ve been told that I should accept responsibility for cheating and takean NR for the course even though I know I did not cheat because, if I don’t, the Campus Hearing Board will impose something far worse.

Fact:While it is true that the Campus Hearing Board can impose more serioussanctions, the WPI Campus Hearing Board is not something to be feared.The Hearing Board was established to protect students’ rights and providethem with an opportunity for an unbiased board of their peers to hear thefacts of the case and decide whether a violation of WPI’s Code of Conductoccurred. Information about the Campus Hearing Board and your rightsunder the WPI Judicial System is available in the Student Planner andResource Guide and from the Dean of Students Office.

Myth:All faculty members are in agreement about what level of studentcollaboration on homework or projects constitutes academicdishonesty.

Fact:Each faculty member establishes his/her own rules and limits regardingcollaboration. A student may erroneously assume that what was allowed in one course applies to another course as well. Students should listencarefully to their professors’ expectations at the beginning of the course toeliminate incorrect assumptions. Students should ask if they are unsureabout the limits on collaboration on group work.

Myth:Unless a faculty member catches me in the act of cheating there is noway to prove that I cheated, so no disciplinary action can be takenagainst me.

Fact:The standard used in campus judicial hearings is “preponderance of evidence,” not “beyond a shadow of doubt.” Also, hearsay andcircumstantial evidence is considered by the hearing board. An example of circumstantial evidence might be for a faculty member to present to theBoard that it would be impossible for two students to do the same work on an assignment without cheating.If

yo

u h

ave

an

y q

uest

ion

s a

bo

ut W

PI’s

Aca

dem

ic H

on

esty

Po

licy

, ca

ll t

he

Dea

n o

f St

uden

ts O

ffic

e, x

52

01

.

8 5

6. Judicial records are maintained by the Dean of Students Office,and are kept separate from a student’s academic records. It is thepolicy of WPI that judicial records shall be reportable by the Dean ofStudents Office for a period of two years from the date of graduation,transfer or withdrawal from WPI, except when the sanction includessuspension or expulsion. In cases involving suspension or expulsionfrom WPI, disciplinary records shall be kept in perpetuity. Recordsfor cases that are pending completion of the hearing and/or sanctionshall be kept in perpetuity. Records will be available to prospectiveemployers and other authorized individuals in accordance withapplicable state and federal law and regulations. Judicial records maybe shared both internally (e.g., IGSD, honor societies) and externally(e.g., transfer applications, prospective employers, law school) inaccordance with federal regulations that require written permissionfrom the student involved. In keeping with the WPI AcademicHonesty Policy and the Constitution of the WPI Campus JudicialSystem, a student’s judicial record may be shared internally asappropriate without the student’s permission to determine if thestudent has any record of prior offenses involving academic honesty.

Facts, and Myths, at WPIMyth:Academic honesty is not given much attention at WPI and studentsare rarely brought up on academic dishonesty charges.

Fact:WPI takes the academic integrity of its students very seriously, and all casesof academic dishonesty are rigorously adjudicated. Over the past five years,academic dishonesty cases have remained fairly consistent in number.During the 2010–11 academic year, there were 77 academic dishonestycases initially reported to the Dean of Students Office. Of these, 42 werefound responsible. The remaining cases were either dismissed by faculty(33), were found not responsible by the Campus Hearing Board (1), or arepending a hearing (1).

2. The faculty member will consult with the student involvedregarding the alleged act of academic dishonesty. If after discussingthe situation with the student, the faculty member feels that there isnot sufficient evidence to substantiate the allegation, the case will bedropped and not pursued any further.

3. If the student admits responsibility for the act of academicdishonesty and it is the first violation of that nature, the complaintmay be resolved within the department. As part of this resolution,there will be a penalty assigned by the instructor or department chair.The maximum penalty that can be applied at the department level isdismissal from a course or a project without credit. In order to resolvethe case at the department level, the student must sign a documentthat indicates that he/she accepts responsibility for the charge as wellas the sanction assigned by the faculty member. The faculty memberalso signs the document, which is sent to the Dean of Students Officeand to the student’s Academic Advisor. Students are not required to resolve the case at the department level, and should not feelintimidated or pressured to do so.

4. Students and/or faculty may request that a case be heard by theCampus Hearing Board in lieu of a departmental agreement. Thisoption may be used when a student does not accept responsibility forthe charge or does accept responsibility but feels that the sanctionoffered by the faculty member is too severe. In cases involving repeatviolations of the academic honesty policy, the case is automaticallyforwarded to the Campus Hearing Board for resolution.

5. The Campus Hearing Board will hear the allegations followingstandard procedures for disciplinary hearings established by WPI. TheBoard may impose normal disciplinary sanctions and may recommendloss of any credit or grade for the course or project. If a student isfound not responsible on a complaint of academic dishonesty, he/shemay not be failed or penalized by the instructor on the grounds ofdishonesty. The instructor must assign a grade based on his/herassessment of the student’s mastery of the material being evaluated.Faculty must allow the student to continue in the course withoutprejudice, pending resolution of the case.

Continued on page 8

CASE CLOSED

Student foundnot responsible

Student foundresponsible

Decision and sanction letter sent

Student does not appeal

CASE CLOSED

Student appeals

PRESIDENTIALAPPEALSBOARD

Appeal denied,decision upheld

CASE CLOSED

Appeal accepted

Sanction modifi ed

CASE CLOSED

Meet with student

Student admits and accepts sanctions

Student signs letter

Copy of letter sent to Dean of Students

PProfessor suspects student of academic dishonesty

P

P

Professor confers with Department Head

Checks with Dean of Students for previous recordPrevious

record N

CAMPUSHEARING

BOARDStudent does not admit

CASE CLOSED

optional

Case remanded to CHB for re-hearing

7

7

8 5

6. Judicial records are maintained by the Dean of Students Office,and are kept separate from a student’s academic records. It is thepolicy of WPI that judicial records shall be reportable by the Dean ofStudents Office for a period of two years from the date of graduation,transfer or withdrawal from WPI, except when the sanction includessuspension or expulsion. In cases involving suspension or expulsionfrom WPI, disciplinary records shall be kept in perpetuity. Recordsfor cases that are pending completion of the hearing and/or sanctionshall be kept in perpetuity. Records will be available to prospectiveemployers and other authorized individuals in accordance withapplicable state and federal law and regulations. Judicial records maybe shared both internally (e.g., IGSD, honor societies) and externally(e.g., transfer applications, prospective employers, law school) inaccordance with federal regulations that require written permissionfrom the student involved. In keeping with the WPI AcademicHonesty Policy and the Constitution of the WPI Campus JudicialSystem, a student’s judicial record may be shared internally asappropriate without the student’s permission to determine if thestudent has any record of prior offenses involving academic honesty.

Facts, and Myths, at WPIMyth:Academic honesty is not given much attention at WPI and studentsare rarely brought up on academic dishonesty charges.

Fact:WPI takes the academic integrity of its students very seriously, and all casesof academic dishonesty are rigorously adjudicated. Over the past five years,academic dishonesty cases have remained fairly consistent in number.During the 2010–11 academic year, there were 77 academic dishonestycases initially reported to the Dean of Students Office. Of these, 42 werefound responsible. The remaining cases were either dismissed by faculty(33), were found not responsible by the Campus Hearing Board (1), or arepending a hearing (1).

2. The faculty member will consult with the student involvedregarding the alleged act of academic dishonesty. If after discussingthe situation with the student, the faculty member feels that there isnot sufficient evidence to substantiate the allegation, the case will bedropped and not pursued any further.

3. If the student admits responsibility for the act of academicdishonesty and it is the first violation of that nature, the complaintmay be resolved within the department. As part of this resolution,there will be a penalty assigned by the instructor or department chair.The maximum penalty that can be applied at the department level isdismissal from a course or a project without credit. In order to resolvethe case at the department level, the student must sign a documentthat indicates that he/she accepts responsibility for the charge as wellas the sanction assigned by the faculty member. The faculty memberalso signs the document, which is sent to the Dean of Students Officeand to the student’s Academic Advisor. Students are not required to resolve the case at the department level, and should not feelintimidated or pressured to do so.

4. Students and/or faculty may request that a case be heard by theCampus Hearing Board in lieu of a departmental agreement. Thisoption may be used when a student does not accept responsibility forthe charge or does accept responsibility but feels that the sanctionoffered by the faculty member is too severe. In cases involving repeatviolations of the academic honesty policy, the case is automaticallyforwarded to the Campus Hearing Board for resolution.

5. The Campus Hearing Board will hear the allegations followingstandard procedures for disciplinary hearings established by WPI. TheBoard may impose normal disciplinary sanctions and may recommendloss of any credit or grade for the course or project. If a student isfound not responsible on a complaint of academic dishonesty, he/shemay not be failed or penalized by the instructor on the grounds ofdishonesty. The instructor must assign a grade based on his/herassessment of the student’s mastery of the material being evaluated.Faculty must allow the student to continue in the course withoutprejudice, pending resolution of the case.

Continued on page 8

4 9

• Working on assignments in groups when prohibited to do so

• Copying assignments, homework, or computer programs fromanother student

• Plagiarizing or not citing sources properly.

Responsibilities of Students

Students should make sure that they are familiar with WPI’s AcademicHonesty Policy, which is articulated in the WPI Student Planner andResource Guide. In addition to the institutional policy, individual facultymembers may have more specific guidelines for their classes. Studentsshould find out from each faculty member what their policies areconcerning evaluation procedures and their expectations pertaining toacademic integrity at the beginning of each course. These policies maybe outlined in the course syllabus, posted on the Web, or discussed inone of the first classes of the term. However, many faculty members maynot highlight their specific policies in any of these ways, and may onlyutilize the campus policy.

Because of the differences in disciplines and the type of work involved,faculty interpretation regarding what constitutes academic honesty mayvary across campus. Since project-based education places a strongemphasis on group work, students should be particularly attentive totheir professors’ distinction between group work and individualperformance expectations. If a student is in doubt about what isexpected of him/her or how he/she will be evaluated, it is always betterto seek clarification from his/her instructor rather than run the risk ofviolating the academic honesty policy.

What If I Am Accused of Academic Dishonesty?

The WPI faculty and administration have developed a set ofprocedures designed to ensure uniform (and fair) treatment ofundergraduate or graduate students suspected of academic dishonesty.

1. When a faculty member suspects that a student has committed anact of academic dishonesty, he/she will investigate the situation andconsult with his/her department chair. The chair or instructor willcheck with the Office of the Dean of Students to determine if thestudent has any record of prior offenses involving academicdishonesty.

Myth:I’ve been told that I should accept responsibility for cheating and takean NR for the course even though I know I did not cheat because, if I don’t, the Campus Hearing Board will impose something far worse.

Fact:While it is true that the Campus Hearing Board can impose more serioussanctions, the WPI Campus Hearing Board is not something to be feared.The Hearing Board was established to protect students’ rights and providethem with an opportunity for an unbiased board of their peers to hear thefacts of the case and decide whether a violation of WPI’s Code of Conductoccurred. Information about the Campus Hearing Board and your rightsunder the WPI Judicial System is available in the Student Planner andResource Guide and from the Dean of Students Office.

Myth:All faculty members are in agreement about what level of studentcollaboration on homework or projects constitutes academicdishonesty.

Fact:Each faculty member establishes his/her own rules and limits regardingcollaboration. A student may erroneously assume that what was allowed in one course applies to another course as well. Students should listencarefully to their professors’ expectations at the beginning of the course toeliminate incorrect assumptions. Students should ask if they are unsureabout the limits on collaboration on group work.

Myth:Unless a faculty member catches me in the act of cheating there is noway to prove that I cheated, so no disciplinary action can be takenagainst me.

Fact:The standard used in campus judicial hearings is “preponderance of evidence,” not “beyond a shadow of doubt.” Also, hearsay andcircumstantial evidence is considered by the hearing board. An example of circumstantial evidence might be for a faculty member to present to theBoard that it would be impossible for two students to do the same work on an assignment without cheating.If

yo

u h

ave

an

y q

uest

ion

s a

bo

ut W

PI’s

Aca

dem

ic H

on

esty

Po

licy

, ca

ll t

he

Dea

n o

f St

uden

ts O

ffic

e, x

52

01

.

10 3

Myth:My professor can lower my grade or give me an “NR” on anassignment (or an “F’ for a graduate student) if he/she suspects that I have committed academic dishonesty.

Fact:Faculty may impose punitive action only if the student has admittedresponsibility and agreed to the professor’s sanction. The maximumpenalty that can be applied at the department level is dismissal from acourse or a project without credit. If a student has a past record or thestudent claims innocence, the case must be referred to the CampusHearing Board. If the Board finds the student responsible, it canrecommend a grade action to the professor. The Campus Hearing Boardhas a greater range of sanctions, up to and including expulsion from WPI.

Myth:If I admit to academic dishonesty and accept an agreed uponsanction, my professor has the option to retain all records for the casewithout reporting the case to anyone.

Fact:All cases must be reported in writing to the Dean of Students Office citingthe student’s name, student ID number, facts of the case, and sanctionimposed. The student and faculty member must sign the report before it issent. This is the only way that the Dean of Students Office can accuratelyreport to another faculty member if a student has a past record and ensurethat a student does not have multiple violations in different courses that gounreported.

Myth:My academic dishonesty record will remain confidential and will notbe shared with anyone.

Fact:Records will be available to prospective employers and other authorizedindividuals in accordance with applicable state and federal law andregulations. Judicial records may be shared both internally (e.g., IGSD,honor societies) and externally (e.g., transfer applications, prospectiveemployers, law school) in accordance with federal regulations that requirewritten permission from the student involved. In keeping with the WPIAcademic Honesty Policy and the Constitution of the WPI CampusJudicial System, a student’s judicial record may be shared internally as

Plagiarism (examples)

• Misrepresenting the work of another as one’s own

• Inaccurately or inadequately citing sources, including those fromthe Internet

Cheating (examples)

• Using purchased term papers

• Copying exams, homework, or take-home exams

• Using unauthorized materials or sources of information (e.g., cheat sheet, preprogrammed calculator)

• Assisting another person in cases where prohibited

Facilitation (examples)

• Sharing test questions or answers from an exam with anotherstudent

• Letting another student copy a solution to a homework problem,exam, or lab

• Taking an exam for another student

• Assisting in any act of academic dishonesty of another student

A Look at Academic Honesty at WPIWPI has collected data about attitudes and practices associated withacademic dishonesty at the undergraduate level at the university. Thefollowing is a sampling of data from the most recent survey of bothfaculty and students.

Report of Undergraduate Students

One third of the students and over half of the faculty reported thatacademic dishonesty is a problem at WPI.

One third of the faculty reported that they had encountered a case of academic dishonesty in one of their classes.

More than half of the students saw another student cheat during an exam.

Over 80% of the faculty considered it dishonest to obtain an examquestion from a student who had already taken the exam. Accordingto faculty who witnessed cheating, the most common forms were:

2 11

WPI Aspirations for Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a fundamental principle of learning and anecessary foundation for all academic institutions, particularly thosededicated to independent project-based education, such as WPI.Violations of the principle deny the violators an opportunity toobtain confident command of the material they are credited withknowing, cheat their classmates out of deserved rewards andrecognition, debase the institution, and demean the degree that itawards. It is, therefore, a matter of great and mutual concern to allmembers of the WPI community that a concerted effort be made tomaintain high standards of integrity, both to protect the value of theeducational process in which we are engaged and to maintain thecredibility of the institution.

What Constitutes Academic Dishonesty at WPI

Individual integrity is vital to the academic environment becauseeducation involves the search for and acquisition of knowledge andunderstanding, which are, in themselves, intangible. Evaluation ofeach student’s level of knowledge and understanding is an essentialpart of the teaching process, and requires tangible measures such asreports, examinations, and homework. Any act that interferes withthe process of evaluation by misrepresentation of the relation betweenthe work being evaluated (or the resulting evaluation) and thestudent’s actual state of knowledge is an act of academic dishonesty.

The following acts constitute academic dishonesty at WPI:

Fabrication (examples)

• Altering grades or other official records

• Changing exam solutions after the fact

• Inventing or changing laboratory data

• Falsifying research

• Inventing sources

• Sabotaging another student’s work or academic record

appropriate without the student’s permission to determine if the studenthas any record of prior offenses involving academic honesty.

Myth:International students will be deported if they are found responsible ofacademic dishonesty.

Fact:Academic honesty violations are not reported to Immigration and CustomsEnforcement (ICE) for action against an international student. If a studentis in the United States on a visa and is suspended or expelled, the univer -sity must report that the student is no longer registered as a full-timestudent. Unless that student becomes accepted and enrolled as a full-timestudent at another institution, the ICE may begin the deportation processbecause the student is no longer “in status.”

Myth:A student’s judicial record is destroyed or sealed upon graduation orwithdrawal from the university.

Fact:Judicial records are maintained by the Dean of Students Office, and arekept separate from a student’s academic records. It is the policy of WPIthat judicial records shall be reportable by the Dean of Students Office fora period of two years from the date of graduation, transfer or withdrawalfrom WPI, except when the sanction includes suspension or expulsion. Incases involving suspension or expulsion from WPI, disciplinary recordsshall be kept in perpetuity. Records for cases that are pending completionof the hearing and/or sanction shall be kept in perpetuity.

Myth:Students found responsible of academic dishonesty are alwayssuspended from the university.

Fact:WPI does not subscribe to an automatic sanction for violation of itsAcademic Honesty Policy. Rather, each violation is reviewed individuallyand sanctioning takes into consideration the unique situation surroundingthe incident. Having said that, reviewing past precedent, most faculty who adjudicate cases within the department impose either a “0” for theassignment or an “NR” for the course. In cases where the student has aprior record of academic dishonesty, the Campus Hearing Board mostoften imposes a sanction of suspension or disciplinary probation.

12

Student Guide to

Academic Integrityat Worcester Polytechnic Institute

A Message from the Dean of Students Office

The Dean of Students Office has developed the Student Guide toAcademic Integrity at WPI to articulate to students the high value WPI places on academic integrity. The guide is intended to assist thecommunity in understanding the subject of academic honesty and toorient students to WPI’s specific policies and procedures. It alsoprovides hints about how to avoid becoming involved in a case ofacademic dishonesty.

Topics covered:

• WPI Aspirations for Academic Integrity

• What Constitutes Academic Dishonesty at WPI

• A Look at Academic Honesty at WPI

• Responsibilities of Students

• What If I Am Accused of Academic Dishonesty?

• Academic Dishonesty Flow Chart

• Facts and Myths about Academic Dishonesty at WPI

• Hints to Avoid Committing an Act of Academic Dishonesty

The Dean of Students Office welcomes comments and suggestions from students on ways to enhance this guide. Email us at dean-of-students@wpi.edu.

For more informaton about Academic Integrity, please consult theAcademic Honesty website, www.wpi.edu/offices/policies/honesty.html.

Hints to Avoid Committing an Act of Academic Dishonesty

Consider implementing the following best practices to minimize orprevent being accused of an act of academic dishonesty:

• Make sure that you are aware of each professor’s guidelines forAcademic Honesty at the beginning of each course. If yourprofessor does not articulate his/her guidelines in the course syllabus or on the first day of class, do not hesitate to ask him/herquestions about what specifically constitutes cheating in the course.Do not assume that the guidelines for one professor or one classapply to all your classes.

• Pay particular attention to class guidelines about group and projectwork and when it is appropriate to work in teams. The same holdstrue for homework or computer programs. If you are confused orunclear, ask your instructor for clarification.

• If you are not permitted to work together on assignments, usecaution when you are helping a classmate. Do not lend your home -work, provide copies of exams or quizzes, or provide assistance whenit is specifically prohibited. Some students have tried to help out afriend, only to find themselves accused of facilitating academicdishonesty.

• If you are having difficulty with an assignment, homework, orproject, don’t cheat. Get help from your professor, teachingassistant, or tutor.

• When doing research or writing a paper, make sure that you givefull and proper credit to your sources, including those from theInternet, and appropriately attribute direct quotes. An excellentresource is a copyright booklet entitled “Campus Copyright Rightsand Responsibilities,” which is located at www.aau.edu/reports/Rights_and_Responsibilities_2005.pdf. Remember that it is just as easy for your professor to search the web for your sources as it was for you to find them. If you are unsure about properdocumentation practices, make an appointment with the WritingCenter to educate yourself. Ask your professor about his/herspecific requirements for documentation. WPI also has access toRefWorks, an on-line program that helps you create an on-linebibliography and reference tracking system. It helps you keep trackof the sources you are using for your research, including the abilityto paste in sections of the text of the documents and your ownnotes about the sources. Go to http://libguides.wpi.edu/refworks.

• If you are using old copies of tests to study and prepare for an exam, make certain this is allowed by your professor and, if so, doso with caution. Many professors will make subtle changes in examquestions from year to year.

• In an exam setting, keep your eyes on your own paper. Guard yourown paper during an exam so that it is not easy for someone tocopy from you.

• Plan ahead. When you procrastinate or leave things until the lastminute, feelings of desperation and panic may lead you to considercheating as a solution to your lack of preparation. Leave yourselfenough time to properly prepare assignments and projects, and tostudy for tests.

• If you see a fellow student committing an act of academicdishonesty, do not hesitate to report him/her to the professor.

Published by the WPI Dean of Students Office, with support from the WPI Committee on Advising and Student Life, August 2011

Academic IntegrityFaculty Guide to

at Worcester Polytechnic Institute