All students enrolled in a University of Colorado Boulder course are responsible for knowing and adhering to the Honor Code. Violations of the policy may include plagiarism, cheating, fabrication, lying, bribery, threat, unauthorized access to academic materials, clicker fraud, submitting the same or similar work in more than one course without permission from all course instructors involved, and aiding academic dishonesty. All incidents of academic misconduct will be reported to the Honor Code (honor@colorado.edu; 303-492-5550). Students who are found responsible for violating the academic integrity policy will be subject to non-academic sanctions from the Honor Code as well as academic sanctions from the faculty member. Additional information regarding the Honor Code academic integrity policy can be found on the Honor Code website.The purpose of the Honor Code is to create an environment where students can succeed in a fair and honest way. It allows academic integrity to flourish by recognizing the importance of trust, respect and responsibility.
But when students are overwhelmed with new classes or in a rush to get things done, they may intentionally or unintentionally engage in academic dishonesty due to the pressure around succeeding academically. While the consequences may limit their chances of achieving academic success, there are things faculty and staff can do proactively to help ensure that students are not making these mistakes.
Here are five things faculty and staff should know that will help students understand and follow the Honor Code. CU Boulder Honor Code standards may be new for some students
Every student has a different educational background. Whether they are first-year, transfer, international or domestic students, the CU Boulder Honor Code standards may be different or stricter than their previous experiences. Encourage your students to review CU’s Honor Code and come to you if they have questions about Honor Code policies in your class.
You may also consider reminding your students about the impact of violating the Honor Code. Here are some examples that you could communicate to your class:
Recognize that CU faculty have a responsibility to report any suspected academic misconduct. Engaging in academic misconduct can negatively affect others.
Being found responsible for violating the Honor Code can result in greater impacts than just a poor grade.
Be sure to remind students that getting support proactively can help prevent adverse outcomes. Students can reach out to faculty or Student Support & Case Management when they need support.
Let your students know that Honor Code violations may be different in each class Here are some additional situations during an online project or exam where you would want to give clear expectations in writing on the course syllabus:
Which resources are students allowed to use during open-book exams, including the internet or just the textbook and course materials?
Is it okay to upload course material to a study site and access that material during the exam?
Can students talk to a classmate over Zoom or another platform while screen sharing? Ensure students are informed about Honor Code violations at the beginning of the semester and before big projects or exams. It’s most helpful to use specific examples related to your course and reference the particular sections in your syllabus. While there are campus-wide academic integrity expectations, there may be standards unique to your class. Faculty should consider what cheating would look like in your class and not assume students will know your expectations.
For example, in-person versus remote classes may have different expectations. Some faculty may encourage open-book exams, while others do not allow students to bring their notes to tests. There may also be confusion over how similar answers can be if students share information and collaborate when working together on a project. With new AI technology available, it’s vital to educate students on the AI policy for your class and when they may and may not use AI for papers, projects, exams or other assignments.