Academic Integrity

If you are considering alternative assessment and grading approaches, such as online assignments or exams, it is important to remind students about academic integrity. Under advisement from the Academic Senate, you are strongly encouraged to use the student statement below, requiring students to affirm that the work they submit is their own, at the start of online assignments or exams.

Research has shown that reminders about academic integrity, and how one defines academic integrity, can be important predictors to shaping students' actions (Tatum & Schwartz, 2017). Research also suggests that reminders about codes of conduct are best delivered prior to the assigned work, such as exams, projects, papers (Shu, Mazar, Gino, Ariely, & Bazerman, 2012). Students who feel that instructors use fair and transparent assessment and grading methods are less likely to engage in misconduct (Graham et al., 1994). The UC Davis Code of Academic Conduct provides language for faculty and students to define academic standards for the campus, and to remind students of their obligations to meet these standards.

Code of Conduct

A student who enrolls at Folsom Lake College may rightfully expect that students, faculty, and administrators will maintain an environment in which there is freedom to learn.

Student conduct must comply with federal and state laws, college rules and regulations, and Regulation R-2441: Standards of Conduct. Students who violate such rules and regulations are subject to disciplinary action.

Ways to Promote Academic Integrity

Many faculty have concerns about academic integrity (and disincentivizing cheating) in a remote learning environment. Alongside these concerns, consider the equity and inclusivity benefits and limitations of remote teaching and learning. The following approaches can help disincentivize academic dishonesty in remote teaching situations.

Student Integrity Statement - Have students sign an academic integrity statement prior to turning in an assessment or taking an exam.

This academic integrity statement would differ according to the instructor's discipline and assignment type. Such statements could be adapted from the relevant existing FLC Student Standards of Conduct website.

Low Stakes Quiz - Give a short, low-stakes quiz on the academic integrity statements of your choice (see FLC Student Standards of Conduct). Consider making completion of this quiz a prerequisite for submitting subsequent assignments.

Use Quiz Options to Randomize the exam experience - Canvas includes a series of options to help you shuffle the quiz answers or randomize the quiz questions using Question Banks.

Study Sheets - Have students turn in a photo of a study sheet that they’ve written by hand, and give them points for that as part of the exam.

Individualized Data - Create assignments that require an individual response or that require students to incorporate their own data or experiences into the response.

Team Work - Avoid concerns about students inappropriately consulting their peers by planning for them to work together on a test or assignment.