Assessments and Academic Integrity

Spring 2020 presented significant challenges for adapting assessments and maintaining academic integrity, and many of those challenges will continue. If you have ideas or recommendations for addressing assessments and academic integrity, please contact Dennis Shea.

Remember that the role of faculty in academic integrity is educational. Faculty are expected to provide an environment that encourages and supports academic integrity. When you believe a student may have violated academic integrity, your first step is to have a conversation with the student. Your role is to educate them on the importance of integrity in academics and for their future professional life. Don’t draw a final conclusion until you have given the student the opportunity to meet with you. And we encourage faculty to talk with Associate Dean Dennis Shea prior to talking with the student to review the process.

If you conclude that a student has violated academic integrity, we encourage faculty to report ALL violations, no matter how minor. You may make the sanction for a violation appropriate for the situation. Failure to report minor violations means that a student may violate academic integrity many times without an opportunity to address the pattern of questionable actions. We want to create an environment where students learn from their mistakes and understand the importance of building strong habits of making the right choices.

Canvas links

•  Refer to the material on academic integrity in the Teaching Strategies for Fall 2020 Canvas course.
  • Academic Integrity Overview and Instructions
  • Academic Integrity Violation Examples
  • Academic Integrity Training Assignment

University links

• While Penn State announced that faculty could not require students to use webcams in the spring, there is an exception for assessments, with advance notice and options for students who do not have a webcam.
• Exam proctoring through both Zoom and Examity is available. Costs for the latter will need to be discussed with your department and the college.
• Consider alternative assessment methods for high-stakes exams. The Keep Teaching website and the Schreyer Institute for Teaching and Learning have ideas for adapting assessments. Faculty can also take advantage of testing security options in Canvas to reduce the likelihood of violations.
• Set a learning environment that encourages and enhances integrity – speak personally about why integrity matters to you, design a student honor code, or have students complete the academic integrity training.