Fundamental to the academic work you do at Rensselaer is that you make choices that reflect integrity and responsible behavior. Academic integrity means being real with your work—doing your own thinking, giving credit when you use someone else's ideas, and staying honest even when it is tempting to cut corners. It is about showing respect for yourself, your classmates, and the value of your degree. Basically, it is doing the right thing—even when no one is watching—because your education only works if it is actually yours.
Instructor Tips
For tone-setting:
- Talk about academic integrity early and often; set expectations for academic life and living by a code of professional ethics
- Include the academic integrity policy in your syllabus and a statement on all exams and major assignments that students sign and date
- Outline any course specific standards and what is permitted as cooperative activity for homework, labs, group work, writing code, presentations, research, etc.
- Check out International Center for Academic Integrity (ICAI)
For exams:
- Remind students at the start of every exam
- Provide adequate and conscientious proctoring for exams; make sure TAs understand the tenants of academic integrity
- Ask students for identification during an exam
- Require that all personal belongings (textbooks, phones, bags, etc.) be placed away from desks in the exam room
- Rotate or personalize exam questions, change topics or data sets in assignments, and avoid using the same tests each term
- Share past exams with all students so students with access to past exams are not at an advantage
For labs, projects, and homework:
- Use software to determine if lab and project reports are plagiarized (available on LMS)
- Alter labs to prevent opportunities to recycle old lab reports (material tested, air foil design, the rate, etc.)
- Write new questions each year so solutions are not readily available
- Reduce the value of homework as a major portion of the course grade and consider giving pop quizzes regularly based on the homework
For responding:
- No negotiations, determine if the student is responsible and deliver an outcome
- Make sure your TAs understand what cheating and plagiarism are so they can assist with accountability
- Consult with the Dean of Students Office if student has any prior offenses
Student Tips
- Understand what counts as cheating
- Use tools the right way and ask your instructor what’s allowed
- Manage your time by breaking big tasks into steps or setting small deadlines for yourself
- Ask for help when in doubt (i.e. Consult with your instructors and campus resources before taking actions)
- Use plagiarism and AI detection tools to check your work
- Cite everything you use
- Stay honest – integrity is a long game that builds your skills and your reputation
