Academic Integrity Best Practices for Faculty

It is helpful if you clarify academic and behavioral expectations at the beginning of the semester, and reach an agreement with students on standards for classroom conduct. When establishing guidelines for behavior in your course it is important that you only articulate the standards you are willing to enforce. You have broad authority to manage your classroom, so exercise that authority with compassion and self-restraint. Apply standards fairly and consistently, as students will recognize and resent perceived unfairness.

  • Promote academic integrity in and out of the classroom
  • Educate our students about the expectations here at WSU
  • Empower our students to take pride in their academic work and to add greater value to their educational career at WSU

WSU Syllabus Statement

Academic integrity is the cornerstone of higher education. As such, all members of the university community share responsibility for maintaining and promoting the principles of integrity in all activities, including academic integrity and honest scholarship. Academic integrity will be strongly enforced in this course. Students who violate WSU’s Academic Integrity Policy (identified in Washington Administrative Code WAC 504-26-010 (4) will receive [insert academic sanction (e.g., fail the course, fail the assignment, etc.)], will not have the option to withdraw from the course pending an appeal, and will be reported to the Center for Community Standards.  

Cheating includes, but is not limited to, plagiarism and unauthorized collaboration as defined in the Standards of Conduct for Students, WAC 504-26-010 (3). You need to read and understand all of the definitions of cheating.  If you have any questions about what is and is not allowed in this course, you should ask course instructors before proceeding.

If you wish to appeal a faculty member's decision relating to academic integrity, please use this form. Make sure you submit your appeal within 21 calendar days of the faculty member's decision.

Syllabus Best Practices

Emphasizing the importance of academic integrity in the course syllabus will assist you in addressing it on the first day of class. Information should specify what academic behaviors are prohibited, how you will manage academic integrity violations, and any consequences that may result.

  • Be clear about what style you expect students to use when citing in written work.
  • Be clear about what written work needs citations: homework, drafts, final paper, etc.
  • Be clear about what type of collaboration or group work is allowed and what is not. Discuss items such as sharing notes, studying together, working on homework, and tutoring.
  • Be clear about what is your intellectual property and what is not. Discuss commercial note-taking and lecture materials.
  • Be clear about what will happen if you suspect any integrity violations.
  • Include the WSU Syllabus Statement

Chegg Honor Code Investigation

If an instructor has reason to believe that students are using or posting unauthorized course content to Chegg, they can request that the Center for Community Standards initiate an honor code investigation through Chegg. This investigation can remove content from the website or identify users that have accessed content on the Chegg website. Chegg requires that Center for Community Standards initiate the process.

Submit a Chegg Honor Code Investigation Request