What Faculty Can Do to Encourage Academic Integrity

The faculty play a critical role in creating a climate of honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility. Students rely on the faculty to establish clear class expectations, to promote an atmosphere in which learning with integrity is encouraged, and to confront situations of academic dishonesty. Faculty teach in different formats and have differing philosophies about teaching. Here are several useful general strategies that teachers are encouraged to adopt in the classroom.

• Include a statement about the Honor Code on your syllabus. The University's recommended statement is provided for your reference at this link: Syllabus Statement
• Stress the importance of academic integrity in class. Discuss why it should matter to the student, why it matters to you, to your discipline, and to Baylor University.


• Indicate how citation shows respect for other scholars.


• Be a role model: Cite sources in your lectures.


• Encourage students to come to you if they are confused about citation practices or other research standards.


• Make sure your students understand not only what counts as plagiarism and cheating but also how to avoid engaging in these practices. Talk to them about managing their time, taking notes correctly, and using the Internet appropriately.


• Explain your expectations clearly. Provide written guidelines about collaborating with peers, citing sources, using notes or exams from previous classes, and accessing information during an examination.


• Reduce the opportunities and hence the temptation to cheat on exams.


• Act on suspected cases of academic integrity violations - students interpret inaction as a lack of caring about the issue. Discuss these cases with the chair of the Honor Council or contact the director of the Office of Academic Integrity at 254-710-8882.


• Reporting cases of academic integrity violations is important since it could be possible that the student has demonstrated similar behavior in other classes. If the violations are not reported, then that pattern of behavior may continue.

This information on this page was taken, with permission, from Duke University's 2002-2003 "Academic Integrity at Duke: A Guide for Teachers of Undergraduates."