Syllabus Resources for Faculty

“An Aggie does not lie, cheat or steal, or tolerate those who do.”

“Texas A&M University students are responsible for authenticating all work submitted to an instructor. If asked, students must be able to produce proof that the item submitted is indeed the work of that student. Students must keep appropriate records at all times. The inability to authenticate one’s work, should the instructor request it, may be sufficient grounds to initiate an academic misconduct case” (Section 20.1.2.3, Student Rule 20).

You can learn more about the Aggie Honor System Office Rules and Procedures, academic integrity, and your rights and responsibilities at: http://aggiehonor.tamu.edu.

 

Academic Integrity Statement and Policy
“An Aggie does not lie, cheat or steal, or tolerate those who do.”
(Dr. Roblyer’s Note: Why? Because trust is the foundation of honor and of education. Without trust this university and our world would become a miserable, horrid place.)

Dr. Roblyer’s Addendum: As a Former Student, faculty member, retired military officer, father, and Roblyer, I take the Aggie Honor Code very seriously. I want all of you to do the same, going beyond the memorization of the 13 words it contains to actually knowing why it exists and how it is enforced. I believe this is so important that I am willing to take time to teach you about the Aggie Honor System, as well as hold myself and my students responsible for upholding it. Through assignments in this course, all of my students will learn about multiple aspects of the Honor Code and the university rules against academic misconduct that put teeth in the Code. Violations of those rules in my past courses have included:

• Copying, passing, or otherwise misusing, exam, assignment, and extra credit materials
• Preparing for exams with “exam-like” materials that I did not provide and have not approved
• Obtaining, receiving, or providing unauthorized assistance or assistance that provides an unfair advantage
• Forging, or altering excuse documentation
• Copying answers during exams
• Obtaining help from others on individual assignments

Because you are an Aggie, I am extending to you the trust conferred to those who fully understand and faithfully adhere to our Honor Code. Abuse of this trust will damage your honor, your academic standing, the reputation of this institution, and the foundation of the superb educational process offered here. Additionally, the university’s recommended sanction for a first-time honor violation is an F* in the course. Know that I will report and sanction all honor code violations. 

University rules concerning [academic misconduct] will be rigorously enforced in this class. Plagiarism is defined in the TAMU Student Rules as the “appropriation of another person’s ideas, processes, results, or words without giving appropriate credit.” You should credit your use of anyone else’s words, graphic images, or ideas using standard citation styles. Moreover, you may not submit your own work from another course or work submitted for this course in a previous semester. Ignorance of the rules does not exclude any member of the TAMU community from the requirements or the processes of the Honor System. A single incident of cheating may lead to an F* in the class.

Note that late written assignments are accepted: submitting an assignment late is far better than plagiarizing. See the “Late Work Policy” in the preceding section. 

All examinations in this course are closed book, closed note, and closed neighbor exams. Video monitoring and other technological means may be used to supplement documentation of acts involving [academic misconduct]. The instructors of this course regard [academic misconduct] as a very serious offense and disciplinary action will be taken. Sanctions will include a grade of zero on the examination and a grade of “F*” in the course.
Unless indicated, all laboratory assignments, In Class Questions, Variable Sets, etc., are to be done independently. Sharing of lab data, In Class Questions, Variable Set answers, Visual Physiology, etc., is not allowed. Use of unauthorized materials for exam review or sharing of exam information with other students is not allowed.

[Academic Misconduct] of any form is not tolerated in this course. If you engage in an act of [academic misconduct], there is a very high probability that you will be caught. The capabilities and talents of the instructors to identify and verify cheating and their commitment to [ensuring the integrity of their course] should not be underestimated. Almost every semester, one or more students fail to take this warning seriously. Please do not jeopardize your reputation, academic studies or future professional career.

Policy on Academic Integrity: Why it is important
Technical competence: I want you to be able to perform well technically as an engineer. I want each of you to be able to perform well individually.
Personal integrity: I want you to be ethically competent. While you may be able to succeed in the short term by being unethical, just as you may get good grades by cheating in school, long- term success can only be achieved with ethical behavior. Cheating damages your self-worth and is a behavior based on lying to yourself and others.
Fairness: Those who cheat have an unwarranted advantage over those who don’t.
The Aggie Code of Honor: I am also bound by the Aggie Code of Honor. I will not tolerate those who cheat.
What I Will Do
1. I will do everything I reasonably can to prevent cheating.
2. When I determine a cheating violation has occurred I will (a) report it through the Aggie Honor System Office (AHSO) and (b) punish the students involved.
What Constitutes Academic Misconduct 

• During an examination or quiz, looking at another student’s work or using external aids (for example, books, notes, conversation with others, internet resources, etc.) unless specifically allowed in advance by instructor.
• Exceeding the allotted time for quizzes or exams.
• Acquiring answers for any assigned work or examination from any unauthorized source. This includes obtaining information from students who have previously taken the examination or quiz.
• Knowingly allowing another student to copy your work during a quiz or exam.
• In this course, getting help on homework is not considered dishonest. You must work the homework individually but you may ask instructors, TA/graders or other students for help.

Reporting an Academic Violation – What Happens

• I will report the violation to the AHSO, regardless of the magnitude of the violation.
• The report is submitted online and includes (1) the details of the violation, (2) an election to handle autonomously or refer to the Honor Council, (3) specification of sanction, and (4) student acknowledgement of acceptance/ rejection of violation and/or sanction. You have the right to appeal to the AHSO.
• Importantly, you are now logged into the AHSO system. If there is a second violation, you will automatically go before the Honor Council.
• I will treat students giving unauthorized help the same as students receiving help; same course sanctions and reporting to AHSO.

The Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering is committed to the academic integrity of all courses and degree programs it offers.  To this end, all incidents of Academic Misconduct will be reported to the Aggie Honor System Office, regardless of whether the instructor chooses to handle the case autonomously or refer the case to the Aggie Honor Council for investigation.    Definitions of Academic Misconduct can be found at https://aggiehonor.tamu.edu/Rules-and-Procedures/Rules/Honor-System-Rules#Definitions.