I Suspect a Student Cheated. Now What Do I Do?
Learn more here about recognizing the nine definitions of academic misconduct, your options to address academic misconduct, and your role in the processes.
Learn More HereWhy Involve The Aggie Honor System Office?
Faculty should consider reporting all cases of academic misconduct to the Aggie Honor System Office for a number of reasons. These include:
1. Identify repeat violators
The AHSO serves as the record keeper and clearinghouse on academic integrity violations for the university and can verify whether a student has a prior violation. These students need to be identified so that they can receive the education that they need to be successful moving forward.
2. Ensure consistency
While faculty members may choose to assign appropriate sanctions for cases that they report, the AHSO ensure that student and faculty rights are protected throughout the process. This is not to ensure consistency from a sanctioning perspective, except for cases referred to the Honor Council, but to ensure procedural consistency.
3. Protection from a grade dispute
Student grades that are impacted as a result of academic misconduct may not be appealed through the University’s Grade Dispute Process (Student Rules 48 and 59). Students who are not properly referred through the AHSO’s process and have their grade impacted due to an accusation of academic misconduct stand a better chance of having the grade changed through the process outlined in Student Rule 48.
4. Utilize the expertise of the Aggie Honor System Office
The AHSO processes more than 1200 cases of academic misconduct every year. We will facilitate the process from start to finish for both Autonomous and Honor Council proceedings.
Templates for Initial Contact with Students
The following is an example email Faculty may send to students that will not trigger a concealed carry weapon restriction or an in-person meeting, but still meets the Aggie Honor System Office's procedural requirements for addressing a case autonomously.
Dear [Student]:
This email serves as notification that I believe you have engaged in academic misconduct in my course. Specifically, information I have received indicates to me that you may have [cheated, plagiarized, etc.] on [assignment] during [course and section number] on or about [date or occurrence]. The information that supports these suspicions includes: [list information that supports the charges of academic misconduct].
Consistent with the University's processes, you must respond to this allegation in writing by [Date that is 5 University Business Days in the future]. I will consider your response, and if necessary, engage the Aggie Honor System Office. Following your response, and consistent with the University's Processes for potential Honor Code Violations, you will be provided with additional options regarding this situation.
If you would like to discuss this matter in-person, please let me know at least 24 hours in advance. There are steps I must follow per the University's process before we can visit about this matter in-person.
Additional information about the University's processes may be found at http://aggiehonor.tamu.edu.
Thank you,
[Your Name]
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Any in-person meeting subsequent to this email regarding these allegations will trigger a Concealed Carry Weapon Restricted Space. Faculty members raising these allegations should understand they are welcome to meet with students in-person to discuss this matter, but the process for establishing a Concealed Carry Weapon Restricted Space must be followed. This information is located at http://ccrr.tamu.edu.
If you only want to engage the student in writing regarding this allegation, please respond to any questions as fully as possible so that they can accurately respond to the allegations. All correspondence about the allegations should occur in writing and must be shared with the Aggie Honor System Office upon filing of the violation report.
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The following is an example of an email Faculty may send to students that will trigger a concealed carry weapon restriction for an in-person meeting. Note that this meeting must be submitted to the Aggie Honor System Office for approval of the Weapons Free Area at least 24 hours prior to the meeting's occurrence. Approvals are contingent on the allegations having been previously delivered to the student in-writing or through email. The form for submission of this request is located at http://ccrr.tamu.edu. If you need assistance completing this form, please call the Aggie Honor System Office at 979.458.3378. Due to the nature of the approval process for declaring a University space Concealed Carry Weapons free, once an allegation is delivered to students in-writing, the meeting may not occur immediately.
Dear [Student]:
You must contact me to arrange a meeting to discuss potential academic misconduct, including allegations of [cheating, plagiarism, etc.], related to [assignment/coursework to be discussed]. This meeting may not occur during my normally scheduled office hours and must be scheduled at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting. The deadline for scheduling and attending this meeting is [5 University Business Days from date of the email]. If you do not schedule and attend a meeting with me by this deadline, then I may address my concerns through any University Processes at my disposal.
I understand that you may have questions about this meeting and want it to occur sooner. Please understand that I am bound by University Rules and Processes in this matter.
I look forward to hearing from you to schedule a meeting. If you would like more information about the University's Processes, please visit http://aggiehonor.tamu.edu.
[Your name]
Teaching Tips to Prevent Academic Misconduct
Beyond just putting the required wording about the honor code in your syllabus, there are things you can do as an instructor to discourage academic integrity violations.
As part of the minimum syllabus requirement, instructors are required to include an academic integrity statement and policy that states the Aggie Code of Honor and refers to the Aggie Honor System Office Rules and Procedures on the AHSO website.
There are other elements that you can include in the syllabus to help discourage academic misconduct and provide support for you if someone in the class cheats.
- Communicate writing and citation expectations early and often.
- Establish expectations of how students should or should not collaborate on assignments.
- Clarify policy on group work and what happens if one student commits academic misconduct.
- Explain some of the consequences for a student who commits academic misconduct. As a reminder, the AHSO’s rules say, “The usual sanction for a first offense is an F*.”
Other proactive measures include:
- Proctor your exams closely. If you are in a large lecture hall it is wise to have more than one proctor monitoring the room. Regularly walking around the room and observing the student's behavior will deter any malfeasance.
- If you have a suspicion a student might be cheating during an exam and are concerned about having proof of the violation, intervene in a way that quietly changes the environment. This could include standing between the student and the apparent target. Asking the student to move to a different seat or quietly asking the target to cover their own paper more carefully.
- Ask students to move all backpacks, cell phones, food, drinks, and any other item not essential to completing the test to the side of the room or at least out of arm's length or line of sight.
- If a calculator is required for the exam, make sure all potential formulas are erased from memory; the calculator cover is put out of arm's length or sight range; or allow only the use of a four function calculator if possible.
- Pick up all blue books prior to the test and redistribute them at random.
If your class is writing-intensive, there are techniques you can use in designing the assignment and how it is submitted.
- Work with students to submit large projects in sections and watch for dramatic shifts in writing style and ability.
- Utilize plagiarism databases, such as Turnitin.com, to allow students to check their work prior to turning it in to you as well as checking it once you have received it. For assistance with setting up or using Turnitin.com, contact Instructional Technology Services.
- Direct students to resources that can provide assistance in avoiding plagiarism in their writing and citing styles.
Syllabus Resources For Faculty
The University has adopted an academic integrity statement that is included on every syllabus. This document includes optional statements designed to clarify individual faculty expectations.
For the “Academic Integrity Statement and Policy” information, please see Student Rule 20.1.1.4.
Faculty may supplement this minimum syllabus requirement with course-specific expectations. In an attempt to assist faculty as they build these supplemental statements, the Aggie Honor System Office has compiled these resources from faculty peers and colleagues. They have given permission for other faculty to use, modify, and edit these statements for inclusion in their own academic policies.
Submit your Supplemental Syllabus Statement
If you would like to share your personal academic integrity statement for your colleagues to utilize, please submit a copy of it online and the Aggie Honor System Office may host it here. We are happy to update your statements at any point, so feel free to submit revisions using this same form.
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.
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.
Assistance in Removing Copyrighted Materials from Hosting Sites
Faculty who are made aware of their copyrighted materials being posted or hosted on websites may use these templates and contact information to help them get this information removed.
Copyrighted Material Removal