BC Academic Integrity Day An Overview of the Process at TRU THOMPSON RIVERS UNIVERSITY | October 2019 The current academic integrity situation at Thompson Rivers University: Challenges faced and strategies employed THOMPSON RIVERS UNIVERSITY | October 2019 2 “Thompson Rivers University (TRU) students are required to comply with the standards of academic integrity set out in this policy. It is the responsibility of TRU employees to take reasonable steps to prevent and to detect acts of academic dishonesty. It is an instructor's responsibility to confront a student when such an act is suspected and to take appropriate action if academic dishonesty, in the opinion of the instructor, has occurred.” - Student Academic Integrity, TRU Policy ED 5-0. THOMPSON RIVERS UNIVERSITY Student Academic Integrity Policy (ED 5-0) • • • • Senate policy Primary contact Office of Student Affairs Sub Committee of Senate Centralized reporting and record keeping and case management by Office of Student Affairs • Review of initial report and evidence • Preparation of case files for Committee • Committee receives redacted case files • Communication with Students • Communication of outcomes to Students, Faculty, Admin and Registrar's Office • Reports out to Senate annually • Education to Faculty and Students THOMPSON RIVERS UNIVERSITY Office of Student Affairs 5 Committee Composition • Composition of the Committee is embeded in policy regulations • At least 6 Faculty Members – no more than one from each School or Faculty nominated by Faculty Council • 1 Dean • 1 Graduate Student • 3 Undergraduate Students • 1 TRU World representative • 1 Open Learning representative • 1 Library representative • Director of Student Affairs (ex-officio, non voting) • Recording Secretary provided by Office of Student Affairs • Members serve a term of 3 years • Student members serve 1 year term • Quorum consists of 50% of committee where 2 members must be students and 2 members must be Faculty Forms of Academic Dishonesty Cheating – an act of deception by which a student misrepresents (or assists another student in misrepresenting) that he or she has mastered information on an assignment, test, project or other academic exercise that the student has not mastered. • Copying test or assignment • Allowing someone to copy a test or assignment • Using materials not authorized • Collaborating during a test or receiving information without authority • Using exam aids or other no-authorized materials Forms of Academic Dishonesty Academic Misconduct – tampering with grades, obtaining or distributing any part of a test or assignment or engaging in any other means of academic deception. • Stealing, buying or obtaining a test or answer key etc. • Selling or making available to others all or part of a test or assignment • Obtaining or distributing administered test or assignment • Unauthorized entry to a building/office to change grades or obtain materials • Changing or altering grades • Impersonating another student or permitting someone to impersonate you in any assessment Forms of Academic Dishonesty Fabrication – intentional use of invented information or the falsification of research or other findings. • Listing sources in a bibliography not used • Inventing data or a source of information • Submitting as one’s own any academic exercise prepared totally or in part by another person • Citing information not taken from the source indicated Forms of Academic Dishonesty Plagiarism – Inclusion of someone else’s words, ideas, images or data as one’s own work without acknowledgement through complete, accurate and specific citations and if verbatim statements are included through quotation marks or block format. Self Plagiarism – handing in all or part of an assignment completed for another course without consent of the instructor. 11 12 Procedural Fairness in Administrative Law and The Work of The Academic Integrity Committee Embedded in our process is the notion of procedural fairness. The Policy: In the administration and adjudication of cases of alleged academic dishonesty, the Office of Student Affairs and the Academic Integrity Committee shall be guided by the following principles: 1. The right to a fair process, including for the participants to be initially informed of that process and their rights in the process, and to be informed of substantive decisions at each stage. 2. The right of participants to the support of an advisor or peer of their choosing at all stages of the process, provided that there is no right to counsel at hearings of the Academic Integrity Committee. 3. The right to know the details of the case including the right to view all written evidence. 4. The right to make submission and to provide responses to the submissions of others with the student being allowed the final submission. 5. The right to an impartial adjudicator. 6. The right to an expedient adjudication to normally take place within sixty (60) days of the commencement of the case. 7. The right of a student to be presumed innocent until a finding is made. 8. The right to reasonable confidentiality. 13 Academic Integrity Cases September 1, 2010 - August 31, 2019 700 600 579 500 400 346 300 187 200 138 103 100 2011/12 2012/13 116 112 2013/14 2014/15 100 63 0 2010/11 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 14 15 16 Type of Academic Integrity Infractions Type of Academic Integrity September 1, 2010 - August 31, 2019 700 600 500 400 278 300 249 201 200 100 71 19 42 2 0 60 25 35 2 5 3 2 2011/12 2012/13 24 3 5 114 95 85 84 25 38 2 0 3 2 2014/15 2015/16 86 71 51 5 17 9 17 14 0 2010/11 Plagiarism 2013/14 Cheating Fabrication 2016/17 Academic Misconduct 2017/18 Total 2018/19 Course Level Level of Course September 1, 2010 - August 31, 2019 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 2010/11 UPREP 2011/12 1000 Level 2012/13 2000 Level 2013/14 2014/15 3000 Level 2015/16 4000 Level 2016/17 5000 Level 2017/18 6000 Level 2018/19 Totals Sanctions Progressive Dicipline • Faculty make a recommendation • Policy outlines that Committee is tasked with sanctioning • 1st offence typical sanctions include: • A reprimand • A reduced grade or chance to rewrite • Zero for the assignment or exam • If the committee determines it’s a multiple offence, a progressively harsher sanction will be applied: • Typically an F in the course for a 2nd offence • Recommendation of suspension for 3rd offence or more • At TRU only the President can suspend 19 Trends • • • • Overall increase in cases Increase in multiple offences Increase in recommendations for suspensions Increase in contract cheating cases being identified 20 A Year of Improvements • • • • • • • • • • • Process Review Updated Web-Site New Print Materials Development of Flow Info-Graphics Purchase of ID Scanner Targeted Education Video Additions Update to Case Report Forms Addition of Learning Strategist Addition of Faculty Fellowship Task Force • St THOMPSON RIVERS UNIVERSITY | JANUARY 2015 21 Faculty of Student Development Storyteller 22 Policy & Process Review Ongoing Process • • • • • • Update pronouns within policy OLFMs are not identified within membership Challenges with quorum Current process not sustainable as case numbers rise Staffing levels need to increase to support increased case numbers Structural issues within process 23