Addressing Academic Dishonesty in Your Syllabus

We recommend that you include a statement in your syllabus emphasizing that academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. The syllabus should also include test-taking rules such as "no baseball caps or hats," "no books," and/or "ID required." The University also encourages you to follow through by confronting students suspected of violating the policies.

A suggested general statement for the syllabus follows.

Policy on Academic Integrity:
Students who violate University rules on academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course and/or dismissal from the University. Since such dishonesty harms the individual, all students, and the integrity of the University, policies on academic dishonesty will be strictly enforced. For further information please visit the Student Judicial Services Web site: http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs.

The stated policy should not include predetermined outcomes, e.g., "Any cheating will result in an 'F' in the course." Such assertions are contrary to the discipline process, which includes appeal rights and other due process requirements. However, policy statements may certainly reference possible penalties and your typical recommendation in such matters, e.g., "An 'F' in the course will be the recommended penalty in most cases of scholastic dishonesty."

It is important that your syllabus also cover inividual policies relating to group projects and plagiarism. Students often claim they were unaware of academic integrity expectations because they were not outlined in the syllabus.

You might also want to consider attaching The University's Honor Code to your syllabus or even posting it in your classroom. You can download a pdf copy of the Honor Code here.