Suspect a student of cheating but don't have time or inclination to investigate? The University's new Honor Code obligates faculty members to report violations, but the duty of investigation and discipline now lies with the Office of Academic Integrity.

The office, created upon the recommendation of the Academic Integrity Task Force to the Faculty Senate, is charged with investigating all reported violations and administering sanctions warranted by each case.

"Under the old rule, each college managed suspected violations, but there wasn't enough consistency in sanctioning and no central reporting office to know what a student was doing in other classes," said Kelly Eifert, director of the Office of Academic Integrity. "Faculty members also had to do their own investigation, but a survey indicated that 40 percent of our faculty have known about cheating at some point and didn't do anything because they feared lack of support from administration or retaliation from students."

Under the new Honor Code, faculty members who suspect an academic violation in the classroom simply e-mail the basic facts to the Office of Academic Integrity at academicintegrity@sc.edu. After reading the report, Eifert or an associate will contact the faculty member to confirm a fact or get more information, then contact the student to investigate and, if warranted, an associate dean or assistant dean responsible for academic integrity issues.

"Depending on the situation, we might still encourage a faculty member to spend an educational moment with the student, pointing out why what the student did was wrong," Eifert said. "But it's my job to confront--I'm the one who will tell a student that he or she will receive a written warning or is suspended or expelled. We also will remind students that any attempt to retaliate against a faculty member is a violation of the University's Code of Conduct."

Because this is the first year of the new Honor Code and the new office, Eifert anticipates a spike of reports from faculty with perhaps 200 to 300 cases to investigate this academic year.

Eifert has spoken to faculty in several academic units to make them aware of the new Honor Code and of the new office. She's also encouraging them to talk with students about cheating and its consequences early in the semester.

"Asking students to sign a simple statement of academic integrity on an exam can reduce incidences of cheating exponentially," she said. "I would rather us be proactive than reactive."

To that end, Eifert also encourages faculty to address potential gray areas such as unauthorized collaboration on assignments. "Some assignments come with the expectation of group collaboration; others are expected to be independently completed. Make sure you say which is which," she said.

For students who commit a minor infraction or first offense, Eifert envisions mandatory attendance at an academic integrity workshop. Some violations could be handled with the University's new X grade, denoting an Honor Code violation.

"Confronting students about academic integrity issues doesn't have to be ugly, but it can be painful," Eifert said. "One thing we need to remember, though, is that discipline is part of education."

Learn more about the Office of Academic Integrity at www.sc.edu/academicintegrity.

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