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Printer-Friendly ModeAcademic integrity Web site launched
September 12, 2005 —
Several faculty, staff, and students have been working over the past year to research and develop a Web site and a network of resources that will propel SVSU to a higher level of academic integrity.
"The reputation of an institution is its capital," says President Eric R. Gilbertson on the Web site. "It creates value for degrees granted. SVSU's reputation is based on preparedness and professionalism of its graduates. Therefore, a culture of academic integrity is fundamental to the reputation of SVSU in the community."
In 2004 the SVSU Foundation awarded the group a Foundation Grant intended to promote academic integrity. A committee was formed to help the University revise some of its policies regarding plagiarism and students better understand their ethical obligations.
"People come here to get a degree, but some don't really care how they get it," said Student Association President Emily Hammerbacher.
This is the type of attitude that the academic integrity taskforce hopes to change. Student Handbook rule 1.1.2 states that students "have an obligation to abide by standards of academic honesty which dictate that all their scholastic work shall be original."
Although the taskforce itself was recently formed and has only met once, they have high expectations for the 2005-06 academic year. They will sponsor workshops and a speaker series during the winter semester.
"The current plagiarism statement is too vague," Hammerbacher explained.
The taskforce will consider the language of the statement and decide if a new statement should be created or if SVSU should simply adopt the department of English's plagiarism statement.
According to research performed by SVSU student Swenja Granzow and Dr. Frank Dane, SVSU's James E. Finkbeiner endowed chair in Ethics, "many students report that a lack of clarity about rules easily serves as an excuse for breaches of academic integrity." Having policies stated clearly in the SVSU Student Code of Conduct will enhance students' ability to uphold academic integrity, they concluded.
Chaired by Dr. Robert S.P. Yien, vice president for Academic Affairs, the taskforce includes Dane, Diane Boehm, Melissa Seitz, Dr. Jesse Donahue, Chris Looney, Hammerbacher, Dan Strasz, and Merri Jo Brandimore.
"I am very excited about the task force and our goal," says the English department's Seitz, who also was part of the group that created the site. "I believe that we need a policy on academic integrity to demonstrate our committment to our students while they learn at our university and as they head out into the work force."
These resources and revisions will help instructors and students by improving the overall learning environment at SVSU. But academic integrity is important not only while students attend the university, but even after they graduate, Hammerbacher says.
"If one does poorly at a job, but got all 'A's at SVSU, it reflects poorly on the University," said Hammerbacher.
For more information on academic integrity, visit the Web site at www.svsu.edu/academicintegrity.
"The Web site shows the importance of a culture of integrity, both at the University level and as students go out into the work force," Seitz says.
The Web site was developed by Boehm, director of the Writing Center, Dane, Seitz, and students Granzow, Andersen Bearden, and Deb Kraklow.