Sample Syllabus Statement about the Academic Honor Policy

Information for TAs from Mark Licht:

Syllabi must include a statement about the Academic Honor Policy. One example of a policy statement is:

"The Academic Honor Policy of The Florida State University is based on the premise that each student has the responsibility to: 1) uphold the highest standards of academic integrity in the student's own work, 2) refuse to tolerate violations of academic integrity in the academic community, and 3) foster a high sense of integrity and social responsibility on the part of the University community. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!! Please note that violations of this Academic Honor Policy will not be tolerated. In particular, incidents of plagiarism of any type and/or cheating on assignments, exams, or quizzes will be rigorously pursued. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR KNOWING THE ACADEMIC HONOR POLICY, not only for this class but for all of your courses. Please read it in its entirety (found at http://www.fsu.edu/~dof/forms/honorpolicy.pdf; a link also is provided on the course web page) and ask me to clarify anything you do not understand."

It is not necessary or desirable to indicate specific sanctions for violations in the syllabus since the policy describes sanctions, which might vary depending on the nature of the offense. If your course includes papers or other activities in which plagiarism or other specific types of cheating can occur, it would be advisable to expand upon this basic statement by providing a more detailed description and examples of common practices that would constitute violations specific to those activities (indicate that these are examples, not an exhaustive list of violations). You also should be very clear about whether or not collaboration is allowed, particularly on homework and lab assignments. In addition to being in your syllabus, you should spend some time in class discussing these issues.