As circumstances change and when remote learning is the preferred method for instruction and learning, it remains that all students enrolled at the University are bound by the Honor Code as set forth in the Instrument of Student Judicial Governance.
As the University continues to offer instruction remotely, the Office of Student Conduct encourages continued conversations about academic integrity. Currently, we are addressing the issue of academic integrity and an increase in reports of the use and misuse of subscription based-tutoring websites, and other websites that provide for the sharing of course materials.
Due to the increase in referrals, we encourage faculty members, instructors, and students to continue to report suspected violations of the Honor Code to our office. If you are a faculty member or instructor and need to request additional information from a tutoring website (or related website) prior to referring the case to our office, you must complete the “Faculty and Instructor Letter of Request to Website,” and a professional staff member will generate a letter on behalf of the faculty member or instructor. Once the letter is generated by the Office of Student Conduct, the letter will be forwarded directly to the requesting party to request and review additional information, if any, from the website. In the event there is a basis to refer a student for an alleged Honor Code violation, the faculty member or instructor will submit the report for further review to the Office of Student Conduct.
In furtherance of supporting students and instructors in remote learning environments, we hope that you will share any suggestions and resources with us at jpa@unc.edu as they become available to you.
Those teaching classes remotely may find it helpful to consider the following:
Create clear and specific expectations related to remote instruction and academic integrity that are aligned with the principles outlined by the Center for Faculty Excellence on the "Keep Teaching" website.
Consider that assessment tools that were used while instructing in the classroom are not transferable to instructing the same or similar course remotely. The University encourages faculty and instructors to identify alternative assessment tools as outlined by the Center for Faculty Excellence.
Review the Instrument of Student Judicial Governance and contact the Office of Student Conduct if you have questions.
Create syllabi that are clear about expectations relevant to each and every assignment and exam; include information about identified behaviors that have warranted previous referrals to the Honor System. For example, if the use of unauthorized materials (e.g., web-based tutorial websites including, but not limited to, Chegg.com, Course Hero, etc.) are strictly prohibited, additional language that is explicit and explains what and why the behavior relevant to the use of these resources are prohibited.
Those students participating in remote learning may find it helpful to consider the following suggestions and resources including:
Please review the Instrument of Student Judicial Governance and contact the Office of Student Conduct if you have questions.
Take additional time to seek out and ask for clear and specific expectations related to remote instruction and academic integrity.
Identify and utilize resources including those outlined below if you need additional support.
If syllabi are not clear, take the additional time to ask clarifying questions and ask for examples of unauthorized behaviors that may warrant a referral to the Honor System.
The Office of Student Conduct and the Honor System will continue to consider ways to support students and help to inform teaching practices during times of remote learning. Moreover, our guiding principles for supporting all members of the campus community using technology to instruct and learn must shift in order to foster honest and ethical student engagement in the classroom.
We encourage students and instructors to access additional resources that include the following:
As always, please contact us if you have questions or would like additional resources.
Office of Student Conduct
The following information is designed to help instructors understand ways to discuss the Honor Code in the classroom and syllabus, confront a student who may have engaged in academic dishonesty, and how to submit a referral to the Honor System for review.
As always, questions may be directed to the Office of Student Conduct at (919) 962-0805 or jpa@unc.edu.
