Senate considers issue of
academic integrity
By Laura Pelner
Campus
Editor
The University Senate was asked to formally begin
discussing academic dishonesty and raising awareness of the importance
of academic integrity at the senate's meeting Monday.
Olivia Wood, associate professor of foods and nutrition
and chair of the senate's Student Affairs Committee, asked the senators
to talk to their colleagues about the issue and to discuss it in class
with their students as well.
"We need to revitalize discussion of academic integrity
at Purdue," Wood said.
She said research shows dishonesty is increasing
at the college and high school levels and that it's more of an issue
on larger campuses.
Wood also said the research shows that schools
that make an effort to raise awareness of the issue through discussion
and the formation of an honor code have fewer instances of dishonesty.
Academic integrity has been an issue in front of the senate for years
and Wood said the senate may take action on it soon.
"I anticipate returning in the spring to vote on
a document," Wood said. The document would probably include some sort
of a written honor code, which Purdue doesn't have now. Academic integrity
is addressed in the University Regulations but there is no formal code.
Wood said that even if a code were adopted nothing
would really change on campus. The aim of the code would be to raise
awareness.
"(Change) can't take place in one semester or one
year," Wood said. "It will fail if we don’t continue to talk about
it."
She said the issue would not go away nor would
it eradicate cheating but having a formal code would help the issue.
Chip Edwards, a member of the Purdue Engineering
Student Council, told the senate the Schools of Engineering have an
honor code and that he's thrilled to hear the senate wants to implement
the same thing for the entire university.
Larry Glickman, professor of epidemiology and environmental
health and acting chair for Monday's meeting, supported the idea of
an honor code and said the policy would pertain to all groups on campus.
Also at its meeting Monday, the University Senate
approved the recommended changes to the withdraw/failing grade. The
changes would probably take effect next semester.
Under the new plan, the failing designation won't
be figured into a student's grade point average. However, the W/F grade
will still appear on a student's transcript.
The senate also approved a document reapportioning
the senate. Joseph Camp, professor of biological sciences, said there
will be no changes in the senate's structure.
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