Academic
Integrity
All students enrolled in JHU courses have received and have access to
information as to what constitutes appropriate and inappropriate
academic behavior. This type of information need not be repeated here.
However, most programs experience unfortunate incidents, and
we need to avoid such incidents. In addition, and perhaps
equally important, we need avoid even
the appearance or suspicion of such occurrences. We should be diligent
in this respect, if for no other reason, as a courtesy to our
classmates and as a show of respect towards our programs of study.
Exams
Exams
create anxiety. This is unavoidable. Students worry about their grades,
their reputations, job prospects, etc. Students also worry about their
performance relative to their classmates (sometimes, unnecessarily) and
feel very demoralized when they believe that their classmates deviate
from normal test-taking procedures (cheat). It is not necessary for
students to actually cheat to demoralize their classmates; the mere
appearance of cheating is sufficient to cause problems and heighten
anxieties. This is one anxiety that all of us can help mitigate. We can
act in a more considerate manner towards our classmates by, whenever
possible, adhering to the following:
1.
Do not leave the classroom while
the exam is being administered
until you have submitted your papers to the course instructor. An
exception to this rule is where a break is permitted between parts of
exams, but only after your paperwork for the relevant part has been
submitted.
2. Do not
talk to other
students during the administration of an exam for any reason. It
does
not matter what is being said; students seated far away would not hear
what is being said. But any communication between students raises
classmates’ suspicions and should be avoided at all times.
3. Cellular telephones and other communications
devices should never be used or even be visible to any person at any
time during the administration of an exam. Avoid bringing cellular
telephones and other prohibited electronic devices to class if
at all
possible. If this cannot be avoided, the phone or device should be
turned off and closed inside a bag or other container at all times.
Students are very sensitive about the possibility that classmates might
communicate with others during the administration of an exam.
4.
Do not look at or near your
classmates’ work during an
exam.
While this suggestion seems obvious enough to be unnecessary, many
students do this out of habit. In fact, students given different exams
are often aware of the differences between their exams and those of
their classmates (even subtle differences) before they complete them.
Make every effort of avoiding the appearance looking at or near those
of your classmates.
5. Allow as much as
space as possible between you and your classmates when sitting for an
exam. Obviously, this is very difficult in a crowded room. But, many of
us have noticed how it seems more likely that all seats in the back of
a classroom are occupied during an exam than seats near the front of
the room. Taking seats in the front of the room further away from
classmates can be considered an act of courtesy. Even moving seats so
as to make additional space might be appropriate when the instructor
has not already ordered them for the exam.
6.
During an exam, try to sit away from your “friends”
and/or other
classmates that you normally sit near. Of course, sitting near your
friends is by no means a violation of any academic code. And this
should not be taken to be an exam requirement. However, this
simple courtesy can do quite a lot to put other classmates’ minds
at
ease.
7. When an exam (or portion
thereof) is administered as a closed-book exam, do not engage in any
activity that might be construed as accessing books or other printed
materials. Reaching into a bag, pocket, desk drawer, etc. has the
possibility of being construed as seeking inappropriate materials, even
when the intent is entirely innocent. It is best to keep any books,
papers and other materials off desks and tables during the
administration of exams, unless they are explicitly permitted.
8.
Avoid the use of any electronic device during an exam, except as
explicitly permitted by the course instructor. This includes computers,
calculators (very often, these are permitted for exams requiring
computations), translators, dictionaries, PDAs, cell phones, etc. Do
not use a cell phone or other communications device as a calculator or
even as a clock.
9. Please do not feel offended in the instructor or
proctor asks you to move to another seat prior to or before the exam.
This should not be taken to be motivated by suspicion, but more as a
demonstration that the instructor is trying to keep exam-taking
conditions fair and to appear to all that he is taking the issue
seriously.
10.
There are quite a few other considerations as well, and you can
certainly imagine many more. Notes scribbled on a hand, crib sheet, hat
visor, etc. should all be avoided for closed-book exams. Perhaps, more
importantly, do consider how even a simple act on your part might be
misconstrued by someone else, and try to avoid creating a basis for
such misconceptions.
The list above should not be construed as
necessarily representing any JHU, AAP or even individual instructor
policy. However, it is simply in our best interest to make every effort
and show
every willingness to respect the concerns and anxieties of our
classmates, professors and administrators in the Lally school. All of
us know the right thing to do (or at least whom to approach for advice)
in exam settings. However, we should be proactive in addressing issues
of academic integrity. In addition, we should make effort to appear to
be maintaining a high standard of academic integrity. Nonetheless, for
Professor Teall's classes, assume that on any in-class exam, a student
will receive the grade of "F" for the course if the instructor has
determined that any of the following violations of rules occur. This
list is not exhaustive:
1. The student either receives or provides
exam-information to or from any other person, other than the course
instructor, at any time during the exam is being administered.
2. The student is in possession of a cell
phone, computer, personal digital assistant or any other device,
electronic or otherwise, capable of communicating or displaying
exam-related information, and that device becomes visible or audible to
the instructor, to any other student or any person (including the
student in possession) during the administration of the exam.
Calculators (but not computers that display non-numerical characters)
will be permitted if this permission is explicitly stated either on the
exam or as announced by the instructor. If a student must bring such a
device to the exam, he or she should notify the instructor or proctor
(who might deny permission), and maintain that device in a sealed,
fully-enclosed non-transparent container that will remain unopened
during the administration of the exam. This container shall not be
inside any pocket or touching any portion of the student's clothing.
3. During the administration of an exam or
part thereof identified as "closed book," the student views, places
within his or her view any papers, written materials,
calculators, electronic devices, or anything else that does, or
might convey information relevant or might be relevant to the exam.
4. During the administration of any
exam, the student views (or appears to view) or otherwise obtains (or
appears to obtain) information from the exam, papers, materials,
calculators or any other item or items in the possession of another
student or person except for the instructor or proctor.
5. The student leaves the room in which
the exam is being administered for any reason without the explicit
permission of the instructor. Students should not ask for such
permission except in the event of an emergency. The instructor may
explicitly designate times during which departing the room is permitted
(e.g., between closed-book and open book portions of exams). Students
need not obtain permission to depart the exam room during these
explicitly designated times. In addition, the instructor may permit
students to leave the exam room in the event of emergency, in some
instances when the student is willing to submit the exam (or portion
thereof) as being completed and ready to grade.
6. Under no circumstances may a student use
any communication device or share any written material with other
students during the administration of the exam.
The instructor or proctor may make exceptions to this classroom exam
policy at his or her discretion as deemed reasonable to maintain
fairness and order and to make exceptions for emergencies, certain
disabilities known to appropriate Institute officials, etc.
Papers, Projects, Take Home Exams
and
other Take Home Assignments
Whereas
the guidelines listed above should be taken as advice for students, the
guidelines listed below should be taken as policy to be carefully
adhered to by all students in all submitted work.
1. Do be aware of and follow all JHU and AAP rules,
policies and guidelines concerning all assignments.
2. In all cases, students should carefully cite any
work, paper, book, article, Internet site, electronic communication or
software, whether published or unpublished, that was consulted or
otherwise used as a reference for their own work.
3. Any material that was copied or paraphrased into a
student’s work must be appropriately
footnoted (endnoted or
otherwise
cited) along with appropriate publication or other details. Sufficient
information should be provided in the citation for the instructor or
other reader to access the referenced material as easily as possible.
4.
Any non-written materials (e.g., oral communication, classmate
assistance, television, etc.) must be cited as well. Appropriate style
manuals can be consulted for citation style.
5.
All projects are to be considered to be independent projects (or
independent with respect to an assigned group),
completed without assistance of others except for the course
instructor, except in the case of projects specifically identified as
being group projects.
6. Authors of
term papers should take great care in ensuring that their papers are
well-written and conform to appropriate style and Institute academic
honesty guidelines.
7. Groups and their
members should not collaborate with other students and groups in the
preparation of this case, though, of course, students working together
in a group should collaborate with other members of their group.
Updated 01/02/2021