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Sample text for syllabus 

At the best of times, students can misunderstand an instructor’s expectations or make inaccurate assumptions about what the “rules” are. Instructors are encouraged to be explicit about what academic integrity looks like in their class. This signals to students that you care about academic integrity and will take violations seriously.

Listed below is suggested text for course syllabi that instructors can edit to meet the needs of the course.

Academic Integrity notification

Note to instructors:

Please edit the suggested text for length and relevance to your students.

Any work you submit for individual evaluation should be yours alone and that you recognize the work of others if you use their ideas, thoughts or material. The assignments have been designed to ensure that you learn the material. I ensure that all students are graded fairly and will take action against students who violate the academic dishonesty policy. Students who engage in any acts of falsification, misrepresentation, or deception will face penalties for violating SFU policy, which can include failure in the assignment and/or a FD-Failed for Discipline grade on your transcript. Listed below are some examples of academic dishonest behavior and my expectations for academic integrity in the course.

Plagiarism: This refers to passing off the work of another as your own. Make sure to cite all your sources if you incorporate the words or ideas of another person. This includes sources from books, journals, the internet, emails, live presentations (e.g. speeches) and even relevant conversations with other people. You can avoid plagiarism by appropriate citation and referencing in your papers, projects and presentations.

Inappropriate use of technology (including generative AI tools)

Instructors are to select one of the two options to indicate what is permissible in their course:

  • Option 1 (prohibition): The use of technology to produce content for your assignments that is not specifically listed in the syllabus as permissible is strictly prohibited. All submissions for grading must be your own work. This specifically includes a prohibition on artificial intelligence writing software such as ChatGPT and translation software as it will interfere with the learning objectives outlined for this course.
  • Option 2 (permission): If you are using any assistive technology to produce content that will be part of your graded work in the course, you must be transparent about the tools that you use. Undeclared use of the tool/technology will be considered a violation of the academic integrity policy. For example, if you use ChatGPT to assist you in your submission, you must acknowledge the use of the software and document the prompts used to generate the results. Be aware that any tool used will require you to evaluate the output for accuracies and be responsible for making the appropriate corrections.

Collusion/ Unauthorized Collaboration

You are expected to complete all assignments for this course on your own. When assigned individual work, it is unfair to collaborate and gain an unfair advantage over your classmates who complete their work on their own. Collusion includes sharing homework, quiz or test questions and answers with other students. Examples of collusion:

  • Working on answers with a friend for a homework assignment or during an open book exam
  • Using “tutoring websites” (e.g. Chegg.com, CourseHero) to find answers to assignment/ exam questions
  • Assisting others to cheat by answering questions that are posted to a Facebook/ WhatsApp group

Falsifying/ fabricating information

Do not misrepresent yourself or your work. The following are examples of prohibited behavior:

  • Making up sources or facts
  • Misrepresenting your identity by asking someone else to complete any portion of a course (i.e. make comment on a discussion board, i-clicker quiz, exam)
  • Falsifying or altering any documentation required by the University, including (but not limited to) doctors' notes in order to gain an academic advantage

Unauthorized use of note-sharing websites: You may come across websites that claim to help students by providing answers to test questions and encourage students to upload your instructor’s copyrighted material (e.g. lecture slides, exam questions, etc.) Sharing exam/assignment questions is strictly prohibited as this material is the intellectual property of the instructor and should not be shared in any format. Furthermore, beware of uploading your own completed assignments/essays as you could be assisting other students to cheat using your material. Assisting others to cheat is strictly prohibited in the SFU student academic integrity policy.

Note sharing sites expect their users to comply with the Honour Code of their organization. Their own policy mandates that they cooperate with an investigation of academic dishonesty. The SFU Academic Integrity Office routinely monitors these sites for evidence of cheating and will initiate discipline proceedings against students who violate the SFU Student Academic Integrity policy.

Unauthorized use of tutors/ editors: If you plan to use a tutor/editor, be aware that any work that you submit must always be your own. An ethical tutor will always focus on explaining concepts so that you can become an independent learner. You are violating the student academic integrity policy if:

  • a private tutoring company coaches you on how to complete an assignment
  • you buy/ sell/ swap assignment questions and answers on social media platforms like WeChat and Facebook
  • your use an editor (paid or unpaid) without permission of the instructor to revise, correct or alter your work

Contact me or your TA if you need help. Other authorized resources for help are the Library’s AskAway service for research support, the Student Learning Commons writing facilitators and the online WriteAway writing tutoring service.

Copyright notification for students

SFU Policy R30.04 Copyright Compliance and Administration requires all faculty, staff and students at SFU to comply with Canada’s copyright law and SFU’s copyright policies. Policy S10.01 Code of Academic Integrity and Good Conduct provides for discipline measures in cases of academic dishonesty. If you use a copyright protected work without permission, in a way that only the copyright owner can use it, you are infringing copyright. You can face penalties for violating SFU policy, which can include failure of a course or suspension from SFU, as well as legal consequences. This can affect your academic and professional reputation. Awareness of copyright and good academic habits will be useful throughout your education and career.

Additional copyright information (optional): In Canada, copyright law automatically protects written and creative works (e.g. text, art, music or performance), in all formats, as soon as they are created and until 70 years after the creator’s death. The creator of the work (i.e. author, composer or artist) often owns copyright, though for published works the publisher may own copyright. A work does not need to be marked with © or a copyright statement to be protected. A copyright protected work cannot be copied (i.e. scanned, printed, downloaded, emailed or photocopied) without the copyright owner’s permission, except in certain situations outlined in the Copyright Act (see SFU’s Fair Dealing Policy for details).

Sharing pdfs or other copies of textbooks and course materials, whether or not you profit from it, may be a violation of Canadian copyright law and SFU policies.

Your instructor’s course materials such as PowerPoint slides, lecture notes, the lecture itself and exams are all protected by copyright. Recording, copying or sharing these materials without permission may be a violation of Canadian copyright law and SFU policies.

SFU students, faculty and staff are required to abide by Canada’s Copyright Act as well as SFU’s copyright policies. Find information about what this means for students at SFU’s copyright website, copyright.sfu.ca, or by contacting the Copyright Office at copy@sfu.ca. If you are copying works, using them in presentations and projects, or sharing them with other students, you should familiarize yourself with the guidelines and limits contained in SFU’s Fair Dealing Policy.

Turnitin notification for students

The written work submitted via Turnitin is collected by SFU under the authority of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (RSBC 1996, c.165), the University Act (RSBC 1996, c.468), and the University’s Academic Honesty and Student Conduct Policies . It is related directly to and needed by the University to determine originality, possible use of AI, and detect plagiarism in submitted written work.

Students will be required to create an account with Turnitin, and to submit their work via that account, on the terms stipulated in the agreement between the student and Turnitin. This agreement includes the retention of your submitted work as part of the Turnitin database. Any student with a concern about using the Turnitin service may opt to use an anonymous identity in their interactions with Turnitin. Students who do not intend to use Turnitin in the standard manner must notify the instructor at least two weeks in advance of any submission deadline. In particular, it is the responsibility of any student using the anonymous option (i.e., false name and temporary email address created for the purpose) to inform the instructor such that the instructor can match up the anonymous identity with the student. For more information, see the Protection of Privacy section of the SFU calendar.

Online Proctoring notification for students

Note to instructors:

Students should be informed on the timing, instruction, allowable supports and contact information. Consider giving students an opt-out option if they have a legitimate reason for not being able to participate in a timed proctored exam (e.g. security concern, disability). Oral exams can be an alternative if deemed appropriate by the instructor.

Mandatory exams for this course will be completed online, and will be live-proctored using Zoom. Live-proctoring mimics in-person exams and will not be recorded. Students in this course will be required to have a webcam, a microphone, a stable and secure internet connection, and are responsible to ensure their computer is fully functional before the exam. You will be expected to complete X number of exams for this course as proctored exams. Exams will be X hours long and will be completed in Canvas. System wide settings have been implemented across SFU Zoom to reduce privacy and security risks. Questions about privacy compliance can be sent to privacy@sfu.ca

When Zoom is being used for invigilation purposes, students can expect to:

  • Keep their camera on for the entire exam and are not permitted to use background filters
  • Show their student card to verify their identification
  • Share their screen at any point during the exam

Recording

Note to instructors:

If recording a lecture, ensure that students are informed and use the standard collection notice as shown below. Video recording is not permitted for Zoom exam proctoring. Standard Collection Notice (sample; please provide the relevant information in the areas indicated)

Lectures in this course will be recorded. As a result, Simon Fraser University may collect your personal information under the authority of the University Act (R.S.B.C. 1996, c.468) and the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (R.S.B.C., 1996, c. 165). It is related directly to and needed by the University to support student learning.  The information will be used [must describe all uses and be specific].  If you have any questions about the collection, use and disclosure of this information please contact your instructor.