DEFINING THE HONOR CODE POLICY FOR YOUR CLASS

There is no unified Honor Code policy for Rice University. We tell students that a professor defines the Honor Code in a particular class. It is best to avoid complications in the first place, and to state all of your policies at the beginning. One good place to accomplish this is in a class syllabus. A good Honor Code policy in a class is more than just a statement that "students should abide by the Honor Code on all assignments." There are many issues which may need to be addressed. We have compiled a short list of some of the common problems with clarification of an Honor Code policy.

Papers and essays:

• What is considered "common knowledge" in your field?
  What is considered common knowledge obviously varies by field. In a History class, for example, it may be acceptable to say, "The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson," without a citation but it may be unacceptable in a Biology class to state that "Malaria is caused by a protozoan parasite Plasmodium," without citation. Because the definition of common knowledge is difficult for students taking classes in a variety of disciplines, providing specific examples is very helpful.
  

• What types of sources can be used on the paper?
  If students are to refrain from looking at certain types of sources state this fact.
  

• How should those sources be cited?
  In general, it is not an Honor Code violation to cite using the wrong citation style, however, as a professor, you may have a preference.
  

• How much proof reading is acceptable and by whom?
  For most Rice students there is a default assumption that peer editing of papers is allowed. This includes friends and the writing tutors on campus. If a student is not allowed to use these resources it is best to explicitly state this fact. While it is rare that a Rice student will seek the aid of a professional editor, if you would consider this a violation of the Honor Code, state this fact.

Homework Assignments:

• May the students work together or consult others?
  Most students assume that they can work together on homework unless the teacher is explicit to the contrary. Please notify students if they are expected to complete an assignment without any outside aid. If they are allowed, for example, to sketch out a problem with another student but not compare numerical answers, this should also be explicitly stated. If two students turned in identical answers, would this be a problem, or would you think they had worked together?

Exams:

• What are the time limits? Can the students take "breaks" within the time limits?
  Most students assume that a "three hour exam" means that it must be completed in one sitting. However, there are exams where students are allowed three hours of work time, but can take breaks in the middle. It never hurts to clarify.
  

• What resources can be used on an exam?
  Calculators, graphing calculators, programmable calculators, the text book, notes, other students notes, other books, rulers, Excel or another spreadsheet, Matlab or Mathcad, word processors, etc. Try to anticipate what the students may want to use and state whether they can or not. In general, it is good to tell students what they need on the outside of the envelope for take-home exams, so they can locate the materials without detracting from their time.
  

• Can students study off previous years exams?
  Most of the residential colleges have "test files" with old exams. Many students study off these exams to practice. If this is unacceptable in your class, they should be told not to use these resources.

Group Assignments:

• What are the expectations for each group member in relation to the Honor Code?

• How much should the assignment be collaborative and how much should they do individually?

• May students share graphs or tables?

• Should they report who did what in their final project?

Oral Presentations:

• What are the expectations for citation?
  Similar problems arise as with papers with regards to what should be cited and how should it be cited.

Lab Work

• Falsification of data.
  In most lab classes this is a violation of the Honor Code. However, there may be students in your class who have not taken a lab in college before.

Miscellaneous Issues:

• When is an assignment considered "turned in"?
  This is only an issue in certain departments, like Computer Science or Architecture, when deadlines are not defined by showing up to class with a paper.

Last modified Thursday, August 30, 2001 2:55 PM
Reach the Honor Council at honor@rice.edu