Reestablishing Rapport After a Responsible Finding
Submitting an academic integrity incident report is difficult. Rebuilding trust after a responsible finding can be even more difficult. However, this reconstruction is pivotal to a student’s ongoing success – in your class, other classes, and, potentially, their career at Syracuse University. In this month’s blog post, the Academic Integrity Office aims to provide some guidance about rebuilding rapport after a course violation occurs.
Treat them fairly: To reestablish equilibrium post-violation, it is important that instructors continue to engage with students and treat them with the same respect provided to all other students in the class. It is important to trust the academic integrity process, knowing that your grade sanction and the non-grade sanction assigned by the school/college, along with the academic integrity seminar, provide sufficient learning opportunities for the student. Rather than independently implementing additional, unsanctioned penalties, use the completion of the process as an opportunity to reestablish trust.
Answer grade related questions honestly: After academic misconduct situations, students often have questions about their grades and how the responsible finding may impact their progress. When students come to you with questions, answer them honestly and fully. It is okay to do grade-related math with students, discuss D/F repeats, determine what partial credit could mean, and more. These discussions provide clarity and help students feel more confident moving forward.
Choose kindness: Academic integrity violations are particularly difficult because they often feel like a personal slight or an egregious violation of our trust. This is because the content we teach is our passion. We must decenter ourselves from these violations and choose kindness. Instructors must remember that academic integrity is a learned skill, and mistakes will happen.
When a student violates academic integrity expectations in your classroom, the formal process takes time, but the informal process of rebuilding takes even longer. We can continue to improve this experience by treating responsible students fairly and answering grade-related questions promptly. The kindness and a clean slate provided will help encourage the student’s progression.
If you have any academic integrity questions or concerns, please contact the Academic Integrity Office any time by emailing aio@syr.edu or calling 315-443-5412. Our office is at 550 Bird Library if you would like to stop by for a private consultation; we recommend scheduling your appointment in advance.
Kate Marzen
Director of Academic Integrity
Would you like to recommend future Ask Academic Integrity topics? Click here to submit a suggestion! Suggestion Box