November 2025

Talking to Students

As the days get chillier and we inch closer to finals, academic misconduct concerns may become more prevalent in the classroom. Students become overwhelmed with coursework, struggle with time management, and worry about points earned over content mastery. These behaviors often lead to academically unsound decisions. As experienced educators we often recognize these behaviors and can intervene through mentoring conversations that demonstrate care and understanding of student’s complex lives, recognizing their competing priorities.

These conversations are helpful for academic integrity development. They provide students with the language necessary to discuss difficult topics, help them engage in metacognitive processes, and provide opportunities for ownership and self-advocacy. Regardless of the potential violation level, the Academic Integrity team always recommends that a faculty member talk with a student before submitting an incident report.

Having these conversations, while important, can often be difficult for faculty and staff. Here is some advice for faculty navigating academic integrity conversations:

  1. Take your time: These situations can be emotionally charged because we feel frustration, anger, or hurt. Take the time you need to process any emotions before meeting with the student. This allows you to center the student’s learning and development during the conversation. It can be helpful to remember that academic integrity is an academic skill and it’s our responsibility as educators to support and assist all students in learning and developing this skill. Some ways to regulate emotions prior to a meeting could include:
    1. Taking 24-48 hours to process your thoughts
    2. Debriefing with a mentor or trusted colleague
    3. Journaling
    4. Talking with the Academic Integrity or CTLE team
  2. Come Prepared: If you have multiple concerns or points of evidence, create an outline of discussion topics and gather documents in advance. This will help you stay on track as the conversation progresses.
  3. Start Carefully: During these meetings it is important to start conversations broadly, rather than make assumptions. Don’t start a conversation declaring that you know a student used artificial intelligence when they may have violated policy in another way or may not have violated policy at all.  Instead, conversations starters could include:
    1. “I am concerned about this assignment because…”
    2. “Could you explain the process that led you to X conclusion…”
    3. “How did you feel completing this assignment?”
    4. “I noticed some inconsistencies in X, could you please explain Y…”
    5. “It seems like you have a lot going on and this assignment may not have been a priority. Are you okay?”
    6. “Thank you for taking the time to meet with me today. I appreciate the opportunity to discuss a concern I have about X assignment.”
    7. “Your learning and success in our class is important to me, so I wanted to discuss a concern I have about your X assignment.”
  4. Engage in Active Listening: Feeling and being heard is a significant part of the student experience. Often, when students have academic integrity conversations with faculty, they share their concerns and sometimes admit to policy violations. Be patient, giving each student the time and space to share. Once the student has shared their experience, faculty can ask additional questions for understanding. Some ways to demonstrate active listening include:
    1. Making appropriate eye contact
    2. Paraphrasing what the student said back to them
    3. Nodding your head or providing other listening indicators
    4. Taking notes
  5. Be Honest: If you are going to submit an Academic Integrity Incident Report after the conversation with the student, tell them that you’re planning to do so and why. Explain to them the importance of the reporting process and your responsibility, as a faculty member, to uphold institutional expectations. Allow the students to express their feelings regarding this step which could range from resignation to frustration to disappointment or understanding. At this time, it is important to remind students that grade sanctions will only be implemented if they are found responsible through the Academic Integrity Office. Do not preemptively assign a grade sanction.   
  6. Leave Space for Empathy: Our students are complex individuals with busy lives. All of us look for ways to engage in cognitive offloading, and sometimes we choose an inappropriate method. As the conversation comes to its natural conclusion, leave space for understanding. While we may not agree with student decisions, we can still provide direction and growth. We can also express to the students that we are still looking forward to having them in class and that this is a space for learning rather than a relationship or career ender. Express care for the student as a person, regardless of the choices they make. You might end the conversation with statements such as:
    1. “Everyone makes mistakes but it’s how we move forward from them that defines us, and I’m confident you have the ability to succeed in the future.”
    2. “This was a difficult conversation, and I appreciate your willingness to listen and share.”
    3. “Thank you for taking the time to meet with me.”

Academic Integrity conversations can be difficult, but they can also be navigated with honesty, care, and compassionate accountability. Academic integrity, like so many other aspects of college, is a learned skill. By talking with students before, during, or after a violation takes place, we can provide significant real-time learning experiences that will resonate with students even longer than the duration of their time at SU.

If you feel a violation occurred in your classroom and you would like additional assistance in preparing for a conversation with a student, 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

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