Department of History Statement on Academic Honesty

Wall remnant in Leipziger Platz

Policies and sources on academic honesty

All scholarly endeavor builds on the work of others in the context of the community of learners of which both faculty and students are a part.  The integrity of this community can be maintained only by the full, honest, and appropriate acknowledgement of the sources of our data and ideas.  The history department will not tolerate academic dishonesty, including plagiarism on papers, cheating on quizzes and exams, and turning in work you have already submitted in another class.  The department will uphold SLU’s policy on this.

From the Constitution of the Academic Honor Council:

“Plagiarism: Presenting as one’s own work the work of another person--words, ideas, data, evidence, thoughts, information, organizing principles, or style of presentation--without proper attribution. Plagiarism includes paraphrasing or summarizing without acknowledgment by quotation marks, footnotes, endnotes, or other indices of reference (cf. Joseph F. Trimmer, A Guide to MLA Documentation).”

“Responsibility for avoiding behavior or situations from which academic dishonesty may be inferred rests entirely with the students. Claims of ignorance, unintentional error, and academic or personal pressure are not excuses for academic dishonesty. Students should be sure to learn from faculty what is expected as their own work and how the work of other people should be acknowledged. Instructors are expected to maintain conditions which promote academic honesty.”

We expect all of our students to familiarize themselves with the following:

• Your course syllabus and your professor’s stated expectations on class assignments.
• The full SLU policy on academic honesty (the basis of the Academic Honor Card that you signed in FYP), is described in the SLU  Student Handbook.

For more information on plagiarism, see the following:

• Mary Lynn Rampolla, A Pocket Guide to Writing in History, 6^th ed. (“Plagiarism: What It Is and How to Avoid It,” 86-93).

• Munn Writing Center handout, “What is Plagiarism?”

If, after reviewing these guidelines, you are still uncertain about anything or have questions, be sure to ask them before you turn in written assignments.

Policies on acadmic dishonesty:

If your professor encounters a suspicious paper or exam, “s/he has the obligation to call the offending student(s)  to account” (SLU Student Handbook, 61).  Plagiarism cases brought before the Academic Honor Council have resulted in sanctions ranging from failure on the assignment, to failure of the course, to expulsion from the University.

A final caveat:

Do not underestimate your professors’ ability to detect plagiarism, or our willingness to have suspicious papers and exams investigated.  If you can find it on the internet, so can we.  Please don’t risk it.