1.10 Academic Integrity
Academic Integrity at Fanshawe College
Fanshawe College’s Academic Integrity Policy (A136) defines an academic offence as follows:
“Obtaining or attempting to obtain an unfair advantage or credit for academic work for oneself or others by dishonest means” (Policy A136, Fanshawe College, 2021).
This means that successfully cheating – or even trying to cheat – is considered an offence.
See the Academic Integrity Guide for more information on academic offences, penalties, appeals and more.
Tips to Avoid Academic Offences – Evaluations
Taking Quizzes, Tests, and Exams
- Quizzes, tests, and exams are to be completed individually so that you can demonstrate your understanding of the course content. Quizzes, tests, and exams are not group work.
- Plan ahead so that you are aware of when your quizzes, tests, and exams are scheduled. You will need to give yourself enough time to prepare for quizzes, tests, and exams.
- Read your quiz, test, and exam instructions carefully and ask your Course Instructor if you have any questions or concerns.
- If you have any questions or concerns about a quiz, test, or exam while it’s in progress, avoid consulting with other students or people. Direct your questions and concerns to your Course Instructor or the proctor – they will be available to you during in-person quizzes, tests, and exams, and they have to let you know how to reach them during online quizzes, tests, and exams.
- Talking to, communicating with, and collaborating with other students or anyone is not permitted while a quiz, test, or exam is in session. If you have questions about the quiz, test, or exam, raise your hand (in person) or email (online) and the Course Instructor/Proctor will attend to you.
- Avoid directing your questions and concerns to other students because the information that they provide you with could be inaccurate and talking to, communicating with, and collaborating with other students while a quiz, test, or exam is in progress would result in those quizzes, test, or exams being considered compromised and ineligible for marks. It would also result in Academic Offences.
- Make sure that the quiz, test, or exam has ended and closed (for the whole class) before discussing the quiz, test, or exam with other students.
- Understand which materials, resources, technologies, and tools are permitted in a quiz, test, or exam and bring or have only them with you. You will not be permitted to talk to, communicate with, or collaborate with another student to use their materials, resources, technologies, or tools.
- Understand which materials, resources, technologies, and tools are not permitted in a quiz, test, or exam and do not bring them to or have them with you in a quiz, test, or exam.
- The use of cell phones and other electronic devices (tablets, watches, earbuds, headphones, etc.) is not permitted in a quiz, test, or exam.
- The only device that you should be using during a quiz, test, or exam is the device on which you’re writing the quiz, test, or exam. Make sure that your phone and any other devices are out of reach and not in use so that you’re not tempted to check text messages or social media platforms. Also, make sure that any messaging apps or websites that are on your computer are turned off while your quiz, test, or exam is in progress.
- If you’re permitted to use a calculator during a quiz, test, or exam, make sure you’re using an actual calculator and not a calculator app on your phone.
- Make sure that your workspace is clear of any material, resources, technologies, or tools that are not permitted from use during the quiz, test, or exam. Being in possession of these things (even if you don’t use them) can result in an Academic Offence.
- Avoid taking pictures of quiz, test, or exam questions and answers and sharing them via text messages and social media platforms. Also, avoid writing quiz, test, or exam questions and answers in text messages and social media posts.
- If you’re writing a quiz, test, or exam in-person, try to protect your work and avoid looking over at anyone else’s work.
- If you are unsure of what ‘open book’ means or whether a quiz, test, or exam is or isn’t ‘open book’, ask your Course Instructor/Proctor.
- If your quiz, test, or exam is ‘open book’, this may mean that you’re permitted to use your textbook, lesson slides, or your own notes. ‘Open book’ does not mean that students can conduct Google searches or refer to websites to find answers to questions. It also doesn’t mean that students can talk to, communicate, or collaborate with other students while the quiz, test, or exam is in progress.
- Regardless of whether LockDown Browser or Respondus Monitor are in use or not, students are always expected to complete their quizzes, tests, and exams honestly and with integrity.
- If you have Accessibility accommodations for quizzes, tests, or exams, discuss them with your Course Instructor ahead of time and they will help you make the appropriate arrangements.
- If you know that you will need additional time to prepare for a quiz, test, or exam, or to complete an assignment, have a discussion with your Course Instructor so that they can help you make appropriate arrangements.
- If an emergency occurs that prevents you from writing a quiz, test, or exam on the scheduled date or it prevents you from completing your assignment on time, make sure that you provide your Course Instructor with legitimate documentation so that they can help you to make appropriate arrangements for a rescheduled quiz, test, or exam, or a deadline extension.
- Make an online or in person appointment to get assistance from the staff in the Library Learning Commons.
- Use your quizzes, tests, and exams as opportunities to demonstrate how well you understand the course content and how well you studied and prepared for the quiz, test, or exam.
- Students are always expected to write their own quizzes, tests, and exams and to do so honestly, ethically, and with integrity.
Resources as Supports
Consult the following for more information about academic integrity at Fanshawe:
