Academic Success in the American University

The University of New HavenMs. Debbie Malewicki, Director of the

Center for Learning Resources and the Peer Tutoring Program

Visit us at http://www.newhaven.edu/clr for more information.

Make an appointment for tutoring or to attend a workshop through the UNH Student Portal

“Academics” tab.

Last Year

• Outcomes including Ws and INCs:– 88.4%

• Outcomes for students who completed the course– 93.9%

• Last year: 19,100+ visits– Last fall: 12,000+ visits

Statement You May See on the Syllabi for Your Courses

Academic integrity is a core University value, which insures respect for the academic reputation of the University, its students, faculty and staff, and the degrees it confers. The University expects that students will conduct themselves in an honest and ethical manner and respect the intellectual work of others. Please be familiar with the UNH policy on Academic Integrity. Please ask about my expectations regarding permissible or encouraged forms of student collaboration if they are unclear.

What is academic integrity?Academic Integrity Policy and ProceduresPhilosophyThe University of New Haven is an academic community based on

the principles of honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility. Academic integrity is a core University value that insures respect for the academic reputation of the University, its students, faculty and staff, and the degrees it confers.

The University expects that students will learn in an environment where they work independently in the pursuit of knowledge, conduct themselves in an honest and ethical manner, and respect the intellectual work of others. Each member of the University community has a responsibility to be familiar with the definitions contained in, and to adhere to, the Academic Integrity Policy (Baker 88).

What Is the Problem?

• How we define terms such as “honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility” may be similar, but how we show them may differ between cultures.

• Examples:– Spatial distances– Eye contact– How we dress– Body language

In Many Cultures. . .

• It is acceptable to “copy and paste”/copy material written by an expert in the field and even your instructor without acknowledging that person’s work out of respect for that person and his/her expertise.

In the United States. . .

• Using someone else’s words, ideas, and/or research without crediting the person makes you guilty of violating the University “Academic Integrity Policy” and can result in serious consequences, including great personal embarrassment.

Potential Consequences in a University Environment

• A reduced grade• A failing grade• Failure of the course• Letter in your student file (Dean of Students

Office)—7 years+• Loss of financial aid and other benefits• Barred from certain activities—research,

curricular, and/or extracurricular• Expulsion from the University• Permanent mark on your academic transcript

Potential Consequences in the Professional World

• Professional embarrassment/Ongoing harm to your professional reputation

• Lawsuits• Dismissal from your workplace• Difficulty finding another position

How Do I Know What Not to Do?

• Study the “Academic Integrity Policy” in pages 79-86 of your 2014-2015 University of New Haven Student Handbook. (available online)

• Ask questions of your professors, tutors in the Center for Learning Resources, and your academic advisor. Many librarians can also help.

• If you think that you might be breaking the policy, consult one of these people before submitting the assignment.

Types of Violations

1. Unauthorized Collaboration/Collusion is when you work on an assignment with another person(s) without the instructor’s permission.2. Cheating is “Intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any academic exercise.”3. Plagiarism is “Intentionally and knowingly representing the words or ideas of another as one’s own in any academic exercise or resubmitting one’s own work under false pretenses.”4. Fabrication is “Intentional and unauthorized falsification or invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise.”

What Are Your Responsibilities?

1. Students are responsible for completing their academic work and for encouraging their peers to act with integrity in all academic matters by:a. Acting with honesty and integrity in all of their courses.b. Learning the rules of ethical conduct and living by the definitions contained in the policy on academic integrity and any other policies established by their instructors, departments, and Colleges.c. Informing the instructor or the Dean of Students if they become aware that any form of academic dishonesty has occurred in a course.

2. Individual students may report a violation of academic integrity to the Dean of Students, who will forward the report to the appropriate academic department for investigation.

What Are Signs that You Must Credit a Source?

• You used someone else’s words.– Example: “I have a dream, a dream that one day. . .” (King,

Jr. 26).

• You used someone else’s ideas/intellectual property.– Example: A classmate creates an experiment to test a new

chemical compound. You submit a paper presenting that experiment as something that you created.

• You used someone else’s research.– Example: “In the 2013-2014 academic year, UNH students

visited the Center for Learning Resources over 18,000 times for assistance” (Malewicki 15 Aug. 2014).

• You used someone else’s design/logo/artwork.– Example: Another engineering student creates a design for a

floor plan. You submit that work as yours.

How Do I Credit My Sources?

• Different types of documentation styles exist: The Modern Language Association (MLA), American Psychological Association (APA), and the American Medical Association (AMA) are a few.

• Your professor will tell you which type to learn for your class.

• Undergraduates: Your student handbook for Composition will give you more detailed explanations of this topic and chapters on the various forms.

• All Students: The OWL at Purdue is an acceptable resource for most professors.

Main Methods of Citation

• Use a formal source introduction before using information from a source for the first time.– Example: William Jennings, in 1893, wrote in his

treatise, “The American Revolution Justified,”

• Use a lead-in/signal phrase to indicate that the next idea comes from a source other than you.– Examples: According to Smith, – Townsend says,– Charlie Brown writes,

Main Methods of Citation (cont.)

• When you are using someone’s exact words, use quotation marks to show where the person’s words begin and end.– Example: “Here is a quotation.”

• Use a parenthetical citation to show where the source information ends and your ideas begin again.– Example: . . . the source ends (Smith

42).

Main Methods of Citation (cont.)

• Always include a works cited page or bibliography at the end of your assignment, even a short homework assignment, if you use someone else’s ideas, words, or research.– Example:Smith, William. “How to Ace Your College

Classes.” 3rd ed. Succeeding in College. Ed. Brenda Brown. Hartford, CT: Star Pub., 2014.

Tips

• Remember that, whether or not you use someone’s exact words/language, if you use her/his ideas, you still must document.

• If you feel like you need to document everything, come to the Center for Learning Resources (CLR) Writing Lab (Lower Level of the Library) for help.

• Never hesitate to ask your professor to clarify what information you do and don’t need to document.

Resources

• Study the UNH Undergraduate Student Catalogue/UNH Graduate Student Catalogue and the 2014-2015 Student Handbook for more information. Pages 79-86 provide detailed information.

• Ask CLR tutors for help. We’re a free service.

Source

“Academic Integrity Policy.” Student Handbook: 2014-2015. West Haven, CT: UNH Department of Marketing and Enrollment Communications, 2014. 79-86.

Welcome to the CLR!

• CLR = The Center for Learning Resources• We offer FREE TUTORING in almost any

class that you will take your freshmen and sophomore years, as well as some upper-level courses and ESL assistance.

• We conversational ESL support so that you can continue learning English in a comfortable setting.

• Location: Lower Level of Marvin K. Peterson Library

Hours of Operation

• Monday through Thursday– 9:30 AM to 10:00 PM

• Friday– 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM

• Saturday– Closed

• Sunday– 3:00 to 10:00 PM

Subject Areas the CLR Supports

Accounting Assistance with papers for any classBiology Communications/Speech/MultimediaBusiness CompositionChemistry Creative WritingEconomics EducationEngineering (Mechanical, Chemical, English as a Second Language (ESL)

Industrial, Civil, & Electrical) Film StudyEnvironmental Science HistoryMathematics (Fundamentals Literature

through Advanced Levels) Modern Languages: Chinese, French, Physics Greek, Italian, Russian, & SpanishQuantitative & Statistical Analysis Psychology & Sociology Reading &

Writing Fundamentals Resume Preparation

Desktop Publishing & Graphic DesignSPSS & Excel for QA CoursesMS Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, & Access)Programming languages, e.g., Java and C++

Three Labs

• Writing Lab (Library Lower Level in Back): staffed by professional tutors– Offers help with: ESL, all written assignments,

spoken assignments/presentations, history, and modern languages

• Computer Lab (Library 120): staffed by undergraduate and graduate student tutors– Offers help with: MS Office programs, software

you will use in your classes (such as MyMathLab.com, Blackboard, and Tegrity), Computer Sci. content and languages, and statistics software (SPSS and Excel)

Three Labs (cont.)

• Math, Science, and Business Lab (Library 113 and 114): staffed by professional, graduate student, and undergraduate student tutors– Offers help with: 100- and 200-level courses

in math, engineering, physics, chemistry, biology, business, accounting, economics, and more

– Limited support for upper-level undergrad. and some graduate coursework (statistics and molecular and cellular biology)

The Peer Tutoring Program

• Concept: Some students feel more comfortable working with another student who has recently taken the course(s).

• These students earned strong grades (A- or higher) in the classes they tutor.

• They were recommended by faculty.• They went through many hours of training.• They typically are housed in areas within

their departments.

Subject Areas Supportedby Peer Tutors

• Accounting: U & G• Biology• Chemistry• Chemical Engineering• Civil Engineering• Computer Science: U & G• Criminal Justice: U & G• Economics: U & G• Electrical Engineering• Engineering and Science

(EASC)• Fire Science and Fire

Protection Engineering

• Forensic Science• Dental Hygiene• I/O Psych: Grad.• MBA: Grad.• MPA: Grad.• Music• Nutrition and Dietetics• Physics• Psychology• Quantitative Analysis

(QUAN)• Sociology

What else do we offer?

• ePortfolio support• Workshop series• Supplemental Instruction (SI)• Additional assistance for Math Zone

students (Note: We are not a replacement for Math Zone time, just a supplementary service.)

How Do I See a Tutor?

• Sign up for an appointment using AccuTrack online scheduling software, accessible from any computer through the UNH Student Portal under the “Academics” tab.

• Just walk into the Reception area, sign in to AccuTrack, and wait until the tutor is free or walk into the area a peer tutor works and ask him/her to sign you into the system.

• Attend some of our many FREE workshops.

Would You Like More Details?

• Visit the CLR website for more information: www.Newhaven.edu/CLR

• Take handouts.• Check your UNH e-mail account

regularly for updates.• “Like us” on our Facebook page.• Stop by for a workshop and/or event.

Why visit?

• Remember that UNH students visited the CLR over 20,000 times for assistance last year.

• Between 25 & 33% of UNH students work with us annually.

• 2013-2014 data shows that– Over 91% of students who came for tutoring last earned

a “successful” (C range or higher) course grade if they completed the course, of whom 72% earned an A or B (87% holistic)

– Students who visit the CLR at the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-year benchmarks, are still actively enrolled or have graduated 98.5% of the time.

• We can help you succeed!

Incentives Program

Do you want to win an iPad Mini or Dunkin Donuts Gift Card?

• Research shows ___ visits in a term for a course = meaningful course improvement

• Visit ___ times. Fill out a brief electronic survey after the visits.

• Fill a card, and receive a giveaway ticket.

• Winners announced in December and May!

Click icon to add picture

When your academic life brings some surprises your way, let the CLR put a smile on your face!

Questions?

TYPES OF ACADEMIC INTEGRITY VIOLATIONS:Cheating is “Intentionally using or attempting to use

unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any academic exercise.”

Cheating includes, but is not limited to:1. Holding unauthorized notes during an exam or quiz2. Copying the work of another student during a test or quiz3. Obtaining exam questions or contents for your use, or providing them to students who haven’t taken the exam yet4. Using another student’s work for a homework or lab assignment or presenting someone else’s work as yours5. Using unauthorized materials or information from other people for a take-home exam. You should work independently on exams and follow the instructor’s rules.6. Seeking, receiving, or giving help during exams through electronic means such as cell phones, e-mails, and text messaging7. Buying papers, research, reports, etc. from commercial services or other people

Collaboration/Collusion is when you work on an assignment with another person(s) without

permission.

When is it acceptable to work with other people?• When your professor instructs you to do so, such as for a

lab or a group project• When your grade is dependent upon another student’s

grade, such as for a group presentation or assignment• When you are studying together without sharing answers

that are being graded• When you are working with a tutor: undergraduate/peer

tutor, graduate student tutor, and/or professional tutor, such as in the Center for Learning Resources or the Peer Tutoring Program

How do I make sure that I have not violated this policy in a group setting?

• Credit the work of everyone in the group who contributed• Credit your sources• Ask your instructor if you are unsure of what to do

Plagiarism is “Intentionally and knowingly representing the words or ideas of another as one’s own in any academic

exercise or resubmitting one’s own work under false pretenses.”

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to: a. Copying from another student’s paper(s) partially or entirely or without citingb. Buying or obtaining a paper from any source and submitting that paper or parts of it as yoursc. Inserting into your paper a passage from the Internet or any computer source without citingd. Copying data from another source without proper citatione. Not documenting material from media sources or not obtaining permission to use the material when creating a web page, film, or musical composition as a course assignmentf. Submitting an assignment that you wrote during a prior semester or submitting the same assignment for more than one class simultaneously, including resubmitting large parts of previously written work for a current assignment, unless you tell all of the instructors involved that you plan to do it and they approve.g. Citing sources improperly, which includes, but is not limited to, failure to use quotation marks or other appropriate notation for direct quotations

Fabrication is “Intentional and unauthorized falsification or invention of any information or

citation in an academic exercise.”

It includes: 1. Providing false information, distorting data or failing to provide all necessary required information to the University’s advisor, registrar, admissions counselor, instructor, etc., for any academically-related purpose.2. Forging a signature to certify completion of a course assignment or a recommendation to graduate school or to employers, internship sponsors, or other sponsors of on- or off-campus engagements.3. Fabricating data in support of laboratory or field work.4. Intentionally misrepresenting one’s academic accomplishments.5. Fabricating or falsifying a bibliography.

E. Facilitating Academic DishonestyIntentionally or knowingly helping or attempting to help another to violate any provision of this Policy.

1. Examples include but are not limited to: a. Providing to other students one’s own work or that of others with the reasonable

expectation that these will be used for the purpose of cheating or plagiarism.b. Maintaining a file of exams or papers with the reasonable expectation that these will

be used for the purpose of cheating or plagiarism.c. Unfairly advancing one’s academic position by hoarding, stealing, or damaging library

materials.d. Theft of other students’ notes, papers, homework, or textbooks for academic gain.e. Placing another person’s work on the Internet without his or her permission for

academic gain.2. The use of any electronic means to assist another without authorization is strictly prohibited.3. Copyright infringements shall be considered violations of the academic integrity policy. More information on copyright issues and copyright law can be found at: http://library.newhaven.edu/Course.html#Copyright.