Northwest Missouri State U. Faculty Debates Academic Dishonesty
By Kara Swink
Northwest Missourian (Northwest Missouri State U.)
11/07/2002

(U-WIRE) MARYVILLE, Mo. — Faculty Senate debated Northwest Missouri State University's academic dishonesty policy and approved 14 curriculum proposals during its meeting Wednesday afternoon.

Carla Edwards, chair of Academic Appeals, reported the committee's concern regarding academic dishonesty. According to the University, academic honesty is essential to the integrity of the mission and the success expected of all students.

The report was only an account of the committee's ideas on the academic honesty policy, however, Edwards thought it was necessary to bring it before the Senate to inform and gather other chairs' opinions on whether or not the policy should be looked into further during the next Senate meeting.

The committee along with the Graduate Council agreed the current policy might be in need of clarification or changes. The committee would also like to educate faculty on the process of reporting dishonesty after a student's first offense and consult the provost where permanent records are kept.

Nevertheless, the committees would like to offer faculty the option to have leeway in initial sanctions.

Senate Member Chanda Funston had concerns on the committee's restructuring of the policy.

"It's been done by Northwest before," she said. "I just don't understand what the drive is."

Provost Taylor Barnes said the idea only came alive when the Graduate Council began to look at their academic policy and tried to align it with the undergraduate policy, because the Council's policy was weak.

Edwards asked Senate members to take the report back to their departments and discuss the aspects of whether or not the policy should be evaluated, and e-mail the results back.

"At this point I don't know if there will be an action taken at the next meeting," Edwards said. "But the committees believe there needs to be clarification of what the sanctions are and clarify a timeline for reporting."

Duane Jewell, chair of budget, planning and development, disagrees with the committee's idea of reworking the policy.

"I guess my perception is that academic dishonesty should be based on academic freedom issues that faculty members operate under," Jewell said.

Jewell said in certain circumstances he should be allowed to give a student a zero on an exercise and not flunk them in the class, and in other circumstances he should be able to do both and in extreme circumstances bring a student up for expulsion.

"I guess I don't like to see policy dictated that I have to follow," he said. "I've had cases that were minor and some that were pretty severe and I think I've handled my circumstances in a most appropriate manner."

Jewell said the Senate should establish guidelines within the catalog, but he said the guidelines should have flexibility for faculty.

Gregory Haddock, Faculty Senate president, said the Senate might discuss the academic honesty policy.

In other business, the Senate unanimously approved all 14 undergraduate curriculum proposals concerning changes in major requirements under the 2002-2004 catalog.

The next Senate meeting will be at 3:15 p.m. Dec. 4 in the Academic Hub Shared Conference Room 253 on the third floor of the Administration Building.

Copyright ©2002 Northwest Missourian via UWire

[ Back to Student Voices ]