Academic Success in the American University

Transcription

1 Academic Success in the American University The University of New Haven Ms. Debbie Malewicki, Director of the Center for Learning Resources and the Peer Tutoring Program

2 Visit us at for more information. Make an appointment for tutoring or to attend a workshop through the UNH Student Portal Academics tab.

3 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

4 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.

5 What is academic integrity? Academic Integrity Policy and Procedures Philosophy The 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).

6 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

7 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.

8 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.

9 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

10 Potential Consequences in the Professional World Professional embarrassment/ongoing harm to your professional reputation Lawsuits Dismissal from your workplace Difficulty finding another position

11 How Do I Know What Not to Do? Study the Academic Integrity Policy in pages of your 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.

12 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.

13 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.

14 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 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.

15 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.

16 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,

17 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).

18 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. 3 rd ed. Succeeding in College. Ed. Brenda Brown. Hartford, CT: Star Pub., 2014.

19 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.

20 Resources Study the UNH Undergraduate Student Catalogue/UNH Graduate Student Catalogue and the Student Handbook for more information. Pages provide detailed information. Ask CLR tutors for help. We re a free service.

21 Source Academic Integrity Policy. Student Handbook: West Haven, CT: UNH Department of Marketing and Enrollment Communications,

22 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 upperlevel 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

23 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

24 Subject Areas the CLR Supports Accounting Biology Business Chemistry Economics Engineering (Mechanical, Chemical, Industrial, Civil, & Electrical) Environmental Science Mathematics (Fundamentals through Advanced Levels) Physics Quantitative & Statistical Analysis Assistance with papers for any class Communications/Speech/Multimedia Composition Creative Writing Education English as a Second Language (ESL) Film Study History Literature Modern Languages: Chinese, French, Greek, Italian, Russian, & Spanish Psychology & Sociology Reading & Writing Fundamentals Resume Preparation Desktop Publishing & Graphic Design SPSS & Excel for QA Courses MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, & Access) Programming languages, e.g., Java and C++

25 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)

26 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)

27 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.

28 Subject Areas Supported by 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

29 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.)

30 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.

31 Would You Like More Details? Visit the CLR website for more information: Take handouts. Check your UNH account regularly for updates. Like us on our Facebook page. Stop by for a workshop and/or event.

32 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 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 1 st, 2 nd, and 3 rd -year benchmarks, are still actively enrolled or have graduated 98.5% of the time. We can help you succeed!

33 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!

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

36 Questions?

37 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 quiz 2. Copying the work of another student during a test or quiz 3. Obtaining exam questions or contents for your use, or providing them to students who haven t taken the exam yet 4. Using another student s work for a homework or lab assignment or presenting someone else s work as yours 5. 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, s, and text messaging 7. Buying papers, research, reports, etc. from commercial services or other people

38 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

39 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 citing b. Buying or obtaining a paper from any source and submitting that paper or parts of it as yours c. Inserting into your paper a passage from the Internet or any computer source without citing d. Copying data from another source without proper citation e. 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 assignment f. 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

40 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 Dishonesty Intentionally 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: