1. Emphasize early and often that academic honesty is expected and academic dishonesty will have consequences. Many students believe that if academic dishonesty is not overtly discussed and prohibited then no one truly cares. They see academic honesty statement in the syllabus as “lip service.”

2. Professors should clarify their expectations.

1. Collaboration (work with partners or a group)-What is it? When is it allowed? When is it prohibited?
2. Always remind students to avoid plagiarism. Remind students that any Internet cutting & pasting requires a citation. It’s not a trivial matter.

Prevent Academic Dishonesty (these strategies should not be seen as punitive or demeaning, but as a way to protect honest students from cheaters).

1. Explain how you evaluate (grade) students and why individual evaluations are important.
2. At the beginning of every test or exam repeat the prohibition against wandering eyes and any communications (except with the instructor).
3. During tests look out for crib sheets, notes written on hats, clothing, bodies, etc.
4. Forbid students from keeping books, notes, cell phones, laptops, and all types of electronic equipment on their person. Such items should remain out of sight, either enclosed in a backpack or left with the instructor during the test. Advances in technology have made many electronic devices able to take photos, send and receive text messages, search the Internet wirelessly, etc.
5. Consider photocopying completed tests before returning them preventing students from correcting a few answers and returning them for re-grading based on alleged “mistakes.”
6. In large classes consider checking IDs (sometimes “ringers” are sent in to take tests. Also, count the number of students taking the test and compare that to the number of students enrolled and the number of tests turned in.
7. Prepare different tests for different sections. Consider preparing multiple tests for the same section so that copying is not easy. If space allows, separate students as much as possible.
8. Don’t repeat tests from semester to semester.
9. Assigned seats for everyone in a class taking a test can prevent planned collaboration without unfairly targeting suspected students.
10. Require a written excuse (which you should check) if a student misses a test and needs a make-up test. Make-up tests should not be the same as the original test.
11. For papers, require an outline, annotated bibliography, or rough draft before the due date. Workshops with peer critiques of early drafts can be helpful. Remind students to avoid plagiarism and feel free to consult you or the writing center if there is a question about citation format.
12. You might choose to have students submit their written papers to turnitin.com before submitting it to you for a grade. They can then correct any attribution errors ahead of time. This makes turnitin.com a learning tool. Or, if you suspect plagiarism, you can submit the paper electronically to turnitin.com. The programs will generate a report color coding materials taken from other sources and giving a list of the sources. A quick visual scan will then let you know if each source has been cited. You can also use Google to run a suspect phrase to see if it was taken without attribution.