a lesson for online students

1. Academic Integrity for
Online Students
Polly Nelson, Assistant Professor of Spanish
Lord Fairfax Community College

2. What is academic integrity?
Lord Fairfax Student Handbook
The collegiate experience depends on the absolute
integrity of the work completed by each student and it
is imperative that students maintain a high standard of
honor in their course work. Academic honesty is
essential to develop students’ full intellectual potential
and self-esteem. Academic dishonesty involves, but is
not limited to, one of the following: giving or receiving,
offering or soliciting unauthorized assistance on any
exam or assignment; plagiarism or collusion.

3. Procedures in Cases of Academic
Dishonesty
If a faculty member suspects a student of academic
dishonesty, he or she will discuss this suspicion and the
reasons privately with the student involved. Then, if the
instructor is convinced that the student is guilty of
academic dishonesty, one or more of the following penalties
may be imposed by the instructor depending on his or her
judgment as to the seriousness of the offense:
• Reprimand the student.
• Require that the work in question be done over.
• Assign a grade of zero on the work involved.
• Assign a grade of F for the course.

4. Profe Nelson’s Syllabus
Academic Honesty: At LFCC we maintain the highest standards of academic honesty. I take this topic
extremely seriously.
Cheating: This includes seeking or giving unauthorized help on any academic assignment and
submitting garbled answers in the Supersite/Web-SAM. It also includes submitting work that was
completed by someone else or work that was completed by an Internet translator. You may use
online dictionaries but not online translators. You should use www.wordreference.com as your
dictionary, but this use should not be frequent. Use your textbook instead; it contains what we
have studied and what you are expected to produce. If your work is not consistent with the level
of the course and your level of experience, thus indicating that it was done by an outside
resource, you will receive a warning with a zero on the assignment. The second infraction will
result in an F in the course. Any cheating that relates to a written or oral test or exam will result
in failing the course.
Plagiarism: This is defined as using another’s words or ideas and representing them as one’s own
either knowingly or unknowingly. In other words, by not documenting a source, one commits
plagiarism. See the latest issue of the LFCC Student Handbook for further questions regarding
plagiarism.
Misconduct in the area of academic honesty will result in a zero on the related assignment or failing
the course. This decision is up to the discretion of the instructor. http://www.lfcc.edu/current-
students/student-life/academic-honesty-pledge/index.html

5. Why does it matter?
• Learning matters! It's why we're here!
Outcomes and consequences:
Distraction from our course material
Effect on midterm/final
Effect on long term learning
Vigorous enforcement of course policy

6. Examples and practice
• What an online translator lacks:
Knowledge of what we are doing in class
Critical thinking, including ability to control and simplify
ideas and structures
• Things students have:
Knowledge of what we are doing in class
Critical thinking, including ability to control and simplify
ideas and structures

7. Common problems with online
translations
• Tenses and moods we have not studied. If you have
knowledge of tenses beyond the scope our course, you
should be in an appropriate class.
• Literal translations from English that do not make sense
to a sympathetic listener (someone nice who wants to
understand and communicate, like Profe Nelson)

8. Assignment
Complete the Blackboard quiz assigned this week
regarding academic integrity. Keep taking it until you
achieve 100%. You must get a 100% in order to earn
credit.
I feel strongly about the topics I’ve discussed with you in this
presentation, because I love Spanish, I love sharing it with others,
and I love learning. If you're ever in doubt about something, just
ask. I’m happy to answer your questions. I believe that with these
ideas in mind, you can experience authentic success this semester
and take knowledge away from this course that will benefit you in
your future. ¡Muchas gracias a todos!