Goals of an Ethics Policy

[e.g. Academic Integrity Policy, Acceptable Use Policy, Honor Code, Statement on Plagiarism]

An ethics policy explains your [school, library, technology, classroom] goals, values and program within the larger context of the [district, school] educational mission, policies and procedures. By stating the rules and identifying the norms as lived in daily practices, the ethics policy offers explicit guidance about an individual's behavior and clarifies the rights and responsibilities of the institution and its stakeholders, the community and its members, the classroom and its learners.

Template for a Constructivist Policy

[using plagiarism examples]

A comprehensive ethics policy is a living document developed by the entire community or institution under the guidance of a leadership team including the school librarian and technology coordinator and key representatives of local and district administration, the school board, faculty, parents and students. The process of addressing the following questions will build a sustainable policy based on common values, principles and practices.

  1. Inspire and anchor: On what principles does this policy rest?
  2. Build consensus and leadership: Who owns the problem?
  3. Clarify and resolve differences: What concepts and strategies are taught?
  4. Convert concepts into behaviors: What responsibilities and rights are identified?
  5. Develop a response plan: What disciplinary process is to be followed?
  6. Develop an ongoing prevention program: What proactive teaching supports the policy?
  7. Interrelate policies, programs and practices: How does this fit with other work?
  8. Plan for change: What is the policy review process?

1. Inspire and anchor: On what principles does this policy rest?

Central to the school culture
"Thacher's Honor Code is a way of living that both students and faculty cherish. Although an abstract concept, the Honor Code is experienced in real, daily, concrete ways. Thacher students never receive keys to their dorm rooms because doors at Thacher are never locked. A laptop computer left in the Dining Hall at lunch will still be there at dinner. Students are trusted simply...to sign out the library materials they need without supervision...the School helps 9th and 10th graders to understand issues of cheating and plagiarism and then allows juniors and seniors a degree of freedom..." more

Central to the goals of education
"The aim of education is the intellectual, personal, social, and ethical development of the individual. The educational process is ideally conducted in an environment that encourages reasoned discourse, intellectual honesty, openness to constructive change and respect for the rights of all individuals. Self discipline and a respect for the rights of others in the university community are necessary for the fulfillment of such goals. The Student Code of Conduct is designed to promote this environment..." more

Central to academic scholarship
"We should all be aware that we are part of a wider community of scholars, and it is the exchange of ideas, information, concepts and data that make the advancement of knowledge possible. However, just as we expect others to acknowledge the ideas that we have worked hard to develop, so we must also be careful to recognize the people from whom we borrow ideas..." more

"The Academic Honor Code is based on the idea, common to all respected institutions of higher learning in the western world, that the unique intellectual contributions of the individual writer are most important in judging and evaluating his or her work..." more

Central to the role of self-governing students
"The Honor System directly expresses the principle of student self-governance. Founded in 1842, the Honor System has succeeded for more than 150 years as an entirely student-run system. Stewardship of the system rests not only with the elected members of the Honor Committee, but it also lies with each student's decision to act honorably and to hold fellow students to the same standard. The Honor System works best when each student actively reaps its benefits and consciously strengthens its principles..." more

Central to civic education in a democracy
"A primary task of the school is to create a stimulating learning climate... includes broad exposure to the rights and responsibilities of citizens in a democratic society. The school environment should afford opportunities for students to exercise their rights and assume their responsibilities for citizenship... The rights of an individual are preserved only by the protection and preservation of the rights of others... The school believes that the best discipline is self-discipline and that the school environment should allow students, as far as practical, to make responsible decisions about their behavior. The school believes that giving students the opportunity to practice self-discipline in school will lead to their making more responsible choices when not in school..." more

A privilege of use (AUP language)
"Users are responsible for... adhering to all copyright guidelines and avoiding plagiarism...." more

A standard of behavior (AASL Information Literacy language)
"Standard 8: The student who contributes positively to the learning community and to society is information literate and practices ethical behavior in regard to information and information technology." more

Based on right or law
"...understand and value the concept of intellectual property..." more
"...respect the intellectual property of others by crediting sources and following all copyright laws..." more

Other big picture statements

The Fundamental Values of Academic Integrity

2. Build consensus and leadership: Who owns the problem?

Consortium of schools

Professional organization

School-wide handbook, code, policies

School Library

Technology Department

Writing Lab

An organization specifically responsible for academic ethics

A Department

Classroom teacher

Community (faculty, students, parents and project advisors)

The student

3. Clarify and resolve differences: What concepts and strategies are taught?

4. Convert concepts into behaviors: What responsibilities and rights are identified?

5. Develop a response plan: What disciplinary process is to be followed?

Reporting

Documenting

Disciplinary Guidelines and Procedures

6. Develop an ongoing prevention program: What proactive teaching supports the policy?

Whole-school effort

Teacher education

Student education

Parent education

7. Interrelate policies, programs and practices: How does this fit with other work?

Consider the relationship to laws, documents, initiatives and evaluations

8. Plan for change: What is the policy review process?

Periodic review

Academic dialogue

Interpretations