Center for Academic Integrity
Featured School - Kansas State

Kansas State University

Institutional Demographics

  • Public, co-educational state supported institution
  • 21,543 (total enrollment of 1999)
  • 17,903 students = undergraduate population
  • 3640 = Graduate and professional programs

Policy Issues and Initiatives

Provost James Coffman establishes a task force for Academic Honesty after K-State makes national news for a cheating scandal involving 87 students (Fall 1994). K-State Honor Code is established. The Code was designed to make a change in campus culture. The Code emphasizes personal responsibility and honor at K-State in an attempt to decrease academic dishonesty. See article in the archived editions of the Kansas State Collegian.

KSU Honor Code System

  1. K-State students will not give or receive aid in examinations; not give or receive non permitted aid in class work, in the preparation of reports or in any other work that is to be used by the instructor as the basis of grading.
  2. K-State students, will take an active part in seeing to it that others as well as themselves uphold the spirit and letter of the Honor System. This includes reporting an observed dishonesty.
  3. The faculty will demonstrate trust in students by refraining from taking unusual and unreasonable precautions to prevent the forms of dishonesty. The faculty will attempt to avoid academic procedures that create temptations to violate the Honor Pledge.

On all course work, assignments, or examinations done by students at Kansas State University, the following Honor Pledge is either required or implied:

"On my honor as a student, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on this academic work."

This statement means that the student understands and has complied with the requirements of the assignments as set forth by the instructor. The proposed Honor System was approved by Student Senate on December 4, 1997 and Faculty Senate on April 14, 1998. Appointees to the Honor Council wrote and approved the Kansas State University Undergraduate Honor System Constitution and By-Laws in the 1998/1999 school term. Strategies and procedures for awareness and marketing of the Honor System were also written at this time.

(Exerpt taken from the Kansas State University Undergraduate Honor Council Website.)

Helene Marcoux and Phil Anderson Showcasing Kansas State's Efforts
HELENE MARCOUX & PHIL ANDERSON SHOWCASING KANSAS STATE'S EFFORTS

Programmatic Issues and Ideas

Collegian Article about H.I.P.E. and Integrity Week

Honesty Integrity Peer Educators Group formed to promote the spirit of KSU's honor pledge. For more information contact Helene Marcoux.

Events during Integrity Week included

  • Mock Hearing
  • Honor Council Breakfast and the presentation of Service Awards
  • Student/Faculty panel Discussion entitled- "Is THIS Cheating?"