Dear faculty and instructors,

As autumn quarter 2023 begins, we are writing about recent revisions to the university’s Honor Code and related plans for an examination proctoring study.

This message contains information we originally shared in August, plus a clarification about take-home exams and descriptions of two relevant TEACH Symposium sessions: one on AI, and a second on the Honor Code.

The approved proposal to update the university’s Honor Code includes the addition of new text to improve clarity, and the launch of an Academic Integrity Working Group (AIWG) to evaluate equitable practices for proctoring in-person examinations through a multi-year study.

Important to know

  • The revised Honor Code (effective Sept. 1, 2023) has been posted. The Honor Code, originally adopted in 1921, has been clarified to encourage clear communication between faculty/instructors and students. The Teaching Commons website offers these pedagogic strategies for upholding the Honor Code and promoting academic integrity.
  • Take-home exams should remain open book, but are subject to certain limitations. The revised Honor Code obligation to “cultivate an environment conducive to academic integrity” includes a similar obligation to the previous requirement to “avoid, as far as practicable, academic procedures that create temptations to violate the Honor Code.” In particular, closed-book take-home exams are considered counterproductive to cultivating an environment conducive to academic integrity, and remain disallowed.
  • The Academic Integrity Working Group will begin its work during the 2023-24 academic year. This work will include establishing criteria for participation. The study is expected to span two to four academic years. During this time, proctoring will be limited to courses that are part of the study. The earliest there will be any proctoring as a part of the study is winter 2024.

Related resources

  • The Teaching Commons has developed an Artificial Intelligence Teaching Guide, in coordination with the Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and the Center for Teaching and Learning. This guide can help you make informed and intentional decisions about the use of AI chatbots in your courses and guide you through the process of developing a syllabus statement about the use of AI for your courses. This guide includes some discussion of academic integrity issues, but is focused more broadly on pedagogical considerations for AI.
  • The Autumn 2023 TEACH Symposium on Sept. 19 will include sessions on AI and on academic integrity. The team behind this AI teaching guide will lead a session at 1 p.m. where you will use an AI chatbot and explore potential pedagogical use cases of this technology. The Office of Community Standards will lead a session at 3 p.m. on the Stanford Student Conduct Charter of 2023, which describes the processes by which conduct concerns are addressed, including Honor Code reports.
  • The CTL Syllabus Template has new information for instructors on developing their own course policies for the use of AI in courses.

Questions?

More information about the proctoring study will be available this fall after the AIWG has begun meeting and defining the pilot. Meanwhile, if you have questions about the Honor Code and/or the Academic Integrity Working Group, please complete this form.

We would like to extend our gratitude to all of you for incorporating this update into your plans, and we look forward to our continued collaboration on academic integrity this year.

Sincerely,

Stacey Bent
Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs

Susie Brubaker-Cole
Vice Provost for Student Affairs

Sarah Church
Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education