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Academic Honesty

Reporting a Cheating Incident

Email the following to:

  • Dr. Michael Ritterbrown, Vice President, Instructional Services: michaelr@glendale.edu
  • Copy: your Division Chair

Include:

  • Your name
  • The class in which the incident occurred
  • The date on which the incident occurred
  • The names and Student IDs of any students involved (find Student IDs on PeopleSoft)
  • A brief description of the incident
  • Any supporting attachments such as photos of a confiscated cheat sheet

Why Reporting Matters

Start by reviewing the GCC Academic Honesty Policy for students. GCC holds students to a high standard of academic honesty, and instructors are expected to enforce it. Word spreads about which instructors do not enforce the policy, and those classes attract more cheating.

Report every incident. Reporting is what puts it in the student's internal GCC file, and the file is what makes a pattern visible. Under Administrative Regulation 5520, the Vice President, Instructional Services is the Judicial Officer for academic dishonesty and decides what sanction, if any, a reported incident warrants. Note that transfer institutions are not able to see a student's academic dishonesty record at GCC.

GCC's official statement on academic dishonesty:

Cheating incidents have to be reported to the Vice President of Instruction and will become part of the Glendale College Cheating Incident file, unless the instructor finds compelling reasons not to report a violation. Be aware: no action is taken by the Vice President on the first incidence, so please report every incident. On a second occurrence, the Vice President of Instruction may then impose sanctions authorized by Administrative Regulation 5520. The sanctions include, but are not limited to, issuing a reprimand, suspending the student for up to ten days of instruction, and/or requesting a hearing by the Campus Judicial Board to see if the student should be suspended or permanently expelled from the college.

Source: GCC Academic Honesty Policy, which also cites Administrative Regulation 5501, Academic Honesty. AR 5501 and AR 5520 are both listed in Chapter 5 of the Board Policies and Administrative Regulations.

Minimizing Academic Dishonesty

Preventing cheating works better than catching it. These steps help:

Before the Term

  • Address cheating in your syllabus and state specific penalties. Only name a penalty you are willing to enforce. If students realize you can't bring yourself to apply your own policy, they tend to keep cheating.
  • Don’t reuse exams from previous semesters. These are passed around between students and are also often shared online by previous students. Assume any exam you have given in the past is floating around out there.
  • Decide how your course treats generative AI, and say so in your syllabus. GCC has no institutional AI policy, so the rule in your course is the rule your students have. The library's Ethical Uses of AI guide has sample syllabus language.

During an Exam

  • Make sure cell phones are put away and smart watches removed before starting an exam.
  • Be vigilant during tests; walk around. Be especially alert during the last 15 minutes of a test. Do not allow any materials other than test items on the student’s desk.
  • Create seating charts for exams; this will discourage prearranged cooperation among students. Make sure you separate friends and people who normally sit close to each other. Students who have wandering eyes should be put in the front row or in the back away from other students.
  • If you allow dictionaries during tests, check that nothing is handwritten inside them, in any language.
  • Check calculators; some students tape “cheat sheets” in the back of their calculator, or on its cover. Be aware of sophisticated calculators that are able to perform algebra and calculus. It's best to ask students to remove calculator sleeves/covers for the duration of the exam.
  • Do not allow phone calculators. A student holding a phone may be messaging someone about the test.
  • Have students use the restroom before the exam starts. If they absolutely must use the restroom during their exam, have them leave their cell phone in the classroom.
  • If you suspect a student is going to cheat, gently let the student know that you'll be watching extra closely. Try to change the student's behavior up front rather than waiting for them to cheat and then catching them in the act.

If You Are Not Sure

If you are unsure whether something counts as cheating, or what to do before you confront a student, ask your Division Chair first. For questions about the reporting process itself, contact the Office of Instructional Services at michaelr@glendale.edu.