Stein named interim director of new Academic Integrity Office

Stein named interim director of new Academic Integrity OfficeJuly 07, 2006Patrick Farrellpmfarrel@syr.edu

Interim Vice Chancellor and Provost Eric F. Spina has announced the creation of the Academic Integrity Office (AIO). Ruth Federman Stein, currently a consultant in the Center for the Support of Teaching and Learning (CSTL), will serve a one-year term as interim director of the new office.

Reporting directly to Associate Provost Sandra Hurd, Stein will be responsible for developing and implementing a strategy for academic integrity based on the recommendations of the Vice Chancellor and Provost’s Committee on Academic Integrity (VPCAI). In addition to educating the University community about academic integrity, the AIO will create and maintain a system for tracking occurrences of academic dishonesty. Stein will work closely with the schools and colleges in carrying out these and other responsibilities for implementing the academic integrity policy.

Stein joined CSTL in 1990 and has worked on a variety of instructional development projects, including the Gateway Focus on Teaching sessions and as a coordinator for the University Vision Fund. A former English teacher, Stein continues to teach writing courses for the Writing Program and conducts school visits for Project Advance. She holds a Ph.D. in instructional design, development and evaluation from Syracuse University’s School of Education.

In announcing the creation of the new office and Stein’s appointment, Spina praised the VPCAI for its dedication to assessing the state of academic integrity on campus and for developing recommendations for University-wide policies and procedures over the last two years. “I share your commitment to the importance of academic integrity and to the primacy of educating our faculty, students and staff about academic integrity and the ways in which we can work together to decrease the instances of academic dishonesty throughout our community,” says Spina. He also thanked VPCAI chair Professor Elletta Sangrey Callahan for her strong and determined leadership and Vice Chancellor and Provost Deborah A. Freund for launching the academic integrity initiative at Syracuse.

The VPCAI was convened in the fall of 2004 to survey graduate and undergraduate students, teaching assistants and faculty members on the subject of academic integrity. The committee also reviewed the policies of the University’s schools and colleges and those of peer institutions. The committee was asked to make recommendations on a number of approaches, including awareness strategies; strategies for avoidance of academic dishonesty by students; and enhanced communication among schools and colleges regarding proven cases of academic dishonesty.Additional information about the VPCAI can be found at http://provost.syr.edu/integrity_policies.asp.