Syracuse University’s recent revisions to its Academic Integrity Policy will improve the process of dealing with academic integrity and plagiarism in regard to efficiency, transparency and fairness to students.

Under the updated policy, an academic integrity hearing is no longer the only method to resolve academic integrity violation cases. The revisions include the provision of more power to faculty in grade-related sanctions, the establishment of academic integrity panels and the placement of appeals processes and final decisions on plagiarism cases with the student’s home school or college.

Several SU community members affiliated with the policy’s updates said the new policy is meant to increase transparency regarding academic integrity expectations and to expedite the process of resolving academic integrity violations.

These objectives are admirable and serviceable to students, who are most directly affected by academic integrity violation cases. Under the previous Academic Integrity Policy, the process to resolve cases of violations could sometimes last for an entire semester. Students, whose professional futures often rely on their collegiate career, should not be forced to wait to find out whether they will be able to continue their academic experience at SU. Additionally, students who are involved in an academic integrity violation case that lasts for months may not be inclined to take the process seriously if it takes that long to resolve.

It is also important that the updated policy allows schools and colleges to have the final call on academic integrity violation cases, considering schools and colleges operate independently from one another in terms of academics. This designation will also benefit students who may be misunderstood when it comes to plagiarism or other potential academic integrity violations by giving them a stronger voice in the appeal process.

The new policy calls for the elimination of a necessary hearing for each academic integrity violation case which streamlines the process for all parties involved. But through all of the changes, the best interests of students whose futures may depend on the success of the Academic Integrity Policy were rightfully kept the forefront.