Faculty members give research and writing assignments to students to help them develop a variety of intellectual abilities. Written assignments enable students to achieve these goals by recalling material from readings and lectures, explaining them, applying them to new problems, developing an integrated theological worldview, evaluating theological claims, and formulating theological ideas in novel ways. The goals of research assignments include learning to use libraries and databases to find new information and to assess the value of that information so that students may develop good judgement about sources. The faculty finds research and writing skills essential to academic formation.
Every published source of information includes the peculiar judgments, viewpoints, opinions, and prejudices of its author. Thus, it is important to acknowledge the authors of the sources we use so that we can credit their insights and mark their errors. We cite our sources (1) to respect the author and the author’s intellectual property, (2) to help our readers to understand the ideas that have influenced our writing, and (3) to help our readers to discover new sources for their own work.
Success in this educational work requires students and faculty at Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology to participate with integrity, performing research, evaluating sources, answering questions, and writing essays and reflections by their own efforts, without cheating, plagiarizing, or fabricating their work in any way. Any student work strategy intended to circumvent the learning goals of an assignment, including dishonest use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), violates academic integrity.
Violations of academic integrity, including plagiarism, cheating, fabrication, and dishonest use of GenAI, call into question the character of the person who employs them; moreover, they compromise the nature and purpose of academic work as well as the moral and intellectual values espoused by the Saint Meinrad community in its intentions of adherence to the Gospel, obedience to the teachings of the Church, and engagement in the search for knowledge. Violations call into question the individual's readiness for ministry.
Representing work that you did not produce as your own, including work generated or materially modified by GenAI, constitutes academic dishonesty. Use of generative AI in a way that violates an instructor’s articulated policy or using it to complete coursework in a way not expressly permitted by the faculty member, will be considered a violation of academic integrity. This applies to written work and to oral presentations, including preaching.
Adequate documentation of sources is an integral part of every written assignment. Thus, failing to document sources of information violates academic integrity, whether the words in question are direct quotation, summary, or paraphrase, whether through negligence or by willfully deceptive intent.
As a general rule, if ideas are not common knowledge, the source of the idea should be cited. If words are quoted from a source, the quotation must be marked, and the source must be cited.
Students shall adhere to a recognized style of citation. The Chicago Manual of Style provides instructions and examples for citations and bibliographies, and is the approved style of the School. Instructors may accept or recommend other recognized citations styles, including MLA and APA.
Students shall preserve records of their work including (a) the metadata produced within the document file for the assignment, (b) preparatory material, like rough drafts, and notes, and (c) .pdf files or printouts of Internet sources, especially ephemeral GenAI sources. When questions about the student’s interpretation of sources arise, the professor may want to see the source to help the student reassess the reliability of the source or the adequacy of the student’s interpretation. Unless the instructor of record says otherwise, preservation of records shall be considered an integral part of any assignment.
When the instructor of record believes plagiarism or other violations of academic integrity have been committed, the instructor shall report it to the Office of the Academic Dean. Then, in consultation with the Office of the Academic Dean, the professor in whose class the alleged violation occurred will interview the student to determine:
Students may defend their work:
The academic dean and the instructor shall determine whether the student violated academic integrity in the light of this evidence. If they determine that a violation has occurred, a note to this effect will be appended to the student's file. The note will describe the nature of the offense and the assigned consequences.
Consequences may include, but are not limited to, a reduced grade or zero grade for the assignment, a reduced grade or failing grade for the course, or suspension from the School. Violations by seminarians shall be reported to the Formation Staff. Repeated violations will result in more serious consequences.