Issuu

The University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice since 1916

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

www.OUDaily.com

Free — additional copies 25¢

Cheaters to learn about academic integrity Course designed to replace punishment-based system, does not appear on transcript DHARA SHETH The Oklahoma Daily

OU students convicted of academic misconduct will now attend a class to teach them lessons about the value of academic integrity in both academic and professional fields: Do You Understand Integrity. “The goal of this class is to reform the way they think about academic integrity,” said Aaron Gleason, meteorology graduate student. Gleason, a peer

educator, has ser ved on the Integrity Council for four years. Bacon said the class is a 10weeklong course that consists of five two-hour biweekly sessions including homework assignments and a community service project. It will include speakers Michele Eodice, Writing Center director; Tamara Pratt, Learning & Assessment Center director; and Gregory Heiser, Associate Provost and Academic Integrity Systems director. The creation of this class is part of the Integrity Council’s mission to change OU’s academic integrity system from a punishment-

oriented one to a more rehabilitative one, said Elizabeth Miracle, Integrity Council chairwoman. Before this class, students caught cheating faced up to 80 hours of shelf reading. They would make sure books were classified correctly in the library, said Bacon, associate director of Academic Integrity Systems. While this system did allow students to give back to OU, it did nothing to help them understand or appreciate academic integrity. “Students just left the system thinking ‘God, I hope I don’t get caught again,’” Miracle said. Now, students have the opportunity to understand academic

integrity and still give back to the community. “Our curriculum has a service program that encourages college readiness in local high schools,” Miracle said. Topics covered in class include plagiarism, consequence and jury trials. Students also will learn about honor systems at various institutions and participate in a mock academic misconduct hearing, according to the fall course syllabus. Bacon said she has had graduates of the spring pilot course e-mail her to inform her of academic misconduct occurring in classes. In cases like these, Bacon

contacts the professor to report the misconduct while protecting the confidentiality of the student. “Although students are often ashamed and reluctant to participate on the first day of class, by the last class they are comfortable sharing their academic misconduct experiences and seem to have learned from it,” Bacon said. The seminar is not offered for course credit, so students don’t have to pay for it and it doesn’t appear on their transcript, but Bacon said students who do not meet the class requirements do face suspension.

Boren questions America’s future as world superpower President outlines problems country faces, invites questions about new book from freshman Gateway classes EMILY HOPKINS The Oklahoma Daily

Roughly 1,000 Gateway freshmen and guests greeted President David Boren Monday afternoon to hear about the major challenges facing the country, as outlined in his 2008 book “A Letter to America.” Boren began his lecture in Catlett Music Center by explaining why he wrote the 112-page book. “I wanted it to be in the form of a letter and to be a conversation with the Amer ican people,” he said. “We as Americans are not talking about things that really matter. We need to engage ourselves in a conversation about the things that are going to affect our future.” “A Letter to America” challenges readers to consider whether or not the United States will continue to be a global superpower. Boren said that if he had actually sent the letter, he would have marked the envelope with the word “urgent.” “There’s room for deep concern about the future of the country, and we have to think about what to do about it. Instead of talking about Lady GaGa, we need to talk about the things that are going to shape our lives,” he said. “We need to think of a new way to lead. We can’t do it all by ourselves.” Boren said this new way of leading will come from global partnerships, which he said he is hopeful the next generation can create. “The way your generation is already giving back gives me tremendous optimism for the future. This isn’t the time to give up,” he said. After Boren’s 35-minute talk, students were invited to ask questions and express their opinions. Boren’s book was incorporated into Gateway classes this semester as common

reading, a new concept this year aimed at introducing freshmen to college-level material. “My students seemed shocked at first that the U.S. might not always be the world’s leading superpower as countries like China and India grow in population and wealth,” said Sunny Wenger, Freshman Programs professor. Wenger said that the book gave her students an edge in an increasingly global world. “They understand that our status in the world was at its peak after World War II, but has recently suffered,” she said. “They also have a better understanding about our economy and how we have leveraged our standing in the world from borrowing billions of dollars from other countries. I believe this common reading not only opens the door to some excellent conversations, it catapults students to a higher level of thinking and college-level discussion.” After reading the book, students were instructed to write their own letters to Boren, explaining why they liked or disliked the book and how they could make a difference within their community. “I wrote about how his book made me want to make a change on campus to educate other college students about our global problems,” said University College freshman Kathryn Hosford. Hosford said that “A Letter to America” made her consider the role responsible citizens ought to take in a democratic society. “I hear people on campus, at home and even my parents complain that President Obama has done nothing to help turn our country around since being elected,” she said. “However, we as the people have the right to help make changes to better our nation.” MERRILL JONES/THE DAILY Boren is currently working on a postscript for “A Letter to America” that will President David Boren speaks to students about his book, “A Letter to America,” Monday afternoon address what, if anything, has changed in in Paul F. Sharp Concert Hall at Catlett Music Center. Boren’s talk was aimed at freshmen enrolled in Gateway classes who read the book as part of their course. the country’s development situation.

STATE ELECTIONS

Oklahomans to decide if ID Question looks to restructure is necessary to vote at polls Apportionment Commission Proponents claim initiative may decrease voter fraud; opponents fear it may hinder legal citizens from voting JONO GRECO Contributing Writer

State Question 746 would require voters to have legal photo identification to vote and those without such identification would have to sign a sworn statement to cast a provisional ballot. By providing legal photo identification, problems of voter fraud in Oklahoma may be reduced. People opposing the measure claim it discriminates against certain groups. “If any legal voter is deprived of the right to vote because of this legislation, it’s not worth it,” retired political science professor David Morgan said at a public forum hosted by The League of Women Voters of Norman on Oct. 14. Many believe the question would “hinder minorities, the elderly and the poor from

voting,” according to a fact sheet from The Commission has never met, but would League of Women Voters of Norman. apportion congressional districts if “There are certain groups in our society Legislature fails to finish task, agree that don’t have the advantages that many of us have,” Morgan said. “So, it seems to me TROY WEATHERFORD Contributing Writer that there are a group of people that could indeed be disadvantaged in their attempts If passed, State Question 748 would to vote.” change the Apportionment Commission Some of those disadvantages Morgan that allocates districts when the Oklahoma listed included elderly people who have State L egislature cannot come to a difficulty getting out of their homes and consensus. into the voting booths and The commission — which people who do not have curhas never been used — was rent legal identification with established to make decithem at all times. sions if the Legislature fails At the forum, law profes7 days until the elections to agree on district apporsor Rick Tepker mentioned tionment, which is done a group of nuns who were every 10 years. denied the right to vote in The commission is made up of the atIndiana’s 2008 presidential primary electorney general, the superintendent of pubtion because they did not have proper idenlic instruction and the state treasurer. If tification. If Oklahoma passes SQ 746, then passed, this question would increase the a situation like this could lawfully occur, he size of the commission from three to seven said.

A LOOK AT WHAT’S NEW AT On Monday, GLBTF members participated in a pride rally against intolerance and marched from the South Oval to the Norman Municipal Complex for the Human Rights Commission

INDEX Campus .............. 1 Classifieds .......... 3 Life & Arts ........... 4 Opinion .............. 2 Sports ................ 2

members, and the sitting commissioners would be removed. These new commission members would be a Democrat and a Republican appointed by the Senate president pro tempore, the speaker of the House and the governor. The lieutenant governor would chair the commission as a non-voting member. “This would create a bipartisan-appointed commission rather than a partisan group of elected officials,” said Rick Farmer, Oklahoma House of Representatives research staff director. For an apportionment to pass the commission, it would require at least four votes. This would require at least one member of each party to vote in favor of any redistricting plan. Former Rep. Thad Balkman, R-Norman, said the commission would probably never be used to apportion the 101 House seats and 40 Senate seats but could be relevant in determining the five congressional districts.

TODAY’S WEATHER 71°| 50° Wednesday: Mostly sunny, high of 67 degrees Visit the Oklahoma Weather Lab at owl.ou.edu