How Faculty Can Honor the Horns

The University of Texas at Austin strives to create a dynamic and engaging community of teaching and learning. Instructors directly support this goal by developing students’ knowledge, critical thinking, and curiosity; advancing their own fields of study; and serving as mentors, committee members, and leaders. Because instructors play so many roles, it’s important for them to instill the honor code values — openness, integrity, and a willingness to make mistakes and learn from them — into Longhorn students, visitors, and peers.

Suggestions for Instructors

• Be clear in the syllabus and class discussions about the core learning outcomes, emphasizing what students should know and be able to do by the end of the course and why that knowledge is valuable to their lives.
  • Clarify that assignments help students understand what they are gaining from the course and bolster the relationship course between goals and practical, lifelong application.
• Design assignments where students can lean into failures and use them as learning tools for continued growth, such as having practice assignments that are not graded, opportunities to resubmit drafts, and term projects that build over the course of the semester so that student learning improves over time.
• Have a conversation on the first day of class about acceptable and unacceptable behaviors related to the performance of assignments and exams.
  • Explain what constitutes a violation of the honor code per Subchapter 11–400 of Appendix C, Prohibited Conduct in the General Information Catalog.
  • Assess students’ understanding of plagiarism through a plagiarism quiz.
  • Discuss allowable uses of AI resources, like Microsoft Copilot and resources students may use to complete quizzes and exams.
  • Clarify which assignments may be done in groups.
• Include syllabus language and in-class discussions on the importance of mastering material for long-term success rather than simply getting a good grade.
  • Sample syllabus statement: I value your learning and want you to do well in this class. The key to success lies in strategic effort; graded activities will help you track your progress and distinguish the skills you have mastered from those that need a bit more work. I will do my best to give prompt feedback, and I encourage you to reach out for help during office hours. Our university honor code is a reminder that we are all striving to develop new knowledge and skills, and that academic dishonesty disrupts the learning process. I take it seriously.
  • Emphasize that classrooms are safe spaces for experimentation and making errors.
  • Talk about the difference between feeling uncomfortable and feeling distressed so students understand when being challenged is aiding in their learning and when they should ask for help.