Student Integrity
The Wilmette Institute’s online program is based on interactive teaching, learning, and communication. Learners, faculty, and staff are responsible for maintaining high standards of scholarship and collegiality. Faculty and learners actively contribute to one another’s learning through critical dialogue, integrative learning, and collaborative learning. As learners interact with faculty and other learners, they can expect to be challenged, feel a sense of accomplishment, be treated with respect, and become part of the Wilmette Institute community. Diversity—of thought, values, and opinion—is valued at the Wilmette Institute. All members of the Wilmette Institute community are expected to respect diverse perspectives.
Academic Honesty
Students are expected to conduct themselves with the highest ethical and academic standards and to commit no acts of cheating, plagiarism, or falsification of records.
Definitions: Cheating is an act of obtaining or attempting to obtain credit for work by the use of dishonest, deceptive, or fraudulent means; plagiarism is the act of taking ideas, words, or specific substance of another and offering them as one’s own; falsification of records is a misrepresentation of statements in submitted records.
As members of an academic community, students and faculty assume certain responsibilities. One of those responsibilities is to engage in honest communication. Academic dishonesty is a serious violation of the trust upon which an academic community depends. Students must not submit work that reproduces ideas, words, or statements of another person without appropriate acknowledgment. A student must give credit to the originality of others and acknowledge an indebtedness whenever he or she does any of the following:
- Quotes another person’s actual words, either oral or written;
- Paraphrases another person’s words, either oral or written;
- Uses another person’s idea, opinion, or theory; or
- Borrows facts, statistics, or other illustrative material, unless the information is common knowledge.
If a faculty member suspects plagiarism after researching, s/he should present the evidence to the Associate Director. Together they will consult with the student to determine whether a simple error was made, whether the plagiarism policy was not understood, or whether the plagiarism was deliberate. Penalties for the first violation can range from a 0 on that assignment to an “Emerging Proficiency” grade for the entire course. The penalty for a second violation can range from an “Emerging Proficiency” grade for the entire course to expulsion. The penalty for the third violation is expulsion.
ChatGPT, Artificial Intelligence, and Academic Integrity
Students who use Artificial Intelligence algorithms such as ChatGPT and similar tools on assignments without administration or faculty permission or who use them improperly violate the Institute’s academic integrity rules.
Since its launch by OpenAI in late 2022, ChatGPT has inspired many questions related to academic integrity. Like most tools, ChatGPT (and other artificial intelligence products) can be used for good and bad purposes. There are legitimate ways to use these tools for research, and there are ways to use them to cheat on academic work.
Students who use ChatGPT and similar programs improperly are seeking to gain an unfair advantage, which means they are committing academic dishonesty. It is generally accepted that if AI text check programs detect over 25% of the submitted text is generated by AI, it fits the definition of plagiarism because it is not an original work.
Student Conduct
Every time a student takes a course, they are required to read the following information and indicate that they have read it.
WI Communication Etiquette Guidelines
February, 2024
The Wilmette Institute aims to provide innovative and transformative learning experiences that build capacity in learners to contribute to prevalent public discourses from a Bahá’í perspective through study, consultation, action, and reflection to students seeking to make the world more compassionate, just, and inclusive. Positive learning experiences emerge from inquiry, consultation, and reflection. Successful courses cultivate meaningful relationships among participants, faculty, and the surrounding community. Within our courses, we seek to establish a positive, safe, and mutually supportive learning environment.
There are many opportunities for meaningful interactions in our courses: through video conferences, forums, email, private messages, and opportunities to have significant and uplifting conversations with people in our families and communities. Our learners seek to participate in and contribute to positive interactions and learning environments. Nevertheless, race and other social issues are discussed in all of our courses, and it is important to establish from the beginning how to address such issues in ways that are uplifting and supportive. For this reason, we would like to share the following guidelines for interactions with peers and faculty to facilitate positive learning environments and avoid conflict. By participating in our courses and interacting with others, you agree to follow these guidelines.
There are two parts to these guidelines. The first outlines ideas about creating and participating in spiritually distinctive spaces. The second outlines concrete recommendations for participating in forums and video conferences.
Spiritually Distinctive Learning Spaces
Wilmette Institute aims to create spiritually distinctive learning spaces. To explore what these learning spaces look like, carefully read the following quotes from the Universal House of Justice and one from the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States. Although these quotes are not necessarily about formal spaces of learning, they can be instructive regarding meaningful learning environments.
“What is imperative is that the quality of the educational process fostered at the level of the study circle rise markedly over the next year so that the potential of local populations to create such dynamics is realized. Much will fall on those who serve as tutors in this respect. Theirs will be the challenge to provide the environment that is envisioned in the institute courses, an environment conducive to the spiritual empowerment of individuals, who will come to see themselves as active agents of their own learning, as protagonists of a constant effort to apply knowledge to effect individual and collective transformation.”
(Ridvan 2010, Universal House of Justice)
“Ultimately, the power to transform the world is effected by love, love originating from the relationship with the divine, love ablaze among members of a community, love extended without restriction to every human being. This divine love, ignited by the Word of God, is disseminated by enkindled souls through intimate conversations that create new susceptibilities in human hearts, open minds to moral persuasion, and loosen the hold of biased norms and social systems so that they can gradually take on a new form in keeping with the requirements of humanity’s age of maturity. You are channels for this divine love; let it flow through you to all who cross your path. Infuse it into every neighborhood and social space in which you move to build capacity to canalize the society-building power of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation. There can be no rest until the destined outcome is achieved.”
(22 July 2020 – To the Bahá’ís of the United States)
“To create a just society begins with recognition of the fundamental truth that humanity is one. But it is not enough simply to believe this in our hearts. It creates the moral imperative to act, and to view all aspects of our personal, social, and institutional lives through the lens of justice. It implies a reordering of our society more profound than anything we have yet achieved. And it requires the participation of Americans of every race and background, for it is only through such inclusive participation that new moral and social directions can emerge.”
(National Spiritual Assembly of United States, June 19, 2020, Statement on Current Conditions and the Path Towards Racial Justice)
“Let neither think that the solution of so vast a problem is a matter that exclusively concerns the other. Let neither think that such a problem can either easily or immediately be resolved.” “Each one should endeavor to develop and assist the other toward mutual advancement…”
(Quotes from Shghi Effendi as included in the July 22nd 2020 letter of the Universal House of Justice).
Let’s employ Bahá’í consultation by calling people in, not out, when they say something that may trigger us.
“It is not possible for you to effect the transformation envisioned by Bahá’u’lláh merely by adopting the perspectives, practices, concepts, criticisms, and language of contemporary society. Your approach, instead, will be distinguished by maintaining a humble posture of learning, weighing alternatives in the light of His teachings, consulting to harmonize differing views and shape collective action, and marching forward with unbreakable unity in serried lines.”
(Universal House of Justice, 22 July 2020 – To the Bahá’ís of the United States).
Here are a few phrases drawn from the quotes to help students think about Spiritually Distinctive spaces. Students may want to choose a few from these to work on during the course.
- Moral imperative to act
- Endeavor to develop and assist the other toward mutual advancement
- Inclusive participation
- Effected by love
- Enkindled souls
- Love ablaze
- Build capacity to canalize
- Love originating from the relationship with the Divine
- Reordering of our society more profound than anything we have yet achieved
- Channel for divine love
- Intimate conversations where love flourishes
- Humanity is one
- Let neither think that the solution of so vast a problem is a matter that exclusively concerns the other
Concrete recommendations for participating in forums and video conferences
We generally recommend assuming that faculty and peers have a pure motive. WI attracts diverse audiences–age, race, gender, culture, experiences, education levels, language, and beliefs. There may be large cultural differences in the group of participants. WI courses often take on challenging social issues that some are more experienced with and sensitive to than others. Seek to appreciate and be enhanced by the diversity of backgrounds and perspectives of participants. Of course, feel free to share your thoughts, but also listen intently to learn from others.
Web-based forums have unique limitations
Written communication lacks body language, which opens the possibility of misinterpretation. Unfortunately, a humorous tone may be interpreted as condescending or insulting. “Emoticons” may help, but sometimes they don’t. Be aware of the limitations inherent in written communication and try to be clear, open, and friendly. Be as courteous and polite as possible. If a misunderstanding arises, be prepared to explain in other words and apologize when appropriate, privately or publicly.
Initial Forum Posts
Forum posts display an understanding of the readings, other resources, and underlying concepts. Posts integrate personal perspectives or experiences to support important points. We suggest that everyone send their messages to the forum in a detached manner without expecting responses
Forum Responses
In addition to responding “I agree” or “good point,” response posts actively stimulate and sustain further discussion by building on peers’ responses, including building a focused perspective around an issue or asking a new related question, or making a thought-provoking statement supported by personal experience or related research. Responses are posted in a timely fashion.
Emotional or Controversial Topics
If we were sitting in a classroom and an emotionally difficult subject came up, the instructor could gauge the class’s reaction by body language. If someone looks upset but doesn’t seem to want to speak, the teacher can help the person express his or her thoughts. But if someone in an online forum is angry, no one else will know until they say so. This can result in a very unsatisfactory discussion. Swearing, insults, and other nastiness are highly inappropriate and, in extreme cases, could result in someone being removed from a course.
Curse words and racial slurs—even in reported text—should be strictly avoided. If you doubt the appropriateness of a post, please consult your faculty mentor before posting. We also urge people who are feeling upset to send a private message to their faculty before posting to everyone. Even a mildly angry posting to the forum can cause some sensitive students to refrain from posting.
