Academic Integrity

 

The academic community relies upon a high standard of integrity in the relations among its members. To the extent that this standard is not maintained, the good of the community suffers, and injustice (sometimes serious injustice) may be done. One of the most important aspects of academic integrity concerns the just measure of each student’s academic accomplishments. These are ordinarily evaluated through written examination or submitted work.  For such modes of assessment to operate fairly, it is essential that the instructor be assured that the work used to evaluate the student’s performance is genuinely the student’s own. It is also the responsibility of the student to uphold the academic integrity of the University. The use of unauthorized material, communication with fellow students during an examination, attempting to benefit from the work of another student and similar behavior that defeats the intent of an examination or other class work is unacceptable. Cheating on examinations, plagiarism, improper acknowledgment of sources in essays and the use of a single essay or paper in more than one course without permission are considered very serious offenses and shall be grounds for disciplinary action.

 

If a faculty member suspects that a violation of academic integrity has occurred, the procedure below will be followed:

 

1. Academic Action

Within ten (10) working days of discovering the alleged violation the faculty member will notify the student in writing of the alleged charges and the right of appeal (see current catalogue under, “Appeal and Change of Grade.”) No penalty will be imposed until the student has been informed of the charge and has been given ten (10) working days to respond and present a defense. The student must be given an opportunity to personally meet with the faculty member. In the event the faculty member is not available, the Department Head of the course may serve as proxy and work with the student to resolve the issue.

A. Agreement between the student and the faculty member that a violation has occurred, or no response from the student, will result in the assignment of a lower grade or an F to the test or assignment, or in the case of a serious violation, a lower grade or F for the course. This will be at the discretion of the instructor. A written report of the action taken must be filed with the Department Head and Dean of the course involved. In addition, the Dean of the course involved will provide a copy of the report to the Dean and Department Head of the student’s major and the Office of Student Advocacy and Accountability.

B. If no agreement is reached between the faculty member and the student, the student may then appeal the decision to the Department Head of the course involved. The student has ten (10) working days to file such an appeal. The department head has ten (10) working days to render a decision.

C. If the student or faculty member chooses to appeal the department head’s decision, the appeal is then submitted to the dean who has administrative authority over the course. The student or faculty member has ten (10) working days to file such an appeal. The dean has ten (10) working days to render a decision.

D. The appeals must be based on one or more of the following criteria: (1) The facts of the alleged violation were in error. (2) The sanction imposed was inappropriate.

E. If all appeals are denied, the original sanctions will be imposed and a written report of the action(s) taken will be filed with the Office of Student Advocacy and Accountability by the dean who has administrative authority over the course. The Department Head and Dean of the student’s major also will be provided a copy of the final report. In the event that a case cannot be resolved before the final grades are due in the Records and Registration Office, the grade of “I” will be assigned to the student for the course until the appropriate grade can be determined.

 

2. Judicial Sanctions

In addition to the academic actions described previously, if an act of academic dishonesty is particularly egregious or repeated, judicial sanctions may be imposed. If the faculty member, department head, or dean believes that a particular violation of academic integrity warrants disciplinary sanctions such as probation, suspension, or expulsion, the academic dean who has administrative authority over the course may file a written complaint with the Chief Student Conduct Officer for disposition of the matter through the procedures outlined in the Code of Student Conduct. If there have been repeated acts of academic dishonesty by the student, the dean of the student’s major or the Chief Student Conduct Officer may initiate judicial procedures as outlined in the Code of Student Conduct.