Academic Integrity

Academic freedom is the cornerstone to a university education. It allows students to examine, learn, and synthesize various topics. Freedom is predicated on integrity, trust, and honesty. All undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff are expected to show integrity in their academic work, including discussion, written submissions, examinations, and laboratory work. Failure to conduct academic work honestly is a serious breach in trust and is considered a serious offense.

Academic Misconduct

Examples of academic misconduct include, but are not limited to, the following:

Cheating: The unauthorized use of materials, devices, or information on an academic exercise.
Examples of cheating include submitting another’s work as one’s own, using unauthorized notes or electronic devices during an examination, changing or altering a score in any way, stealing an examination or answer key, or allowing another person to complete one’s assignment.
Fabrication and Falsification: The inaccurate presentation of data in an academic exercise.
Examples of fabrication and falsification include creating false data for a laboratory exercise or falsifying citations of sources used.
Facilitation and Collaboration: The unauthorized aiding of another student in her/his academic exercises or allowing another student to violate academic integrity.
Examples of facilitation and collaboration include knowingly allowing another student to cheat, completing another student’s academic work, or conducting group work when not allowed by a professor.
Interference: Any act that prevents other students from completing their academic work or prevents their work from being evaluated fairly.
Examples of interference include defacing library or university material in a way that prevents others from using it, defacing another’s work, offering bribes or threats to influence grading of academic work, or intentionally disrupting the academic process.
Plagiarism: The use of the words, ideas, and data of others without giving credit to that person. Examples include failing to provide proper citations for ideas, facts, opinions, theories, or statistics, or presenting these as one’s own, or submitting work previously submitted to another course when not allowed by professor.

Consequences of Academic Misconduct

What the instructor should do when academic misconduct is suspected:

Have a preliminary meeting with the student to present any evidence of academic misconduct within one week of discovery of the alleged incident to determine if a violation has occurred.
If a violation of the academic integrity policy is determined, issue the appropriate sanction (detailed in the Sanctions section).
If a sanction is imposed, complete the Report Form for Allegations of Academic Dishonesty (available in the dean’s office) within one week of the sanction determination. The instructor submits a copy to the student, the dean of the school, and the Dean of Students.

What the student should do when accused of academic misconduct:

Attend the preliminary meeting with the instructor. Failure to attend this meeting is considered an additional violation.
Remain calm and listen to the evidence of academic misconduct being presented.
Present student’s point of view.
If the instructor imposes sanctions, obtain a copy of the Report Form for Allegations of Academic Dishonesty from the instructor.
If sanctions are imposed and if the student disagrees with the alleged misconduct and/or the sanctions, the student may file a written appeal. A copy must be submitted to the instructor, the dean of the school, and the Dean of Students within one week of receiving the Report form for Allegations of Academic Dishonesty from the instructor.
Attend hearings and/or appeals as required by this policy. Unless requested by the instructor or student, there are no official hearings for first-time offenses.

Official Hearings and Appeals

The University Hearing Board hears appealed cases as well as repeat, multiple, and severe allegations. The instructor or student can also request an official hearing for a first-time academic integrity violation. A copy of the procedures for academic integrity hearings may be obtained from the Office of the Provost or the University website. Judicial boards will strive to complete proceedings within 10 days of receipt of the report of violation.

Any appeal of decisions of the University Judicial Board is made to the Provost. The student must submit a written appeal with explanation to the Provost, the instructor, the dean of the school, and the Dean of Students within 7 days of the University Judicial Board’s decision. The Provost’s decision is final.

No grade penalty can be assigned by the instructor until the case and all appeals are resolved. If the charges cannot be resolved prior to the end of the semester, the instructor will assign the grade of “I” (Incomplete) until the case is resolved.

Distance Education and Online Students

Students who are enrolled in distance education courses, including online classes, are subject to these
standards of academic integrity. Hearings, including appeals, will require student participation and
contact through teleconference, online interfacing, and/or written documentation.

Sanctions

Sanctions for academic misconduct for undergraduate students are intended to educate the student, change inappropriate behaviors, and assure that the severity of the sanctions fit the misconduct. Sanctions are outlined below.

For graduate students, sanctions for academic misconduct will be specified by the individual graduate program. In the absence of a graduate program specific policy, the sanctions outlined below will apply.

Sanctions for academic misconduct may include one or a combination of the following, at the instructor’s discretion:

An oral reprimand;
A written reprimand;
An additional assignment to replace the work;
No credit given for the work;
Lower or failing grade for the particular assignment, exam, or course;
Removal of student from the course in progress.

Sanctions that may be given by the University Judicial Board and Provost include all of the above, plus the following:

Removal of student from the program, major, school, or University;
Withdrawal of the degree or academic credit bestowed;
Disciplinary probation (with length of time and conditions of return specified).