Academic Integrity Policy
Students of the university must conduct themselves in accordance with the highest standards of academic honesty and integrity. Failure to maintain academic integrity will not be tolerated. The following definitions are provided for understanding and clarity.
Definitions of Plagiarism, Cheating, and Academic Dishonesty
Student plagiarism is the presentation of the writing or thinking of another as the student’s own. In written or oral work a student may make fair use of quotations, ideas, images, etc., that appear in others’ work only if the student gives appropriate credit to the original authors, thinkers, owners, or creators of that work. This includes material found on the internet and in electronic databases.
Cheating entails the use of unauthorized or prohibited aids in accomplishing assigned academic tasks. Obtaining unauthorized help on examinations, using prohibited notes on closed-note examinations, and depending on others for the writing of essays or the creation of other assigned work are all forms of cheating.
Academic dishonesty may also include other acts intended to misrepresent the authorship of academic work or to undermine the integrity of the classroom or of grades assigned for academic work. Deliberate acts threatening the integrity of library materials or the smooth operation of laboratories are among possible acts of academic dishonesty.
Sanctions for Violations of Academic Integrity
If an instructor determines that a student has violated the academic integrity policy, the instructor may choose to impose a sanction, ranging from refusal to accept a work project to a grade of F for the assignment or a grade of F for the course. When a sanction has been imposed, the instructor will inform the student in writing. The instructor must also inform the student that she/he has the right to appeal this sanction and refer the student to the academic appeals process described in this bulletin. The instructor will send a copy of this letter to the dean of the school in which the course was offered. The dean will note whether a student, in her or his undergraduate course work, has committed multiple violations of the academic integrity policy over time. In such cases, the dean may impose further sanctions, including warning/reprimand, failure of a course, suspension, or expulsion, with written notification to the student and instructor when appropriate. The student may appeal the dean’s sanction to the committee of that dean’s college or school responsible for overseeing educational policies.
Academic Appeals Process
Any disagreement with regard to academic procedure, including individual cases of alleged violation of academic integrity and final grades, should be first taken up with the instructor. If this does not settle the matter satisfactorily, the matter should be taken up with the department chair, if appropriate. If the issue cannot be resolved at the department level, it should then be presented to the dean of the school in which the course was offered. If the issue is still not resolved, the student has the right to present the issue in writing to the committee of that dean’s college or school responsible for overseeing educational policies. The committee will request a written response from the instructor and may, at its discretion, seek further clarifications from the student, instructor, and/or dean. The committee will evaluate the student’s appeal and vote to approve or deny it. A written response will be sent directly to the student presenting the appeal, including grade adjustments if appropriate, with a copy to the faculty member. In the event of a successful appeal of an alleged violation of academic integrity, the original letter of notification from the instructor will be expunged from the dean’s file. Students wishing to file an appeal based on fall courses must do so no later than the end of the subsequent spring semester. Students wishing to file an appeal based on spring or summer courses must do so no later than the end of the subsequent fall semester.
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