Guidelines for Implementing the Academic Integrity Policy 49-20
When a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy has occurred, the faculty member will schedule a meeting with the student(s) to discuss the violation. At the time an Academic Integrity Form will be completed. The faculty member will forward the completed form to the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education..
After completing the Academic Integrity Form, the student may change or rescind his/her decision within 3 business days.
If a student signs that she/he does not accept responsibility or agree with the sanction, the student can ask to have the case reviewed. This request is made to the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education. The appeal must be made in writing within 5 working days after completing the Academic Integrity Form.
Within five working days after receiving the student's request for an appeal, the Associate Dean shall request all relevant case materials from the instructor and the student. Materials are to be submitted to the Associate Dean within 10 working days of the date of the request. The Associate Dean will forward all case materials to the Chair of the Committee.
When the request for all relevant case materials is made, the Associate Dean will inform the student and the instructor of his/her option to verbally testify before the Committee. Requests for hearings must be made when case materials are submitted. The student, faculty member, Committee Chair or any member of the Committee may request a full hearing for any allegation.
The following academic sanctions are examples of the types of sanctions under which a paper review will occur, if a request for a full hearing has not been made:
--Reduced exam grade
--Exam failure
--Reduced course grade
The following academic sanctions are examples of the types of sanctions under which a full hearing will occur, even if a request for a full hearing has not been made:
--Failure in a course
--Dismissal from an academic program
--XF grade
Hearings will be scheduled no sooner than 5 business days after the receipt of all relevant case materials from the instructor and the student to allow for the review of the evidence and documentation by the student and/or instructor during this time. Review of the case material may occur during regular business hours in the Office of Undergraduate Education.
The student has the following rights in the hearing process. The student has the right to:
not attend the hearing,
--have a University-related community member as an advisor present,
--change his or her mind concerning their decision to contest an allegation,
--prepare for a hearing/review
--record the hearing proceedings,
--have decisions made by the hearing body only from evidence presented at the hearing, or question witnesses and evidence against him or her.
The Chair distributes the case materials to the members of the Committee, directs the paper review or hearing review process, rules on procedures, and votes only on ties.
When considering sanctions, the Committee will use the Guidelines for Academic Integrity Violations developed by the Office of Judicial Affairs, Penn State University. If the sanction recommended by the instructor is within the range provided by these Guidelines and the student has accepted responsibility or the Committee has found that the student is responsible, there will be no appeal on the sanction.
On paper reviews:
1. Instructions to Committee members will include a request for members to provide their written position on the case.
2. The Chair will summarize the members input and report a summary of the results back to the Committee member prior to informing the student, the instructor and the associate dean.
Procedure for hearings:
1. Student will present her/his case, if she/he wishes to attend. Student has the right to bring an advisor/friend for support. Student must inform the Committee Chair if she/he opts to bring an advisor/friend. No legal representation is allowed. The advisor/friend may assist the student in remembering details of the case but will not be permitted to address the Committee.
2. Instructor will present her/his case.
3. If both student and instructor testify, time will be allotted for responses.
4. Committee members will have an opportunity to question student and/or instructor.
5. Committee deliberates in the absence of student and instructor.
The Committee decision must be made within 20 working days after receiving the case materials. The Committee Chair shall inform in writing the student, the instructor, and the Associate Dean of the Committee's decision.
The Associate Dean shall report the results of the Committee Decision to the Office of Judicial Affairs. A written record of all cases will be maintained by the Office of Judicial Affairs for central record keeping.
The decision of the College Committee on Academic Standards is final. There is no appeal process.
A preponderance of evidence will be the burden of proof in the evaluation of violations of academic integrity. The following non-inclusive list provides examples of the burden of proof necessary to find a student responsible for violating academic integrity.
--Possession of a crib sheet, pre-programmed calculator, notes or books used during a closed book exam, copy of an unauthorized exam (one the has been stolen, not returned, photocopied, purchased etc. without the custodian's permission), etc.
--Observation of a student looking at another unsuspecting student's exam and copying, copying in a complicit manner with another student, exchanging color coded exams for the purpose of copying, passing answer via notes, electronic or other devices, discussing answers in an exam, etc.
--Observation of a student facilitate acts by others including unauthorized collaboration, copying, etc.
--Submission of work as one's own lab results, project reports or papers that are the work of others, submission of work that contains fabricated information or citations, submission of other's work from professional journal, books, articles and papers, submission of work without proper citation, etc.
--Possession of a copy of a paper, case study, lab report or any assignment that has been submitted for credit in a prior class and the current class without the knowledge and permission of the instructor.
--Possession of written evidence of changes to the student's own or another student's work product such as lab results, papers, or test answers where these changes are done to improve a grade, sabotage the work of another or play an unfair prank on another student, etc.
--Possession of written evidence or observation of a person taking a quiz or exam, performing a laboratory exercise or similar evaluation, writing a paper in place of another, etc.
--Possession of written evidence or observation of a person being requested to take a quiz or exam, perform a laboratory exercise or similar evaluation, write a paper in place of another, etc.
--Possession of electronic, written, or visual evidence of theft of computer programs, data, or test belonging to another.
Revised 11/2002
