The Office of Academic Affairs and the Academic Integrity Review Board (AIRB) classify academic misconduct into four (4) offense/violation levels and recommend four (4) possible sanction levels based on the violation’s seriousness. Academic sanctions, levied by faculty, are included in the University Administrative Guidelines on Academic Integrity and range from a warning or reduced grade on a single assignment to the course’s failure. When a faculty member believes that the student’s behavior raises questions about the student’s continued involvement in the academic department, or that the student’s behavior is so egregious that an academic sanction is not sufficient, the faculty member will refer the case to the AIRB. If it is found that the student has a history of academic misconduct or if the misconduct is severe enough, the AIRB may choose additional disciplinary sanctions such as probation, dismissal, suspension, or expulsion from the University. Faculty should defer to the AIRB for more information. Visit the Code of Student Conduct – Office of Student Affairs, for definitions of probation, dismissal, suspension, or expulsion.
A student may not drop a class where there is a question of academic dishonesty.
Offenses
Commission of any of the following acts shall constitute academic dishonesty. This listing is not exclusive of any other acts that may reasonably be determined to constitute academic dishonesty. The penalty for an offense, whether first or later, will generally range from a letter of reprimand to expulsion, depending upon the severity of the offense. The University also has the right to rescind course credit, degrees, and/or certificates awarded, if it is determined that these were obtained by actions which violate the university policy on academic honesty.
See list of possible sanctions HERE.
- Taking notes into an ‘unseen’ exam.
- Copying another student’s work.
- Letting another student copy your work.
- Getting someone else to sit an exam for you.
- Failing to credit sources used in a work or product in an attempt to pass off the work as one’s own.
- Attempting to receive credit for work performed by another, including papers obtained in whole or in part from individuals or other sources.
- Attempting to receive credit in one or more classes for the same paper or project without written approval of instructors involved.
- Completing and submitting individual assignments or work with a partner or group without expressed permission.
- Agreeing with one or more persons to commit an act of scholastic dishonesty.
- Acquiring answers for an assigned work or examination from unauthorized source [including but not limited to from another student present, use of phone, calculator, smartwatch, any form of communication, CHEG.com].
- Working with another person or persons on an assignment or examination when not specifically permitted by the instructor.
- Copying the work of other students during an examination.
- Plagiarism of any kind.
Disciplinary Actions/Violation Levels
Below are the brief definitions of the four offense/violation levels that can be enforced by faculty or the AIRB for breaches of the Academic Honor Code, depending on the severity of the academic infraction:
Level One (Minor Offenses) – In general, Level I offenses involve ignorance or errors in judgment.
Level Two (Moderate Offenses) – In general, Level II offenses are unintentional dishonest acts of academic misconduct.
Level Three (Major Offenses) – In general, Level III offenses are substantial dishonest acts of academic misconduct.
Level Four (Severe/Egregious Offenses) – Level Four offenses represent the most severe or egregious breaches of intellectual honesty and academic integrity.
Co-adjudication: Cases involving academic and behavioral misconduct may be heard and sanctioned by both the AIRB and the Student Conduct Board.