Faculty Senate Resolution
2003-2004-17
Academic Dishonesty
Resolution
Whereas the faculty and administration of
Whereas the current policy in the catalog has some
ambiguities or does not address completely such issues as the dean involved and
the problem of repeat offenders, and
Whereas the Academic Affairs Council has drafted a revised
policy on academic dishonesty (attached):
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED THAT the Faculty Senate supports the revised academic
dishonesty policy proposed by the Academic Affairs Council, with the following
changes noted in bold:
1. 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 Dean has ten (10)
working days to render a decision.
1. D. (2) The sanction imposed was inappropriate (rather than
excessive” as
in the current policy draft).
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
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 Judicial Affairs.
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 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 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 excessive.
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 Judicial Affairs 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 Judicial 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 Judicial Officer may initiate judicial procedures as outlined in the Code
of Student Conduct.
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