PROCEDURES FOR DEALING WITH ACTS OF ACADEMIC DISHONESTY BY STUDENTS

The University Handbook of Operating Procedures (HOP) defines several specific types of academic dishonesty including, but not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, and collusion. For details about these definitions, see the HOP Section 5.2.2.C.19 (CLICK HERE TO LINK TO HOP). As a department whose graduates most frequently pursue academic careers, we believe it is of the utmost importance to enforce rules of academic misconduct as strictly as possible while maintaining a degree of flexibility and fairness. In that pursuit, we adopt the following policies and procedures.

• Punishable acts of academic dishonesty are defined in the Handbook of Operating Procedures Section 5.2.2.C.19 and shall constitute the Department’s definitions for acts of this nature.
• Each member of the faculty is responsible for designing and implementing a consistent procedure for detecting acts of academic dishonesty. Such procedures must not entail any sort of ethnic, gender, or other profiling and must be applied fairly and consistently to all students. If the department chooses to do so, it may develop a standardized procedure to be adopted by all faculty. Should this happen, a copy of that procedure will be appended to this policy.
• Where the nature of the work required in the syllabus demands, before any work that may be prone to plagiarism can be assigned, the faculty member will instruct students on how to handle sources properly and the rules for academic citation. Inclusion of this material must be documented in the course syllabus. If the department chooses to do so, it may develop a standardized statement on plagiarism to be included in all appropriate syllabi. Should this happen, a copy of that statement will be appended to this policy.
• When a case of academic dishonesty is suspected, the faculty member will document the violations as fully as possible and present that evidence to the student. Three outcomes may follow this interview:
  • If after this exchange the faculty member is convinced that the student has not violated policy, the matter may be dropped.
  • If the faculty member is convinced that this is a violation of academic standards, s/he may ask the student in question to sign a confession which at minimum contains a description of the act in question and the punishment, if any, that is to be assessed. A copy of the plagiarized assignment and any documented evidence must be attached to this confession. This confession with its corresponding evidence is to be forwarded to the Dean of Students Office, where it will be added to the student’s performance file with the understanding the Dean of Students Office may initiate an independent investigation and disciplinary action beyond that taken by the faculty member in question. If the department chooses to do so, it may develop a standardized form for this confession. Should this happen, a copy of that form will be appended to this policy.
  • If the student either admits no wrong-doing or confesses wrong-doing but refused to sign a confession accepting the faculty member's recommended punitive action, the suspected work and all documentation relating to it will be forwarded to the Dean of Students Office with a request for a full-scale investigation and disciplinary action.