Academic Dishonesty
Academic dishonesty is a serious offense and is investigated and adjudicated in collaboration between the academic department and Student Conduct and Community Standards. While faculty retain original jurisdiction for academic dishonesty incidents, egregious and repeat offenses of academic dishonesty may also be addressed by Student Conduct and Community Standards.
What is Academic Dishonesty?
Academic dishonesty takes several forms. While not an exhaustive list, below are the most common forms of academic dishonesty.
Academic Dishonesty: Any action or behavior that can be broadly described as lying, cheating, or stealing, in the academic arena, including:
- Cheating;
- Fabricating data or citations;
- Facilitation of dishonesty;
- Tampering with or falsifying records;
- Collaborating in areas not approved by the professor;
- Unauthorized multiple submissions of one’s own work;
- Plagiarism;
- Sabotage of others’ work, including library vandalism or manipulation;
- Creation of an unfair advantage;
- Any other form of academic dishonesty
Jurisdiction of Resolution
Academic dishonesty contains elements of both intellectual property (the academic subject material) which is investigated and adjudicated by the faculty, and the violation of the institutional policies which is investigated and adjudicated by Student Conduct and Community Standards. Because of this relationship, the following table lays out the jurisdiction of which entity responds to reports of academic misconduct.
| Grade Classification | First-time Offense | Repeated Offense |
| Undergraduate Student | Academic Department | Student Conduct and Community Standards |
| Graduate Student | Academic Department | Academic College |
Investigation and Resolution Process
Faculty members will be asked to provide all relevant information related to the incident, including:
- Assignment/exam materials;
- Communication (or attempts to communicate with the student) regarding the academic dishonesty matter;
- The course syllabus;
- Any other relevant materials
Incidents of academic dishonesty referred to Student Conduct and Community Standards investigated and may be resolved either through a disciplinary conference or a formal hearing, before a university hearing board.
Regardless of the method of adjudication, all students have the right to:
- have their case heard under regular procedures used for all similar cases,
- receive notice of the charges against them,
- hear a description of the University’s evidence against them, and
- present their account to the office of Student Conduct and Community Standards or University Hearing Board.