Academic Dishonesty

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.

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.