Current through all regulations passed and filed through September 16, 2024
(A)
Policy
statement
This policy supersedes and replaces all
previous policies on graduate student academic dishonesty.
Academic dishonesty will not be
tolerated. Among the aims of education are the acquisition of knowledge and
development of the skills necessary for success as an educator or in another
profession. Activities inconsistent with these aims will not be permitted.
Graduate students are responsible for knowing what constitutes academic
dishonesty; if students are uncertain, for example about what constitutes
plagiarism or cheating, they should seek the instructor's
advice.
(B)
Purpose of policy
The purpose of the policy is to outline
the procedures that allow graduate students to appeal an adverse decision by
their college procedures of an instance of academic
dishonesty.
(C)
Scope
Examples of academic dishonesty
include, but are not limited to:
(1)
Plagiarism, which
is representing the words, ideas, or information of another person as one's own
and not offering proper documentation.
(2)
Giving or
receiving, prior to an examination, any unauthorized information concerning the
content of that examination.
(3)
Referring to or
displaying any unauthorized materials inside or outside of the examination room
during the course of an examination.
(4)
Communicating
during an examination in any manner with any unauthorized materials inside or
outside of the examination room during the course of an
examination.
(5)
Giving or receiving substantive aid during the course
of an examination.
(6)
Commencing an examination before the stipulated time or
continuing to work on an examination after the announced conclusion of the
examination period.
(7)
Taking, converting, concealing, defacing, damaging or
destroying any property related to the preparation or completion of
assignments, research or examination.
(8)
Submitting the
same written work to fulfill the requirements for more than one course.
In cases where the charge is research
misconduct rule
3364-70-21 of the Administrative
Code (scientific misconduct) shall apply.
(D)
While academic
integrity is particularly the responsibility of the student, the faculty
members also have a responsibility. Assignments and tests should be constructed
and proctored so as to discourage academic dishonesty. Faculty members are
expected to inform their students explicitly as to what materials and
procedures are authorized for use in the preparation of assignments or in
examinations (e.g., the use of a calculator, computer, text materials, etc.)
Should cases of academic dishonesty be found among students, the instructor may
counsel the student or impose one of the following sanctions:
(1)
The student may
be assigned an F for the work in question.
(2)
The student may
be assigned an F for the course. In this case the instructor should inform the
student of this action and follow their college procedures. The student is not
permitted to withdraw from the course.
(3)
The student may
be placed on probation or suspended for some definite period of time, dismissed
or expelled by the dean of the college if either the seriousness of the offense
or a record of repeated offenses warrants it. A notation that such a sanction
has been imposed will be made part of the student's permanent record. It is
expected that the college dean will consult with the instructor and the student
in making such a judgment, and that the dean will notify the student of the
sanction imposed and of the appeals procedure.
(E)
Procedure
A graduate student found to be
academically dishonest by a faculty member may wish to appeal. In cases that
involve academic dishonesty, including, but not limited to, cheating and
plagiarism, the student may appeal the violation and/or sanction imposed by the
professor through the procedures established by the student's program,
department, and academic college. The student is to receive a written
explanation of the decision made at each level of review. If a student appeals
such a decision to the next level of review, the documentation provided with
the newest appeal must include the written explanations of previous decisions.
Students must become informed about and adhere to any deadlines for such
college-specific appeals.
(1)
If the student wishes to grieve the decision of the
college, the student may file a written appeal to the dean of the college of
graduate studies.
(a)
This appeal must include a statement of the specific
grounds for appeal and must be accompanied by the written explanations of
decisions made at all previous levels of review.
(b)
The dean of the
college of graduate studies shall attempt to resolve the case by meeting or
otherwise communicating with both the student and the college.
(c)
If a resolution
is not achieved, the dean of the college of graduate studies shall call the
committee on academic standing into session to hear the appeal no later than
thirty working days (Mondays through Fridays, not counting holidays and school
breaks) after receipt of the written appeal. A quorum of one-half of committee
members must be present to hear the appeal. Any member of the committee who has
first-hand knowledge of the alleged violation will be excused from the hearing
panel.
(2)
The student shall be given a minimum of seven working
days written notice of the date, time and place of the hearing. He or she is
entitled to have counsel present for advisory purposes only. The student will
present the appeal and shall have the burden of establishing that the charge of
dishonesty is without factual basis. He or she may call witnesses on their
behalf and may question witnesses of the university. Likewise, the faculty
member who is presenting the charge may question witnesses testifying on the
student's behalf. The committee may question any witness and request relevant
documentation, which is not otherwise provided.
(3)
At the conclusion
of the hearing or within fourteen working days thereafter, the committee shall
issue its decision and state the grounds therefore. Both the student and the
faculty member shall receive a copy of the decision, and a copy shall be
formally communicated to the dean of the college of graduate
studies.
(4)
Procedural error: If either the student or involved
professor believes the committee decision resulted from a procedural error, the
student or professor may appeal, in writing to the dean of the college of
graduate studies within ten working days of receiving the committee's decision.
If an appeal is timely presented to the dean of the college of graduate
studies, the dean shall review all documentation and proceedings from the prior
hearing solely for procedural error and either:
(a)
Dismiss this
final appeal on the grounds that no procedural error occurred,
or
(b)
Remand the decision to the committee for the purpose of
obtaining further relevant evidence and for confirmation or reversal of its
original decision, or
(c)
Instruct the graduate council to impanel a new
committee on academic standing to adjudicate the case.
(5)
If no
appeal is made, the decision of the committee on academic standing shall be
final and will be implemented by the dean of the college of graduate studies.
The dean of the college of graduate studies shall notify the student and the
college in which the alleged violation occurred within fourteen working days of
receiving the final decision.
