Cheating and Plagiarism

Procedure for Addressing Cheating

1. Instructors should be confident that cheating has occurred; if there is any doubt, the student should be consulted and/or additional information sought prior to taking action for cheating.
2. The student should be notified by memorandum of the instructor's determination that cheating has occurred and the intended punishment. Said memorandum should notify the student that if s/he denies cheating: (1) the department head of the course of record will be given an opportunity to resolve the situation to the satisfaction of both parties; and (2) if the situation remains unresolved, an appeal of the finding of cheating (though not of the punishment, if the finding of cheating is upheld) is available through the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities (OSRR).
3. Cheating requires, at a minimum, an "F" assigned to the assignment, exam, or task, and this "F" must be reflected in the course grade. The instructor may assign an "F" course grade for an incidence of cheating.
4. Irrespective of whether an appeal is made, the instructor is obligated to submit to the OSRR director a Confidential Faculty Report of Academic Dishonesty. Physical evidence, circumstantial evidence, and testimony of observation may be attached.
5. If an appeal is made, the grade assigned for cheating and the associated course grade cannot be appealed to the Fairness Board should the OSRR confirm the incidence of cheating.
6. The OSRR director shall determine if any disciplinary action is required in addition to the assignment of a failing grade. Disciplinary actions which are possible include, but are not limited to: required special counseling, special paper or research assignments, loss of student teaching or research appointments, removal from a course, loss of membership in organizations, suspension or dismissal from individual programs or from the University. The most severe of the possible actions shall be reserved for grievous cheating offenses or more than one offense by an individual.

Procedure for Addressing Plagiarism

1. Instructors should be confident that plagiarism has occurred; if there is any doubt, the student should be consulted and/or additional information sought prior to taking action for plagiarism.
2. Plagiarism may be considered a form of cheating and therefore subject to the same procedure which requires notification to the OSRR director and, at a minimum, an "F" assigned to the assignment, exam, or task (See "Procedure for Addressing Cheating"). However, plagiarism may be the result of poor learning or poor attention to format, and may occur without any intent to deceive; consequently, some instructor discretion is appropriate. Provided that there was no obvious intent to deceive; consequently, some instructor discretion is appropriate. Provided that there was no obvious intent to deceive, an instructor may choose to counsel the student and offer a remedy (within her/his authority) which is less severe than that required for cheating. (If in doubt about her/his authority to offer a particular remedy, the instructor should consult OSRR.) Even under these circumstances, the instructor must submit to the OSRR director a Confidential Faculty Report of Academic Dishonesty.
3. An instructor may not penalize a student for plagiarism in any way without advising the student by memorandum that a penalty is being imposed. The instructor should further advise the student in said memorandum that if s/he denises committing plagiarism: (1) the department head of the course of record will be given the opportunity to resolve the situation to the satisfaction of both parties; and (2) if the situation remains unresolved, an appeal of the finding of plagiarism (though not of the punishment, if the finding of plagiarism is upheld) is possible through OSRR.