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Student Handbook

Policy on Academic Integrity

Wright State University and the School of Professional Psychology are committed to academic excellence and to the highest standards of academic integrity. All students and faculty have the responsibility to foster an atmosphere conducive to academic excellence and academic integrity. Academic dishonesty undermines the accurate evaluation of students' knowledge and performance. In addition, it undermines the bonds of trust and honesty among members of the academic community, constitutes taking unfair advantage of other students and defrauds those who may eventually depend upon the student's knowledge and integrity, most notably future clients. Moreover, academic dishonesty in the context of professional psychology education constitutes a serious violation of the Ethical Standards governing psychologists. It is the responsibility of both students and faculty to intervene immediately in any situation in which academic dishonesty is suspected.

Definition of Academic Dishonesty

The following is a list of behaviors that constitute academic dishonesty. While not exhaustive, this list represents the more common types of academic dishonesty.

A.  Examination Behavior

Any use of external assistance during an examination, including a take-home examination, will be considered academically dishonest unless expressly permitted by the instructor.

The following are considered unacceptable examination behaviors:

• Communicating with another student during an examination.
• Copying material from another student's examination.
• Allowing another student to copy from your exam.
• Using notes, tables, diagrams, or other resources during an examination unless expressly approved by the instructor.

B.    Fabrication

Any intentional falsification or invention of data, assessment results or citations in an academic or clinical assignment will be considered a violation of academic integrity.

The following are examples of academic dishonesty involving fabrication:

• Inventing or altering data or client information collected as part of a research or evaluation project, coursework, or practicum or internship work experience.
• Inventing or falsifying reference citations in an academic, clinical or scholarly report or paper.

C.    Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the appropriating and subsequent passing off of another person's work as one's own. If the work of another is used, acknowledgement of the original source must be made using a recognized referencing practice. If another's words are borrowed in whole or in part and merely recast in the student's own words, proper acknowledgement must, nonetheless, be made.

D.    Other types of Academic Dishonesty

• Submitting materials, a paper, or report written by or obtained from another as one's own.
• Using a paper, report, or other assignment in more than one class or field experience without the instructor's expressed permission.
• Obtaining a copy of an examination in advance or an examination from a previous year without the knowledge and consent of the instructor.
• Using another person to complete classroom or field assignments or take-home exams without the knowledge and consent of the instructor.
• Falsifying or altering official academic or clinical records.
• In classes in which attendance is required or monitored, signing an absent student's signature on an attendance sheet as if he or she were present.

Steps to Avoid Academic Dishonesty

1.    If you are tempted to engage in a dishonest academic practice, remember that discovery and the subsequent judgment that you have done so will be much more damaging to your academic career at SOPP than a low grade in a course or academic or field work assignment.

2.    If you are in doubt about what the course instructor or fieldwork supervisor considers appropriate for completion of an assignment or examination, immediately clarify this with the instructor. If there is disagreement amongst members of your class as to what is or is not appropriate seek clarification from the instructor, not your classmates.

Procedures for Confronting Academic Dishonesty

It is the responsibility of each student and faculty member to uphold the highest standards of academic integrity and to confront and question instances when academic dishonesty is suspected. To have knowledge of academic dishonesty and not confront it places one in violation of Principle 7g of the Ethical Principles of Psychologists which explicitly assigns psychologists the responsibility to monitor peer conduct and confront inappropriate behavior.

Principle 7g of the Ethical Principles of Psychologists grants faculty members and students some latitude in dealing with situations of known or suspected academic dishonesty. If the violation is of a minor nature and seems to have resulted from lack of sensitivity, knowledge or experience, the faculty or students may elect to deal with the situation informally by discussing the behavior in question with the offending student. The goal in this kind of intervention is to educate and heighten sensitivity to the dishonest nature of the behavior. Alternatively, the student or faculty may choose to bring the incident to the attention of either the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs or the Associate Dean for Clinical Training and Psychological Services. Generally speaking, allegations of academic dishonesty associated with academic courses should be directed to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and allegations of dishonesty associated with field work or work on the clinical practicum or internship should be reported to the Associate Dean for Clinical Training and Psychological Services.

Making a formal charge of academic dishonesty with either the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs or the Associate Dean for Clinical Training and Psychological Services is an appropriate initial action when the dishonesty does not seem amenable to an informal corrective action or if the dishonesty is of a more serious nature. It is also possible for the students or a faculty member to employ both informal and formal approaches. For example, a faculty member or student who intervenes informally in an instance of suspected academic dishonesty and is not satisfied with the results of that intervention may decide to proceed to formal action. On the other hand, some dishonest behaviors are better dealt with through immediate formal action. For example, a student who observes another engaging in cheating during an examination is encouraged to report this immediately to the course instructor or examination proctor.

Faculty or students who are unsure whether to intervene informally or formally (or whether they are obligated to take action at all) are urged to seek counsel and advice from a faculty member, or one of the Associate Deans.

Procedures for Dealing with Formal Charges of Academic Dishonesty

Formal allegations of academic dishonesty will be dealt with by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs or the Associate Dean for Clinical Training and Psychological Services as follows:

1. The student accused of dishonest behavior will be notified in writing of the person(s) making allegations and the behavior(s) under question.
2. The Associate Dean or an investigative committee appointed by the Associate Dean will engage in fact-finding, review and assessment of all evidence supporting the alleged academic dishonesty.
3. Based on the information above and, if necessary, consultation with some or all core faculty, the Associate Dean determines whether there is sufficient cause or the alleged dishonesty is sufficiently serious to refer to an Ad Hoc Disciplinary Hearing Committee for a formal hearing and disciplinary action.
4. If there is not sufficient cause or the alleged dishonesty is not sufficiently serious to warrant referral for a formal hearing the Associate Dean will resolve the matter with the person(s) involved in the allegation.
5. If the matter is to be referred for a formal hearing, the Associate Dean will form a committee of three core faculty members to serve as an Ad Hoc Disciplinary Hearing Committee. The manner in which the Committee is formed and the procedures followed by the Committee in a disciplinary hearing are outlined in Ad Hoc Disciplinary Hearing Committee: Policy and Procedures.

Emergency Suspension

The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs or the Associate Dean for Clinical Training and Psychological Services may impose an emergency suspension when a student's behavior constitutes a grave breach of academic integrity, when such behavior places other people's welfare in jeopardy or threatens to disrupt the educational process of the School. Students placed on emergency suspension will not be permitted to participate in some or all of the School's activities, nor will they be allowed to take examinations or submit papers or other course work without written permission from the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs or the Associate Dean for Clinical Training and Psychological Services. Emergency suspensions will remain in effect until the Ad Hoc Disciplinary Hearing Committee recommends another course of action.

Consequences of Academic Dishonesty

The maximum penalty that can be imposed independently by a faculty member is assigning a grade of F for the examination or other graded assignment. Additional penalties imposed by the Ad Hoc Disciplinary Hearing Committee include, but are not limited to: failing the student in the course, placing the student on leave from the program, requiring specific remedial actions on the part of the student, or termination of the student from the program.