It is the policy of Wright State University to uphold and support standards of personal honesty and integrity for all students consistent with the goals of a community of scholars and students seeking knowledge and truth. Furthermore, it is the policy of the University to enforce these standards through fair and objective procedures governing instances of alleged dishonesty, cheating, and other academic misconduct.

A. The following recommendations are made for students:

	1.	Be honest at all times.
	2.	Act fairly toward others. For example, do not disrupt or seek an unfair advantage over others by cheating, by talking, or by looking at other individuals' work during exams.
	3.	Take group as well as individual responsibility for honorable behavior. Collectively, as well as individually, make every effort to prevent and avoid academic misconduct, and report acts of misconduct that you witness.
	4.	Do not turn in the same work in more than one class unless permission is received in advance from the professor.
	5.	Unless permitted by the instructor, do not collaborate with others on graded course work, including in class and take home tests, papers, or homework assignments.
	6.	Know what plagiarism is and take steps to avoid it. When using the words or ideas of another, even if paraphrased in your own words, cite the source(s). (Note: see Section III, page 4 – Definitions)
	7.	Know the policy-ignorance is no defense. If you have any questions regarding academic misconduct, contact your instructor. Those who violate campus rules are subject to disciplinary action.

B. Academic Integrity Policy and Process

Approved by Faculty Senate on May 1, 2000, and General Faculty on May 9, 2000

The judicial process for violations of academic integrity is activated whenever an undergraduate or graduate student is accused of violating Section V, Category 4 A/B of the Code of Student Conduct pertaining to academic integrity. Students who are participating in a professional practice program may be held accountable to additional standards and should refer to all relevant policies and procedures pertaining to their particular school or college.

Any member of the community may report an alleged violation. A violation may be reported to the instructor of the course in which the alleged act occurred, the chair or dean (or equivalent academic administrator) of the college/school with which the course is affiliated, or a member of the staff of the Office of Student Judicial Services. An individual who suspects a student of cheating may at any time contact the Office of Student Judicial Services at (937) 775-4240 to receive assistance with any aspect of the academic integrity process. All reports must be in written form to be adjudicated.

A student accused of a violation of academic integrity is not permitted to drop or withdraw from the course giving rise to the charge of academic dishonesty unless the matter is resolved in the student's favor. Once notified by the professor, the Office of Student Judicial Services is responsible for notifying the registrar that there is an alleged violation being considered. If the alleged violation cannot be resolved prior to the date upon which final grades must be reported to the registrar, the instructor of the class, with the advice and counsel of the department chair or equivalent will assign a grade of "N." In the event that a student is exonerated as a result of an academic integrity investigation, the student may choose to either complete the course, with the opportunity to make up any work missed, or withdraw from the course without any notation of the course on the student's academic transcript.

When a student is suspected of committing an act of academic dishonesty, the instructor must utilize the procedures listed below.

C. Faculty-Student Meeting Procedures

The faculty member will document the alleged violation utilizing an Academic Integrity Violation Form. He/she will then send the student an Academic Integrity Conference Notification Form to notify the student of the allegations and the need for a meeting to discuss the incident. A copy of the Academic Integrity Violation Form should be included with the Notification Form. Either the student or the faculty member may invite the department chair (or equivalent academic administrator) to attend the conference.

If the student chooses to not schedule or attend the meeting with the faculty member, the faculty member, in the student's absence, shall make a decision as to whether the student is responsible or not for the violation using all available information. Furthermore, upon receipt of the documentation, the Office of Student Judicial Services will bill a $25 noncompliance fee to the student's bursar account and he/she will be referred to the academic integrity hearing panel (AIHP) for consideration of further sanctioning.

If, as a result of the meeting with the student, the faculty member believes that no violation took place, the faculty member will dismiss the case and the issue will be considered resolved. Both judicial forms regarding the incident should be destroyed. However, if after discussing the incident with the student, the faculty member still believes that "more likely than not" a violation did occur, the faculty member determines whether the student should receive a zero for the assignment, examination, paper, or project, or a grade of "F" for the course.

If the student and faculty member agree that a violation took place and the sanction imposed is appropriate, the faculty member will complete the Academic Integrity Resolution Form documenting the mutually agreed-upon outcome. The student will then be asked to sign the Resolution Form indicating that the information on the form is an accurate reflection of the decision(s) made during the meeting. A completed copy of the Resolution Form will be provided to the student. Additionally, the faculty member should retain his or her copy and forward all remaining copies of all forms to the Office of Student Judicial Services. If, after reviewing all of the information, the faculty member believes that the seriousness of the incident warrants additional action beyond a grade sanction, the Resolution Form should be completed indicating that the case will be referred to the AIHP for further sanctioning. Furthermore, any student who has previously been found responsible for committing an act of academic dishonesty according to the records maintained within the Office of Student Judicial Services will also be referred to the AIHP for further sanctioning.

In the event that the student denies the charge(s) and/or does not accept the faculty member's sanction during the initial meeting with the faculty member, the faculty member will inform the student that the case will be forwarded to the AIHP for adjudication. The faculty member will then complete the Academic Integrity Resolution Form indicating a referral to the AIHP, have the student sign the form, and provide the student with his/her copy. All remaining documentation is then sent to the Office of Student Judicial Services. The Office of Student Judicial Services is responsible for the scheduling of the hearing.

D. Academic Integrity Hearing Panel (AIHP)

The AIHP consists of five panel members of whom three are faculty members, one of whom serves as the chair, and two of whom are students. Faculty panel members are nominated by the Executive Committee of Faculty Senate and approved by the Faculty Senate membership. The Office of Student Judicial Services is responsible for the selection of the student representatives. The AIHP hearing is an opportunity for the student and faculty member to present views, call witnesses, and present documents and other evidence. The student accused of violating the academic integrity policy is required to represent himself/herself at the hearing. An advisor of the student's choice may accompany him/her to the hearing, but is not permitted to address the panel. The university may be represented by the instructor of the course giving rise to the alleged incident, by the chair of the department offering the course, or by the dean or designee of the college or school with which the course is affiliated. An advisor who is not permitted to address the panel may also accompany the university's representative.

The AIHP will consider the documents, testimony, or other evidence presented to it by the student charged and the faculty representative. Based upon the standard of a preponderance of the evidence ("more likely than not"), the AIHP will render a decision. The AIHP will confer in private to determine whether the student committed an act of academic dishonesty and, if so, the proper sanction(s). If the AIHP finds in favor of the student, the grade of "N" previously assigned to the student's record shall be expunged. The AIHP will refer the matter back to the faculty member who gave rise to the charge with the instruction to reevaluate the student's work based on its merits.

If the AIHP finds against the student, it may impose any of the sanctions set forth in the Code in addition to the letter grade sanction that was issued by the faculty member. The student's cumulative disciplinary history will be taken into account during the sanctioning phase of the process. The AIHP shall mail to the student written notice of its decision and the student's appellate rights. The student may appeal the decision of the AIHP to the University Appeals Board in writing, within five business days from the date of the decision letter. All appeals should be delivered to the Office of Student Judicial Services. (See Section XI)

Additional Information Regarding Academic Misconduct

E. Examples of Academic Dishonesty include, but are not limited to, the following behaviors:

1.

Using external assistance during an examination unless expressly permitted by the instructor, including:

	a.	Communicating in any manner with another student during an examination;
	b.	Copying material from another student's examination;
	c.	Permitting another student to copy from your examination;
	d.	Using notes, calculators, or other devices during an examination without express permission from the instructor; and
	e.	Utilizing the assistance of a third party in completing a "take-home" exam when such assistance is not expressly permitted.

2.

Falsifying information for inclusion in an assigned paper or exercise, including:

	a.	Inventing or altering data for a laboratory experiment or field project;
	b.	Altering the content of a graded paper and resubmitting it to the instructor under the pretense of an error in grading; and
	c.	Creating a fictional citation for a research paper.

3.

Taking credit for the work of others, including:

	a.	Quoting, paraphrasing, or otherwise using the words or ideas of another as your own without acknowledging or properly citing the other (commonly called plagiarism);
	b.	Submitting as your own work any paper, homework assignment, take-home examination, computer program, artistic work, or other academic product created wholly or in part by, provided by, or obtained from another.

4.

Engaging in improper conduct such as:

	a.	Obtaining or reading a copy of a confidential examination in advance of the time it will be administered without the knowledge and consent of the instructor;
	b.	Submitting a paper or essay prepared for one class in another class without the knowledge and consent of the instructor of the latter;
	c.	c. Creating or making changes to your academic record or changing grades; stealing, changing, destroying, or impeding the academic work of another student.