Academic Misconduct

According to the Humanities Academic Misconduct Policy, academic misconduct includes cheating, plagiarizing, research misconduct, misrepresenting one’s work, and inappropriately collaborating. Definitions can be found in the Regulations Library at Policy 6-400: Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities (“Student Code”). If a student is suspected of academic misconduct, the process proceeds according to the rules found in the Student Code, University Policy 6-400(V). According to that policy, after an initial meeting between the student and the instructor, the instructor must determine whether academic misconduct has, in fact, occurred.

If the instructor determines that no academic misconduct has occurred, he or she will document that the student is not responsible for any academic misconduct. 

If the instructor determines that academic misconduct has occurred and this is the first instance in which the student has been alleged to have committed academic misconduct, the instructor will take into account whether the act was intentional or a result of negligence in determining the appropriate sanction, which can be up to failing the course. The sanction will be noted in the resolution of the case. The student’s right of appeal is as specified in Policy 6-400(V).

If the instructor determines academic misconduct has occurred, and the student has previously been sanctioned for an act of academic misconduct, and the prior instance of misconduct resulted in a sanction less than failing the course, the department will follow the process to fail the student for the course.  If the prior sanction was failure of the course, the student’s new act of misconduct will result in failure of the course and the department will also follow the process to seek the student’s dismissal from both the program and the University.