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VIII. Academic Integrity

Disciplinary procedures in instances of student misconduct of an academic nature.
When, in the opinion of a faculty member, a student is responsible for violating University rules, regulations, or policies of an academic nature on or off campus, the faculty member must report the incident following the policy protocol. For reporting purposes, an Academic Dishonesty Form is available in the Office of the Registrar. Violations are classified into levels according to the nature of the infraction. The levels are defined as follows:
Level One
Level One violations may occur because of a student’s inexperience or lack of knowledge of principles of academic integrity. These violations are likely to involve a small fraction of the total course work, are not extensive, and/or occur on a minor assignment.
Level Two
Level Two violations are more serious in nature and affect a more significant aspect or portion of the total course work.
Level Three
Level Three violations affect a major or essential portion of total course work, or involves premeditation. Level Three violations represent serious violations of intellectual honesty and academic integrity.
Level Four
Level Four violations are the most severe violations of academic integrity and as such will be sent directly to the Student Academic Standards Committee for sanctions which in most cases will be immediate dismissal.

Definitions of student misconduct of an academic nature.
Violations of an academic nature may include, but are not limited to, cheating, fabrication, facilitating academic dishonesty, plagiarism, and/or sabotage. Definitions of each are found below with examples of scenarios and their suggested violation levels.

Cheating
Cheating is the use or intention to use unauthorized materials, information, study aids, or assistance in any area of academics. Work is expected to be the sole effort of the student, unless otherwise directed by the faculty member. Cheating includes, but is not limited to, the following examples:
Level One
  • Copying to a minor extent on quizzes, exams, or assignments.
  • Submitting the same work or major portions thereof to satisfy the requirements of more than one course without the permission of the current instructor. 
Level Two
  • Working collaboratively on assignments when prohibited.
  • Using prohibited materials (e.g., books, notes, or calculators) during an exam without permission from the instructor. 
  • Copying to a moderate or major extent on quizzes, exams, or assignments.
Level Three
  • Buying unauthorized aid on examinations, papers, or assignments.
  • Offering bribes related to academic work.
Level Four
  • Obtaining a quiz, exam, or assignment by theft, stealth, or deception.

Fabrication
Fabrication is the intentional falsification or invention of research, data, citations, or other information. Fabrication includes, but is not limited to, the following examples:
Level One
  • Providing false information/documentation to postpone tests or due dates.
Level Two
  • Altering quizzes, exams, or assignments and submitting for regrading.
Level Three
  • Falsifying documents for academic gain.
  • Fabricating data by inventing or deliberately altering material (this includes citing “sources” that are not, in fact, sources).
Level Four
  • Changing the record of work done by stealth or deception.

Facilitating Academic Dishonesty
Facilitating academic dishonesty is the aiding of another student(s) in any form of academic dishonesty. Acts may include providing unauthorized materials for assistance on tests or assignments or producing work on another’s behalf. Facilitating Academic Dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, the following examples:
Level One
  • Giving unpermitted assistance to others, such as help with research, statistical analysis, computer programming, or field data collection that constitutes an essential element in the paper, project, or assignment.
Level Two
  • Giving unpermitted assistance on quizzes, exams, or assignments.
  • Permitting another to present one’s work as the student’s own.
Level Three
  • Selling unauthorized aid on quizzes, exams, or assignments.
  • Accepting bribes related to academic work. 
  • Taking an exam for another student.
Level Four
  • Obtaining a quiz, exam, or assignment by theft, stealth, or deception and distributing to other students.

Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the presentation of someone else’s words, ideas, or data as one’s own work, in written, oral, or visual form. If the work of another is used, acknowledgement of the original source must be made through a recognized reference practice. To assure proper crediting a student will acknowledge the work of others. Neither ignorance nor carelessness shall be an acceptable response in the cases of plagiarism. The principal difference between Cheating and Plagiarism is that Cheating normally involves using materials that students are not permitted to use (for example, the unauthorized work of another student), whereas Plagiarism normally involves materials that students would be permitted to use (for example, academic publications), but the students have not appropriately acknowledged the materials. Sometimes both violations occur in a single incident of misconduct. The categorization of the charge(s) is not as important as a clear description of misconduct allegedly done by the student. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, the following examples:
Level One
  • Failing to cite or give proper acknowledgement in a limited amount of an assignment.
  • Failing to cite or give proper acknowledgement from others, such as help with research, statistical analysis, computer programming, or field data collection that constitutes an essential element in the undertaking in a paper, project, or assignment.
Level Two
  • Failing to cite or give proper acknowledgement in a moderate amount of an assignment.
Level Three
  • Failing to cite or give proper acknowledgement in an extensive amount of an assignment.
Level Four
  • Significant plagiarism of a major work such as a dissertation, thesis, or research paper or project.
  • Purchasing a research paper or project.

Sabotage
Sabotage is the disruption or destruction of another person's work or a group’s work so that the other person or group cannot successfully complete an academic activity. Failure to contribute as required to a group/team project may also be considered academic sabotage. Sabotage includes, but is not limited to, the following examples:
Level One
  • Preventing a student or students from having access to materials resulting in minor effects.
Level Two
  • Preventing a student or students from having access to materials resulting in moderate effects.
Level Three
  • Sabotaging the work of a student or students through actions designed to prevent the student(s) from successfully completing the academic activity.
Level Four
  • Destroying another student’s artwork, research, or experiment beyond repair or recovery.

Policy protocol after an incident of student misconduct of an academic nature.
Discovery of Academic Dishonesty
Based on the severity of the violation of University rules, regulations, or policies of an academic nature, the faculty member will initiate the filing of an academic dishonesty charge. The faculty member will first select and consult with a designated college delegate. This delegate must be a faculty member appointed by the dean of the college or the college representative that serves on the appropriate Student Academic Standards Committee aligned with the student’s course level (e.g. undergraduate or graduate). After consulting with the designated college delegate, the faculty member will assign the appropriate level and type of violation and course of action. The faculty member or college delegate can obtain any prior reported academic integrity violations from the Office of the Registrar when appropriate to address prior knowledge of policy. The course of action must include academic counseling, and may also include a zero for the assignment, a reduction in possible points for the course, a grade of “F” for the course, or other appropriate action. Faculty members must include their course of action when completing the Academic Dishonesty form. When a student has violated University rules, regulations, or policies of an academic nature, the student will not be permitted to withdraw from the course. If a student is given an “F” for the course, he or she may not continue to attend the course. However, if the student is issued a grade of “F” for the course and appeals, the student may resume attending class pending the final disposition of the matter.

Meeting with the Student
Within a timely period (normally five working days of the discovery of the violation unless circumstances warrant a longer period), the faculty member or college delegate will set up a meeting with the student, the faculty member, and the designated college delegate. The student is entitled to invite an advocate. The advocate must be a University of Findlay faculty member or academic advisor. The meeting will cover an overview of the violation in relation to the University policy, the course of action, the remediation process, and the appeal process in the event the student wishes to appeal the charge. At the conclusion of this meeting, if, in the opinion of the faculty member, a violation has occurred, the faculty member or college delegate will send the required documentation (i.e., Academic Dishonesty form, supporting evidence) to the Office of the Registrar. Upon receiving the documentation, the Office of the Registrar will notify the student in writing or email of the formal charge(s) pertaining to the violation of University rules, regulations, or policies of an academic nature as well as the process to be used to appeal said charge(s).
 
Under the circumstance where the faculty member has made reasonable documented attempts to schedule the meeting with the student during the allocated timely period (normally five working days) and the student has failed to respond to the meeting requests, the charge will automatically be submitted to the Office of the Registrar. The recommended number of scheduling attempts would be two or three in the timely period (normally five working days). If the student fails to attend the scheduled meeting the charge will also be automatically submitted to the Office of the Registrar.

Appealing the Academic Dishonesty Charge
After the student receives notification from the Office of the Registrar that the charge has been filed, the student will have five working days to notify the Office of the Registrar of his or her desire to appeal the charge or course of action. The student then has five additional working days to submit his or her completed appeal to the Student Academic Standards Committee via the Office of the Registrar. The decision rendered by the Student Academic Standards Committee regarding the charge and course of action is final and not subject to additional appeal. If the appeal is denied, the student chooses not to appeal (i.e., does not meet the appeal deadline), or if the student waives the right to appeal, then the charge of academic dishonesty becomes part of the student’s academic record. At this point, the Office of the Registrar will notify the student, his or her advisor, the faculty member, the college dean, and the area director/department chair, and any other appropriate University officials.

Remediation and Sanctions
If this is the student’s first academic integrity violation, the student will be expected to complete a remediation process assigned by the faculty member. The Office of the Registrar is responsible for monitoring the student's completion of any required academic integrity training. The faculty member is responsible for monitoring any special courses of action, such as apology letters. A student will be assessed points based on the level of the charge of academic dishonesty. A Level One is assessed one point; a Level Two is assessed two points and so on. The record keeping of this point system will be maintained by the Office of the Registrar. If a student has a Level Four charge or has two or more violations, the student will be notified that he or she is being referred to the Student Academic Standards Committee for possible University sanctions. The number of academic dishonesty points accumulated by the student will aid the Student Academic Standards Committee in determining the appropriate sanction.

(Revised 22 April 2024 to be effective 13 May 2024)