G-9: Academic Integrity

Policy: Senate Policy 49-20, Academic Integrity

Introduction:

Recognizing the importance of academic integrity to the Penn State community, the University Faculty Senate adopted a new Academic Integrity policy, Spring 2000. The shared conviction, represented in the procedures that follow, is that academic integrity is best taught and reinforced by faculty as an element of the teaching and learning process. Only in the limited instances in which faculty believe that disciplinary, as well as academic, sanctions are called for should the process move to the Office of Student Accountability at Penn State Berks.

Penn State Berks shall interpret and apply Academic Integrity Procedures consistent with University policy. Academic sanctions range from a warning to removal from the academic program. See sanctioning recommendations » 

Procedures:

A. When Academic Dishonesty is Suspected:

  1. The faculty member has a conversation with the student about the allegation while taking into account the confidential nature of the information and the goal of maintaining an environment that supports teaching and learning.
     
  2. When evidence suggests that an academic misconduct has occurred, the faculty member will enter the charge and the academic sanction on the Penn State Academic Integrity website, and the site will automatically convey the charge and sanction to the student for their approval. Although the student may consult and seek support from other Penn State faculty and/or staff throughout the process and may be accompanied by a support person for any in-person or virtual meetings, the student must speak for and represent themselves.
     
  3. A student’s failure to accept the allegation on the online system by the specified deadline consistent with Penn State Berks procedures will be construed as not contesting the charge or sanction.
     
  4. Normally, it is preferable to settle issues between faculty and students, relying on the assignment of grades and course or program-related sanctions to support the learning process, rather than requesting additional University-level disciplinary sanctions. However, where integrity violations are considered to be extreme, the faculty member may also opt to pursue a disciplinary action in conjunction with both the Penn State Berks Academic Integrity Committee and the Penn State Berks Office of Student Accountability. A more detailed and comprehensive listing of the types of sanctions faculty may assign to students can be found in the Sanctioning Guidelines for Academic Integrity Violations.
     
  5. Throughout the academic integrity process, the authority to administer academic sanctions remains the responsibility of the instructor (or AI Committee) when the case is managed and closed at the Penn State Berks level. In situations where the allegation is referred to the Office of Student Accountability at Penn State Berks, the application of academic sanctions will be carried out by Student Accountability, but only in consultation with the Penn State Berks Academic Integrity Committee.
     
  6. Once a student has been informed that academic dishonesty is suspected, the student may not drop the course during the adjudication process. Any drop or withdrawal from the course during this time will be reversed. A student who has received an academic sanction as a result of a violation of academic integrity may not drop or withdraw from the course at any time. These drop actions include regular drop, late drop, withdrawal, retroactive late drop and retroactive withdrawal. Any such drop action of the course will be reversed. This drop policy may be superseded in exceptional circumstances with the approval of Penn State Berks Office of Student Accountability (i.e., trauma drop).
     
  7. If, after notification of a violation of academic integrity, a student fails to sign the Academic Integrity Form by the specified deadline, the adjudication process will go forward as defined by Penn State Berks procedures.

B. If the Student Accepts Responsibility for the Violation and the Proposed Academic Sanction:

  1. The student indicates that they do not contest the allegation on the online academic integrity system and then the Chair of the Penn State Berks Academic Integrity Committee informs the Registrar and the Academic Affairs Office that the case is closed. The AI Committee Chair also forwards the documentation to the Office of Student Accountability at Penn State Berks to add to the AI database.
     
  2. In all cases, it is the responsibility of Penn State Berks to determine through consultation with Student Accountability whether the student has prior academic integrity violation(s).
     
  3. If a prior recorded violation is discovered after the student has admitted responsibility and accepted the academic sanction(s), a new academic sanction will be considered by the Penn State Berks Academic Integrity Committee while affording the student her or his institutional rights (including the right to contest the violation and/or new academic sanctions). Information concerning prior academic misconduct may not be used as a basis for judging a student’s guilt, but it may be used as a basis for imposing additional academic sanctions or deciding whether disciplinary action is also warranted.
     
  4. When a prior record of academic misconduct is discovered, the Penn State Berks Academic Integrity Committee, in consultation with the Penn State Berks Office of Student Accountability, may consider also recommending University-level disciplinary sanction(s). If University-level sanction(s) do apply, all relevant documents will be sent to the Penn State Berks Office of Student Accountability for review and case management.
     
  5. If the faculty member recommends University-level disciplinary sanctions, and the Penn State Berks Academic Integrity Committee is in agreement, then he/she will inform the student that the case will be referred to the Penn State Berks Office of Student Accountability. If Student Accountability does not agree with the recommendation, they will discuss the matter with the Dean of the College, Director of Academic Affairs, Chief Academic Officer, Chancellor, or their representative, as appropriate, which may include the chair of the Academic Integrity Committee, prior to making a final decision.

C. If the Student Does Not Admit Responsibility for an Academic Integrity Violation:

  1. The student indicates that the charge or sanction(s) is being contested in the online system.  The Penn State Berks Academic Integrity Committee Chair and the Academic Affairs Office will be notified and a hearing will be held.
     
  2. It is the responsibility of Penn State Berks to determine through consultation with the Penn State Berks Office of Student Accountability whether the student has prior academic integrity violation(s).
     
  3. When disciplinary sanctions have not been recommended, and the student does not have a record of previous academic integrity violations, the Penn State Berks Academic Integrity Committee will conduct a review in accordance with their respective procedures.

    During the review, if the Penn State Berks Academic Integrity Committee finds that the student violated standards of academic integrity the Committee may elect to: uphold the original charge(s) and sanction(s); uphold charges, but modify sanction(s); apply no sanction(s).
     
  4. In any instance in which the instructor believes an "XF" sanction is warranted, whether or not the student has admitted responsibility, the case is forwarded to the Penn State Berks Academic Integrity Committee will consider this recommendation when deciding upon the length of time that the “XF” notation will remain on the student’s transcript. When the conditions are met for removal of the “XF”, an academic “F” will remain on the transcript. Assigning an "XF" notation to a student's transcript should be a rare occurrence and is reserved for the most serious breaches of academic integrity which may include repeat misconduct.
     
  5. The student will be notified by the Chair of the Academic Integrity Committee of the final decision and any academic sanctions recommended.  The Registrar’s office and Academic Affairs Office will also be notified.

D. Disciplinary Sanctions:

Faculty may assign a wide range of sanctions to a student found responsible for violating academic integrity. Most faculty may choose to utilize academic sanctions (the modification of grades due to misconduct), but when referring cases to the Penn State Berks Office of Judicial Affairs, faculty have the option to also recommend a full range of disciplinary sanctions available to Judicial Affairs such as: Disciplinary Warning; Disciplinary Probation; or Temporary, Indefinite or Permanent Expulsion; (see Sanctioning Guidelines for Academic Integrity Violations and Explanations for Disciplinary Sanctions).

E. Schreyer Honors College Students:

  1. For honors courses, as with all other courses, Penn State Berks maintains responsibility for reviewing and issuing academic sanctions.
     

  2. When Penn State Berks finds that a Schreyer Honors College student has committed an academic misconduct, the Schreyer Honors College will be notified.
     

  3. The Schreyer Honors College maintains authority over alleged breaches of academic integrity for its students in all cases in which the violation concerns Schreyer Honors College work, such as thesis research, but in which the student is not enrolled in a course.

F. Students Involved in Other University Related Academic Activities or Programs:

Students involved in other University related academic activities, courses, or programs (e.g. World Campus, Cooperative Education, internships, study abroad programs, etc.) that are delivered by Penn State Berks are subject to the University Academic Integrity Policy as implemented by Penn State Berks.

G. Record Keeping:

  1. The Penn State Berks Associate Dean is responsible for forming the Penn State Berks Academic Integrity Committees and seeing that students and faculty have ready access to such bodies. They are also responsible for seeing that all cases are reported to the Penn State Berks Office of Student Accountability. The specific information reported to Student Accountability should include all documentation established or reviewed while managing the case.
     
  2. The Penn State Berks Office of Student Accountability alone is responsible for the central record keeping and disclosing of student discipline records at the University, including academic dishonesty cases. Student Accountability will disclose student disciplinary records of academic dishonesty to third parties when those records include University-level disciplinary sanctions assigned by the Penn State Berks Office of Student Accountability. Student Accountability will disclose student discipline record information to third parties in accordance with federal law (FERPA) and the University policy on managing Student Discipline Records.

 
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