Academic Integrity/ Misconduct Policy
In order to participate as a student at Notre Dame of Maryland University, a student is required to, and agrees to, maintain academic integrity. The University’s Honor Code requires academic honesty, and it is expected that all work submitted by a student is the student’s own. Violations of Academic Integrity/Misconduct Policy can lead to severe penalties, up to expulsion from the University. Violations of Academic Integrity/Misconduct Policy include cheating, plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, or other actions that violate commonly accepted intellectual and ethical standards within academic communities. Academic Integrity/Misconduct Policy applies to work in progress as well as completed work.
- Cheating is taking credit for work which has been completed by another person, or assisting others in the misrepresentation of their academic work. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:
- giving or using prohibited written and/or oral information during tests, quizzes, or examinations;
- stealing, buying,selling, or in any way distributing an examination;
- coping ideas or factsfrom another’s paper during an examination or quiz;
- submitting the same paper in two or more classes, even if the paper is the student’s original work;
- obtaining or providing previously undisclosed test questions or information pertinent to an exam that has not yet been administered;
- substituting for another person during an examination or allowing such substitution for oneself;
- Plagiarism is defined as the appropriation of ideas, facts, phrases, or additional materials (such as maps, charts, artwork, or computer programs) from any source without giving proper credit or offering appropriate documentation. Any material in a paper, report, artwork, or computer program which is not acknowledged is understood to be the original work of the author, unless such material is considered general knowledge. Students who are unsure whether they have used and documented source material correctly should consult with their instructor before submitting the assignment.
- Fabrication and falsification include the following:
- Fabrication and/or falsifying laboratory and clinical experiences, internship records, attendance records, research data, survey results, research methods, research results, research conclusions, or any other information and/or process used in the collection and presentation of academic, scientific, or professional materials.
- Misrepresenting, falsifying, or withholding information concerning admission requirements, university enrollment or status, financial aid application, health records, or other materials required by the University.
Procedures for Handling Suspected Violations of Academic Integrity/Misconduct Policy
According to the University Honor Code, it is the responsibility of each member of the Notre Dame of Maryland University community to respond to suspected acts of academic dishonesty by:
- Consulting with the individual(s) thought to be involved and encouraging them to report it themselves and/or;
- Reporting it to the instructor involved, and/or
- Reporting it to a representative of the Office of Community Standards
*Reporting oneself after committing academic dishonesty is strongly encouraged and may be considered in determining sanctions*
A faculty member who, based on personal observations or information provided by others, suspects that a violation has occurred will speak to the suspected student about the situation and, if the violation involves work submitted by the student, shall keep an original copy of the work, if available. In all such cases, the following shall be observed:
- If a faculty member has reasonable proof of a violation, the faculty member shall meet with the student and learn the facts. In consultation with the Department Chair, the faculty member will judge the offense and impose the appropriate sanction(s) from any of the following:
- an oral reprimand
- a written reprimand
- an assignment to repeat the work, to be graded on its merits, for full or partial credit
- a lower grade or 0 grade on the test, project, or assignment
- a lower grade in the course
- a failing grade in the course
- the successful completion of the academic integrity course/workshop
- The faculty member shall then complete and submit an Academic Integrity Incident Report of the violation to the Office of Community Standards, including the name of the student, the date of the violation, the course, a detailed summary of the violation, the resolution, including any imposed sanctions, and any supporting documentation. The Office of Community Standards will send the report to the student, department chair, and area dean.
- The student will be held to the sanction imposed by the faculty member unless the student files a timely appeal as described below under Academic Standards Appeal.
- For instances of repeated academic integrity violations or an egregious academic integrity violation, the student may be considered for additional sanction beyond those imposed by the faculty member. In such instances, the Office of Community Standards may refer the case to the Honor Board to consider additional sanctions, such as 1) placement on disciplinary probation, 2) suspension from the University, or 3) expulsion from the University. A student dismissed for this reason will not be eligible for readmission to the University. In such an instance, the Responding Party has the right to appeal under Section 7 of this Handbook (rather than Section 1.2) with the Provost or designee serving in place of the AVPSL.
- Except with the approval of the Dean in extenuating circumstances, a student accused of academic dishonesty in a course may not withdraw from that course before a final resolution has been reached regarding an allegation. The option of withdrawing from the course with a “W” grade is open only to the student who has been found not in violation.
- The Office of Community Standards will maintain records of Academic Integrity Incident Reports and the outcomes.
Academic Standards Appeals
If the student wishes to appeal the finding of the faculty member, the student may file a written appeal with accompanying documentation to the Office of Community Standards no more than five (5) business days after receiving notice of the finding and sanction imposed. To receive consideration, a student’s appeal must be full and complete upon its submission, including the basis for appeal and any supporting documentation. Within five (5) business days of a timely receipt of the documentation, the area Dean, in consultation with the Office of Community Standards, will determine if the request meets the standards for an appeal. The original decision will only be reviewed to determine if any of the following conditions were present:
- Significant Procedural Error that affected the findings and/or sanctioning decision;
- New Information/Evidence that was not available at the time of the findings and/or sanctioning decision, or that could not have reasonably been discovered with due diligence, that may/would change the finding and/or sanctioning decisions;
- Substantive Due Process Violation; and/or
- Excessiveness or insufficiency of the sanctioning decision
The original decision will stand if none of the above conditions are met. If one or more of the above conditions are met, the area Dean shall refer the case to the Honor Board.
Academic Standards Appeals are a review of the written record. Parties are not entitled to a hearing or a meeting with the Honor Board. The Honor Board may take one of the following actions on appeal:
- Dismiss the appeal for failure to meet a deadline or articulate a valid ground of appeal;
- Deny the appeal and uphold the initial finding/sanction;
- Send the case back to the original or an alternate investigator with specific instructions on the remanded issue(s);
- Modify the finding(s) and/or sanction(s);
Within ten (10) business days, the Honor Board will issue a written decision, including a summary of their rationale. The decision of the Honor Board shall be final. The final determination will be communicated to the student, faculty member, and area dean by the Office of Community Standards.
If the student is found responsible, the Office of Community Standards will impose the final corrective measures, conditions or sanctions.
Concurrent Violation of Behavioral Standards
If, in the course of a faculty member’s investigation of a suspected violation of the University’s Academic Standards, the faculty member learns of potential violations of the University’s Behavioral Standards, the faculty member may include such alleged Behavioral Standard violation(s) and relevant evidence in their Academic Integrity Incident Report, the Office of Community Standards will investigate and, if appropriate, adjudication.