Academic Integrity Policy and Procedures

Policy Statement

Academic integrity (AI) lies at the heart of student–instructor relationships involving learning, free inquiry, and the search for knowledge and truth. Inspired by the spirit of the Judeo-Christian tradition expressed in the University’s mission statement, Walsh University requires all faculty and students to act honestly, morally, and ethically in the maintenance of professional standards for learning, research, writing, and assessment. To maintain the academic integrity of the University, students are responsible for their own academic work. Academic dishonesty is not acceptable under any circumstances and has repercussions. 

Academic Integrity Repository

A confidential file of student academic integrity violations is kept electronically in the Academic Integrity Repository in the Office of Academic Affairs. Faculty may request a search of the Repository for a student's name to determine if there are any prior offenses. 

Penalties and Sanctions

Violations of academic integrity carry commensurate penalties that vary in severity depending on the nature of the infraction and the student's record of any prior offenses. Sanctions may range from the failure of a specific test or assignment to a reduced course grade, failure of the course, probation, suspension, to dismissal from a program or from the University¹. The faculty member, in consultation with the Division Chair, has the initial responsibility to recommend the penalty and impact on a student's grades in a course. After the faculty member and Division Chair or Program Director have made a report, the case is then reviewed by the School Dean. The faculty member is responsible for providing provide all documentation, correspondence, and supporting materials related to violations of academic integrity by submitting an Academic Integrity Violation Form. In the case of dismissal from either a program or the University resulting from unprofessional behavior or an integrity violation, the dismissal will be noted on the student's academic transcript.

^{1.  Refer to Financial Policies to determine obligation to pay if suspension or expulsion occurs.}

Definitions

Academic Dishonesty

The definition of Academic Dishonesty is the fabrication or misrepresentation of work, either intentional or unintentional, which includes, but is not limited to, plagiarism, cheating, lying, forgery, sabotage, bribery, and/or the multi-submission of academic work.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the representation of the works, ideas, data, or arguments of others as one’s own. Whether quoting, paraphrasing, or reiterating others’ ideas, students are responsible for documenting any ideas, concepts, information, or data taken from other sources. This means that students are required to identify the source through footnotes, endnotes, references, in-text citations, quotation marks, and/or other forms of documentation. Sources include books, journal articles, newspapers, websites, videos, blogs or other electronic media, private letters, interviews, computer code, or individuals’ creative work such as graphic design, music, fiction, poetry, or any works of art. Additionally, a paper must be merely a series of phrases, sentences, or paragraphs copied from a source or sources, but rather should demonstrate the student's synthesis of the information. 

Cheating

Cheating is using, or attempting to use, unacknowledged or unauthorized materials, information, data, or ideas. Looking at another student’s materials and/or using unauthorized external aids (including but not limited to cell phones, the internet, laptops, Smart watches, tablets, notes, textbooks, earbuds, writing on desks or hands) during an exam or completion of assignments is also cheating. Purchasing or commissioning essays, forum posts, assignments, papers, or presentations from pay-for-academic-service websites is contract cheating, which is unacceptable. 

Lying

Lying is the intentional misrepresentation of facts or situations relevant to students’ performances in the academic setting.

Forgery

Forgery is the fabricating, altering or counterfeiting of images, documents, or signatures on any information, data, or documents.

Sabotage

Sabotage means deliberately impairing, destroying, damaging, or stealing another’s work or working materials such as lab experiments, library resources, computer programs, term papers, exams, or projects.

Bribery

Bribery means offering any service or article with the purpose or effect of receiving a grade or other academic benefit not earned on the merits of the academic work.

Multi-Submission of Work

A classroom paper of any type must be the work of the student submitting it. Student should normally submit credit work for only one course, unless the instructor(s) grant prior written consent for submission to meet requirements for any other course.

Handling Alleged Violations

If a faculty member discovers, and/or has reason to believe that the student has committed an academic integrity violation, the procedure outline below will be followed.¹

Procedures

1. The faculty member first checks the Academic Integrity Repository (maintained in the Office of Academic Affairs) for prior offenses.
2. The faculty member communicates to the student the nature of the infraction and the forthcoming actions, allows the student to respond, and collects background information related to the violation.
3. After all relevant information is gathered and a recommended penalty is determined, the faculty member, in consultation with the Division Chair and School Dean, will confirm the violation and the penalty. The student must be notified in writing.
   1. All details of this process, including submission of all supporting materials, documentation, and summary of conversations with campus constituents, must be submitted on the electronic Academic Integrity Violation Form for inclusion in the Academic Integrity Repository File.
4. Further, if the penalty results in a course failure, the final grade must be submitted immediately to the Office of the Registrar via Faculty Self-Service Cavalier Center. Should the course failure occur prior to the opening of final grade submission, the faculty member must contact the Office of the Registrar so early grade entry can take place.
5. After the student is informed in writing of the penalty, the faculty member promptly notifies the Division Chair, School Dean, and the Office of Academic Affairs.
6. If the students maintains that the allegation is in error, unfair, or needs more context, he or she may appeal the decision in accordance with the University's Academic Appeals procedures.

^{1. It is crucial that the faculty member also not engage in any discussions with individuals external to the University, including parents or other relatives of the student, about the alleged violations without reviewing the student's FERPA release form related to integrity violation. Permission must be granted by the student before conversations occur with non-University personnel.}