Academic Administrative Policies and Procedures Manual

G-9: ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Introduction:

Recognizing the importance of academic integrity to the Penn State community, the University Faculty Senate adopted a new Academic Integrity policy in 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.

Each college shall interpret and apply Academic Integrity Procedures consistent with University policy. Campus or college Academic Integrity Committees shall maintain guidelines on ranges of appropriate sanctions for given types of infractions. Academic sanctions range from a warning to removal from the academic program.

When University-wide "administrative" sanctions may be appropriate in addition to the academic sanctions issued per these procedures, the violation is referred to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response, or campus designee ("Student Accountability").

An academic integrity violation is an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically. Descriptions of common types of academic misconduct are below. These descriptions illustrate the range of academic misconduct; there may be academic misconduct that falls outside these categories. 

• Unauthorized collaboration and/or accessing or using unauthorized or prohibited materials, information, tools, technologies, or study aids. Also includes allowing another person to submit work or participate in academic requirements on one's behalf (sometimes called 'ghosting'), or assisting another to engage in any form of academic misconduct (e.g., facilitating academic misconduct).
• Misrepresenting another's words, results, processes, or ideas in whole or in part without giving appropriate attribution, citation, or credit. Includes submitting another person's work as one's own (e.g., plagiarism). Other categorical examples include copying and tampering with another student's work.
• Providing false information in fulfillment of an academic assignment, exercise, publication, or another requirement, including making up data, sources, efforts, events, or results, and recording, reporting, or using them as authentic. Also includes altering or adjusting graded work to receive a favorable regrade.
• Using the same academic work, in part or entirely, for credit more than once, unless specifically authorized by the instructor receiving the reused work.
• Retaining, recording and/or disseminating instructional content when prohibited, including course exams, or other intellectual property, without the express written permission of the instructor(s) or intellectual property owner, or as permitted by their Campus Disability Coordinator.

Students are also explicitly required to comply with the policy prohibiting research misconduct as defined by RP02 Addressing Allegations of Research Misconduct. Because research misconduct is a specific type of academic misconduct, the processes under G-9 could also lead to a referral to the Office of Research Protections for action under RP02.

Procedures:

A. When Academic Misconduct is Suspected:

1. The faculty member informs the student of 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 academic misconduct has occurred, the faculty member will enter the charge and the academic sanction on the campus or college's Academic Integrity Form, will sign the form, and then convey the charge and sanction to the student for their signature (in person or through other methods). Although the student may consult and seek support from others 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. [Note: If the student is a member of the Schreyer Honors College, please refer to Section E for additional clarification.]
3.  A student's failure to sign and return the Academic Integrity Form, by the specified deadline, consistent with campus or college procedures, will be construed as not contesting the charge or sanction and the process will go forward as defined by campus or college procedures.
4. Normally, it is preferable to pursue academic sanctions with the campus or college, relying on the assignment of grades and course or program-related sanctions to support the learning process, rather than requesting additional University-level administrative sanctions. However, where integrity violations are considered to be extreme, the faculty member may also opt to recommend further action in conjunction with both the campus or college Academic Integrity Committee and Student Accountability. A more detailed and comprehensive listing of the types of academic sanctions faculty may assign to students on the Academic Integrity Form can be found in Sanctioning Guidelines for Academic Integrity Violations.
5. Throughout the academic integrity process, the authority to administer academic sanctions remains the responsibility of the instructor and the campus or college AI Committee, as appropriate. In situations where an administrative sanction is requested and referred to Student Accountability, the application of academic sanctions will be carried out by the campus or college, while the application of any administrative sanctions will be carried out by Student Accountability in consultation with the Academic Integrity Committee of the campus or college.
6. Once a student has been informed that academic misconduct is suspected, the student may not drop the course until the student is absolved of the alleged misconduct. The Dean of the College, Director of Academic Affairs, Chief Academic Officer, Chancellor, or their representative, as appropriate, is responsible for notifying the Office of the University Registrar when academic misconduct is suspected in a course. 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 (e.g., trauma drop). In these cases, Student Accountability will confer with the Dean of the College, Director of Academic Affairs, Chief Academic Officer, Chancellor, or their representative, as appropriate, to determine if the drop is warranted.
   
   In the case of a student who has dropped or withdrawn from a course before notification of an alleged academic integrity violation, the adjudication process can still go forward and a record of violation created, if appropriate.  In such a case, the Dean of the College, Director of Academic Affairs, Chief Academic Officer, Chancellor, or their representative, as appropriate, in consultation with the instructor of the course, will confirm that the student is notified of the alleged violation and proceed in accordance with the campus or college procedure.
   
   NOTE: The following statement shall appear on all campus and college Academic Integrity Forms:
   "You may not drop or withdraw from this course until this academic integrity claim is resolved and you are not found responsible. Any such drop action of the course will be reversed. If, after notification of a violation of academic integrity, you fail to sign this form, the academic integrity adjudication process will go forward as defined by campus or college procedures."

7. Depending on the campus or college procedures, the final decision on an academic sanction may differ from the sanction recommended by the faculty member regardless of whether the student accepts responsibility for the violation. For this reason, a student who has been notified of an alleged academic integrity violation should continue to attend classes and meet course requirements during the adjudication process. 
8. The Dean of the College, Director of Academic Affairs, Chief Academic Officer, Chancellor, or their representative, as appropriate, is responsible for ensuring that the process outlined in this document and the specific campus or college procedures are followed. If either the student or the faculty member involved in the instance of alleged academic misconduct thinks that there has been a procedural problem, then they should bring that concern to the Dean of the College, Director of Academic Affairs, Chief Academic Officer, Chancellor, or their representative, as appropriate, for resolution.

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

1. The faculty member initiates the academic integrity process.
2. In all cases, before submitting the Academic Integrity Form to Student Accountability for recording, it is the responsibility of the campus or college to determine through consultation with Student Accountability if the student has prior academic integrity violation(s).
3. If a prior recorded violation is discovered after the student has accepted responsibility and accepted the academic sanction(s), this additional information should be reviewed, and a new academic sanction may be considered by the campus or college Academic Integrity Committee or Coordinator (at University Park) or the appropriate designee at other campuses or colleges in consultation with the faculty member. Information concerning prior academic misconduct may not be used as a basis for determining whether a violation occurred, but it may be used as a basis for imposing additional academic sanctions. If the sanction is to be changed, a new form should be provided to the student, and they should have the opportunity to accept or contest the charge given the increase in sanction. If the student accepts, the academic sanction will be assigned (but see B.4. for a possible exception), and the academic integrity claim will be closed and sent to Student Accountability for record-keeping. If the student chooses to contest, refer to section C. If the campus or college Academic Integrity Committee Chair or Coordinator (at University Park) or the appropriate designee at other campuses or colleges wishes to maintain the original sanction, the case will be closed (but see B.4 for a possible exception) and sent on to Student Accountability for record-keeping.
   
   If the campus or college Academic Integrity Committee Chair or Coordinator (at University Park) or the appropriate designee at other campuses or colleges, wishes to maintain the originally assigned academic sanction but add an administrative sanction, the College or Campus academic integrity committee will consider the information in B.4, notify the instructor so they may apply the academic sanction, and send a recommended administrative sanction, the Academic Integrity Form, and other relevant documentation to Student Accountability. Student Accountability will meet with the student and review the recommendation, as well as precedent guidelines in determining the appropriate administrative sanction to assign.  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 
   
   If the campus or college Academic Integrity Committee Chair or Coordinator (at University Park) or the appropriate designee at other campuses or colleges, in consultation with the faculty member, wishes to modify the originally assigned academic sanction to a more serious academic sanction, as well as add an administrative sanction, a new form should be provided to the student, and they should have the opportunity to accept or contest the charge and sanction given the increase in sanction. If the student accepts, the academic sanction will be assigned (but see B.4 for a possible exception) and a recommended administrative sanction will be sent to Student Accountability, along with the Academic Integrity Form and other relevant documentation. Student Accountability will review the recommendation, as well as precedent guidelines in determining the appropriate administrative sanction to assign. 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.
4. When students accept/do not contest the allegation and sanction, the Academic Integrity Committee must review requests for the XF or the student's removal from their degree program before application. Additionally, for these academic sanctions only, the student may request a sanction review from the Dean of the College, Director of Academic Affairs, Chief Academic Officer, Chancellor, or their representative, as appropriate.
5. If the student is a member of the Schreyer Honors College, the Schreyer Honors College will be notified of the outcome by the Dean of the College, Director of Academic Affairs, Chief Academic Officer, Chancellor, or their representative, as appropriate. [Note: Please refer to Section E for additional clarification.]

6. Upon final disposition of the case, Student Accountability will communicate the outcome of an administrative sanction review to the campus or college Academic Integrity Chair and/or appropriate Dean of the College, Director of Academic Affairs, Chief Academic Officer, Chancellor, or their representative, as appropriate. If the student is a member of the Schreyer Honors College, the Schreyer Honors College will be notified of the final disposition by the appropriate Dean of the College, Director of Academic Affairs, Chief Academic Officer, Chancellor, or their representative, as appropriate. [Note: Please refer to Section E for additional clarification.]

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

1. The faculty member initiates the academic integrity process.
2. The campus or college Academic Integrity Committee will conduct a review in accordance with their respective procedures. 
3. If the student is found responsible for the alleged misconduct by the Academic Integrity committee, the committee will then be informed if the student has prior Academic Integrity violations. This information will be obtained from Student Accountability by the Dean of the College, Director of Academic Affairs, Chief Academic Officer, Chancellor, or their representative, as appropriate, but not made available to the Academic Integrity Committee until after they determine the student is responsible. With this information, the Academic Integrity Committee will determine the sanction to be assigned. If the sanction is only an academic sanction, the Academic Integrity Committee will determine the final charge and sanction and close the academic integrity claim, unless the sanction is an XF or removal from the program. Then, before the academic integrity claim is closed and the sanction is applied, the student must have an opportunity to request a sanction review from the Dean of the College, Director of Academic Affairs, Chief Academic Officer, Chancellor, or their representative, as appropriate. Student Accountability will be notified of the outcome for record-keeping.
   
   If the Academic Integrity Committee determines that administrative sanctions should be considered, the student is notified by the Campus or College that they have been found responsible for the charge and that the academic sanction will be put into place. In addition, the student's case will be referred to Student Accountability for consideration of an administrative sanction. The Academic Integrity Committee will also send their recommendation for an administrative sanction. 
4. When a student has been found responsible by an Academic Integrity Committee and has been recommended for administrative sanctions, Student Accountability will review precedent guidelines, as well as the Academic Integrity Committee's recommendation, to determine the appropriate administrative sanction to assign. 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.
5. If the student is found not responsible for the alleged misconduct by the Academic Integrity Committee, the Dean of the College, Director of Academic Affairs, Chief Academic Officer, Chancellor, or their representative, as appropriate, is responsible for notifying the Office of the University Registrar to request the removal of the academic integrity hold preventing the student from dropping or withdrawing from the course. After, the student may use standard procedures to drop or withdraw from the course.'
6. If the student is a member of the Schreyer Honors College, the Schreyer Honors College will be notified of the final disposition by the appropriate Dean of the College, Director of Academic Affairs, Chief Academic Officer, Chancellor, or their representative, as appropriate. [Note: Please refer to Section E for additional clarification.]

D. Sanctions:

1. Faculty may propose a wide range of academic sanctions for a student that would result in the modification of grades due to misconduct.  Contested sanctions are determined by the college/campus Academic Integrity Committee. For egregious violations or multiple violations in the same course, Academic Integrity Committees may assign an XF transcript notation, but only when the instructor asks for an academic sanction that would result in an "F" grade in the course. The Academic Integrity Committee determines the duration of the transcript notation (up to two years), any conditions required for earlier removal, and notifies Student Accountability (but note the student's option for a sanction review mentioned above).
2. For egregious violations or multiple violations in courses required for the completion of a degree program under the purview of the Academic Integrity Committee's college/campus, an Academic Integrity Committee may remove the student from that program (but note the student's option for a sanction review mentioned above).
3. When referring academic integrity claims to Student Accountability, Academic Integrity Committees have the option to also recommend a full range of University-wide administrative sanctions such as: Formal Warning; Conduct Probation; Suspension, or Expulsion. (see: https://studentaffairs.psu.edu/student-accountability/code-procedures/student-code-conduct).
4. A student found in violation of academic integrity is ineligible for appointment to the Dean's List for the semester or, for part-time students, the 12-credit cumulative period, during which the violation occurred per AAPPM G-8.
5. Students who received an academic sanction in a course for an academic integrity violation may not elect Pass/Fail for that course, per AAPPM G-6. Students with pending academic integrity claims should refer to this policy before trying to elect Pass/Fail for that course.
6. A student cannot apply grade forgiveness to a course in which they received an academic sanction for an academic integrity violation per AAPPM H-2.
7. Through the Student Accountability process, which is separate from the academic integrity process, the student may be able to appeal an administrative sanction, but not the finding of an academic misconduct violation or any academic sanction assigned. Once the student is found in violation, the academic sanction determined through the academic integrity process will be implemented. The only possible exceptions occur when the academic sanction is dismissal from the academic program or assignment of an XF, as explained above.

E. Schreyer Honors College Students:

1. For honors courses, as with all other courses, the campus or academic college delivering the course maintains responsibility for reviewing and issuing academic sanctions and/or referring cases to Student Accountability.
2. When a campus or college finds a Schreyer Scholar has committed, or has not contested, academic misconduct, the Schreyer Honors College is notified and will respond through an internal process that may lead to dismissal from the Schreyer Honors College.
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 Enrolled in Intercollege Majors or Minors:

1. The campus or academic college delivering the course maintains responsibility for reviewing and issuing academic sanctions and/or referring academic integrity claims to Student Accountability.
2. For majors that have a Senate-approved retention requirement related to ethical behavior and/or academic integrity that appears in the Bulletin, the student's college may choose to be notified when a campus or college finds that the student in the major has committed, or has not contested, academic misconduct. This notification can lead to additional action by the student's college in accordance with the retention policy for the major.

G. Students Enrolled in Other Credit-bearing Activities or Programs:

For intercollege programs, the Dean of the College (UP), the Chancellor (campuses), or the Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses or their designee responsible for approving the course instructor for the course in which the alleged violation occurred will determine and manage the appropriate Academic Integrity procedures. These responsibilities will include communicating with Student Accountability and the sanction review process, when applicable.

H. Students Enrolled in Other Credit-bearing Activities or Programs:

Students enrolled in other Penn State credit-bearing academic activities or programs (e.g., World Campus, Continuing Education, Cooperative Education, internships, study abroad programs, etc.) are subject to the University Academic Integrity Policy as implemented by the appropriate Dean of the College (UP), Chancellor (campuses), or the Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses or their designee who has academic responsibility for the program, course or activity.

I. Record Keeping:

1. The appropriate Dean of the College (UP), Chancellor (campuses), or the Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses or their designee is responsible for forming 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 Student Accountability. The specific information reported to Student Accountability should include a) a copy of the signed Academic Integrity Form and b) other supporting documents that were established or reviewed while managing the academic integrity claim.
2. Student Accountability alone is responsible for the central record-keeping and disclosing of student disciplinary records at the University, including academic misconduct claims, except as described in section F.2. Qualifying programs may be notified by campus and college academic integrity committees. Regarding disclosure to external third parties, Student Accountability does not disclose academic misconduct records unless those records include Administrative Probation or above, as assigned by Student Accountability. All disclosures are made in accordance with federal law (FERPA) and the University policy on managing Student Discipline Records. Nothing in this procedure precludes Student Accountability from sharing a student's disciplinary records with the Office of Research Protections if relevant to an investigation pursuant to University Policy RP02.

Senate Policy:  49-20, Academic Integrity

Undergraduate Advising