The university is committed to the proposition that the pursuit of truth requires the presence of honesty among all involved. It is therefore this institution’s stated policy that no form of dishonesty among its faculty or students will be tolerated. Although all members of the university community are encouraged to report occurrences of dishonesty, each individual is principally responsible for his or her own honesty. The following definitions and procedures are provided to help everyone realize the high value that is placed on academic integrity and the means that will be employed to insure its preservation.

Offenses

Plagiarism

Plagiarism means the appropriation, buying, receiving as a gift, or obtaining by any means another person’s work and the unacknowledged submission or incorporation of it in one’s own work. It is doubly unethical, since it deprives the true author of his/her rightful credit and then gives that credit to someone to whom it is not due. The following three examples of plagiarism are described by Harold C. Martin and Richard M. Ohmann in their book The Logic and Rhetoric of Exposition (1963):

1. Word-for-Word copying . Whenever someone else is directly quoted, honesty and courtesy require acknowledgment of the source. The quoted material should be placed in quotation marks and its exact location should be indicated, either in the text of the student’s paper or in a footnote.
   
2. The mosaic. To intersperse a few word of one’s own here and there while basically copying the work of another is obviously unethical, unless one clearly acknowledges that this is being don. Should there be a valid reason for doing so then quotation marks or a general footnote should be used to show what belongs to the source and what is ones own contribution.
   
3. The paraphrase . Once more the crucial point is acknowledgment. Sometimes one can paraphrase in order to simplify, abbreviate, or improve upon an original, but the reader deserves to know what is being presented to him and whose work it represents. Therefore, acknowledgment of the source is required within the text of the student’s paper or by footnote.

Bribery

The offering, giving, receiving or soliciting of any consideration in order to obtain a grade or other treatment not otherwise earned by the student through his/her own academic performance.

Jurisdiction

All students enrolled at the university are subject to the Academic Honor Code.

Responsibility of University Community

General Responsibility

It shall be the responsibility of every faculty member, student, administrator and staff member of the university community to uphold and maintain the academic standards and integrity of the university. Any member of the university community who has reasonable grounds to believe that an infraction of the Academic Honor Code has occurred has an obligation to report the alleged violation.

Student Responsibility

Each student shall conform to the Academic Honor Code at all times. Students may report academic violations to their class instructor, department chair, or to the dean of the college/school in which the course is taught.

Responsibility of Individual Instructors

Each instructor is encouraged to make his/her classes aware of the Academic Honor Code during the first week of classes of each semester or summer session.

Responsibility of University Administration

In consultation with the Faculty Senate, the Office of the Dean of Students will see that the Academic Honor Code and any amendments or changes approved by the Faculty Senate are published and promulgated annually. All new university faculty, administrative staff, personnel, and students should be advised of the Academic Honor Code upon becoming a member of the university community.

Responsibility of the Office of the Dean of Students

The Office of the Dean of Students shall receive and maintain comprehensive records of all matters relating to violations of the Academic Honor Code.

A suspected infraction of the Academic Honor Code shall be reported to the instructor of the course in which it occurred. Such a report shall be made within five class days from the time of discovery unless extenuating circumstances prevent reporting.

A suspected infraction of the Academic Honor Code may be reported by:

1. The student committing the infraction;
   
2. Any member of the university community observing the alleged infraction.

Upon receiving a report of an alleged violation, the instructor in charge of the course or materials in question shall inform the student of the following options and procedures. (Faculty members are encouraged to consult with the dean of students regarding appropriate procedures and protection of student rights.)

1. If the student admits the infraction, the faculty member may:
   
   • Propose a settlement by private resolution. The chairperson of the department in which the faculty member teaches may be consulted for assistance in reaching a settlement. If the penalty proposed by the instructor is acceptable to the student, the incident can be resolved by providing notification to the department chair and to the dean of the college/school in which the faculty member teaches, and to the dean of students for inclusion in the student’s disciplinary records, or;
     
   • Refer the case to the dean of students (without assigning a grade). The dean will proceed as outlined in Section II-2-D-3 in the Code of Student Life.
   
   
2. If the student does not admit the infraction, the faculty member may:
   
   • Decide not to pursue the accusation(s) due to lack of evidence, whereupon, he/she shall inform the reporting party of this decision within five days, or;
     
   • Refer the case to the dean of students (without assigning a grade). The dean will proceed as outlined in Section II-2-D in the Code of Student Life.

Upon notification of the instructor’s decision not to pursue the allegation due to a lack of evidence, the reporting party may file a written report with the Office of the Dean of Students within five days of receipt of the instructor’s decision. The Office of the Dean of Students will proceed as outlined in Section II-2-D in the Code of Student Life.