Standards of Academic Conduct

The Student Code of Conduct is intended to support and enforce the values of the academic community in which engaging in intellectual endeavor occurs through discussing ideas that others have already expressed; striving to understand them more deeply; applying those ideas to new problems; respectfully challenging those ideas and attempting to extend or even replace them with entirely new frameworks for understanding. It is the instructor’s responsibility to establish course policies in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct and clearly articulate these policies to their students through all appropriate means including course syllabi, assignment descriptions and rubrics, and personal feedback. Students are responsible for understanding the Student Code of Conduct as well as the specific course policies for each of their courses. Students should consult the instructor with any questions relating to their course policies

While not a comprehensive list, most violations of course integrity policies fall within one or more of the following categories:

Plagiarism: Incorporating someone else’s ideas, writings, or other intellectual products into your work without proper attribution.
Unauthorized Collaboration: Engaging in collaboration with others or using online discussion groups on assignments when not explicitly permitted.
Misuse of Technology: Using unauthorized assistance, including Artificially Intelligent Large Language Models (LLMs) such as Gemini or ChatGPT, and representing it as your own work.
Cheating on Assessments: Using prohibited materials, smart technology (e.g., cell phones, smart watches), or aids during an examination.
Academic Falsification: Altering or misrepresenting experimental data, or providing false information to delay an assessment or receive an unwarranted accommodation.
Facilitating Dishonesty: Knowingly helping another student commit or attempt to commit an act of academic dishonesty.

Types of Violations & Sanction Examples

The following table provides a sampling of common violations, their level of seriousness, and the associated sanctions:

Category	Description of Violations	Possible Outcomes & Sanctions
Level 1 Infractions	Limited plagiarism (approx <25%); sharing own work without explicit prohibition; access to prohibited materials, including phones and “smart” technology during an assessment; misrepresenting attendance and/or participation in class or assignments; unauthorized collaboration on minor tasks; resubmission of previously submitted material for a grade without approval; copying a portion of another student’s assignment; copying an answer or solution from another source without attribution	Informal warning; academic sanction (up to a zero on the assignment); voluntary integrity workshop.
Level 2 Infractions	Extensive plagiarism (approx. 25-50%); unauthorized use of AI to edit or translate an assignment; cheating on low-stakes assessments (<10% of grade); Level 1 violations on multiple assignments; Lying and providing false information for the purpose of rescheduling an assessment, or to receive accommodation.	Warning; accountability probation; academic sanction (up to a zero on the assignment); required integrity workshop.
Level 3 Infractions	Cheating on assessments worth >10% of final grade; extensive plagiarism (approx. >50%); inclusion of false or fabricated citations; submitting fake or false documents to delay assignments or fabricate a grade; multiple violations across multiple assignments.	Formal disciplinary action letter; accountability probation with required case administrator meetings; academic sanction (up to one letter reduction in final grade); suspension for at least 1 semester.
Level 4 Infractions	Contract cheating (hiring others or using AI for entire assessments); stealing or fraudulently obtaining answers/results to an assessment, lab, or research assignment; falsifying data; posting assessment questions on online services such as Chegg, Coursehero, etc.; falsifying or attempting to falsify academic records; Accepting compensation in exchange for completing or providing graded academic work to another person.	Formal disciplinary letter; course failure or "NF" grade (permanent on record); suspension for at least one semester; expulsion.