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Academic Integrity Misconduct
Academic Integrity is critical to the mission of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. All members of the University community play a role in fostering an environment in which student learning is achieved in a fair, just, and honest way. Faculty and instructional staff set the tone in their classrooms by communicating clear expectations to their students and educating them on the consequences of engaging in academic misconduct while referring to campus resources. Students are expected to uphold the core values of academic integrity which include honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility. These core values, combined with finding one’s purpose and passion and applying them in and out of classroom learning, produce students who become extraordinary citizens.
Academic Misconduct
Academic misconduct refers to issues that arise from a student’s academic work. As a student, it is your responsibility to understand what constitutes academic misconduct, how to avoid it, and what procedures are used if you are accused of misconduct.
Examples of academic misconduct include (but are not limited to):
- Plagiarism (turning in work of another person, nor providing proper citation of another’s work).
- Copying another student’s homework, paper, exam.
- Falsifying academic documents (forging a signature for an assignment).
- Working with another student to complete an assignment, quizzes or exams when not permitted to do so.
- Adding sources, you did not use to your reference page.
- Making up data points for a lab assignment.
- Tampering with another student’s lab or studio project.
- Getting quiz answers from another student.
- Giving others your past assignments, quizzes, exams.
How to Avoid Academic Misconduct
- Read your instructor’s syllabus and the instructions for each assignment. If you have questions, ask the instructor for clarification. Do not assume that because something was permitted for a prior assignment that is true for your current assignment.
- Use your instructor’s office hours to ask questions and get feedback.
- Give yourself plenty of time to complete the assignment/study for exams. Be sure you are well prepared for any quizzes or exams.
- Use the Center for Reading Engagement and Academic Development (READ) for assistance with your time management and study skills.
- Know how to cite sources in a paper, lab report, presentations, or other assignments.
- Use the Writing Center for help with APA, MLA and other citation styles.
- Avoid copying and pasting directly into your paper from the internet.
- Proofread your work and ensure all quotes, citations and references are done correctly.
- Run plagiarism and AI checkers on your work to see if there are any concerns prior to turning in the work.
- Understand the expectations and limitations when working in groups.
- For example: is collaboration allowed on the project and the written paper, or only the project and your written paper should be done alone?
- Don’t use AI or other resources when the instructor has prohibited their use.
- Don’t use programs like Chat GPT as a spelling and/or grammar checking tool.
- Avoid looking at prior student’s work as an example.
- Do not post your assignments, quizzes, exams to online homework assistance sites like Chegg or Course Hero. Don’t reference others’ assignments on these platforms when completing your own work.
- Check with an instructor and get permission before turning in a paper or project you submitted previously.
- If possible, choose a seat away from other students for taking quizzes or exams.
- Utilize other campus resources for assistance.
- Center for Academic Resources (CAR) provides in-person and online tutoring each semester
- Math Tutor Labs provides Drop-in tutoring for Math 100-103 in Swart Hall 301 and Math 104 through 273 in Swart Hall 017.
Protecting Yourself from Claims of Academic Misconduct
Allegations of academic misconduct can come from situations where students did not take precautions to protect their work. There have also been cases where plagiarism and AI checkers provide a false positive for part of an assignment. If you are completing your work with integrity, here are some things you can do to protect yourself from allegations of academic misconduct.
- Sheild your quiz/exam from other’s view. If you believe someone is trying to copy you raise your hand and ask if you can move.
- Avoid looking around during a quiz or exam.
- If able, turn on the draft history option within the software you are using for your assignments.
- Keep any drafts, notes, searches you have done in reference to your assignments.
- Have your reference materials in one place that you can easily find them.
- Do not share your work with others or post it to an online website.
- Lock up or sign out of devices used for academic work when you are not around. Don’t allow others to use your devices or online accounts.
- Security store finish work where other students can’t access it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do if I know a classmate is cheating?
If you know a classmate is cheating on an exam or other academic exercise, notify your professor, teaching assistant, or proctor of the exam. If you see a classmate cheating during an exam, raise your hand and inform the professor, teaching assistant, or proctor verbally or by writing a note in your exam book. You can also report instances of academic misconduct to the Dean of Students Office here: Academic Misconduct Reporting Form. You may not want to be a tattle tale; however, as a part of the university community, you are expected to uphold the standards of the university. Also, consider how your classmate’s dishonesty on the exam may affect the overall grading curve and your grade in the class.
My instructor alleges I engaged in academic misconduct, but I did not cheat. What should I do?
Your instructor will reach out to you to discuss the alleged violations and to get your perspective on what happened. Meet with your instructor to discuss the situation. If you are unable to meet at the proposed time, communicate with them to find a time that will work for both of you. Bring any evidence you have to support your perspective. If the instructor determines you have committed an act of academic misconduct, they will communicate this with you and explain their recommended sanctions. This communication should also outline your right to request a hearing under UWS 14.06 (3)(c). To request a hearing, email the Dean of Students Office at deanofstudentsoffice@uwosh.edu. In the message, state you are requesting a hearing about your academic misconduct case. A staff member from the Dean of Students office will reach out to you to coordinate the hearing and review the process with you.
If an instructor changes your grade due to alleged academic misconduct without following the proper student academic disciplinary procedures (Chapter UWS 14), please contact the Dean of Students Office for assistance.
Academic Misconduct Process
- The process starts when an instructor suspects academic misconduct and gathers evidence. If needed the instructor may consult with the Dean of Students Office at any point during this process.
- The instructor offers to meet with the student to discuss the allegations.
- The instructor meets with the student to discuss the alleged violations.
- Can proceed in one of two ways:
- the instructor determines no misconduct occurred, they inform the student and the process ends; or
- the instructor determines misconduct occurred and the instructor decides on recommended sanction(s)
- Can proceed in one of three ways depending on which sanction(s) the instructor recommends:
- Sanction Group A: A oral reprimand, a written reprimand presented only to the student, and/or an assignment to repeat the work, to be graded on its merits. If one or more of these sanctions is recommended by the instructor, the instructor informs the student. The sanction(s) are imposed unless the student requests a hearing within 10 days.
- Sanction Group B: A lower or failing grade on the particular assignment, or test, a lower grade in the course, a failing grade in the course, removal of the student from the course in progress, and/or a written reprimand to be included in the student’s disciplinary file. If one or more of these sanctions are recommended by the instructor, the instructor writes a report and sends it to the student and the Dean of Students Office. Sanction(s) are imposed unless the student requests a hearing within 10 days.
- Sanction Group C: Disciplinary probation, and/or suspension or expulsion from the university. If one of these sanctions is being recommended by the instructor, the instructor writes a report and sends it to the Dean of Students Office. The Dean of Students Office will meet with both the instructor and student to discuss the alleged misconduct. Once meetings are completed the process proceeds in one of two ways. The Dean of Students Office determines no misconduct occurred, they inform the student and instructor and the process ends; or the Dean of Students Office determines misconduct did occur. The Dean of Students Office writes and sends a report of their findings and recommended sanctions to the student and instructor. Sanction(s) are imposed unless the student requests a hearing within 10 days or a hearing is required under Chapter UWS 14.07 (5)(c)2.
- If a hearing is requested or required for a case, regardless of the sanctioning group it falls under, a Dean of Students Office staff member will be assigned to schedule the hearing and assist the involved parties with any questions. A Hearing Examiner* or Committee will oversee the hearing and will make a determination. A letter will be sent to the student and instructor outlining the decision. *Hearing Examiners may be an Administrative Law Judge from the Wisconsin Division of Hearing an Appeals.