An essential dimension of Pacific Lutheran University's mission is to provide for the intellectual, social, physical, emotional, and spiritual development of students. Faculty, students, and administrators share responsibility for accomplishing these goals. Academic integrity is honesty concerning all aspects of academic performance. Academic integrity must be fully integrated into the campus academic environment, including norms for student life and classroom expectations. Integration is best accomplished when faculty and students understand and accept standards of academic behavior, and when the standards are fairly and uniformly enforced.
The faculty's authority over the classroom and grades includes the primary charge to communicate principles of academic integrity and the consequences of academic misconduct. Expectations should be clear and the classroom should be managed to support them. Faculty members need to know the following enforcement system and are obligated to use it when academic dishonesty occurs. Enforcement supports honest students and promotes our commitment to academic integrity.
Students must not cheat or plagiarize, and they must not condone these behaviors or assist others who cheat or plagiarize. Academic misconduct not only jeopardizes the career of the individual student involved, but it also undermines the scholastic achievements of all students and attacks the mission of this institution. Students are inherently responsible to do their own work, thereby insuring the integrity of their academic records.
Administrators shall disseminate this policy through publications and presentations to all students and faculty. Administrators must promote uniform interpretation and enforcement of this policy, and shall regularly report summarized data to the campus community concerning instances and outcomes of academic misconduct. The Campus Life Committee will review this policy every three years.
The most common forms of academic dishonesty are cheating and plagiarism.
Cheating includes, but is not limited to:
Plagiarism
includes, but is not limited to:
If you are unsure about something that you want to do or the proper use of materials, then ask your instructor for clarification.
When an instructor believes a student has violated the university's academic integrity policy, he or she will contact the student to discuss and attempt to resolve the incident in accordance with one of the following options. Instructors are encouraged to consult with any member of the Campus Life Committee regarding these procedures.
Other Occasions
When An Academic Dishonesty Hearing Panel Must Be Called:
The minimum penalty grade for dishonesty in coursework that constitutes 30% or more of a course grade shall be a failing grade for the course. Dishonesty in other required course work shall result in a minimum penalty grade of zero for that work. Additionally, an ADHP may recommend to the Provost that the student be suspended or expelled from the university, particularly if there is a record of prior substantiated academic misconduct. An ADHP may also reduce a penalty which it believes was arbitrary or too severe. If an ADHP finds that academic dishonesty did not occur, the penalty imposed by the instructor will be rescinded and the instructor will grade the subject work on its academic merit.
When the penalty grade is an "E" or an "F" for the course, the instructor will notify the Registrar that the student cannot withdraw from the class. The Registrar will not record a final grade for the course until the date for the student to request a formal hearing has passed. Students requesting a formal hearing shall be permitted to attend and fully participate in the course until the process is complete.
All ADHP decisions will be made within 48 hours of the formal hearing and will be either personally delivered to the student or sent by certified mail to the student's most recent local address or permanent address, whichever is most appropriate. The decision will include an outline of the appeal process.
Students who disagree with an instructor's decision may request a formal hearing by an ADHP. To do so, the student must contact the CLC chair. They will then notify the instructor and coordinate a date and time for the formal hearing. The student will be given at least 48 hours' notice of the date, time and location of the formal hearing.
Formal hearings of alleged violations of the academic dishonesty policy will be conducted by the Academic Dishonesty Hearing Panel.
An ADHP shall include two faculty and one student member assisted by a non-voting, advisory member from the University Grievance Committee. Faculty members will be appointed by the CLC chair from the faculty membership of the CLC; the student member will be appointed by the CLC chair from a pool of ten students (one appointed by the dean of each of the eight academic areas and two members appointed by ASPLU, all serving renewable one-year terms). A faculty chair for each ADHP shall be elected from its membership. Training for CLC and student pool members will be provided as needed by the University Grievance Committee.
The jurisdiction of an ADHP is to conduct hearings of alleged misconduct brought by instructors, by students who wish to appeal penalties imposed on them by instructors, or by the CLC chair when multiple infractions of the policy are discovered.
The purpose of an ADHP is to determine whether a student is responsible for academic dishonesty as described in the university's academic integrity policy. ADHP hearings are structured educational discussions, which focus on the student's alleged conduct within the university community.
Throughout the
hearing process, students' fundamental due process rights will be
maintained and respected. These include:
The chair of an ADHP oversees the hearing and responds to questions about an ADHP's procedures, and may decide procedural matters not already established by an ADHP, with or without the advice of the other members. Otherwise, a majority vote of the three members will decide a procedural question. The chair is the spokesperson for an ADHP and is responsible for all communication on behalf of an ADHP.
An ADHP hearing is open unless the student requests that it be closed. In an open hearing, an ADHP may limit attendance due to limitations of the physical facility, to exclude disruptive individuals, or otherwise to promote an atmosphere conducive to due process.
ADHP decisions will be based on a preponderance of the evidence and a majority vote.
An ADHP will review the written materials prior to the meeting and determine appropriate questions. An ADHP will hear from the instructor, student, and witnesses, asking questions as appropriate. Questions must be pertinent to the report and the purpose of the meeting. Witnesses may be brought forward by both the instructor and the student. An ADHP may limit witness testimony to the facts of the situation, and excuse the witness if the information shared seems unproductive or irrelevant. An ADHP may invite as witnesses individuals who were included in the original written record of the incident.
The university expects that community members possess the skill and resources to discuss alleged academic misconduct; hence legal counsel is not permitted at ADHP meetings. A student charged with academic misconduct may have a faculty, staff or student member of the university community (excepting a practicing attorney) help them in these proceedings.
An audio record of the proceedings will be made. An ADHP's file of the hearing and the recording shall be retained by the Provost until the appeal period has expired.
All decisions of an ADHP which do not involve expulsion from the university may be appealed to the Provost within five working days of receipt of the written confirmation. Students who wish to appeal the decision should submit a written request for appeal to the chair of the Campus Life Committee. The letter must include: the appeal date; a detailed explanation of the grounds for the appeal; any information that was not available at the time of the formal hearing, and the signature of the student filing the appeal. Penalties of expulsion may be appealed to the President of the university within five working days of receipt of the written confirmation. Students who wish to appeal the decision should submit a written request for appeal to the chair of the Campus Life Committee. The letter must include: the appeal date; a detailed explanation of the grounds for the appeal; any information that was not available at the time of the formal hearing and the signature of the student filing the appeal.
The University expressly prohibits retaliation against any person who has reported academic misconduct to a member of the university community or who has participated in any way in the conduct of a case of academic misconduct or in the imposition of a sanction for academic misconduct. Any person who violates this policy may be subject to disciplinary action, including suspension or expulsion from the university.
Records of academic integrity violations will be maintained in accordance with the university's Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) policy. The record will be housed with the Student Conduct Coordinator and will be kept for three years after the student graduates, or for three years after the student leaves the university. Records (including taped hearings) involving suspension or expulsion may be kept for an indefinite period of time.