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 reinforces the principles of academic integrity and the consequences of academic misconduct. Expectations should be clear and the classroom should be managed to support them. Instructors 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.
PLU’s expectation is that students will not cheat or plagiarize, and that they will not condone these behaviors or assist others who cheat or plagiarize. Academic misconduct not only jeopardizes the career of the individual student involved, but also undermines the scholastic achievements of all PLU 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.
What is Academic Dishonesty?
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, ask your instructor for clarification.
Reporting Suspected Academic Dishonesty
When an instructor believes a student has violated the university's academic integrity policy, he or she will attempt to contact the student to inform him or her of the issue and the plan to resolve the incident in accordance with one of the following options. The instructors are requested to complete the Academic Dishonesty Form and submit it to the chair of the Campus Life Committee in all instances. Instructors are encouraged to consult with any member of the Campus Life Committee regarding these procedures.
1. The instructor may meet informally with the student.
2. The instructor may ask to meet with the student in the presence of witnesses. In this case, the student will be informed in writing of the purpose of the meeting, and of his or her right to have a witness present.
3. The instructor may refer the situation to an Academic Dishonesty Hearing Panel (ADHP) for a formal hearing by notifying the chair of the Campus Life Committee (CLC). The instructor must document the suspected dishonesty on an Academic Dishonesty Report Form and send it with appropriate documentation to the CLC chair, who will then notify the student of the charge of misconduct and initiate a hearing as outlined below in "Formal Hearing Process.” The CLC chair will also initiate a search of any prior academic misconduct records for that student. When a hearing is requested by the instructor or is required (see below), the student and instructor will be notified at least 48 business hours in advance.
4. When an instructor is unable to contact a student, as at the end of Spring Term or a term before a student studies abroad, the instructor will document the allegation on an Academic Dishonesty Report Form and send it to the student, via certified mail or email, together with a letter stating the penalty to be imposed, the process and timeline for requesting a formal hearing (should either the professor or the student want one) and the consequences of any retaliation against witnesses.
Occasions When an Academic Dishonesty Hearing Panel Must Be Called:
1. When there is a record of prior substantial academic misconduct by the student in question.
2. When academic dishonesty includes flagrant behavior. Examples include, but are not limited to, having a substitute take an exam, fabricating experimental data or buying a written term paper from someone.
Penalties
The minimum penalty grade for dishonesty in coursework that constitutes 30% or more of a course grade shall be an "E", unless the student is enrolled "pass/fail" in the class, and then the grade will be an "F". 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. An ADHP may also reduce a penalty that 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 72-hours (excluding weekends and holidays) of the formal hearing and will be either available for pick-up by the student at Campus Safety or 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. In the event that additional time for review, further investigation and/or deliberation is required, the instructor and student involved will be notified in writing or via email of the revised timeline.
In its discretion, PLU may utilize other Student Code of Conduct sanctions in addition to, or in place of, these penalties.
Student Request for Formal Hearing
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. The CLC chair will then notify the instructor and coordinate a date and time for the formal hearing. The student and instructor will be given at least 48-hours notice of the date, time and location of the formal hearing. Such a request must occur within 72-hours of notification of the grade in question or the notification of suspected academic dishonesty.
ADHP - Composition and Jurisdiction
An ADHP shall include two faculty and one student member assisted by a non-voting, advisory member from the University Dispute Resolution 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 seven academic areas and three 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 Student Conduct Coordinator and/or the University Dispute Resolution 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.
Formal Hearing Process
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 misconduct within the university community.
Throughout the hearing process, the following rights for the student 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.
ADHP decisions will be based on a preponderance of the evidence and a majority vote.
Outline of Proceedings
An ADHP will review the written materials prior to the meeting and determine appropriate questions. If a student wishes to submit additional written materials, these should be provided to the CLC chair in advance of the hearing, if at all possible. 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 a 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.
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. After the appeal period has ended, the records will be kept in accordance with the Student Conduct Procedures (Section X).
Student Appeal Process
All decisions of an ADHP which do not involve suspension or 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 suspension and expulsion must be endorsed by the Provost. The Provost will convey his/her recommendation to the Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students. Recommendations for suspension or expulsion are finalized by the Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students. The appeal process for a suspension or expulsion follows the process outlined in the Student Conduct Procedures (Section IX, 8 & 10). 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 appeal is then submitted to the Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students for action by the President.
Retaliation
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.
Maintenance of Records
Records of academic integrity violations will be maintained in accordance with the university's Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) policy and the Student Conduct Procedures (Section X). 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.