University of Mary Academic Honor Code
and Honor System
Guiding Principles1
In its mission statement, The University of Mary proclaims that “All students are encouraged to
seek the truth, to see themselves as whole and unique individuals responsible to God, and to
become leaders in the service of truth.”
Note that students are to see themselves not only as unique individuals but also as ‘whole’
individuals, individuals whose sense of self worth is not divided by inner conflict. ‘Integrity’ is
the word that best sums up this idea. To have integrity is to be trustworthy -- to be sound,
reliable, and whole -- and to live with the inner strength that comes from knowing that one
actually is as one portrays oneself to be. It is to be not a fake.
To support students in developing the virtue of integrity, The University of Mary creates a
culture of integrity upholding all members of the community and in turn sustained by them. The
Academic Honor Code and Honor System2 are only the most visible part of the culture of
integrity as it is lived in the academic setting. Though it details and redresses the many ways in
which individuals may fall short in their ethical striving, its primary purpose is not punitive but
formative. The oaths signed by entering students and affirmed at graduation are the bookends of
that formation. The pledge appended to significant assignments or tests is the regular reminder
that integrity matters because the soundness of the individual matters.
An education through the University of Mary does more than provide technical expertise. It is
also a ‘values education’ grounded in six key values of the Benedictine tradition: community,
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In preparing this document we have drawn liberally and sometimes verbatim from excellent materials developed
by the following academic institutions: Carnegie-Mellon University (“Promoting Academic Integrity”
http://www.usask.ca/university_secretary/honesty/StudentAcademicMisconduct.pdf ), Gustavus Adolphus College
(“Academic Information and Policies” http://gustavus.edu/academics/general_catalog/current/?pr=acainfo ), Loyola
University Maryland (“Honor Code Process and Procedure”
http://www.loyola.edu/campuslife/honorcode/Honor%20Council%20Process%20and%20Procedures.html ), St.Olaf
College (“The Honor System” http://www.stolaf.edu/stulife/thebook/academic/honor.html), University of
Saskatchewan (“Regulations on Student Academic Misconduct”
http://www.usask.ca/university_secretary/honesty/StudentAcademicMisconduct.pdf ),Virginia Tech
(“Undergraduate Honor System” http://www.honorsystem.vt.edu/), and York University (“Senate Policy on
Academic Honesty” http://www.yorku.ca/univsec/policies/document.php?document=69 ). These links were last
verified on 21-May-2010. Carnegie-Mellon University has a very good discussion guide for exploring issues related
to academic integrity: http://www.studentaffairs.cmu.edu/acad_integ/acad_index.htm
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In this document, “Honor Code” refers to principles, “Honor System” refers to policies and procedures to
implement those principles.
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hospitality, respect for others, prayer, service, and moderation. Two of these values – community
and respect for persons – cannot exist outside a culture of integrity. All of us must be able to trust
all of us, to know that we are who we represent ourselves to be, and to know that in the pursuit of
knowledge and validation, no one is seeking an unfair advantage over others. For this reason, all
members of the University of Mary community pledge to uphold the culture of integrity by
encouraging others to live up to high ethical standards and by reporting those who fail to do so.
Oaths and Pledge
1. Oath Prior to Admission to the University
In order to be admitted to the University of Mary, all entering students sign the following
pledge:
“As an aspiring member of the University of Mary Community, a community
grounded in the values of the Benedictine tradition, I pledge to uphold the highest
ethical standards of conduct both on and off campus.”
This pledge is placed in the student’s permanent file in the registrar’s office.
In an effort to form a community of integrity, each freshman class has an Honor
Board containing this pledge and bearing the signatures of every individual.
As a regular reminder that integrity matters, instructors are encouraged to have
students sign the following pledge on all major assignments and tests:
“On my honor, I pledge that I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on
this assignment, and that I have seen no dishonest work by others.”
2. Oath at graduation
All graduating students of the University of Mary stand and recite this oath at
graduation:
“As a graduate of the University of Mary, I pledge to continue to live the values
of the Benedictine tradition and to uphold the highest ethical standards of personal
and professional conduct.”
Integrity
To behave with academic integrity means to
1. Perform your own work unless specifically instructed otherwise. Check with your
instructor about whether collaboration or assistance from others is permitted.
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2. Use your own work to complete assignments and exams.
3. Cite the source when quoting or paraphrasing someone else’s work. Discuss with your
instructor if you have any questions about whether sources require citation.
4. Follow examination rules.
5. Discuss with your instructors if you are using the same material for assignments in two
different courses.
6. Be truthful on all university forms.
7. Use the same standard of honesty with fellow students, lab instructors, teaching
assistants, adjunct faculty, and administrative staff as you do with full-time faculty.
Academic Dishonesty
The following are violations of academic integrity:
Cheating
Cheating includes the actual giving or receiving of any unauthorized aid or assistance or
the actual giving or receiving of any unfair advantage on any form of academic work, or
attempts thereof. Examples of cheating include:
1. Failure to observe any stated rule with regard to the procedure used in an
examination or another activity undertaken for academic credit where such a
failure could result in the student gaining relatively greater credit;
2. When prohibited, removing an examination from the examination room;
3. Obtaining a copy of an examination before it is officially available or learning an
examination question before it is officially available;
4. Copying another person’s answer to an examination question;
5. Consulting an unauthorized source during an examination;
6. Obtaining assistance by means of documentary, electronic or other aids which are
not approved by the instructor;
7. Consulting or seeking the assistance of others when writing a "take home"
examination unless permitted by the course instructor;
8. Submitting the work one has done for one class or project to a second class, or as
a second project, without the prior informed consent of the relevant instructors;
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9. Submitting work prepared in collaboration with another or other member(s) of a
class, when collaborative work on a project has not been authorized by the
instructor;
10. Submitting work prepared in whole or in part by another person and representing
that work as one’s own;
11. Preparing work in whole or in part, with the expectation that this work will be
submitted by another student for appraisal.
12. Offering for sale essays or other assignments, in whole or in part, with the
expectation that these works will be submitted by a student for appraisal;
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the misappropriation of the work of another by representing another
person’s ideas, writing, or other intellectual property as one’s own.
1. Plagiarism includes the copying of the language, structure, programming,
computer code, ideas, and/or thoughts of another and passing off the same as
one's own original work, or attempts thereof.
2. It also includes the paraphrasing of oral or written material of other persons
without adequate attribution.
3. Any use of the work of others, whether published, unpublished or posted
electronically, attributed or anonymous, must include proper acknowledgement.
Impersonation
Impersonation is to have someone impersonate one’s self in class, in a test, examination
or interview, or in connection with any other type of assignment or placement associated
with a course or academic program. Both the impersonator and the individual
impersonated may be charged.
Falsification
Falsification includes the statement of any untruth, either verbally or in writing, with
respect to any circumstances relevant to one's academic work, or attempts thereof.
It is a breach of academic honesty to falsify, fabricate or in any way modify, either
through omission or commission,
1. an application to the University or a program,
2. a course student examination or test,
3. a transcript,
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4. a grade,
5. a letter of recommendation or related document,
6. a degree,
7. a physician’s letter/form or
8. any other document used in support of an academic application, record,
petition/appeal or endeavor.
It is also a breach of academic integrity to
1. Fabricate or invent sources;
2. Provide false or misleading information with the intent to avoid or delay writing
an examination or fulfilling any other academic requirement;
3. forge official signatures
4. tamper with official records
Improper research practices
Academic research includes the collection, analysis, interpretation, and publication of
information or data obtained in the scientific laboratory or in the field. Forms of
improper research practices include:
1. Dishonest reporting of investigative results, either through fabrication or
falsification;
2. Taking or using the research results of others without permission or due
acknowledgement;
3. Misrepresentation or selective reporting of research results or the methods used.
Dishonesty in publication.
It is a violation of academic honesty to knowingly publish information that will mislead
or deceive readers. This includes the falsification or fabrication of data or information, as
well as the failure to give credit to collaborators as joint authors, or the listing as authors
of others who have not contributed to the work. Plagiarism is also considered a form of
dishonesty in publication.
Dissemination of information without permission.
Information or experimental data that was collected with a member of faculty or another
student, and other works that involved the participation of a faculty member or another
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student, should not be submitted for publication or otherwise disseminated without their
permission.
Abuse of confidentiality
Taking or releasing the ideas or data of others that were given with the expectation that
they are confidential is inappropriate. This includes the ideas or data obtained via the
evaluation of confidential grant proposals, award applications or manuscripts that will be
or may have been submitted for possible funding or publication. Unless one is authorized
to do so, it is improper to obtain a password assigned to another or to copy or modify a
data file or program belonging to someone else. Proper authorization means being
granted permission either by the owner or originator of that material, or by an appropriate
faculty member or administrator.
Obstruction of the academic activities of another.
It is a violation of academic honesty to interfere with the scholarly activities of another in
order to harass or gain unfair academic advantage. This includes
1. interfering or tampering with experimental data, with a human or animal subject,
with a written or other creation (e.g., a painting, sculpture or film), with a
chemical used for scientific study, or with any other object of study.
2. Knowingly doing anything designed to interfere with the opportunities of another
person to have his or her contribution fully recognized or to participate in the
academic program;
3. Preventing others from fair and equal access to University facilities or resources,
including library resources ;
4. Using or attempting to use personal relationships, bribes, threats or other illegal
conduct to gain unearned grades or academic advantages;
Aiding and abetting.
Encouraging, enabling or causing others to do or attempt any of the above.
Structure Of The Academic Honor System
The Academic Honor System is under the Office of Academic Affairs, which provides a final
review of all academic integrity decisions, applies any sanctions, and serves as a central record
keeper through the Honor File.
The Academic Honor System allows for both informal and formal resolution of alleged
violations of academic integrity. In either case, a report is sent to the Office of Academic Affairs.
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The Informal System
In the classroom setting, in cases where the student admits to unethical behavior which the
instructor deems to be serious but not rising to the level of the formal process, the instructor may
impose any of the following sanctions:

The work is accepted with a reduced grade higher than F

The work is accepted with a grade of F

The work is accepted with a grade of zero

The student is given a deadline by which to submit a satisfactory replacement assignment
with a reduced grade.
The instructor must notify the Office of Academic Affairs of the incident and the sanction and
send a copy of that notice to the student.
If the student does not admit to unethical behavior, the alleged violation of academic integrity is
forwarded to the formal system.
A parallel informal system applies in cases of unethical behavior outside the classroom setting. It
is still necessary that the staff person or administrator using the informal system report the
incident and sanction to the Office of Academic Affairs.
Should the Office of Academic Affairs discover that this is not the first informal resolution of an
integrity violation , then the report is automatically forwarded to the Honor Panel as a Class II
violation under the formal system with the annotation that it is not a first violation.
The Formal System
The formal system includes allegation, notification, response, evidence gathering, empanelling, a
hearing before the Honor Panel, and an automatic review by the Vice President for Academic
Affairs in consultation with the Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs.
The Honor Panel
The Honor Panel has a pre-set meeting time which all members and alternates are to keep clear.
When meeting, the board is presided over by a dean, who is nonvoting. There are three faculty
members and two student members. Each year, the Office of Academic Affairs designates a
different one of the four deans to preside at Honor Panel hearings and a second dean to serve as
alternate. The Student Government selects six upper division students to form the Honor Panel
student pool. The UMTFO elects 6 faculty members to form the Honor Panel faculty pool. Pools
established the previous year continue until new pools can be established and trained for the
current year.
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A particular Honor Panel is created by the Office of Academic Affairs by random selection from
the two pools.
Decisions by the Honor Panel require a simple majority vote.
A report of the Board’s actions is forwarded to the Office of Academic Affairs together with all
relevant materials.
The Presiding Officer of the Honor Panel is responsible to ascertain that the rights of all parties
have been respected, that due process has been followed, that the decision is supported by the
evidence, and that the sanctions imposed are appropriate and in keeping with policy. Any
concerns of the Presiding Officer are forwarded to the Office of Academic Affairs with the
Honor Panel’s report.
Training
All members of the Honor Panel pools receive training from the University’s attorney.
Allegation
A student observing or discovering a possible violation of academic integrity is to report it to a
faculty member, staff person, or administrator, who will submit an allegation report to the Office
of Academic Affairs.
A faculty member, supervisor, proctor, staff person, or administrator observing or discovering a
possible violation of academic integrity which cannot be handled through the informal system is
required to submit an allegation report to the Office of Academic Affairs. See below for the
relevant form.
Typically, the allegation report will include a statement of the alleged violation, the
circumstances under which the alleged violation was observed or discovered, names and contact
information of any persons who may be able to corroborate the allegation, and any potentially
relevant evidence.
The report is to be sent within two weeks (fourteen calendar days) of the discovery of the alleged
violation.
Once the report is received, the student may not withdraw from the course. The registrar’s office
is notified to that effect.
Notification
Within two weeks (fourteen calendar days) of receipt of the allegation report, the Office of
Academic Affairs will notify the student that an allegation of academic dishonesty has been filed
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against him/her, will describe the nature of the allegation in appropriate detail while preserving
confidentiality, and will detail the student’s rights and obligations.
Rights and Obligations of the Student
A person accused of violating the Academic Honor Code shall be accorded the following rights
1. to be considered innocent until proven guilty
2. to be advised by and/or represented by any member of the university community who is
chosen by the student and agrees to serve
3. to seek counsel with his or her representative, and expect all such conversations to be
held in confidence
4. to speak on his or her own behalf
5. to refrain from speaking for or against himself or herself
6. to receive written notice of all charges of Academic Honor System violations
7. to receive, at least 48 hours prior to the Honor Panel, a copy of all evidence in the case in
possession of the Academic Honor System
8. to question any witness who testifies at the Honor Panel
9. to be present for the presentation of all evidence to the Honor Panel
10. to have the Honor Panel decision based solely on the evidence presented at the Honor
Panel hearing
11. to receive a written notification of the decision of the Honor Panel with respect to verdict
12. to appeal the verdict of the Honor Panel to the Office of Academic Affairs
Rights and Obligations of the Person Filing the Allegation Report
A person bringing charges of an Academic Honor Code violation against another shall be
accorded the following rights:
1. to decline to discuss the case with the accused outside of the Honor Panel or outside the
Honor Process
2. to receive, at least 48 hours prior to the Honor Panel a copy of all the evidence in the case
in the possession of the Academic Honor System
3. to be advised and/or represented by any member of the university community who agrees
to serve
A person bringing charges of an Academic Honor Code violation against another shall accept the
following obligations:
1. to cooperate with Academic Honor System personnel
2. to appear at Honor Panel
3. to maintain confidentiality in all matters pertaining to the case
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Selection or Appointment of a Faculty Counselor
Within two weeks (fourteen calendar days) of notification, the student is to designate a faculty
person who agrees to serve as Faculty Counselor to the student during all subsequent
proceedings. If the student does not or cannot designate a Faculty Counselor, the Office of
Academic Affairs will appoint one. The Faculty Counselor serves as an advisor to the student in
understanding the workings of the formal Academic Honor System. The student is not obligated
to accept the advice or assistance of the Faculty Counselor.
Response
Within two weeks (fourteen calendar days) of the selection of a Faculty Counselor, the student is
to make a preliminary written response to the allegation. The response may be an acceptance of
responsibility for violating academic integrity, a description of extenuating circumstances, or a
challenge to the facts of the case. The response should include copies of any relevant material,
and/or names and contact information of persons with relevant information, which might support
the student’s position. If the student makes no response within the allotted time, the process
moves forward anyway.
Evidence Gathering
Within three weeks (twenty-one calendar days) of the selection of a Faculty Counselor, the
Office of Academic Affairs will initiate the evidence-gathering phase of the process. This
includes solicitation of additional materials from the student, the person filing the allegation
report, and any other persons who may have information relevant to the allegation. The Office of
Academic Affairs will also determine whether or not the student is on Academic Honor System
Probation. This information is to be placed in a sealed envelope which will be forwarded to the
Honor Panel after evidence gathering. Copies of the evidence gathered during this stage are to be
provided to the students and to the person who filed the allegation report at least 48 hours prior
to the meeting of the Honor Panel.
Empanelling
Within five weeks (thirty-five calendar days) of the selection of a Faculty Counselor, the Office
of Academic Affairs will create an Honor Panel from the Honor Panel pools and set a date, no
later than seven weeks (forty-nine calendar days) after the selection of a Faculty Counselor, for
the Panel to hold its hearing.
Hearing
Both the student and the person filing the allegation report are required to appear before the
Honor Panel. Failure of the student to appear constitutes an admission that the student did violate
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academic integrity as alleged. Failure of the person bringing the allegation to appear is a
professional lapse for staff, faculty, and administrators and should incline the Honor Panel to
leniency but does not automatically outweigh any information developed during the evidence
gathering phase. The student may bring his/her Faculty Counselor and/or legal counsel, but
neither of these individuals is allowed to speak during the hearing except in response to a direct
question from the Honor Panel. The Honor Panel may require the presence of other individuals
contacted during the evidence gathering phase. Both the student and the person filing the
allegation report shall be given the opportunity to make opening and final statements to the
Panel. Final statements may include questions to those who have presented evidence. The Honor
Panel may ask questions of anyone present as needed. The proceedings may be videotaped by the
University. At the end of the questioning and after final statements, all persons other than the
Honor Panel are to leave the hearing room.
Decision
The Honor Panel determines by majority vote whether or not a violation of academic integrity
has occurred. If the Panel concludes that no violation has occurred, the hearing ends and a report
accompanied by all materials associated with the decision is forwarded to the Office of
Academic Affairs.
If the Honor Panel determines that a violation of academic integrity has occurred, the presiding
officer of the Honor Panel opens the sealed record provided by the Office of Academic Affairs.
If the record includes a previous violation of academic integrity within the formal system, the
present offense is automatically a Class VI violation. If there is no previous determination in the
formal system, the Panel determines the classification of the current violation by majority vote.
Subsequently the Panel determines, by a second majority vote, the sanction(s) to be applied.
A report of the Panel’s findings and decisions is sent to the student, the Faculty Counselor, and
the Office of Academic Affairs.
Either the student or a member of the Honor Panel may appeal the decision of the Honor Panel in
writing to the Office of Academic Affairs within one month (thirty calendar days) of the Honor
Panel’s decision. The appeal may be based on the discovery of new evidence previously
unavailable or a significant irregularity in the procedural process which could affect the outcome
of the decision by the Honor Panel.
Penalties Within the Formal System
Academic Honor code violations fall into three classes, numbered II, IV, and VI. Offenses at
these levels may be reduced one class for extenuating circumstances, producing classes I, III, and
V. Classes other than VI may be elevated one class in egregious cases.
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1. Cases involving cheating, plagiarism, and falsification are Class II Offenses
2. Those involving work for hire, purchased work, tampering with records, and
unauthorized possession of academic material are Class IV offenses.
3. When a student is on Academic Honor System probation, all second offenses are Class
VI offenses.
4. Offenses other than those already classified as Class VI may be elevated one class for
each of the following:
o
endangering another student or faculty member,
o
threatening personal harm to another student or a faculty member,
o
recruiting another student to violate the Academic Honor Code,
o
premeditation,
o
unauthorized entry in the commission of a violation
5. Offenses may be reduced one class for each of the following:
o
first-term student, or
o
ambiguous or extenuating circumstances.
Section 2. Each classification carries several sanctions, one or more of which may be imposed
on individuals judged to have violated the Academic Honor Code. The sanctions associated with
each class of offense are as follows:

Class I – Academic Honor System probation and education, recommended zero grade on
the assignment or on any grade affected by the offense, 25 hours of university service.

Class II – Academic Honor System probation and education, recommended doubleweighted zero grade on the assignment or on any grade affected by the offense, 50 hours
of university service.

Class III – Academic Honor System probation and education, recommended doubleweighted zero grade on the assignment or on any grade affected by the offense, 75 hours
of university service.

Class IV – Academic Honor System probation and education, recommended doubleweighted zero grade on the assignment or on any grade affected by the offense, one term
suspension (excluding summer).
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
Class V – Academic Honor System probation and education, F* grade in the course,
either one or two terms of suspension (excluding summer).

Class VI - F* grade in the course, permanent dismissal from the university.
F* is a permanent F in a course with a notation on the transcript.
Review by the Office of Academic Affairs
With or without an appeal, the Office of Academic Affairs reviews all decisions of the Honor
Panel plus any additional information to ascertain that the rights of all parties have been
respected, that due process has been followed, that the decision is supported by the evidence, and
that the sanctions imposed are appropriate and in keeping with policy. The Office of Academic
Affairs may override any decision of the Honor Panel, i.e. may overturn the decision, reclassify
the violation, or adjust the sanction(s). The Office of Academic Affairs applies the determined
sanctions and notifies the student and other offices affected by the decision (e.g. registrar,
financial aid, dean of the student’s school).
There is no intra-university appeal beyond this stage.
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