St. Cloud State University
Policy
POLICY: Academic
TITLE: Academic Integrity - Graduate
EFFECTIVE DATE: December 2, 2013
LAST UPDATE: None
RESPONSIBLE UNIVERSITY OFFICER: Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
POLICY OWNER: Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
POLICY CONTACT: Office of Academic Affairs
REASON FOR POLICY:
St. Cloud State University (SCSU) expects each student to fulfill his/her academic obligations
honestly and fairly without engaging in cheating, plagiarism, falsification, collusion, or other
forms of academic dishonesty.
______________________________________________________________________________
POLICY LANGUAGE:
St. Cloud State University (SCSU) expects each student to fulfill his/her academic obligations
honestly and fairly. Students found in violation of this policy face sanctions such as a lower or
failing grade for an activity or course, and university actions including but not limited to
suspension or dismissal from the major, graduate school or the university. Findings may be
reported to the undergraduate/graduate academic program,University College for undeclared
students, the School of Graduate Studies for graduate students, and/or the Office of Student Life
and Development. Sanctions will be reported to departments, majors, programs, and/or the
Office of Student Life and Development. Students may appeal sanctions.
The university also expects instructors, research directors and test administrators to take
reasonable measures to explain and prevent academic dishonesty. Reasonable measures include,
but are not limited to, reference to this policy in a class syllabus and discussion(s) of the
importance of academic integrity in academic and other professional work.
Process Instructions:
A. If cheating on a test is suspected, the student should be allowed to complete the test in a
manner that removes the possibility of continued cheating.
B. Until the appeal process has been completed, the student may attend class and participate
without prejudice even if the instructor's/research director’s/test administrator’s decision
is to fail/remove the student from the course. Every effort will be made to resolve
academic integrity issues quickly and make the outcome formative for the student.
1|Page
St. Cloud State University
Policy
During the appeal process, the student may register for the next course in a sequence of
courses, if applicable. However, if the appeal fails, the student can be removed from the
more advanced class by his/her program or major.
C. Where possible, electronic communication (e.g., conference phone call, Skype, Adobe
Connect, etc.) is to be used to assure the student and faculty member every opportunity to
have allegations investigated. If expedited resolution is deemed necessary by the
Provost, a duty day can be paid to faculty who are not under contract to meet with a
College/School Academic Integrity Committee. Unless the student chooses to appeal,
resolution of the academic integrity violation allegation should be within ten (10) duty
days. All other procedures and timelines will apply during expedited academic integrity
allegations.
D. Shorter processing deadlines may be imposed on College/School Academic Integrity
Committees and clinical, pre-professional or experiential program students if (a)
finding(s)/sanction(s) must be resolved in advance of a subsequent semester or the start
of new classes in a sequence of clinical courses.
Definitions
Definitions of academically dishonest behaviors prohibited by this policy are below.
1.
Academic Integrity Violation includes, but is not limited to:
A. Cheating, which includes, but is not limited to:
a. use of any unauthorized assistance in taking quizzes, tests, or examinations;
b. use of resources beyond those authorized by the instructor in writing papers,
preparing reports, solving problems, or carrying out other assignments;
c. acquisition, without permission, of tests or other academic material belonging to a
member of the university faculty or staff; or
d. engagement in any behavior specifically prohibited by the instructor in the course
syllabus or class discussion.
B. Collusion, which includes, but is not limited to: Intentionally or knowingly helping or
attempting to help another to commit an act of academic dishonesty. The sale or
sharing of academic materials (including one’s own work) by any means to other
students without the clear authorization of an instructor, may be considered collusion.
C. Fabrication, which includes, but is not limited to: Intentional or unauthorized
falsification or invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise or
sponsored research activity.
D. Plagiarism, which includes, but is not limited to:
a. submitting the work of others by direct quote or paraphrasing as one’s own
without full and clear acknowledgment;
b. submitting the work of others as one’s own with only minor changes;
c. submitting the work of others as one’s own without adequate footnotes,
quotations, and other reference forms;
d. submitting multiple versions of the same work, written or oral, for more than one
course without the permission of the instructor of each class;
e. making minor revisions on work which has received credit and submitting it again
as new work;
2|Page
St. Cloud State University
Policy
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
f. submitting, without acknowledgement, materials prepared by another person or
agency engaged in the selling of term papers or other academic material;
g. includes, but is not limited to the use by paraphrase or direct quotation the
published or unpublished work of another person without full and clear
acknowledgment; unacknowledged use of materials prepared by another person or
agency engaged in selling or otherwise providing term papers or other academic
materials or sale or distribution of class notes without the instructors’ permission.
E. Scientific Misconduct, which includes, but is not limited to: Fabrication of data,
falsification of data, inappropriate alterations of approved Institutional Review Board
(IRB) thesis and doctoral approved procedures and methodology, inappropriate analysis
of data, violation of ethical standards regarding human and animal experimentation,
falsification of experimental procedures/methods, and other fraudulent actions.
College/School Academic Integrity Committee: Group of individuals assembled within
each college/school to review academic integrity violation allegations.
Finding, which includes, but is not limited to: Conclusions reached based on interview and
data submitted.
Formal Mediation Process: http://www.stcloudstate.edu/mediation/
Hearing: A formal, convened meeting for the exchange of data, facts, documents, and
opinions.
Preponderance of Evidence: is defined as a standard of responsibility that it is more likely
than not that the Student Code of Conduct has been violated.
Sanction(s), which includes, but is not limited to: Removal of student from course,
reduction in grade, etc.
3|Page