Undergraduate Student Academic Integrity Policy

Section I. Purpose

This policy establishes expectations for undergraduate students related to academic honesty and integrity, which are essential for a strong, functioning academic community.

Section II. Scope and Applicability

This policy governs all work submitted by undergraduate students related to a course, regardless of form and regardless of whether the course is credit-bearing. The expectations set forth in this policy apply to all St. Thomas undergraduate students, including non-degree-seeking students.

See the academic integrity policy for graduate students.

Section III. Definitions

When used in this policy, the following terms have the following meanings:

1. Academic dishonesty means any form of dishonest conduct related to academic coursework, including but not limited to cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, and similar actions that misrepresent a student’s academic work as original when it is not, misrepresent data or sources contained in a student’s academic work, or misrepresent that a student has done a level of academic work that the student has not completed.
2. Academic work means all forms of student work submitted as part of a course.
3. Cheating means intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information or study aids in any academic work, including but not limited to copying or doing another student’s academic work, allowing another student to copy or do your academic work, or communicating with another student about an examination without the faculty member’s approval.
4. Fabrication means intentionally falsifying or presenting invented information, sources or citations in an academic work, as if they were real, without authorization.
5. Plagiarism means reproducing or presenting another person’s words, statements, work or distinctive ideas as one’s own, without acknowledgment, or submitting the same work of one’s own for course credit in two different courses, without faculty permission. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, using a source without giving due credit to the author, using a quotation without properly identifying it as a quotation, or presenting an idea drawn from someone else’s work without properly acknowledging that person’s work.

Section IV. Academic Dishonesty Prohibited

Students are prohibited from knowingly engaging in academic dishonesty or knowingly helping or attempting to help another to engage in academic dishonesty. Students are encouraged to report incidents of academic dishonesty to course instructors.

Section V. University Response to Academic Dishonesty

When academic dishonesty occurs, the following procedures will be followed:

1. The instructor will impose a minimum sanction of failure for the work involved. The instructor also will notify the student and the appropriate academic dean (or designee) in writing of the nature of the offense and that the minimum sanction has been imposed. The instructor may recommend to the dean that further penalties should be imposed.
   
   If further penalties are imposed, the dean will notify the student immediately and the student will have five working days to respond to the intention to impose additional penalties. The student has the right to respond to the charge of academic dishonesty and may request in writing that the dean review the charge of academic dishonesty as fully as possible.
2. If the dean determines that no further sanctions will be applied, the instructor’s sanction will stand, and the instructor’s letter to the dean and student will be placed in the student’s file. If no further charges of academic dishonesty involving the student occur during the student’s tenure at St. Thomas, the materials will be removed from the file upon graduation.
3. If the student has been involved in a previous incident of academic dishonesty, that evidence will be considered in determining sanctions. If the previous incident(s) occurred in another school or college, the dean (or designee) will consult with the other dean(s) about the nature of the incident and previous sanctions imposed.
4. If the dean determines that further sanctions are warranted, the student will be informed in writing. Among the sanctions considered by the dean will be the following: failure for the course in which the incident occurred; suspension from the university for the following semester; expulsion from the university; community service; a written assignment in which the student explores the principles of honesty and trust; other appropriate action or sanctions listed under “Sanctions” in the Student Conduct Code. The materials relating to the incident, including the instructor’s original letter to the student and dean and the dean’s decision following the hearing, will become part of the student’s file.
5. A student may appeal the dean’s decision. To appeal, the student must send written notice to the executive vice president and provost (“Provost”) within seven days of the date of the dean’s letter notifying the student of the penalty. If the Provost receives no
6. written request within the time specified, the penalty shall be imposed and the action shall be considered final. If a written request of appeal is received within the time specified, the Provost shall refer the grievance to the Grievance and Discipline Committee. The Grievance and Discipline Committee shall have the authority to investigate and conduct a hearing on the facts of the particular case that has been appealed. The Committee shall make a recommendation to the Provost related to the appeal and shall document their recommendation and reasoning in a written report. The Committee may recommend that the Provost:
   1. Affirm the original decision and sanction.
   2. Affirm the original decision and reduce or increase the original sanction.
   3. Reverse the original decision.
   4. Disallow the original decision and order reconsideration by the dean (or designee).

The Provost will make the final determination whether to affirm or reverse the original sanction, reduce or increase the original sanction, or disallow the original decision and order reconsideration by the dean (or designee). In making the determination, the Provost will give careful consideration to the recommendation of the Committee but will not be bound by it.