THE UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING
Laramie, Wyoming
UNIREG 802, Revision 3
February 08, 2006
UNIVERSITY REGULATION 802, Revision 3
Initiating
Authority: University Faculty
Subject: Procedures and Authorized University Actions in Cases of Academic Dishonesty
References: (a) University Regulation 802 (February 9, 1987)
(b) Faculty Senate Bill 236 (September 16, 1991)
(c) University Regulation 229 (December 11, 1989)
(d) University Regulation 230 (December 11, 1989)
1. PURPOSE. To revise University Regulation 802, Revision 1, which establishes the policies and procedures for action in situations of academic dishonesty, by incorporating the changes adopted by the Faculty Senate in reference (b) and by revising administrative procedures.
2. GENERAL INFORMATION. The University faculty regards honesty by students in representation of their involvement in academic tasks to be vital to the educational functions of the University. Whatever form academic dishonesty may take, the faculty considers it as establishing a student's failure to demonstrate the acquisition of knowledge and the failure to apply it to assigned academic tasks. It is the responsibility of both the student and the instructor in charge of an academic task, respectively, to make reasonable efforts to learn of or make known the standards of conduct for the performance of academic tasks. Failure on the part of the student to observe and maintain standards of academic honesty, as hereafter defined or made known by an instructor responsible for a course or other academic task, requires corrective action as hereafter authorized.
3. DEFINITION OF ACADEMIC DISHONESTY. An act is academically dishonest when it is an act attempted or performed which misrepresents one's involvement in an academic task in any way, or permits another student to misrepresent the latter's involvement in an academic task by assisting in the misrepresentation. Some examples of academic dishonesty include such acts as:
a. Representing as one's own work material copied or borrowed from any source, written or otherwise, public or private, without proper citation of the source.
b. Using a ghost writer, commercial or otherwise, for any type of assignment.
c. Submitting substantially the same work for more than one class without the explicit permission of all concerned instructors.
d. Doing a class assignment for someone else or allowing someone to copy one's assignment.
e. Using notes or prepared information in an examination unless authorized by the instructor.
f. Taking an examination for someone else or allowing someone to take an examination for oneself.
g. Copying from, or assisting, another student during an examination.
h. Stealing, or otherwise improperly obtaining, copies of an examination before or after its administration.
i. Submitting substantially the same work as someone else unless authorized by the instructor.
4. AUTHORIZED ACTIONS.
a. Whenever an instructor determines that an act of academic dishonesty has been committed in a course or academic program for which he or she is responsible for the assignment of an academic evaluation, at the instructor's discretion, the offending student shall be assigned a grade of "F" for the credit hours in which enrolled or be required to perform additional academic work appropriate for allowing completion of the course so as to receive a grade representing demonstrated knowledge of required course work.
b. Whenever a student has been found to have committed two acts of academic dishonesty at different times or in different courses during the student's enrollment, the student will be suspended from the University for a period of one calendar year with such suspension to begin following the approval of the President of the University.
c. The foregoing actions shall not preclude the imposition of other sanctions by University officers including the loss of benefits from such programs, scholarships, and other opportunities normally afforded students.
5. ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES.
a. Whenever an instructor has cause to believe an act of academic dishonesty has been committed and after confirming this belief through consultation with the department head (chair), the instructor shall arrange with the dean of the cognizant college or designee for a college hearing date and shall notify the offending student in writing that he/she is suspected of committing an act of academic dishonesty.
This notification must: (1) include a description of the specific acts evidencing academic dishonesty, and date and place of occurrence; (2) inform the student of the actions authorized for this offense, as stated in paragraph 4; and (3) inform the student of the time and date at which he/she may appear before the instructor and the dean of the college or designee for a hearing at which the student will hear the evidence supporting the charge of academic dishonesty and may present matters, evidence, and extenuating circumstances in opposition to the charge of academic dishonesty.
If the alleged act of academic dishonesty occurs during finals week or within a time frame in which the opportunity for a fair hearing would be difficult, the instructor may submit a grade of "I" until the appeals process can be effectuated.
b. After the hearing, the dean or designee may terminate any further action if satisfied that acts of academic dishonesty did not occur. Subsequent to a finding of academic dishonesty, the student shall be advised that this finding can be appealed to the University Board of Student Appeals. An appeal of the finding of academic dishonesty can be lodged solely upon the following jurisdictional grounds:
(1) The student was not given written notice of a hearing or an opportunity for a hearing.
(2) The report of the college level hearing fails to describe any act of the student's which could be construed as academically dishonest, or
(3) The findings of the college level hearing were the result of prejudice toward the student, capricious evaluation, or capricious treatment.
If the instructor has opted for the assignment of "F" penalty for the academically dishonest act, then this penalty will be replaced with an "I" grade until the completion of the appeals process, when the Provost shall either exercise the penalty of "F" or remove the "I" grade as per the direction of the Board hearing the final appeal.
c. In all cases in which it is determined that a student has committed an act of academic dishonesty, the student shall be given written notice, from the dean or designee, of the findings and the action to be taken. The student has 30 calendar days from the date of this notification to file an appeal to the Director, Office of Student Life. After this time, if the Director, Office of Student Life has not notified the dean or designee that an appeal has been filed, the dean or designee shall forward a written report to the Provost, setting forth the circumstances, proceedings, and findings of the college level hearing constituting the act of academic dishonesty and the action to be taken. If an appeal is initiated by the student, then the Director, Office of Student Life, will notify the dean or designee that an appeal has been initiated and the college level report shall be forwarded to the University Board of Student Appeals. If this Board determines that it does not have the jurisdiction to hear the appeal or it upholds the finding of academic dishonesty, then the Clerk of the Board shall forward the college level report and the record of the University Board of Student Appeals hearings to the reviewing officer specified in UniReg 230. The reviewing officer shall send the college level report and the findings of the University Board of Student Appeals, when an appeal was heard by the Board, to the Director, Office of Student Life, who will file these reports in the student's citizenship record.
d. Whenever the Director, Office of Student Life ascertains that a student has been found to have committed acts of academic dishonesty for a second time, the Director will promptly notify the Provost who shall cause the suspension of the student from the University for a period of one calendar year because of the established acts of academic dishonesty found on two different occasions, this action is subject to the approval of the President of the University.
6. GRADUATE SCHOOL AND INDIVIDUAL COLLEGE REGULATIONS. Regulations of individual colleges or the graduate school may establish additional standards identifying academic dishonesty, as well as other standards for student conduct deemed appropriate for students whose degree program will result in qualification for entry into a profession which maintains standards of conduct. Any such regulations which incorporate academic dishonesty must provide, as a minimum, the sanctions described in Paragraph 4 (Authorized Actions), and must otherwise afford notice and a fair hearing. Such regulations shall become effective upon approval as a University regulation.
7. DIRECTIVE. All prior publications of University Regulation 802 are hereby superseded.
APPROVED: February 08, 2006
Thomas Buchanan
President