UNF Faculty Association

Comments/Rationale from the Academic Standards Committee:The Committee’s Academic Integrity Code And Academic Misconduct Policies proposal combines current policies and procedures which are currently scattered throughout the Catalog, student handbook, and Faculty Handbook. The proposal combines the Academic Integrity Code with the policy for handling misconduct situations and the process through which students may appeal an academic grade or grade penalty assigned as a result of academic misconduct. Petition policies and policies for appealing grades unrelated to academic misconduct have both been moved to separate policy documents. The Academic Misconduct Form has been updated to reflect the proposed policy (lines 142 and 143). In addition to consolidating the academic misconduct policies into one document and clarifying the policy language, the Committee is proposing the following policy changes:

	Time periods allowed: Standardized the time periods during which the student must respond from 5 or 10 school days to ten (10) calendar days, except for the time period allowed for a student’s initiation of the appeal process which excludes University holidays and days between the end of semester date and the first day of the following semester’s classes. (Lines 73 and 74) Standardized the time periods during which the chairperson and Dean must respond to the student to allow 20 calendar days to schedule a meeting with the student and 10 calendar days to send written responses to the student. Standardized the time periods during which the Academic Appeals Committee must respond to 10 calendar days, and time periods during which the Academic Vice President must respond to 20 calendar days. Lines 41-42 : The communication of the parties within the appeals process is through official University email addresses. Lines 53-62 : Possible Faculty Actions: The options are now listed in the order of severity. Removed the Type I and Type II designations Lines 68-69: Added a statement on attendance: Unless there are extenuating circumstances that put others at risk, the student is allowed to remain in class until such time as the appeal is heard.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY CODE AND ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT POLICIES

11.1 Academic Integrity

The University of North Florida operates on the principle that all members of its community should be

treated fairly in regard to their rights and responsibilities. In order to protect the integrity of the teaching

and learning process, the University of North Florida expects all members of the academic community to

respect the principle of academic freedom and to behave with academic integrity.

Academic Integrity Code

Briefly stated, academic misconduct consists of any attempt to misrepresent one's performance on any

exercise submitted for evaluation. The primary responsibility for ensuring adherence to the principle of

academic integrity rests with students and faculty. Any infraction that comes to the attention of any person

should be brought to the attention of the faculty member to whose course it pertains. A violation of the

Academic Integrity Policy is also considered a violation of the Student Conduct Code.

Violations of the principle of academic integrity include, but are not limited to:

CHEATING: Intentionally using, providing, obtaining, or attempting to use, provide, or obtain

unauthorized materials, information, notes, study aids or other devices in any academic exercise.

This definition includes unauthorized communication of information during an academic exercise.

FABRICATION & FALSIFICATION: Intentional and unauthorized alteration or invention of any

information or citation in an academic exercise. Falsification is a matter of altering information, while

fabrication is a matter of inventing or counterfeiting information for use in an academic exercise.

MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS: The submission of any portion of the same academic work, including

oral reports, electronic files, or hard-copy form, for credit more than once without authorization.

PLAGIARISM: Intentionally or knowingly presenting the work of another as one's own (i.e., without

proper acknowledgment of the source). The sole exception to the requirement of acknowledging

sources is when the ideas, information, etc. are common knowledge.

ABUSE OF ACADEMIC MATERIALS: Intentionally or knowingly destroying, stealing, or making

inaccessible library or other academic resources material.

COMPLICITY IN ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: Providing assistance in any form to help another to

commit an act of academic dishonesty.

Violations of the Academic Integrity Code

All correspondence referred to herein shall be made through the students’ official University email

address and the faculty or administrators official University email address.

When a faculty member determines that a violation of the Academic Integrity Code should result in a

penalty, the faculty member will notify the student of the offense by sending an Academic Misconduct

Reporting Form to the student and a copy to the appropriate departmental Chairperson within twenty (20)

calendar days after the date in which the faculty member identifies the violation. The Academic

Misconduct Reporting Form documents the circumstances surrounding the accusation and any

adjustment to a grade or other action taken or recommended by the faculty member. No proceedings or

hearings may be held, except as outlined in the appeals process. If an unforgivable “F” is given or a grade

is to be changed after the end of a semester, the finalized reporting form is to be sent to the registrar.

Possible Faculty Actions in Cases of Academic Misconduct

(1)

Referral to the appropriate support service

(2)

Assignment of a grade reduction on an academic exercise

(3)

Assignment of a final letter grade\reduction for the course

(4)

Assignment of an unforgivable ‘F’ for the course

(5)

Referral of the charges to the Dean/Chairperson/Director of the academic unit in which the

student is enrolled with a recommendation for one or more of the following: temporary or

permanent loss of use of a University facility, suspension from a College, Department, or

program, expulsion from the University, or referral to Student Affairs for a violation of the

Student Conduct Code.

Appealing Academic Misconduct Decisions

Students may appeal grades, and/or grade-related penalties assigned for academic misconduct due to

violations of the Academic Integrity Code. If a student wishes to appeal a grade beyond any time period

specified in the Academic Misconduct Appeals Process, the student must FIRST petition to extend the

appeals deadline. Unless there are extenuating circumstances that put others at risk, the student is

allowed to remain in class until such time as the appeal is heard.

(1)

The student first submits a written appeal to the faculty member within ten (10) calendar days

from the date the faculty member sends the student an Academic Misconduct Reporting Form.

The ten calendar day period does not include University holidays or days between the end of

semester date and the first day of the following semester’s classes.

(2)

The faculty member will provide a written response within ten (10) calendar days after receiving

the student’s appeal.

If the student does not agree with the proposed resolution received from the faculty member...

(3)

The student may request a meeting with the appropriate departmental Chairperson to appeal the

response from the faculty member within ten (10) calendar days after the faculty member sends

his or her response to the student. The student’s request for appeal must be in writing describing

why the student does not agree with the faculty member’s response and the student must provide

a copy of his or her appeal to the faculty member.

(4)

The Chairperson will respond to the student’s request for a meeting to hear his/her appeal and

must schedule a meeting with the student within twenty (20) calendar days.

(5)

After the meeting, the Chairperson will send a written response to the student with a copy to the

faculty member within ten (10) calendar days.

If the student does not agree with the proposed resolution received from the departmental

Chairperson...

(6)

The student may request a meeting with the appropriate College Dean to appeal the response

from the Chairperson within ten (10) calendar days after the Chairperson sends his or her

response to the student. The student’s request for appeal must be in writing describing why the

student does not agree with the Chairperson’s response and the student must provide copies of

the appeal to the faculty member and the Chairperson.

100

(7)

The College Dean will respond to the student’s request and schedule a meeting with the student

101

within twenty (20) calendar days.

102

103

(8)

After the meeting, the College Dean will send a written response to the student with copies to the

104

faculty member and the Chairperson within ten (10) calendar days.

105

106

If the student does not agree with the proposed resolution received from the College Dean....

107

(9)

The student may appeal with the Dean’s response to the University Academic Appeals

108

Committee within ten (10) calendar days after the College Dean sends his or her response to the

109

student. The student’s request for appeal must be in writing describing why the student does not

110

agree with the Dean’s decision and must be sent to the Vice President of Academic Affairs with

111

copies to the faculty member, the departmental Chairperson, and the College Dean. Academic

112

Affairs will refer the appeal to the Chairperson of the University Academic Appeals Committee

113

within ten (10) calendar days.

114

115

(10)

The Chairperson of the University Academic Appeals Committee will send the date, time,

116

location, and procedures of the hearing to the student, faculty member, Chairperson, and College

117

Dean at least ten (10) calendar days in advance of the hearing. Once a hearing date is scheduled

118

and communicated, it may not be rescheduled by any involved party unless there is a

119

documented emergency. If either the student or the College representatives should fail to appear

120

at the scheduled hearing, the hearing may proceed in his or her absence. A hearing must be

121

rescheduled within ten (10) calendar days if the Committee fails to reach quorum.

122

123

(11)

The University Academic Appeals Committee’s recommendation will be based on a majority vote

124

by the Committee’s voting members. The Committee’s Chairperson will send the Committee’s

125

recommendation to the Academic Vice President with copies to all parties involved within ten (10)

126

calendar days following the hearing.

127

128

(12)

The decision of the Academic Vice President or designee will be forwarded to all involved parties

129

in writing within twenty (20) calendar days of the hearing.

130

131

(13)

Within five (5) calendar days after the Academic Vice President's decision is sent to the involoved

132

parties, any of the parties involved must deliver a written appeal to the University President. The

133

The President will provide a response within ten (10) calendar days to all involved parties. The

134

decision of the President shall be final. No further appeals are allowed.

135

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(14)

The record of the University Academic Appeals Committee hearing during which the student has

137

been found to have violated the Academic Integrity Code will be held in the discipline files in the

138

Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs for four years after graduation. Records of

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students who are expelled are permanent and will be cross-referenced by a notation in the

student's permanent record in Enrollment Services referring to the disciplinary record in

Academic Affairs.

Academic Misconduct Reporting Form Student Name _______________________________ Student N Number_________________ Course/Section ______________________________ Term/Year ______________________ Faculty Name ________________________________ Date of Incident __________________ Nature of Incident:












Penalty(ies) Assigned or Recommended		Initials

a)	Grade reduction on assignment	_______

b)	Final letter grade reduction (Grade change required)	_______
	Original Grade _______ New Grade ______

c)	Unforgivable “F” (will permanently remain in the academic record)	_______

d)	Recommendation for suspension from College/Department/Program (circle)	_______
	For time period of _____________________ or ___Permanently
	(Requires approval of Chair and Dean)

e)	Recommendation for expulsion from UNF	_______
	(Requires approval of Chair, Dean and Academic Vice President)

f)	Referral to Student Affairs for a violation of the Student Conduct Code	_______


Signature of Faculty Member________________________________ Date _______________

Signature of Chair_________________________________________Date _______________

Signature of Dean (if required)_______________________________ Date _______________

Signature of Academic Vice President (if required)________________ Date_______________