UNF Faculty Association

Information Item #1– Submitted by the Academic Standards Committee

Academic Integrity Code and Academic Misconduct Policies
& Reporting Form Clarification

The Committee clarified the wording of the Academic Integrity Code and Academic Misconduct Policies, especially the Reporting Form. A copy of the policies and form with clarifications highlighted is attached for you.

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:

a)	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.
b)	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.
c)	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.
d)	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.
e)	ABUSE OF ACADEMIC MATERIALS: Intentionally or knowingly destroying, stealing, or making inaccessible library or other academic resources material.
f)	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 (Counseling, Advising, other assistance)
(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 days 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.

(7)	The College Dean will respond to the student’s request and schedule a meeting with the student within twenty (20) calendar days.

(8)	After the meeting, the College Dean will send a written response to the student with copies to the faculty member and the Chairperson within ten (10) calendar days.
If the student does not agree with the proposed resolution received from the College Dean....

(9)	The student may appeal with the Dean’s response to the University Academic Appeals Committee within ten (10) calendar days after the College Dean 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 Dean’s decision and must be sent to the Vice President of Academic Affairs with copies to the faculty member, the departmental Chairperson, and the College Dean. Academic Affairs will refer the appeal to the Chairperson of the University Academic Appeals Committee within ten (10) calendar days.

(10)	The Chairperson of the University Academic Appeals Committee will send the date, time, location, and procedures of the hearing to the student, faculty member, Chairperson, and College Dean at least ten (10) calendar days in advance of the hearing. Once a hearing date is scheduled and communicated, it may not be rescheduled by any involved party unless there is a documented emergency. If either the student or the College representatives should fail to appear at the scheduled hearing, the hearing may proceed in his or her absence. A hearing must be rescheduled within ten (10) calendar days if the Committee fails to reach quorum.

(11)	The University Academic Appeals Committee’s recommendation will be based on a majority vote by the Committee’s voting members. The Committee’s Chairperson will send the Committee’s recommendation to the Academic Vice President with copies to all parties involved within ten (10) calendar days following the hearing.

(12)	The decision of the Academic Vice President or designee will be forwarded to all involved parties in writing within twenty (20) calendar days of the hearing.

(13)	Within five (5) calendar days after the Academic Vice President’s decision is sent to the involved parties, any of the parties involved may deliver a written appeal to the University President. The President will provide a response within ten (10) calendar days to all involved parties. The decision of the President shall be final. No further appeals are allowed.

(14)	The record of the University Academic Appeals Committee hearing during which the student has been found to have violated the Academic Integrity Code will be held in the discipline files in the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs for four years after graduation. Records of 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.

University of North Florida

Academic Misconduct Reporting Form

Student’s Name____________________ N Number________________________________

Term/Year_____________________ Course Number/Section_______________________

Faculty Name____________________Date of Incident______________________________

Nature of Incident:

Penalty(ies) Assigned or Recommended

Retain in College records

Grade reduction on assignment

Final letter grade reduction (grade change required). Original grade_____ New grade_____

Retain in Enrollment Services

Unforgivable “F” (will permanently remain on the transcript)

Recommendation for suspension from College/Department/Program (circle those that apply)
For time period of ________________ or Permanently (Requires aproval of Chair and Dean)

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

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I affirm by my signature that I understand the rights and options as described in the Academic Misconduct Policies.

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Faculty Member Signature ______________________ Date____________________________

Signature of Chair _____________________________ Date___________________________

Signature of Dean (if required)____________________ Date___________________________

Signature of Academic Vice President (if required) ____ Date___________________________

Office Use

Processed by___________________________ Date________________________________