V. Student Conduct
Scholastic Dishonesty Defined
The University Student Conduct Code defines scholastic dishonesty as follows:
Scholastic
Dishonesty means plagiarizing; cheating on assignments or examinations;
engaging in unauthorized collaboration on academic work; taking,
acquiring, or using test materials without faculty permission;
submitting false or incomplete records of academic achievement; acting
alone or in cooperation with another to falsify records or to obtain
dishonestly grades, honors, awards, or professional endorsement;
altering, forging, or misusing a University academic record; or
fabricating or falsifying data, research procedures, or data analysis.
Scholastic
dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, the description above. It
could also be said that scholastic dishonesty is any act that violates
the rights of another student with respect to academic work or that
involves misrepresentation of a student's own work. Also included would
be cheating on assignments or examinations, inventing or falsifying
research or other findings with the intent to deceive, submitting the
same or substantially similar papers (or creative work) for more than
one course without consent of all instructors concerned, depriving
another of necessary course materials, and sabotaging another's work.
Resolving Scholastic Dishonesty
Instructors
are responsible for minimizing scholastic dishonesty by ensuring
conditions for honest work, e.g., providing clear guidelines of course
expectations (particularly the expectation that work will reflect
students' individual efforts), maintaining security of examination
materials, and enabling a fair rereading or regrading of students' work
by making sure the original work can be clearly identified. Should
misconduct arise, the college's Scholastic Conduct Committee in
cooperation with the Office for Student Conduct and Academic Integrity (OSCAI) assists instructors in resolving cases,
reviews cases in which students believe themselves unfairly treated,
and checks for multiple offenses in different courses. Faculty members
who suspect students of scholastic misconduct must report the matter to
OSCAI using the Report Form for Scholastic Dishonesty.
Students cannot evade (intentionally or
unintentionally) a grade sanction by withdrawing from a course before
or after the misconduct charge is reported. This also applies to late
withdrawals, including discretionary late cancellation (also known as
the "one-time-only drop").
Consultation with the Office
of the Assistant Dean for CLA Student Services (612-624-5013) , 106 Johnston Hall, is
encouraged.
Disruptive Classroom Conduct
Student
conduct at the University is governed by the Student Conduct Code,
which prohibits disruptive conduct. All students at the University have
the right to a calm, productive, and stimulating learning environment.
In turn, instructors have a responsibility to nurture and maintain such
an environment. Lively, even heated, discussion is not disruptive
behavior. However, student behavior that is an obstacle to teaching and
learning should be addressed.
Jurisdiction
Instructors,
staff, and administrators are encouraged to contact the Office of the
Assistant Dean for Student Services, 612-625-3846, and the Office for Student Conduct and Academic Integrity regarding concerns over a student's disruptive behavior. Individual
colleges often have established guidelines regarding how to react to
such behavior and may take administrative action. In addition,
instructors and/or staff should consult with appropriate other
administrative staff in the college in which the instructor teaches and
in which the course resides, in order to maintain tranquility in the
classroom.
Disruptive Conduct in Class, Office, Hallway, Other Public Spaces
CLA
instructors, advisers, and staff are responsible for maintaining order
and a positive learning environment in classrooms, offices, and public
meeting spaces.
Instructors are advised to include the following statement in their course syllabi: "All activities in the University, including this course, are governed by the Universityof Minnesota Student Conduct Code.
Students who engage in behavior that disrupts the learning environment
for others may be subject to disciplinary action under the Code. In
addition, students responsible for such behavior may be asked to cancel
their registration (or have their registration cancelled)."
Procedures for Handling Disruptive Conduct
Instructor and Staff Immediate Response
The
instructor should communicate with the student in a timely manner to
reinforce learning environment expectations. The instructor or staff,
and student, should also discuss what could be done to improve the
situation. Instructors or staff should ask the disruptive student to
leave the class or office. If the behavior is threatening or violent,
refer to the section "Response to Violent Crimes or Threatening Behavior" below.
If
the disruption warrants, due to its seriousness or persistence, the
instructor or staff should consult with appropriate administrative
personnel (i.e., department chair, assistant dean, student affairs
director, and/or director of graduate/undergraduate studies. The
preferred line of consulting and reporting is:
Consulting and Reporting for Non-Threatening Behavior
Instructors
and Department Staff should report incident(s) to their department
chair, or the director of graduate/undergraduate studies; and report
incident to the Office of the Assistant Dean for CLA Student Services
at 612- 625-3846. Instructors and staff should also contact the college
in which the student is enrolled (if different from the college in
which the course and instructor reside).
CLA Student
Services (CLASS) staff and others should report incidents directly to
the Office of the Assistant Dean for CLA Student Services at
612-625-3846. See "Administrative Procedures and Actions" below.
Consulting and Reporting for Threatening Behavior
If warranted, the instructor or staff should not hesitate to call the University of Minnesota Police Department
([612] 624-3550), or 911 if the disruptive student appears to pose a
threat to him/herself or others (please refer below to procedures under
the section "Response to Violent Crimes or Threatening Behavior"
below). In addition, the incident should be reported to the Office of
the Assistant Dean for CLA Student Services ([612] 625-3846).
Administrative Procedures & Actions for the Office of the Assistant Dean (not exhaustive).
In general, administrative procedures are distinguished from collegiate-level procedures (see "Collegiate-Level Actions," below) and are used at least initially as an attempt to mitigate the disruptive behavior.
Consultation with Department, Instructor, Staff, and Student
Administrative
personnel should consult with the party who originates the behavioral
misconduct claim. Administrators should clarify the situation before
discussing it further with appropriate staff or the student. The Director of the Office for Student Conduct and Academic Integrity (OSCAI), 211 Appleby Hall, 612-624-6073, and the University Police
Department (612-624-3550) are available for further consultation. In
addition, Tracy Smith in the Office of the General Counsel, 612-624-4100, may be contacted to clarify liability issues. If the
student is registered in another college, the issue should be referred
to that college for further review and possible administrative action.
In general, the Office for Student Conduct and Academic Integrity is a good first
point-of-contact. Administrators (Assistant Dean) are encouraged to
contact Tracy Smith in the general counsel's office before invoking
administrative actions and/or before meeting with the student's legal
representative.
Referral to Counseling
Students whose behavior suggests the need for counseling or other assistance may be referred to University Counseling & Consulting Services (UCCS) in 340 Appleby Hall or by phone at (612) 624-3323.
Referral to the Office for Student Conduct and Aademic Integrity
Students
whose behavior may violate the University Student Conduct Code may be
referred to the Office for Student Conduct and Academic Integrity (OSCAI), 211 Appleby Hall, 612-624-6073. In general, the director of OSCAI is available to consult with administrators and
instructors about how to handle difficult students. Contact OSCAI before attempting to engage in collegiate-level
actions.
Record Keeping
Correspondence
and notes related to behavioral misconduct are confidential and should
be retained according to applicable University record retention
policies. A confidential file of administrative actions related to
misconduct is maintained in the Office of the Assistant Dean for CLA
Student Services. Only faculty and staff with a legitimate
right-to-know may obtain information.
Violent Crimes and Threatening Behavior (see below)
Collegiate-Level Actions
If
collegiate-level action is to be taken, administrators should first
consult with the Office for Student Conduct and Academic Integrity, 211 Appleby Hall, (612) 624-6073. The matter should then be referred
to OSCAI, with appropriate documentation, and they will officially notify
the student of the offense and provide an opportunity to respond. Applicable
department and college procedures must be followed when providing the
student with notice and the opportunity to respond to it.
Response to Violent Crimes or Threatening Behavior
The
following guidelines apply to those who are a victim of a violent
crime, witness violence, or are aware of behavior that is threatening
to their safety or the safety of others.
- Individuals should call 911
for police assistance if they observe violence occurring, believe or
feel there may be an immediate threat to their safety or someone else's
safety, or if someone commits a violent act against them. There are
several BLUE emergency phones on campus from which to
call 911. If desired, a plain-clothes officer can be requested to
respond rather than a uniformed officer. Individuals experiencing
harassment through e-mail, telephone, fax, or other related means, can
call the Security Incident Response Office at (612) 625-0006.
For crimes that do not require an emergency response from the police, call the University Police at (612) 624-3550. This line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- All faculty, staff, and student workers should communicate to an appropriate administrator/supervisor and/or the Office of the Assistant Dean for CLA Student Services ([612] 625-3846) any knowledge of violence or threatening behavior, including possession of a weapon.
Disruptions Caused by Technology Use
Students
who use laptop computers or other computer equipment during class time
should also refrain from disrupting the class by using their computers
for course-related activities only. Any other use of the computer or
the Internet (including e-mail, Internet surfing, games, chat rooms,
instant messaging, and so on) is distracting and disruptive to fellow
students and is not to be permitted during class time.
