Description
This resource will provide the definition of scholastic dishonesty and resources to refer the student(s) to in case they are involved in such a matter.

Policy Statement
The University of Minnesota definition of scholastic dishonesty is as follows:
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. Scholastic dishonesty includes (but is not limited to) cheating on assignments or examinations, plagiarizing (misrepresenting as one’s own anything done by another), 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 instructor’s concerned, depriving another of necessary course materials, and sabotaging another’s work. (Classroom Grading and Examination Procedures, http://advisingtools.class.umn.edu/cgep/ )

CLA Interpretation
The following text is taken from the 2003-2004 CLA Student Handbook and defines the College’s expectations.

Forms of Academic Dishonesty

Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the inclusion of someone else’s product, words, ideas, or data as one’s own work. When a student submits work for credit that includes the product, words, ideas, or data of others, the source must be acknowledged by the use of complete, accurate, and specific references, such as footnotes. Expectations may vary slightly among disciplines. By placing one’s name on work submitted for credit, the student certifies the originality of all work not otherwise identified by appropriate acknowledgements. On written assignments, if verbatim statements are included, the statements must be enclosed by quotation marks or set off from regular text as indented extracts. A student will avoid being charged with plagiarism if there is an acknowledgement of indebtedness. Indebtedness must be acknowledged whenever:

• one quotes another person’s actual words or replicates all or part of another’s product;
• one uses another person’s ideas, opinions, work, data, or theories, even if they are completely paraphrased in one’s own words;
• one borrows facts, statistics, or other illustrative materials—unless the information is common knowledge.

Fabrication
Fabrication is the intentional use of information that the author has invented when he or she states or implies otherwise, or the falsification of research or other findings with the intent to deceive. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• citing information not taken from the source indicated;
• listing sources in a reference not used in the academic exercise;
• inventing data or source information for research or other academic exercises.

Cheating
Cheating is an act of deception by which a student misrepresents or misleadingly demonstrates that he or she has mastered information on an academic exercise that he or she has not mastered, including the giving or receiving of unauthorized help in an academic exercise. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• copying from another student’s test paper, computer program, project, product, or performance;
• collaborating without authority or allowing another student to copy one’s work in a test situation;
• using the course textbook or other material not authorized for use during a test;
• using unauthorized materials during a test; for example, notes, formula lists, cues on a computer, photographs, symbolic representations, and notes written on clothing;
• resubmitting substantially the same work that was produced for another assignment without the knowledge and permission of the instructor;
• taking a test for someone else or permitting someone else to take a test for you.

Academic Misconduct
Academic misconduct is the intentional violation of university policies, such as tampering with grades, or taking part in obtaining or distributing any part of an unadministered test or any information about the test. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• stealing, buying, or obtaining in any other unauthorized manner all or part of an unadministered test;
• selling, trading, or giving away all or part of an unadministered test, including answers to an unadministered test;
• attempting to change or changing, altering, or being an accessory to changing or altering a grade in a grade book, work submitted on a test or a final project, a “supplementary grade report” form, or other official academic records of the university which relate to grades;
• entering a building or office for the purpose of obtaining an unadministered test.

Academic Integrity
As a new member of the University community, it is important to be aware of what is expected of you and what you can expect of the University. This information is designed to clarify the values and actions of an academic community.

Five Fundamental Values:
Honesty, Trust, Fairness, Respect, and Responsibility

An academic community of integrity advances the quest for truth and knowledge by requiring intellectual and personal honesty in learning, teaching, research, and service.

Honesty: An academic community of integrity begins with oneself and extends to others. In the quest for knowledge, students and faculty alike must be honest with themselves and with each other, whether in the classroom, laboratory, library, or on the playing field. Cultivating honesty lays the foundation for lifelong integrity, developing in each of us the courage and insight to make difficult choices and accept responsibility for actions and their consequences, even at personal cost.

Trust: An academic community of integrity fosters a climate of mutual trust, encourages the free exchange of ideas, and enables all to reach their highest potential. Only with trust can we believe in the research of others and move forward with new work. Only with trust can we collaborate with individuals, sharing information and ideas without fear that our work will be stolen, our careers stunted, or our reputations diminished. Only with trust can our communities believe in the social value and meaning of an institution’s scholarship and degrees.

Fairness: An academic community of integrity establishes clear standards, practices, and procedures and expects fairness in the interactions of students, faculty, and administrators. Fair and accurate evaluation is essential in the educational process. For students, important components of fairness are predictability, clear expectations, and a consistent and just response to dishonesty. Faculty also has a right to expect fair treatment, not only from students but also from colleagues and their administration.

Respect: An academic community of integrity recognizes the participatory nature of the learning process and honors and respects a wide range of opinions and ideas. To be most rewarding, teaching and learning demand active engagement and mutual respect. Students and faculty must respect themselves and each other as individuals, not just as a means to an end. They must also respect themselves and each other for extending their boundaries of knowledge, testing new skills, building upon success, and learning from failure.

Students show respect by attending class, being on time, paying attention, listening to other points of view, being prepared and contributing to discussions, meeting academic deadlines, and performing to the best of their ability. Being rude, demeaning, or disruptive is the antithesis of respectful conduct.

Faculty shows respect by taking students’ ideas seriously, providing full and honest feedback on their work, valuing their aspirations and goals, and recognizing them as individuals.

Responsibility: An academic community of integrity upholds personal accountability and depends upon action in the face of wrongdoing. Every member of an academic community - each student, faculty member, and administrator - is responsible for upholding the integrity of scholarship and research. Shared responsibility distributes the power to effect change, helps overcome apathy, and stimulates personal investment in upholding academic integrity standards. Being responsible means taking action against wrongdoing, despite peer pressure, fear, loyalty, or compassion.

Reprinted with permission from the Center for Academic Integrity, Fundamental Values Project, Kenan Ethics Program, Duke University.

Procedures
This section describes for students and faculty how a matter of academic misconduct may be initiated and the different ways the matter can be resolved. The following material is taken from Classroom Grading and Examination Procedures.

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 regarding of students’ work by making sure the original work can be clearly identified. Should misconduct arise, the college’s Scholastic Conduct Committee 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 dishonesty may settle the case directly with the students but must report the matter to the college’s Scholastic Conduct Committee.

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 selective cancellation (also known as the “One-Time-Only” drop).

All incidents of scholastic dishonestly are to be reported on forms available in department offices. These forms outline ways of resolving problems, sanctions that may be imposed, and appeal procedures. Consultation with the committee’s executive secretary, Sean Wiseman (Office of the Assistant Dean for CLA Student Services, 106 Johnston Hall, 612-625-3846), is encouraged.

Related Resources
Student Dispute Resolution Center
107 Eddy Hall; 625-5900; 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday
Contact SDRC http://www1.umn.edu/sos/

“The Student Dispute Resolution Center (SDRC) provides a full range of services to students with campus-based complaints or concerns. An ombudsman helps students resolve problems informally. An advocate is also available to assist students in formal grievance or disciplinary hearings.

SDRC can help students deal with university regulations and policies, or misunderstandings between students and instructors or administrators. Students may also have concerns about unfair treatment or may have been accused of a violation of the student conduct code.” (Student Dispute Resolution Center website).