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Faculty Handbook

Appendix XVII—Academic Integrity Code

Academic Integrity Code

It is the responsibility of students and instructors to maintain academic integrity at WTAMU by refusing to participate in or tolerate academic dishonesty or any behavior that prevents University representatives or students from effectively furthering the mission of the University as stated in the mission statement. Any act that hinders WTAMU from maintaining the integrity of the University’s academic mission shall be treated as a serious offense against the community as a whole. It is both the right and responsibility of every member of the community to read, understand and enforce the guidelines set forth for maintaining WTAMU’s academic integrity. Sanctions for any violation of the Academic Integrity Code may include any of those listed under the “Sanctions/Penalties” section of the Code of Student Life.

I. Categories of Academic Dishonesty

Below are examples of possible violations. This listing is not exclusive of any other acts that may reasonably be said to violate the spirit of the Academic Integrity Code. Commission of any of the following acts shall constitute academic dishonesty.

A. Improperly Acquiring Information

  1. Acquiring answers for or information regarding any assigned work or examination from any unauthorized source (peers, electronic resources, electronically stored data, textbooks, lab books, lecture or crib notes, former students, friends, etc.) in violation of the respective faculty member’s guidelines. Possession of crib notes, stored data (on calculators, computer files, etc.) or cheat sheets against instructor’s consent will be construed as an attempt to violate this provision of the academic integrity code.
  2. Working with another person or persons on any assignment or examination unless expressly permitted to do so by the respective faculty member’s guidelines.
  3. Observing the work of other students during any examination.
  4. Stealing examinations or assignments from faculty, computer files or other students.

B. Improperly Providing Information

  1. Providing answers for any assigned work or examination in violation of the respective faculty member’s guidelines.
  2. Informing any person or persons of the contents of any examination prior to the time the examination is given in subsequent sections of the course or as a makeup.

C. Plagiarism

1. Presenting work, ideas or phrasing of another, in whole or in part, as one’s own without giving credit and proper documentation of sources.

  1. Copying material directly from sources (including electronic media) except when the material is enclosed in quotation marks and the source is clearly identified. Failure to use quotation marks or appropriate methods of documentation shall be construed as attempted plagiarism.
  2. Paraphrasing too closely to the original, even when the source is identified.
  3. Claiming credit for work in any media (electronic, digital, artistic, etc.) where the student is not the original creator of said work.

D. Conspiracy

  1. Agreeing with one or more persons to commit any act of academic dishonesty.
  2. Logging on or signing in for another student for any assignment in which credit is given for participation or attendance.
  3. Taking an examination or completing an
    assignment for another student.
  4. Coercing others to commit any act of dishonesty or approaching others in an attempt to gain their participation in acts of dishonesty.
  5. Possessing knowledge of violations of the Academic Integrity Code and not informing a University official such as a faculty member, department head, dean or vice president.

E. Fabrication of Information

  1. The falsification of the results obtained from a research or laboratory experiment.
  2. The written or oral presentation of results of research or laboratory experiments without the research or laboratory experiment having been performed.
  3. Lying about the date upon which one took an examination or handed in an assignment, the reasons for not taking an examination or handing in an assignment on a specific date, one’s reasons for challenging a professor’s assigned grade, the fact that one has handed in material or one’s contributions to a group assignment.
  4. Turning in a paper purchased or acquired from any media outlet, written by someone other than the student claiming credit or stolen from another student.

F. Violation of Departmental or College Rules

  1. Violation of any announced course, departmental or college rule relating to academic matters, including but not limited to abuse or misuse of computer access or information.
  2. Any violation of the “General Rules and Procedures on Campus” section of the WTAMU Code of Student Life that impairs either (a) a

Appendix XVII—Academic Integrity Code

professor’s ability to effectively deliver classroom or laboratory material or (b) a student’s ability to effectively learn or process information or perform academic work.

G. Inappropriate Multiple Submissions of the Same Work

  1. Students may not submit a paper or project that is substantially the same for two courses unless expressly authorized by the instructor to do so.
  2. Students may not provide assignments for submission by other students unless expressly authorized by the instructor to do so.

II. Reporting Violations of the WTAMU Academic Integrity Code

As all members of the WTAMU community are responsible for maintaining the academic integrity of the University’s mission, any member of the community may report and is responsible for reporting known violations of the Academic Integrity Code to a faculty member, department head, academic dean or vice president for academic affairs (VPAA). Violations shall be construed as any action outlined in Appendix III of the Code of Student Life or the violation of any other University code or regulation that impacts the University’s ability to meet the academic expectations that it has set forth in its mission statement.

Any student with knowledge of a violation who fails to report it shall him/herself be in violation of Academic Integrity Code. Additionally, any member of the community who reports her/himself in violation of this code before it is likely that another might consider this possibility will be understood as repentant and acting in good faith toward the community as a whole. Though the confession will not excuse the student for the violation, the act will be considered with great weight by all hearing/sanctioning bodies and the violation should not result in suspension or expulsion except in the most extreme cases.

Before reporting a suspected violation, the accusing party should make a reasonable attempt to collect evidence (eyewitnesses, material facts, etc.) to present in the case of a hearing.

Teaching faculty who suspect a violation should confer with the suspected violator(s) and attempt to resolve the case at that point. If the faculty member and student can mutually consent to a solution, the faculty member should complete a “Statement of Fact and Resolution Regarding the WTAMU Academic Integrity Code” (SFR). This form is to be signed by the student, faculty member, department head and dean, then forwarded to the office of the VPAA for signature where it will be placed in the student’s file. If a faculty member prefers to report the case directly to her/his department head, it remains her/his prerogative to do so. Additionally, if the faculty member and accused student cannot agree upon a resolution or if the faculty member believes that suspension or expulsion is the only fair sanction, the case should immediately be reported, by the faculty member and in writing, to the appropriate department head.

III. Initial Finding of Fact and Review of Cases

In a case where a non-teaching member of the WTAMU community reports a suspected integrity violation, the case will be referred to the appropriate faculty member, department head or dean for initial judgment. The referral will come from the WTAMU community member to whom the suspected act was first reported.

In a case where a resolution between the student and the faculty member has been reached, an SFR will be completed by the faculty member, signed by all parties, department head and dean, and forwarded to the VPAA’s office to be placed in the student’s file.

In a case where a resolution between the student and the faculty member cannot be reached, all materials will be presented to the department head who will then review the case (including evidence, student and professor testimony, any documents, etc.), determine if a violation occurred, and, in the case of a finding of violation, impose through her/his dean’s office, then forward to VPAA the appropriate sanction. The department head will then notify both the student and the faculty member of her/his decision, as well as inform the student of her/his right to appeal to the College Integrity Committee (CIC).1 In the case of a finding of guilt, the department head will forward this finding to the VPAA’s office to be placed in the student’s file.

Upon any subsequent violation by the student (if another SFR, department head sanction or any combination is already present in the student’s file), the VPAA’s office will notify the dean and have him/her examine the file to determine if a trend of violation needs to be addressed.2

If the dean feels that it is the case that there is a trend of violation, the dean will impose or request that the VPAA impose the appropriate sanction. The dean will then notify the student of her/his decision, as well as inform the student of her/his right to appeal to the CIC.

1Each college will create a CIC as needed. It will be comprised of the college dean (who will chair the committee and vote only in case of a tie), three students (apppointed by Student Senate) and three faculty members from the college (one appointed by the dean for a two-year term, one chosen by the student and one chosen by the dean). Should the dean feel that her/his chairing the committee would present some conflict of interest, she/he should recuse her/himself through the VPAA’s office and have another dean appointed to chair the hearing.

2For undergraduate students, “dean” in this document refers to the dean of the college in which the most recent violation occurred. For graduate students, “dean” refers to the dean of the Graduate School.


Should the student desire to appeal either a department head’s or dean’s decision, the student will notify the dean that he/she requests an appeal hearing before a College Integrity Committee. The notification must be in writing and delivered to the dean within ten (10) days of the student’s initial notification of the department head’s or dean’s findings. Such an appeal must specify if the student is appealing the finding of violation or the fairness of the sanctions.

IV. Hearings Before a College Integrity Committee

The CIC functions only as an appeal committee. This committee will confer to hear the facts of the case and to render judgment regarding the appropriateness of the original finding/sanction.

Once an appeal hearing has been requested, the dean’s office will make a reasonable attempt to notify (a) the appealing party and any accusing parties (as well as the accusing party’s witnesses), (b) any faculty member(s) involved and (c) the selected members of the committee not less than seven (7) working days before the scheduled hearing. (These time frames are contingent upon the academic calendar and the necessity of bringing closure to a situation and, at the discretion of the dean, may be adjusted as deemed necessary.)

If the student is appealing the finding of violation itself, the accuser has the burden of proving his/her case by the preponderance of the evidence (proof that leads a reasonable person to conclude that the facts in issue are more likely to have occurred than not).

If the student is appealing the sanctions, only facts presented before the committee or that are present in the student’s file (and have bearing on the present case) may be considered in judging the fairness of the original finding. It is the responsibility of the appealing student to offer evidence that supports a different sanction.

The appealing party, during the course of the appeal, may, at her/his own expense, seek advice of legal counsel or a legal adviser. Counsel may advise the student but may not present at the appeal. Additionally, the appealing party may have one person accompany her/him to the appeal. This person cannot act as a witness.

An opportunity will be provided for the appealing party to present her/his version of the facts and to present other evidence, including witnesses, in support of her/his appeal. Witnesses not having information directly pertaining to the appeal may not be allowed. The appealing student should notify her/his witnesses of her/his request that they present information at the hearing. The appealing student is responsible for making sure that her/his witnesses attend the hearing and/or for providing any notarized written information or official University reports (the student may request these through the presiding dean’s office) that she/he would like considered at the appeal. The appealing party, through the dean, will also have the right to hear and question evidence. The dean may impose reasonable limitations upon the presentation of evidence and the questioning of witnesses.

If the student chooses not to testify at the appeal, no inference may be drawn from this action. If the student chooses not to attend the appeal, it will be assumed that the student revokes her/his appeal. Evidence that shows that the student has been contacted, however, should be entered into the record. (In the event that the accused is more than 10 minutes late to the hearing, the CIC will assume that the student has chosen not to attend the appeal and the appeal will be withdrawn).

Disorderly or disruptive behavior by any individual in the appeal process may, at the discretion of the dean, result in the removal of that individual from the hearing and the hearing may continue.

The University will provide a recording of the hearing either by court reporter, electronic recording, or notes or minutes taken by a recording secretary. For sanctions resulting in less than suspension or expulsion, the recording will be destroyed following the conclusion of the appeal. Suspension/expulsion sanctions result in records being maintained permanently in the Office of Academic Affairs. The appealing party may, at her/his expense, make a personal recording of the hearing.

Appeal hearings will be closed with the exception of those directly hearing or involved in the case.

V. On Findings by the CIC

The CIC is not responsible for adhering to strict rules of evidence or bound to precedents.

The CIC will consider only the facts presented during the hearing and the facts already contained in the appealing student’s academic file.

At the conclusion of the hearing, the CIC shall meet to adjudicate in a closed session. If the fact of violation is in dispute, the faculty and student members will first vote as to whether or not the original finding of violation—by faculty member, department head or dean—has merit. All such votes will be on paper ballot.3

In the case that the CIC finds no violation, the student’s file will be cleared of all documents that relate solely to this case.

If it is the appropriateness of the sanctions that is under appeal, the CIC will vote on the fairness of the original sanction. If the CIC finds that the original sanction is not appropriate, the members will discuss alternative sanctions that may include sanctions more severe than those originally imposed/recommended. (The CIC may

3For all votes on violation or sanction a majority will carry the vote. The dean will only vote in the case of a tie.

impose any of the sanctions described in the Code of Student Life up to and including suspension or expulsion. The CIC can recommend to the dean of the college that suspension or expulsion is the appropriate sanction. In the case of such a recommendation, the case will immediately be referred to the dean and forwarded to the Office of the VPAA, and all further action will be taken by the VPAA.)

The appealing party will not be present for the discussion, voting and/or sanctioning portion of the appeal, and the University does not have to record the adjudication.

The CIC will, at the conclusion of the appeal, discuss its finding with the appealing party. Additionally, the dean’s office will forward a written statement of the findings and the formal action to be taken by the University to the student within five (5) working days, as defined by the University.

VI. The Integrity Code and the Laws of the Land

Violations of local, state, federal or international codes and laws must be dealt with through ordinary processes of law and by the appropriate authorities.

Addendum. Faculty and Staff Violations Faculty and staff violations of University integrity are outlined in the WTAMU Faculty Handbook and the rules and regulations set forth by WTAMU and The Texas A&M University System and will be dealt with according to the guidelines therein. Students with grievances against faculty or staff members should bring them to the VPSS in order that they might be directed to the proper channels.

©2007 West Texas A&M University