Academic Integrity Violations

As a member of the Smeal community, it is your duty to aspire to the highest ethical standards and to hold others accountable to them. Penn State and the Smeal College of Business have processes in place to hold students accountable for academic integrity.

Smeal Contacts

Lisa Posey
Smeal College Academic Integrity Officer
email: llp3@psu.edu

Trisha Carlson
Administrative Support Manager
email: lde2@psu.edu

Michelle Darnell
Director of Honor and Integrity
email: mzd560@psu.edu

Policies

G-9
Senate Policy 49-20
Recommended Sanctions

The Violation Process

Investigation Stage

The instructor investigates and gathers information to determine if an academic integrity violation has occurred. If the instructor believes a violation has occurred, the instructor determines the appropriate academic sanction. Instructors may refer to the sanctioning guidelines for academic integrity violations for assistance.

Meeting with the Student

The instructor meets with the student to discuss the allegation and the proposed sanction. Following the discussion with the student, the instructor completes the University Academic Integrity electronic form (AIF). The meeting will give the instructor the opportunity to find out additional information which may impact the final submission.

The student then receives an email with a link to the electronic submission and will be given an opportunity to respond to the allegation through the system. The student may choose to accept the terms or contest the allegation and/or sanction. Students failing or refusing to participate in the process will be deemed as “not contesting” the terms set forth on the electronic Academic Integrity System.

Uncontested Cases

If the student accepts the instructor’s terms, the matter proceeds to the enforcement phase.

Contested Cases

If the student contests the allegation and/or the academic sanction, the matter is referred to the Academic Integrity Committee (which comprises three faculty members and two students). Through the electronic system, the instructor and student will submit written narratives regarding the allegation (and/or sanction), documents, witness statements and other information in support of the narrative. There are no live hearings or presentations. The system will prompt each party when they are required to respond and will alert them to responses from the other party.

Upon their review of the information provided, the committee can make any of the following determinations: First, it can find that the instructor’s information and sanction are consistent with university policy in identifying and addressing an academic integrity violation. Second, it can find that the information does not support the allegation that a violation occurred. Third, it can find that a violation occurred but that the sanction should be increased or decreased based on the information provided to the committee. The decision of the committee is final. There are no further appeals.

In the event the committee determines that no violation occurred, the matter concludes and no information related to the allegation will be present in the student’s record. The instructor and student will be informed of the committee’s decision. Otherwise, the matter moves to the enforcement stage.

Enforcement Stage

Uncontested Cases

In cases in which the terms in the electronic form have been accepted by the student or in the event of a finding against the student by the Academic Integrity Committee, an inquiry will be made to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response to determine if the student has had a prior academic integrity violation. If there is no prior violation, the instructor applies the academic sanction. If there has been a prior violation, the Academic Integrity Officer will consult with the instructor regarding the alleged violation and alternate sanctions with respect to the prior violation history. A more stringent sanction may be applied.

The Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response is notified of the outcome.

Contested Cases

In contested matters, the instructor and student will be informed of the committee’s determination that a violation occurred. An inquiry will be made to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response to determine if the student has had a prior academic integrity violation. If there is no prior violation, the instructor will apply the academic sanction. In consultation with the college academic integrity officer, the committee may revise the sanction in light of information regarding previous violation(s). The instructor and student will be informed of the determination made by the committee. The instructor will apply the academic sanction.

The Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response is notified of the outcome.

FAQs

Is the process for managing academic integrity violations the same for graduate and undergraduate courses?

Yes, GCAC-802 makes it clear that graduate courses follow the same Academic Integrity Policy that is outlined for undergraduate courses.

Do faculty members need to meet with students in person to discuss concerns about a potential academic integrity violation?

Faculty may connect with a student to discuss concerns via phone, Zoom, email or in person.

Do faculty members need to meet individually with every student suspected of being involved with a violation that involved several people?

Yes, to align with FERPA standards, faculty may not discuss a student’s academic performance in front of other students. Faculty must also submit an individual claim for each student involved in a suspected violation, without referencing other student names.

Must a faculty member have overwhelming evidence to prove an academic integrity violation before submitting a charge of suspected violation?

It is the faculty member’s responsibility to hold a student accountable and follow official Penn State policies and procedures if there is a suspected violation. Faculty need only to submit a detailed statement of concern or documentation if the student contests the charge, which will be reviewed alongside the student’s own documentation.

If a faculty member believes a student has unintentionally violated academic integrity standards, or wants to use a situation of violated standards as a learning experience without any punitive sanctions to be applied to the student, must a University Academic Integrity Form still be submitted?

Yes, faculty are expected to submit the University Academic Integrity Form whenever a student violates academic integrity standards. However, faculty members may merely issue a formal “warning” with no additional punitive sanctions. It is important that warnings are recorded if the student commits a future violation.

What Impact will there be on a Student's Record if the student is found in violation of the academic integrity policy?

A student in violation of the academic integrity policy may receive a lower grade or a failing grade as an academic sanction. A student may also receive a conduct warning, conduct probation, conduct suspension, or an XF symbol on his/her transcript as a conduct sanction. An XF symbol is recorded if there has been an egregious act of academic dishonesty, whereby a grade of F is recorded as the student's quality of performance in the course and the accompanying symbol X indicates a sanction for academic dishonesty. The symbol (X) remains on the student's transcript for the period of the sanction, and the F grade remains on the student's record.

Can a student drop or withdraw from a course in which an academic integrity violation form has been submitted?

No; a student will not be able to drop the course during the academic integrity review process. Also, a student who has received an academic sanction(s) due to a violation of academic integrity may not drop or withdraw from the course. Any drop or withdrawal from the course during this time will be reversed.