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University of Illinois
360 Wohlers Hall
1206 South Sixth Street
Champaign, Illinois 61820
Phone: 217-333-0857
Fax: 217-244-0902
Email: accy@illinois.edu
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY GUIDELINES
From time-to-time, instructors confront issues of student academic integrity. Article 1, Part 4 of the Student Code
outlines University policy and procedures with respect to infractions of academic integrity.[1] The present document provides Department guidelines for complying with UIUC academic integrity policy and procedures.
Infractions of academic integrity include a variety of behaviors such as cheating, fabrication of information, plagiarism and facilitating infractions of academic integrity (see the Code for complete definition).
The instructor is the judge of the penalty for infraction of academic integrity. The instructor should make this judgment in light of the nature of the class, the kind of tasks assigned, and the student’s behavior. The instructor generally may impose one or more of the following penalties:
- A written notice of warning with a copy to the student's file in the office of the college in which the student is enrolled and to the Senate Committee on Student Discipline;
- A reduced grade on the assignment;
- A failing grade (zero if graded numerically) for the assignment;
- A reduced grade for the course;
- A failing grade for the course;
- A denial of credit for the proficiency exam; or
- Any other penalty negotiated and agreed to, in writing, by both parties (not subject to appeal).
The rules and procedures for suspected infractions of academic integrity are:
- For accountancy courses, both instructors and students may consult with the Associate Head of Accountancy for guidance and clarification of University/Department rules and procedures at any time during the process described herein.
- The instructor shall notify the student in writing of the basis for the instructor’s belief that the student committed infraction(s) of academic integrity and then allow the student eight working days to respond to the allegation. See Appendix A for a sample notification letter. As indicated in this sample letter, it may be useful for the instructor to indicate the likely penalty if the instructor, after receiving the student’s response, believes that the student has committed an infraction of academic integrity.
- The UIUC Code requires student notifications to be in writing but does not specify method of notification. With most administrative matters, the University defines student notification as a letter mailed through the US Postal system to the student’s permanent address (the University lists permanent and local addresses in its phone book gateway online). Instructors may simultaneously mail a copy of the letter to the student’s local address and e-mail the notification to the student’s university e-mail address.
- If the final deadline for reporting grades occurs prior to the time the instructor allows for the student response, the instructor should, with the permission of the student's college, assign the student an EX, to be changed after the case has been resolved.
- When accusing two or more students of cooperating in an academic infraction, the instructor should handle the students’ cases separately. Any fact-finding inquiries should establish their independent guilt, and the instructor should decide the penalties for each individual separately.
- If, after the student has had an opportunity to respond to the allegation, the instructor concludes that the student is not guilty of an infraction, the instructor shall inform the student in writing of this conclusion within eight working days. The instructor also shall notify any individuals notified of the instructor's original allegation. See Appendix B for a sample letter informing the student that he/she is not guilty.
- If, after the student has had an opportunity to respond to the allegation, the instructor concludes that the student is guilty of an infraction, the instructor shall decide the appropriate penalty. After determining a penalty, the instructor shall notify the student and the executive officer of the unit offering the course (the Head of Accountancy for accountancy courses) in writing of the penalty and the reasons for it within eight working days of receipt of the student's response (or the end of the response period if the student does not respond). The letter shall include notification of the student's right to appeal the decision under Article 1, Part 4 of the Student Code. See Appendix C for a sample letter informing the student of his/her guilt and the instructor’s penalty.
- The student may appeal a finding and/or penalty by indicating this desire in writing to the executive officer of the unit offering the course within fifteen days of notification of the right to appeal. If the student does not appeal, the matter shall be closed unless the penalty is suspension or dismissal. In a case in which the penalty is a failure for the course, the unit executive officer shall notify the dean of the college housing the unit offering the course, and the dean will forward a request to record a failing grade for the course to the Office of Admissions and Records.
The procedures for student appeal and the requirement for review of a finding, recommendation, and/or penalty beyond the level of the instructor shall depend upon whether the penalty falls within one of three levels of severity.
- If the penalty is less than a failing grade for the course (i.e., categories 1 through 4 above), the unit offering the course shall hear the appeal according to the procedures established by that unit.
- If the penalty is a failing grade for the course (i.e., categories 5 and 6 above), the college housing the unit offering the course shall hear the appeal according to procedures established by that college.
- In a case deemed sufficiently serious to warrant suspension or dismissal from the University, the instructor shall notify the executive officer of the unit offering the course and submit evidence of the violation of academic integrity.
For student appeals involving an instructor-determined penalty of less than a failing grade for an accountancy course, the Department of Accountancy Academic Integrity Committee shall hear the appeal. Procedures for the Academic Integrity Committee include:
- The Department Head shall gather all relevant information from the instructor and student and transmit the information to the Department’s Academic Integrity Committee.
- If the instructor of the course is a member of the Committee, that instructor shall not consider that appeal.
- Both the student and the instructor shall be entitled to be present throughout the Academic Integrity Committee’s hearing and shall be entitled to present any evidence, including testimony by other persons, relevant to the matter in dispute. Both the student and the instructor shall have the opportunity to question or refute any evidence presented. The confidentiality of all evidence shall be preserved.
- The Committee shall consider the merits of the case, deliberate the appeal (the deliberation shall be in closed or executive session of the Committee) and render a recommendation in writing to the Head of the Department. In no case shall this Committee recommend a harsher penalty than the one originally assessed by the instructor.
- The Head of the Department shall judge the appeal and decide whether the instructor’s findings and/or penalty are appropriate, and shall notify the student of the decision in writing. The judgment of the Head of the Department is final.
- The academic integrity appeal process within the Department of Accountancy should be completed in a timely manner; a final decision should be rendered, if possible, within six working weeks after the filing of the appeal.
[1] This Code section is at http://www.admin.uiuc.edu/policy/code/article_1/a1_1-401.html
