Academic Programs
General Information, Policies, Procedures and Regulations
General Procedures and Regulations
Integrity of Scholarship and Grades
General Procedures and Regulations
Integrity of Scholarship and Grades
The following statement of university policy addresses principles and procedures to be used in instances of academic dishonesty, violations of professional standards, and falsification of academic or admission records, herein after referred to as academic misconduct. [See General Student Regulation 1.00, Protection of Scholarship and Grades.]
- The principles of truth and honesty are recognized as fundamental to a community of scholars. The university expects both instructors and students to honor these principles and, in so doing, to protect the validity of university education and grades. Practices that maintain the integrity of scholarship and grades include providing accurate information for academic and admission records, adherence to unit-approved professional standards and honor codes, and completion of original academic work by the student to whom it is assigned, without unauthorized aid of any kind. To encourage adherence to the principles of truth and honesty, instructors should exercise care in planning and supervising academic work, and (effective Spring 2013) implement proctoring standards appropriate to the design of the course.
- If an instructor alleges a student has committed an act of academic misconduct, the instructor is responsible for taking appropriate action. Depending on the instructor’s judgment of a specific instance, the instructor may give the student a penalty grade. A penalty grade may be a reduced score or grade for the assignment or a reduced grade for the course. [For a definition of “penalty grade”, see Academic Freedom Report (AFR) 8.1.15 and Graduate Students Rights and Responsibilities (GSRR) 8.1.15.]
- When an instructor gives an undergraduate or graduate student a penalty grade for academic misconduct, the instructor must provide a written description of the details of the academic misconduct to the student and to the student’s academic dean. The student’s academic dean will add the written description to the student’s academic record, where it will remain, unless the student successfully grieves the allegation.
- In notifying the student’s academic dean of the student’s act of academic misconduct, the instructor may request the student’s academic dean to initiate an academic disciplinary hearing to impose sanctions in addition to, or other than, a penalty grade.
- When in the judgment of the student’s academic dean, a sanction in addition to, or other than, a penalty grade is warranted (e.g., dismissal from a unit or program), the dean may call for an academic disciplinary hearing. In calling for an academic disciplinary hearing, the student’s academic dean may act independently or in response to a request by the instructor. [See AFR 4.3.1.1, GSRR 5.5.2, and Medical Student Rights and Responsibilities (MSRR) 5.1.3.1.]
- A student accused of academic misconduct may request an academic grievance hearing to contest the allegation before the appropriate hearing board of the department, school, or college in which the alleged academic dishonesty occurred. In cases involving academic misconduct, no student may be dismissed from a course or program of study without an academic disciplinary hearing.
- On the first offense of academic misconduct, the student must attend an educational program on academic integrity and academic misconduct provided by the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education and Dean of Undergraduate Studies for undergraduate students and the Dean of The Graduate School for graduate students.
- In cases involving undergraduate students in which the student’s academic dean, or designee, calls for an academic disciplinary hearing, the student’s academic dean will refer the case to the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education. The Associate Provost will notify the student in writing of the call for a disciplinary hearing and will invite the student to a meeting to determine the appropriate judiciary for the hearing. [See AFR 4.3.1.1.]
- In cases involving graduate students in which the student’s academic dean, or designee, calls for an academic disciplinary hearing, the student’s academic dean will refer the case to the Dean of The Graduate School. The Dean of The Graduate School will notify the student in writing of the call for a disciplinary hearing and will invite the student to a meeting to determine the appropriate judiciary for the hearing. At this meeting, the student will be asked to select either an administrative disciplinary hearing conducted by the Dean of The Graduate School or a disciplinary hearing conducted by the college hearing board within the student’s college. In cases of ambiguous jurisdiction involving graduate students, the Dean of The Graduate School will select the appropriate judiciary. [See GSRR 5.5.2.]
- Either party may appeal a decision of an administrative disciplinary hearing or a disciplinary hearing board to the appropriate appellate board. [See AFR 2.4.7.1, GSRR 5.5.2.1, and MSRR 5.8.1.]
© 2013 Office of the Registrar, Michigan State University Board of Trustees. East Lansing, MI 48824
MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer.
MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer.
