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Academic Misconduct Procedures

Academic Misconduct 

Academic Misconduct is a violation of university academic integrity policy and is defined by G-9: An intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically. Descriptions of common types of academic misconduct are below. While these descriptions illustrate the range of academic misconduct, there may be academic misconduct that falls outside these categories. 

  1. Unauthorized Assistance: Unauthorized collaboration and/or accessing or using unauthorized materials, information, tools, or study aids. Also, allowing another person to submit work or participate in academic requirements on one’s behalf, or assisting another to engage in any form of academic misconduct.  

  1. Misrepresentation: Misrepresenting another’s material as one’s own, including using another’s words, results, processes, or ideas in whole or in part without giving appropriate citation or credit. Includes acts of plagiarism.  

  1. Fabrication: Providing false information in fulfillment of an academic assignment, exercise, publication, or another requirement, including making up data, sources, efforts, events, or results and recording, reporting, or using them as authentic.  

  1. Reuse of academic work: Using the same academic work, in part or entirely, for credit more than once, unless specifically authorized by the instructor receiving the reused work. Includes reusing previously graded work when retaking a course.  

  1. Misuse of instructional content: Recording and/or disseminating instructional content, including course exams, or other intellectual property, without the express written permission of the instructor(s) or intellectual property owner, or as permitted by their Campus Disability Coordinator.   

Resolution of Academic Misconduct Allegations 

The resolution of an allegation of academic misconduct is managed, in accordance with applicable policy by the instructor and the respective college, school, or campus academic integrity committee. During that academic resolution process, there is a determination of whether the student violated that policy, and, if so, an academic sanction (e.g., reduced grade, failure for the course, etc.) may be applied at that time.  

When a student accepts responsibility or is found in violation following the academic resolution process, a referral is made to the Office of Student Accountability & Conflict Response for recordkeeping and to decide if any administrative sanction and/or educational outcomes (i.e., Action Plan) should also be applied, considering the nature and severity of the academic misconduct, any recommendation of administrative sanctions from the instructor or committee, and whether the student has previous academic misconduct violations. The academic sanction, as assigned by the faculty, college, or department, is not considered a part of the action plan. 

When it is decided that an Action Plan should be applied, the student has an opportunity to agree to the proposed action plan, or to proceed to an Administrative Conference for the sole purpose of determining an Action Plan. The administrative conference does not allow for a reconsideration of the finding of an academic integrity violation. When the Action Plan does not include suspension or expulsion, the case manager will assume the student agrees to the Action Plan if the student does not request an Administrative Conference within 3 business days of written notice.  

Should an Action Plan include Suspension or Expulsion, the Respondent may choose to submit an appeal, to determine whether the Action Plan is appropriate. Neither the academic sanction nor the finding of a violation may be appealed in the student conduct process. 

Information about the Administrative Conference and appeals process is available in the Student Code of Conduct.  

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Academic Misconduct Procedures
Penn State Student Affairs
Student Accountability and Conflict Response
Location

120 Boucke Building 
University Park, PA 16802
StudentConduct@psu.edu

 

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