Academic Integrity

Definition: When we are equitable, we recognize the value inherent in others’ perspectives and experiences while ensuring that everyone is held to the same standards of ethical behavior that are the foundation of participation within a shared intellectual community. This recognition allows us to grow intellectually, communicate responsibly, and cultivate awareness of the limitations in our own understanding, thereby contributing earnestly to intellectual discourse.  

Rationale: Equity grants every member of our learning community access to an even playing field such that an individual’s achievements reflect an honest/bona fide commitment to meeting the learning objectives of any academic undertaking.     

Application:

• To maintain equitable access to intellectual knowledge, we do not contribute to, distribute, and/or otherwise consult shared repositories of course materials that are not universally accessible, whether shared among individuals or in affiliation with ​​student-run groups. 
• To maintain equitable access to intellectual knowledge, we do not seek, use, or consult services to write or otherwise complete our work, and we do not assist another person in such activity.   
• To avoid collaborations that are not explicitly authorized, we seek to understand the parameters and practice of collaboration, whether for assigned or unassigned group study, projects, or presentations because such unwarranted collaborations undermine our pursuit of an equitable learning process.  
• To recognize the individuals in our community, we acknowledge all parties who contribute to the process of intellectual knowledge on the final presentation and/or submission of a paper, project, exam, or other form of publication and/or assessment; that is, if the work we generate results from or is the product of the efforts of two or more individuals, we acknowledge those contributors.  

Definition: Respect is engendered by empathy and prompts us to extend due consideration for beliefs that may not coincide with our own. With empathy, we are able to make a steadfast commitment to the learning process, with all its inherent challenges and rewards, and inspire confidence that the objectives of intellectual discourse have been met.  

Rationale : 

• A robust scholarly community invites dynamic debate that reflects a diverse range of perspectives and encourages the discovery, sharing, and development of knowledge.  
• Intellectual contributions are the product of individual and collective contributions over time; they do not exist in a vacuum but are rooted in personal and scholarly contexts. Failure to signal the origins of those contributions erodes the trust that others place in the legitimacy of our knowledge-seeking endeavors.    

Application:   

• To apply ideas to new contexts, we strive to provide a comprehensive and honest accounting for how those ideas came into being.  
• To acknowledge those connections explicitly, we use appropriate citation practices to cite through quotation, paraphrase, summary, or other means of representation, the words, phrases, and ideas of someone else.  
• To hold the intellectual contributions of ​​each individual in high regard, we engage in respectful dialogue with others and do not act self-righteously, minimize dissonant perspectives, or leap to judgments.    

Definition: Authenticity requires our actions to align with the value we, as a community of scholars, place on independent thinking. As independent thinkers, we strive to be confident in our own abilities even if this means sitting with ambiguity.    

Rationale:  Authentic actions require us to step outside our academic comfort zone and look beyond certainty. When we take intellectual risks, we are more likely to innovate freely, reach our full potential, and find our own unique academic voice.    

 Application:   

• To share our discoveries, evidence, and arguments, we present, in addition to our findings, the process by which we made those discoveries, found the evidence, and developed those arguments.  
• To recognize, exercise, and maintain our authenticity, we take responsibility for and ownership of our discoveries and actions, with the goals of ensuring equity and prioritizing respect for those whose intellectual knowledge helps us to build our own knowledge. 

Members of the University community¹ will be confident that the University’s academic integrity processes and policies reflect institutional values of equity, educational excellence, and care for community members. Policies and procedures will be considered clear, fair, and judicious. 

Members of the University community will create and practice a system that balances educational and disciplinary measures. Students’ interaction with the academic integrity process will lead to a recognition of the seriousness of any violation, and to a lessened likelihood of future violations. 

Taking into account historical outcomes, members of the University community will design a support plan that helps faculty, students, and staff navigate the academic integrity process in order (1) to minimize the perceived burden of preparing for hearings, (2) to allow for continued engagement with their other educational responsibilities, and (3) to minimize variations among individual experiences. 

Members of the University community will design an academic integrity infrastructure that streamlines the process, clarifies the procedure, and facilitates consistent and timely decisions.