The Academic Honor Code

I. Introduction

As a Marianist, Catholic university committed to the education of the whole person, the University of Dayton expects all members of the academic community to strive for excellence in scholarship and in character. As stated in the University's Student Handbook, "The University of Dayton expects its faculty and administration to be instrumental in creating an environment in which its students can develop personal integrity."

To uphold this tradition, the University community has established an academic honor code for all of its students, except Law students who are governed by the University of Dayton School of Law Honor Code. Students are expected to be aware of and abide by the honor codes.

II. The Honor Pledge

The University of Dayton Academic Honor Code: A Commitment to Academic Integrity

I understand that as a student of the University of Dayton, I am a member of our academic and social community,
I recognize the importance of my education and the value of experiencing life in such an integrated community,
I believe that the value of my education and degree is critically dependent upon the academic integrity of the University community, and so

In order to maintain our academic integrity, I pledge to: 

- Complete all assignments and examinations according to the guidelines provided to me by my instructors,*

- Avoid plagiarism and any other form of misrepresenting someone else's work as my own,

- Adhere to the Standards of Conduct as outlined in the Academic Honor Code.

In doing this, I hold myself and my community to a higher standard of excellence, and set an example for my peers to follow. 

Instructors shall make known, within the course syllabus, the expectations for completing assignments and examinations at the beginning of each semester. Instructors shall discuss these expectations with students in a manner appropriate for each course.

^* The term instructor may refer to any faculty or staff member.

III. Standards of Conduct

Regardless of motive, student conduct that is academically dishonest, evidences lack of academic integrity or trustworthiness, or unfairly impinges upon the intellectual rights and privileges of others is prohibited. A non-exhaustive list of prohibited conduct includes:

A. Cheating on Exams or Other Assignments

Cheating on examinations consists of willfully copying or attempting to consult a notebook, textbook, or any other source of information not authorized by the instructor; willfully aiding, receiving aid, or attempting to aid or receive aid from another student during an examination; obtaining or attempting to obtain copies of any part of an examination (without permission of the instructor) before it is given; having another person take the exam; or any act which violates or attempts to violate the stated conditions of an examination. Cheating on an assignment consists of willfully copying or attempting to copy all or part of another student's assignment or having someone else complete the assignment when class assignments are such that students are expected to complete the assignment on their own. It is the responsibility of the student to consult with the instructor concerning what constitutes permissible collaboration and what materials are allowed to be consulted.

B. Committing Plagiarism or Using False Citations

Plagiarism consists of quoting or copying directly from any source of material without appropriately citing the source and identifying the quoted material; knowingly citing an incorrect or fabricated source; or using ideas (i.e. material other than information that is common knowledge) from any source of material without citing the source and identifying the borrowed material. Students are responsible for educating themselves as to the proper mode of attributing credit in any course or field. Instructors may use various methods to assess the originality of students' work, such as plagiarism detection software.

C. Submitting Work for Multiple Purposes

Students are not permitted to submit their own or other's work (in identical or similar form) for multiple purposes without the prior and explicit approval in writing of all instructors to whom the work will be submitted. This includes work first produced in connection with classes at the University of Dayton as well as other institutions attended by the student or at places of employment.

D. Submitting False Data or Deceptive Information

The submission of false data is a form of academic fraud. False data is that which has been fabricated, altered, or contrived in such a way as to be deliberately misleading or to fit expected results. Deception is defined as any dishonest attempt to avoid taking examinations or submitting assignments at the scheduled times by means such as a forged medical certification of absence. Deception also includes falsifying class attendance records or failing to reveal that someone falsified your attendance. Extenuating circumstances such as a personal illness, death in the family, etc. must be negotiated with the instructor.

E. Falsifying Academic Documentation or Grade Alteration

Any attempt to forge or alter academic documentation (including transcripts, letters of recommendation, certificates of enrollment or good standing, and registration forms) concerning oneself or others also constitutes academic fraud. Grade alteration consists of an act which dishonestly modifies a grade obtained for a class assignment, examination, or for the course itself.

F. Abuse of Library Privileges or Shared Electronic Media

All attempts to deprive others of equal access to any library materials constitute a violation of academic integrity. This includes the sequestering of library materials for the use of an individual or group; a willful or repeated failure to respond to recall notices; and the removal or attempt to remove library materials from any University library without authorization. Defacing, theft, or destruction of books, articles or any other library materials that serve to deprive others of equal access to these materials also constitute a violation of academic integrity. Malicious actions that deprive others of equal access to shared electronic media used for academic purposes constitute a violation of the Honor Code. This includes efforts that result in the damage or sabotage of campus computer systems.

G. Encouragement or Tolerance of Academic Dishonesty

The quality of campus and community life is dependent upon the commitment of each member of the University to a shared set of behavioral standards and values. Adhering to the Academic Honor Code is not limited to direct actions, but also includes any behavior that supports, encourages, or tolerates academic dishonesty.

IV. Student Status with Respect to the Academic Honor Code

A. All University of Dayton students, except for Law students who are governed by the University of Dayton School of Law Honor Code, are subject to the Standards of Conduct and procedures of the Academic Honor Code. Note: the following procedures, in Sections IV through VI, apply to the academic honor code and not to “standards of behavior” that are outlined in the University of Dayton Student Handbook.

B. Appropriate consequences for individual academic honor code violations are determined by the course instructor. Normally the maximum consequence identified by the instructor is an F in the course with no provision for a student to receive a W.  However, the instructor may identify a lesser consequence when appropriate. The dean of the student’s unit may also identify additional consequences. In some circumstances, such as multiple or egregious violations, these additional consequences may include dismissal from the University (see Section V.B).

C. The course instructor will investigate and determine appropriate action for all suspected violations of the academic honor code independent of the time frame in which the suspected violation is identified. Violations identified after a student has withdrawn from or completed the course, after the student leaves the university, or after the student has graduated, will be investigated and appropriate consequences identified and implemented according to the procedure identified for all academic honor code violations. Such consequences may result in the change of a grade or the revocation of a degree or certificate.

V. Procedure When an Honor Code Violation is Suspected

A. Instructors are required to investigate all suspected violations of academic dishonesty and report all those confirmed to have occurred using the following procedure.

• Initial Notification:  Within 10 business days of becoming aware of a possible honor code violation, the instructor will notify the student of the incident via university e-mail and, if possible, in person. The instructor will disclose to the student the requirement of attending a “student meeting” to maintain access to the appeal process.
• Honor Code Violation Incident Report: The instructor will prepare the Honor Code Violation Incident Report describing the incident and the identified consequences in advance of the student meeting. If a student meeting occurs, the report will be shared with the student during the meeting. The student will sign the report in acknowledgement of the report. The student’s signature on the report does not represent his/her acceptance of responsibility for the incident, nor does it limit the student’s access to the appeal process described in Section VI. 
• Student Meeting:  The instructor will make a reasonable effort to meet with the student within 5 business days of the initial notification to discuss the situation. If the instructor determines that no honor code violation has occurred, then no further action is taken, and the incident report is discarded. If the instructor determines a violation has occurred, he/she will identify and discuss with the student an appropriate consequence. If the instructor's reasonable efforts fail to result in a student meeting, the instructor will proceed as though a violation did occur.
• Within five business days of the student meeting, or within five business days of the initial notification in the absence of a student meeting, the instructor will forward the Incident Report to the office of the student’s dean and send a copy to the chair/program director of the department/program in which the incident took place.

B. Dean’s offices are required to review and maintain records of all received Incident Report Forms for academic honor code violations.

• Incident Review: The student’s dean’s office will review the incident report and any previous violations of the honor code by the student. Appropriate additional consequences, if any, will be identified.  In some circumstances, such as multiple or egregious violations, these additional consequences may include dismissal from the University.
• Filing Date: Within five days of receipt of the incident report, the dean’s office will notify the student of the filing, any additional consequences, and the details of the appeal process.
• Maintaining Incident Reports: The student’s dean’s office(s) will maintain a copy of the incident report as part of the student’s academic record. Should the student transfer between units, the student’s entire academic record, including the incident report will be transferred between the units involved. Disclosure of the existence and content of the report to any internal or external party shall be controlled by the respective dean’s office and governed by applicable University policy on disclosure of student academic records.

VI. Appeal Procedures

A student may appeal the filing of an Honor Code Violation Incident Report and/or any consequences identified by the instructor. The absence of the initiation of, or continuation of, an appeal within identified time frames will be interpreted as the student’s acceptance of responsibility for the Academic Honor Code violation and acceptance of the identified consequences. The student must adhere to the steps and timelines of the appeal procedure.

A. The student’s first level of appeal is with the instructor during the student meeting. If the student fails to participate in a student meeting within five business days of the initial notification, no further appeal will be available.

B. If the student meeting results in the filing of an incident report, the student may appeal the action and/or the identified consequences to the chair/program director of the department of the course in which the incident occurred within 10 business days of the Filing Date. (Note: in the event that the department chair/program director, or any other faculty member participating in the appeal process, is also the instructor of the course in question, appropriate arrangements should be made to replace that person during the appeal process.)

• The student must submit a written account of the incident details and an explanation of his/her reasons for an appeal. The student may include written statements from any person relevant to the incident. 
• The chair/program director will use reasonable means, including meeting with the instructor and student, to reach an appeal decision within thirty calendar days of the student’s written appeal. 
• The chair/program director will communicate her/his decision to the student in writing, and send a copy of the decision to the instructor and the student’s dean’s office.

C. The student or instructor may appeal, in writing, the decision of the chair/program director within ten business days of receiving the written decision. 

• The chair/program director will form a department academic misconduct review committee composed of at least two full-time faculty (preferably tenured faculty) and one student. Undergraduates should serve on department misconduct review committees in cases of suspected undergraduate violations, and graduate students should serve in cases of suspected graduate student violations. Students should also note that “department grade appeals” committees should not be used in cases in which grades have been lowered because of academic misconduct.
• The chair/program director will provide a copy of the incident report to the department academic misconduct review committee, and the committee will use reasonable means, including meeting with the instructor and student, to reach an appeal decision.
• The department misconduct review committee will make known its decisions and the reason for its decision in writing to the student, instructor, department chair/program director, and the student’s dean’s office within thirty calendar days of the student’s or instructor’s written appeal.

D. The student or instructor may appeal, in writing, the decision of the department review committee to the dean’s office of the unit in which the incident occurred within 10 business days of receiving the written decision from the department misconduct review committee.

• The dean’s office will obtain a copy of the incident report, as well as the report of the department misconduct review committee, from the department chair/program director of the department in which the incident occurred.
• The dean’s office will obtain additional information, as needed, to evaluate the appeal. 
• The dean’s office will make known its recommendations and the reasons for its recommendations in writing to the student, instructor, department chair/program director, and the student’s dean’s office within thirty calendar days of the written appeal.

E. A student may appeal any additional consequences identified by the student’s dean’s office. The absence of the initiation of, or continuation of, an appeal within identified time frames will be interpreted as the student’s acceptance of the identified consequences. The student must adhere to the steps and timelines of the appeal procedure.

• Any appeal of the filing of the incident report and/or instructor-identified consequences must be resolved prior to the initiation of an appeal of any additional consequences from the dean’s office.
• The student may initiate an appeal of additional consequences from the dean’s office, including dismissal from the university, by meeting with a representative of the dean’s office within five business days of the filing date of the incident report or, in situations in which an appeal of the incident report and/or instructor-identified consequences has occurred, within five business days of the final decision on the initial appeal. During the meeting, the student and dean’s office representative will discuss the reasons for the identified consequences and the student’s concerns.
   

F. If the student is not satisfied with the results of the meeting with the dean’s office representative, a final appeal may be made, in writing, to the Provost within ten business days after the meeting. The Provost must make known his or her decision in writing, to the student, and the student’s dean’s office, within thirty calendar days. The final authority rests with the Provost.