UCONN Policy on Academic Misconduct

There is a zero-tolerance policy for any form of academic misconduct. The complete Student Code  is available at http://www.dosa.uconn.edu/student_code.cfm

Section A and B of Part VI are included below.

A.  Academic Integrity

A fundamental tenet of all educational institutions is academic honesty; academic work depends upon respect for and acknowledgement of the research and ideas of others. Misrepresenting someone else's work as one's own is a serious offense in any academic setting and it will not be condoned.

Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to, providing or receiving assistance in a manner not authorized by the instructor in the creation of work to be submitted for academic evaluation (e.g. papers, projects, and examinations); any attempt to influence improperly (e.g. bribery, threats) any member of the faculty, staff, or administration of the University in any matter pertaining to academics or research; presenting, as one's own, the ideas or words of another for academic evaluation; doing unauthorized academic work for which another person will receive credit or be evaluated; and presenting the same or substantially the same papers or projects in two or more courses without the explicit permission of the instructors involved.

A student who knowingly assists another student in committing an act of academic misconduct shall be equally accountable for the violation, and shall be subject to the sanctions and other remedies described in The Student Code.

B.  Instructor's Role

1. Instructors shall take all reasonable steps to prevent academic misconduct by students in their courses.

a. During the course of an examination, an instructor or proctor who observes suspicious behavior should warn the individual involved regarding the appearance of their actions and request them to cease the suspicious actions immediately. Continuation of such behavior may be considered evidence of academic misconduct.

b. A remarkable similarity between or among two or more supposedly independent works submitted for individual evaluation also may be considered evidence of academic misconduct.

2. When an instructor believes there is sufficient information to demonstrate a clear case of academic misconduct, the instructor shall notify the accused student in writing (and orally if possible) that unless the student requests a hearing to contest the instructor's belief, the instructor shall impose the appropriate academic consequences warranted by the circumstances. Normally, written notification shall occur with in thirty (30) days of the discovery of the alleged misconduct. A copy of this notice is sent to the dean of the college or a designee and to the department head.

a. The appropriate academic consequence for serious offenses is generally considered to be failure in the course. For less serious offenses regarding small portions of the course work, failure for that portion is suggested with the requirement that the student repeat the work for no credit.

b. The faculty member is responsible for saving the information of academic misconduct in its original form and need not return any of the papers or other materials to the student. Copies of the student's work and information about other evidence shall be provided to the student upon request.

3. In certain cases, the dean of a school or college or designee may become aware of alleged academic misconduct and may bring a complaint forward to the school or college's hearing body.

4. Normally, the student shall be given five (5) business days from the instructor's first written notice to respond.

a. If the student admits responsibility or does not respond, the academic consequences shall be imposed and a report will be submitted to the dean of the instructor's school as well as to the Judicial Coordinator.

b. If a student chooses to contest the instructor's belief of academic misconduct, the student may submit a written request for a hearing to the instructor and send copies of the request to the dean of the college and the department head