Academic Conduct Policy

1. Statements of Beliefs

Honesty in personal and academic matters is a cornerstone of life at Limestone University. Students are expected to achieve on their own merits and abilities, to exercise integrity in all their affairs, and to refrain absolutely from lying, cheating, and stealing.

2. Responsibility

The responsibility for maintaining honesty in academic life is shared by students, faculty members, and University administrator

A. Student responsibilities:

• Students are responsible for conducting their own academic affairs in an honest manner.
• Students are responsible for the behavior of fellow students to the following extent:
  • A student who is aware of dishonest behavior on the part of a fellow student(s) in an academic setting should make a report of academic misconduct;

B. Faculty responsibilities:

• Faculty members have a responsibility to communicate to students both their own beliefs, policies, and procedures relating to academic misconduct and those of the University. This communication must be presented to students in writing and included in a course syllabus.
• Faculty members have a responsibility to be aware of the potential for academic misconduct, to take reasonable precautions to discourage it, and to respond promptly and consistently to reports and accusations of academic misconduct when they occur.
• a. Any third party—faculty, staff, or student—who is aware of dishonest behavior on the part of a student(s) in an academic setting should make a report of academic misconduct;
  • a third party who makes a report of academic misconduct is not obligated to be involved in the matter in any way after making the report. The identity of the party making a report of academic misconduct shall be protected;
  • a report of academic misconduct by a third party may be made in conversation or in writing, to the faculty member responsible for the class;
    • The intent of the report of academic misconduct is to alert the faculty member that academic misconduct may have occurred.
    • The faculty member shall investigate a student report of academic misconduct and, if he/she finds evidence of academic misconduct, charge the student(s) as appropriate, and report the case to the University Ombudsman for further review.
• A faculty member has a responsibility to report cases deemed egregious enough to warrant a report of academic misconduct to the University Ombudsman for review.
  • Prior to reporting to the Academic Ombudsman, the faculty member is responsible for investigating the allegation of misconduct, advising the student of the allegation, and conveying the intended consequence for their actions (assuming the consequence rests with the faculty member in keeping with this policy).
  • A faculty member is solely responsible for their decision to charge a student with an act of academic misconduct and should not defer to the University Ombudsman or any other university official in lieu of confronting the student themselves.

C. Administration Responsibilities:

• University administrators have a responsibility to respond to reports, accusations, and appeals of academic misconduct consistently and promptly.
• University administrators have a responsibility to uphold the policies and procedures of the University with regard to academic misconduct.
• The responsibility of the University Administration shall be vested in the role of the University Ombudsman.
  • The University Ombudsman serves to ensure a balance of academic integrity with necessary corrective and learning opportunities in matters of academic misconduct.
  • The University Ombudsman acts on behalf of the institution and is neither an advocate for the faculty brining forth an accusation, nor the accused student.

3. Defining academic misconduct

Academic misconduct may include but is not limited to the following:

• plagiarism, or the failure to properly credit the work of another person, thereby allowing others to assume that the work is original;
• copying another student’s work;
• collaborating by allowing another student to copy work which has been created by the collaborating student himself/herself;
• purchasing a paper from services or from other students and submitting it as one’s own work;
• submitting work as the student’s own which has been created, in part or wholly, by another individual;
• submitting work as the student’s own which has been created, in part or wholly, through use of any online or technology-based service such as, but not limited to an artificial intelligence (AI);
• doing work for someone else and submitting the work under a name other than your own;
• submitting the same paper for multiple classes without the approval from each instructor;
• cheating in any other manner, such as but not limited to,
  • copying from the paper of another student;
  • allowing other students to copy from work that is not their own or aiding them in doing so;
  • referring to any materials that the instructor has not specially authorized for use during a test or assignment;
  • inappropriately obtaining the contents of an examination.

4. Procedures for accusations of academic misconduct

• An accusation of academic misconduct may be made by a faculty member based on his/her own observation and evidence or the report of a student, other faculty, or staff member. An accusation identifies a specific student(s) by name and accuses the student(s) of a specific act(s) of misconduct.
• If the faculty member finds sufficient evidence of guilt, an accusation of misconduct must be reported by that faculty member to the student and the University Ombudsman within 7 calendar days of the detection of the alleged incident of misconduct.
• An accusation of academic misconduct must be addressed by the University Ombudsman, in consultation with the faculty member, within 7 calendar days of the receipt of the accusation.
• If a faculty or staff member receives a report of academic misconduct, he/she shall inform the faculty member teaching the course in which the offense occurred of the report. If the teaching faculty member finds sufficient evidence of guilt, an accusation of misconduct must be made to the student and then the University Ombudsman within 7 calendar days of their confirmation of the alleged incident of misconduct.
• In all accusations of academic misconduct, the faculty member bringing forth the accusation is encouraged to discuss the incident with their Department Chair before accusing the student and reporting the matter to the Academic Ombudsman.
• In the matter of any reported incident of academic misconduct, the University Ombudsman will communicate all findings and processes of the accusation to the student by letter delivered to their address of record and via University email; as well as to the faculty member, the student’s advisor, the University Registrar, the Provost, and the Limestone University Director of Community Values office by letter sent via University email.
  • The University Ombudsman will first notify the student by the same means of communication noted above of their concurrence or otherwise of the accusation as well as any manner of appeals relative to their offense.
  • Once the appeals timeline has expired or an appeal has been fully adjudicated, the University Ombudsman will notify all parties through the means of communication noted above of the final decision and the imposed penalty. In addition to the findings and relative penalties, this letter will also advise the student of the ramifications of future acts of academic misconduct.
  • Except in keeping with expungements noted in in section 5 below, all letters and records shall remain a part of the student’s permanent academic record unless directed otherwise by the Provost.
  • Any details of this policy or its delineated protocols omitted—intentionally or otherwise—from letters or emails disseminated in keeping with this policy, and not resulting in contradiction of this policy, shall not constitute grounds for abandonment of this policy. This policy is the ultimate authority to its relative processes and all parties are obligated to make themselves familiar with the related obligations regardless of verbiage contained in the letters or emails required by this policy.

5. Penalties for academic misconduct

Penalties for academic misconduct shall be at the discretion of the faculty member bringing forth the accusation for the first offense known to the University but in keeping with the guidance of this policy.

Subsequent offenses shall result in increased penalties only as outlined in this policy

• Undergraduate Students
  • If the incident is a first offense and is reported to the University Ombudsman, the faculty member will still impose their own penalty. Appropriate penalties might include but are not limited to
    1. a failing grade on the test, activity, or assignment,
    2. a failing grade for the course,
    3. a requirement that the test, activity, or assignment be retaken or resubmitted.
    4. and/or participation in learning modules assigned by the University Ombudsman in lieu of any formal penalty.
  • In the case of the first incident of plagiarism the University Ombudsman will assign an improvement plan that includes participation in learning modules, course work, or other necessary opportunities to ensure the student is aware of what constitutes appropriate academic conduct.
    1. In collaboration with the reporting faculty member, the University Ombudsman may opt to place the offending student in a probationary status allowing any permanent record of the offense to be removed from the student’s permanent record upon fulfilling the terms of the faculty member’s designated penalty and completion of learning modules assigned by the University Ombudsman.
    2. Should the University Ombudsman employ the use of the aforementioned probationary status, this penalty may only be used once in a student’s academic career.
  • If a student is guilty of a second offense of academic misconduct, the University Ombudsman will impose the penalty of a non-replaceable F for the course in which the violation occurred.
  • If a student is guilty of a third offense of academic misconduct, the student will receive a non-replaceable “F” for the course in which the violation occurred and will be permanently suspended from the University without the possibility of readmission.
    1. In the event a student is suspended for academic misconduct in accordance with this policy, they will be permitted to complete the academic term in which they are currently enrolled.
    2. They shall remain in good standing with the University until such time the appeals timeline has expired, or until an appeal has been fully adjudicated.
  • The letters detailing the outcomes and penalties of a student’s academic misconduct shall detail the ramifications of future and subsequent acts of academic misconduct. As these warnings will be made known beginning with the first offense, subsequent offenses need not be discovered and adjudicated sequentially to be considered for progressive and increased penalties.

• Graduate Students
  • If the incident is a first offense of academic misconduct, the faculty member will impose his/her own penalty. Appropriate penalties might include but are not limited to
    1. a failing grade on the test, activity, or assignment,
    2. a failing grade for the course,
    3. or a requirement the test, activity, or assignment be retaken or resubmitted.
  • As it is expected that Graduate Students already recognize appropriate writing styles and academic conduct there will be no second opportunity for remediation.
    1. There will be no opportunities for improvement plans or probationary status offered by the University Ombudsman.
    2. The faculty member may recommend to the University Ombudsman the penalty of a non- replaceable F for the course in which the violation occurred. The University Ombudsman may approve or disapprove of the recommendation. If disapproved, the faculty member will assign a lesser penalty.
  • If a Graduate Student is guilty of a second offense of academic misconduct, the student will receive a non- replaceable "F" for the course in which the violation occurred and will be permanently suspended from the University without the possibility for readmission.
    1. In the event a student is suspended for academic misconduct in accordance with this policy, they will be permitted to complete the academic term in which they are currently enrolled.
    2. They shall remain in good standing with the University until such time the appeals timeline has expired, or until an appeal has been fully adjudicated.

Both an accused student and the faculty member responsible for the course or activity in which the alleged incident occurred have the right to appeal the decision of the University Ombudsperson.

• If the incident is a first offense or a second offense, either party may appeal the decision within 10 working days by submitting the Application for Appeal of Academic Misconduct Charge and Decision.
  • These appeals will be considered by the University Ombudsman in collaboration with the faculty member bringing the accusation forward.
  • The matter will be facilitated by the University Ombudsman solely, without the convening of an Appeals Committee.
• If the incident is a third offense, either party may appeal the decision within 10 working days by submitting the appeals Application for Appeal of Academic Misconduct Charge and Decision.
  • The University Ombudsman, upon receiving an appeal of a third offense, shall act as Chair and assemble an Appeals Committee. The Appeals Committee shall meet within 10 working days of the receipt of an appeal.
  • No faculty member or academic administrator shall serve on an Appeals Committee if any have been involved in reviewing the case previously.
  • An Appeals Committee shall be chaired by the University Ombudsman and shall be comprised of 2 faculty members and 3 students. The 5 members shall have voting rights.
  • The Chair will preside over the hearing and facilitate the presentation of any evidence relevant to the panel, but shall recuse themselves from deliberations and any vote on the matter.
  • An Appeals Committee shall consider evidence that will be presented with the accused student having the opportunity to be in attendance.
    1. The accused student is expected to be in attendance for a convened Appeals Committee Hearing, but their attendance is not required and their absence will not be grounds to delay the hearing, but nor will it their absence be held against them. If the accused, having been properly notified of the date and time of the hearing, fails to attend the meeting or be present by conference call, the Appeal Committee will rule in their absence.
    2. An accused student may have a non-participating representative from the campus in the proceedings.
  • Evidence that may be presented at a hearing includes but is not limited to:
    1. testimony from the student, faculty accuser(s) or other individuals directly involved with the incident,
    2. physical evidence, such as notes or samples of student work.
    3. The Chair of the Appeals Committee shall rule on the relevance and admissibility of evidence.
  • After hearing the evidence, the Appeals Committee shall vote on the guilt or innocence of the accused student.
  • The decision of the Appeals Committee shall be communicated to the accused, the faculty member, and the Provost by the Chair of the Appeals Committee within 24 hours of the decision.
  • If either the accused student or the faculty member responsible for the course is unsatisfied with the findings of the Appeals Committee, they may make a final appeal to the Provost within 10 days of the Appeals Committee decision by submitting the Application to Provost for Appeal of Third Academic Misconduct Charge and Decision.
  • The Provost, upon receiving an appeal of an Appeals Committee decision, shall have the authority to act individually, to review written records, to interview involved parties, and to arrive at a resolution he/she deems appropriate.
    1. They will respond in writing within 10 working days of the receipt of an appeal. The decision of the Provost is final.

• All appeals applications shall be based in, and state, a valid rationale for appeals before being considered.
  • Appropriate rationale for consideration is as follows:
    1. additional evidence not previously known to the Ombudsman in making their initial decision,
    2. evidence of biased decision-making on the part of the accusing faculty (note, applying a different standard to different scenarios does not constitute a bias towards the individual student),
    3. or inappropriate or inconsistent application of the policies noted herein.

All information and proceedings related to an accusation of academic misconduct, whether written/physical or verbally presented evidence, shall be confidential and all participants, including administrators, faculty members, and students should refrain from any discussion of that information.A written record of the Appeals Committee proceeding, including proceedings, evidence, and all other relevant materials shall be preserved as required by law.

7. Selection and appointment of the University Ombudsman

The University Ombudsman shall be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the Provost. The only qualifications for the selection of the University Ombudsman shall be that they be a non-probationary, tenure-track faculty member in good standing with the University.

8. Selection of members of the Appeals Committee

Members of the Appeals Committee will be recruited and appointed as a pool of potential members by the Coordinating Committee and the Vice President of Student Success annually. The University Ombudsman may then select members from this pool to serve on any convened Appeals Committee in keeping with this policy.