Academic Integrity (Revised Policy)

It is the policy of Shippensburg University to expect academic integrity from students and to create an environment where academic integrity thrives.  Learning is the result of student time and effort with the guidance of their faculty.  Faculty measure the depth of student learning through various evaluations: graded homework, quizzes, exams, papers, reports, oral presentations, etc.    When students decide to use another’s work on an evaluation, learning has not occurred.  The feedback you get on the evaluation is not relevant to your mastery of the material because you did not create it.  When you submit your own work, the faculty member can guide your learning, and you make progress toward becoming an effective self-directed learner.

Orientation, online training, and syllabi are designed so that you can learn about academic integrity to become an effective partner in mastering the content and skills that are taught.    

Students who commit breaches of academic integrity will be subject to the various sanctions outlined in this section. Students will not be allowed to withdraw from a class to avoid the consequences of a possible violation.  This policy applies to all students enrolled at Shippensburg during and after their time of enrollment.

Definitions
A violation of academic integrity is committed by students who give, as well as receive, unauthorized assistance in course and laboratory work and/or who purposefully violate or assist other students in violating the university’s policy regarding academic integrity.  Violating academic integrity also means deceit or misrepresentation in attempting (successfully or unsuccessfully) to influence the grading process or to obtain academic credit by a means that is not authorized by the course instructor or university policy.

Violations of academic integrity include but are not limited to:

• Plagiarism, as defined in the next section below.
• Using unauthorized materials or devices (i.e., technology) such as crib notes during an examination.
• Providing and/or receiving unauthorized assistance during an examination.
• Intentionally and without authorization falsifying or inventing any information or citation in an academic exercise, such as making up data in an experiment or observation.
• Allowing others, or technological assistance such as artificial intelligence (A.I.), to generate content, conduct research, or prepare your work without advance authorization from the instructor.
• Possessing or sharing course examination questions and directions, even partially, prior to administration of the examination by the instructor without the instructor’s consent.
• Using unauthorized assistance and / or a substitute to take an examination or course.
• Using the services of commercial term paper companies.
• Bribing, or attempting to bribe, faculty or staff personnel to attain an unfair academic advantage.
• Misusing transcripts, records or identification, such as forgery or alteration of transcripts.
• The preceding list is only for the purpose of illustration. Other forms of inappropriate academic conduct as outlined in the faculty member’s syllabus are also subject to charges of academic dishonesty.

Plagiarism
Plagiarism is a violation of academic integrity. Shippensburg University will not tolerate plagiarism and the faculty will make all reasonable efforts to discourage it.

Plagiarism is your unacknowledged use of other sources’ work or specific facts or propositions or materials in your own writing. When other sources’ work or materials (even short phrases or specific terminology) are used, you should put these words, phrases, or sentences inside quotation marks (or else indent and single-space more extended quotations) and you should then cite the source of the quotation either in the text of your writing or in footnotes. Failure to do so may be considered plagiarism. When the propositions of another source are restated in your own words (paraphrased), you should also indicate the source of the paraphrased material in your own text or in footnotes. Comparable citations should be made for borrowings from media other than printed texts, such as lectures, interviews, internet / online sources, or computer programs.

• The more flagrant form of plagiarism is your submission of an entire paper or computer program or lab report (or a substantial portion of a longer work), or creative works from another source and presented as your own work. This can include material obtained from a friend, from a fraternity or sorority file, from commercial sources, from published materials, or from other sources.
• Less egregious, however still serious, is the unacknowledged borrowing from other sources (either words or propositions) and the integration of such material in your own work.

Activities That Are Not Plagiarism

In demonstrating your learning process, you may fear that you are plagiarizing when in fact you are not. The following is a list of activities that are not plagiarism, with the understanding that this list is not meant to be comprehensive.

• Improper format for documentation. Improper documentation is not plagiarism but a technical writing problem. Different professors, different academic departments, and different academic disciplines have various ways of documenting sourced materials. Professors should make clear how they would like sourced materials documented for given writing or programming assignments. You should make every effort to understand precisely what your professor expects regarding documentation. Provided you make a clear effort to document all sourced materials, you are not plagiarizing. 
• Excessive use of source material or citations may indicate that your work does not represent your learning.  It is recommended that you refer to your syllabus and / or the faculty member for clarification of what is acceptable and what is not.
• Use of help on an assignment: Various tutorial resources are available at the university, including the Learning Center and assistance from faculty who assist students during the process of completing an assignment. When you seek these kinds of legitimate academic assistance, you are not plagiarizing. In fact, you are attempting to improve your writing and / or academic performance. In such cases, you should inform your instructor of the fact you have sought assistance from a given source on an assignment. The prohibition against plagiarism should in no way inhibit or discourage you from seeking legitimate supplemental instruction in developing an assignment. It is recommended that you refer to your syllabus and / or the faculty member for whether you are to acknowledge the assistance you received.
• Careful review of your work before submission: It is recommended as part of the learning process that you seek assistance with the review of your work prior to submission.  This can be done informally with a friend or your professor, or formally with the goal of strengthening your learning and submitted work. It is recommended that you refer to your syllabus and / or the faculty member regarding what kinds of review are not acceptable.

In summary, plagiarism is the unacknowledged use of other sources. To avoid plagiarism, you should acknowledge assistance received in completing your assignment. You are encouraged to seek assistance if needed or desired.

Potential Outcomes
When a student has violated academic integrity, the outcome(s) of the resolution process is to promote students to become self-directed learners.  To this end, the outcomes are intentionally designed to hold the student accountable in a supportive, educational way.  Students are expected to have learned what is and is not acceptable for academic integrity through university training, the instructions in course syllabi, and conversations with their faculty when needed.  Therefore, the possible consequences reflect the expectation that students understand their responsibility in having academic integrity. 

The following types of outcomes may be imposed in any order and may be combined. 

• Required learning opportunities to understand how to engage in academic growth with academic honesty and integrity.
• Grade Reduction. The grade for a particular unit of work or for the entire course may be reduced by one or more lower grades.

OR

• Assignment  of a Failing (F) grade. The student may receive an F grade for the assignment or the course.

OR

• Suspension or expulsion from the University for severe violations.

These outcomes are the result of a resolution process that begins with an informal settlement process with the faculty member and can end with a separate formal process.

• The informal process, when appropriate, involves the student(s) and the faculty member(s) working together to develop a resolution which encourages a growth mindset and demonstrates learning of the material while maintaining academic integrity.  The resolution is documented and reported to the Academic Integrity Board.
• The formal process is started when violations are repeated or more serious, or when the informal process is not appropriate and / or was not completed. It is the responsibility of the Academic Integrity Board to review the violation and determine the formal consequence(s). The resolution is documented and placed on file.

For more detailed process information, see ship.edu/provost. 

The purpose of these processes is to provide a structured way to strengthen our students’ growth mindset in a supportive, learning environment.

Academic Integrity Procedure

• Step 1: Faculty and students should make every effort to work through the resolution process informally. Informally, in this case, it means face-to-face or via video communication to resolve the matter. The process is documented with the Academic Integrity Informal Resolution Form which includes the signature of the faculty and student, as a confirmation of the agreed upon violation resolution. The form is submitted to the Provost’s office for record keeping.
• Step 2: When there is no resolution, the next step is to be referred to the department chair of the course which begins the formal resolution process. Formal, in this case, means that the case is moved to the department chair of the course for a facilitated conversation to assist with resolution. 
  • If the chair is the faculty member involved in the case, then it is referred to the associate dean / dean. The Academic Integrity Formal Resolution Form and any supporting documentation is reviewed in this step. 
  • The chair / associate dean (or dean) will meet with the faculty member and student together face-to-face or via video communication to facilitate a resolution. Their role (chair/associate dean) is to first serve as an advisor on the situation and then secondly attempt to assist with the resolution.  
  • The resolution of the meeting will be documented and submitted to the provost’s office for record keeping.
• Step 3: Formal Academic Integrity Board meeting. The Academic Integrity Board is comprised of three faculty members within the college of the course. Students may bring a person whose purpose is to provide moral support but who cannot address the AIB.
  • Upon completion of a consultation with the department chair / associate dean (or dean), the faculty member determines that the violation should go to the AIB when any of the following apply:
    • The student’s violation has not been resolved/addressed informally.
    • The student has had repeated violations.
    • The case involves more than one student.
    • The violation warrants immediate elevation to the formal process in consultation with the department chair / associate dean (or dean).
  • The case may be referred to Student Affairs if the Student Code of Conduct has been violated.
  • The AIB will review the case within 10 business days. For unique situations, the review of the case may be extended.
    • Every effort by the AIB will be made to conduct the meeting with the student present (in-person or virtual), in cases where this is not possible (after the semester ends), the AIB will continue to review the case to its conclusion.
    • The university reserves the right to convene the AIB at the beginning of the following next regular (fall/spring) academic semester.
  • The outcome of the case will be documented by the AIB on the Academic Integrity Formal Academic Integrity Board Resolution Form.

Additional Information

Student:

• All students will complete the Academic Integrity training module.
• Documentation of each case will be stored electronically with limited access granted through the provost’s office by the provost or their designee.
• Information/resolution of the case will not appear on the student academic transcript.

     Faculty:

• All faculty will complete the Academic Integrity training module.
• All departments are encouraged to review the Academic Integrity policy at the start of the semester to support conversations about how they will implement the policy based on their unique academic culture.
• Faculty are encouraged to check the academic integrity database, through the provost’s office and/or their dean’s office, to inquire about any past academic integrity violation.
  • Documentation of each case will be stored electronically with limited access granted through the provost’s office by the provost or their designee.
  • Faculty are required to complete the Academic Integrity Inquiry Form to learn if there are prior violations. These requests will be reviewed by the college’s designee. 
• Faculty members are encouraged to volunteer to serve as a member of the Academic Integrity Board (AIB) to review undergraduate and graduate cases.
• AIB members consists of at least one (1) representative from each department within their respective college/school excluding the department chair.
• Information/resolution of the case will not appear on the student academic transcript.

College/School

• All deans/associate deans will complete the Academic Integrity training module.
• The dean/associate dean office will develop and maintain the pool of faculty to serve on the AIB for the year.
• The AIB will be convened on a case-by-case basis comprised of three faculty members within the college/school.
• Documentation of each case will be stored electronically with limited access granted through the provost’s office by the provost or their designee.
• Information/resolution of the case will not appear on the student academic transcript.
• The college’s designee reviews the Academic Integrity Inquiry form submitted by faculty.

Provost Office

• The provost’s designee will complete the Academic Integrity training module.
• The provost’s office creates an annual report on the number and types of violations reviewed for the previous academic year and distributes it in the fall semester to all members of the Academic community.
• Documentation of each case will be stored electronically with limited access granted from the provost’s office by the provost or their designee.
• Information/resolution of the case will not appear on the student academic transcript.