Effective learning, teaching and research all depend upon the ability of members of the academic community to trust one another and to trust the integrity of work that is submitted for academic credit or conducted in the wider arena of scholarly research.
Such an atmosphere of mutual trust fosters the free exchange of ideas and enables all members of the community to achieve their highest potential.
In all academic work, the ideas and contributions of others must be appropriately acknowledged and work of a student that is presented as original must be, in fact, original. Faculty, students and administrative staff all share the responsibility of ensuring the honesty and fairness of the intellectual environment at Washington University in St. Louis.
Scope and purpose
This statement on academic integrity applies to all undergraduate students at WashU. Graduate students may be governed by policies in each graduate school or division. To the extent a graduate school or program has not adopted its own academic integrity policy, the provisions of this policy will apply. All students are expected to adhere to the highest standards of behavior.
The purpose of the statement is twofold:
- To clarify the university’s expectations with regard to undergraduate students’ academic behavior, and
- To provide specific examples of academic misconduct. The examples are only illustrative, NOT exhaustive.
This policy and statement were endorsed by the Faculty Senate Council. Any changes to the policy are to be reviewed by Faculty Senate Council, as described in the Faculty Senate Council by-laws.
Violations of this policy include, but are not limited to:
- Plagiarism
Plagiarism consists of taking someone else’s ideas, words or other types of work product and presenting them as one’s own. To avoid plagiarism, students are expected to be attentive to proper methods of documentation and acknowledgement. To avoid even the suspicion of plagiarism, a student must always:- Enclose every quotation in quotation marks and acknowledge its source.
- Cite the source of every summary, paraphrase, abstraction or adaptation of material originally prepared by another person and any factual data that is not considered common knowledge. Include the name of author, title of work, publication information and page reference.
- Acknowledge material obtained from lectures, interviews or other oral communication by citing the source (name of the speaker, the occasion, the place and the date).
- Cite material from the internet or material generated by an artificial intelligence as if it were from a traditionally published source. Follow the citation style or requirements of the instructor for whom the work is produced.
- Cheating on an examination
A student must not receive or provide any unauthorized assistance on an examination. During an examination a student may use only materials authorized by the faculty. - Copying or collaborating on assignments without permission
When a student submits work with his/her name on it, this is a written statement that credit for the work belongs to that student alone. If the work was a product of collaboration, each student is expected to clearly acknowledge in writing all persons who contributed to its completion.
Unless the instructor explicitly states otherwise, it is dishonest to collaborate with others when completing any assignment or test, performing laboratory experiments, writing and/or documenting computer programs, writing papers or reports and completing problem sets.
If the instructor allows group work in some circumstances but not others, it is the student’s responsibility to understand the degree of acceptable collaboration for each assignment and to ask for clarification if necessary.
To avoid cheating or unauthorized collaboration, a student should never:- Use, copy or paraphrase the results of another person’s work and represent that work as his/her own, regardless of the circumstances.
- Refer to, study from or copy archival files (e.g., old tests, homework, solutions manuals or backfiles) that were not approved by the instructor.
- Copy another’s work or to permit another student to copy his/her work.
- Submit work as a collaborative effort if he/she did not contribute a fair share of the effort.
- Fabrication or falsification of data or records
It is dishonest to fabricate or falsify data in laboratory experiments, research papers, reports or in any other circumstances; to fabricate source material in a bibliography or “works cited” list; or to provide false information on a résumé or other document in connection with academic efforts. It is also dishonest to take data developed by someone else and present them as one’s own.
Examples of falsification include:- Altering information on any exam, problem set or class assignment being submitted for a re-grade.
- Altering, omitting or inventing laboratory data to submit as one’s own findings. This includes copying laboratory data from another student to present as one’s own; modifying data in a write-up; and providing data to another student to submit as their own.
- Other forms of deceit, dishonesty or inappropriate conduct
Under no circumstances is it acceptable for a student to:- Submit the same work, or essentially the same work, for more than one course without explicitly obtaining permission from all instructors. A student must disclose when a paper or project builds on work completed earlier in their academic career.
- Request an academic benefit based on false information or deception. This includes requesting an extension of time, a better grade or a recommendation from an instructor.
- Make any changes (including adding material or erasing material) on any test paper, problem set or class assignment being submitted for a re-grade.
- Willfully damage the efforts or work of other students.
- Steal, deface or damage academic facilities or materials.
- Collaborate with other students planning or engaging in any form of academic misconduct.
- Submit any academic work under someone else’s name other than their own. This includes but is not limited to sitting for another person’s exam; both parties will be held responsible.
- Violate any rules or conditions of test-taking or other course assessment (e.g., bringing materials or devices into an exam room when disallowed).
- Engage in any other form of academic misconduct not covered here.
This list is not intended to be exhaustive. To seek clarification, students should ask the professor or teaching assistant for guidance.
Reporting Misconduct
Faculty responsibility
Faculty and instructors are strongly encouraged to report incidents of student academic misconduct to the academic integrity coordinators in the Office of the Provost in a timely manner, normally within five business days of discovery, so that the incident may be handled fairly and consistently across schools and departments. Teaching assistants and assistants in instruction are expected to report instances of student misconduct to their supervising instructors. Faculty members are expected to respond to student concerns about academic integrity violations in their courses.
Student responsibility
If a student observes others violating this policy, they are strongly encouraged to report the misconduct to the instructor, to seek advice from the academic integrity coordinator in the Office of the Provost, or to address the student(s) directly.
Exam proctor responsibility
Exam proctors are expected to report incidents of suspected student misconduct to the course instructor and/or the Disability Resources, if applicable.
Procedure
Jurisdiction
This policy covers all undergraduate students, regardless of their college of enrollment, as well as graduate and professional students whose schools and programs do not have a separate policy and procedure. Cases will be heard by a Panel drawn from an Integrity Council made up of faculty, staff and students representing the undergraduate schools and participating graduate programs.
Student rights and responsibilities in a hearing
A student accused of an academic integrity violation, whether by a professor, teaching/graduate assistant, academic integrity coordinator or student is entitled to:
- A presumption of non-responsibility unless and until a Panel determines that, based upon the evidence, it is more likely than not that the student engaged in a violation of academic integrity under this Policy.
- Request a mediation/facilitation session prior to a Hearing
- Review the written evidence in support of the charge.
- Ask relevant questions.
- Offer an explanation as to what occurred.
- Present relevant material that would cast doubt on the correctness of the charge.
- Determination of the validity of the charge by an unbiased and objective Panel and generally without reference to any past record of misconduct.
When responding to a charge of an academic integrity violation, a student may:
- Deny the charges and request a hearing in front of an Integrity Council panel.
- Admit the charges and request a hearing to determine recommended sanction(s).
- Admit the charges and accept the imposition of sanctions by the academic integrity coordinator without a committee hearing.
- Request a leave of absence from the university. The academic integrity matter must be resolved prior to re-enrollment. A notation will be placed on the student’s transcript indicating there is an unresolved academic integrity matter pending.
- Request to withdraw permanently from the university with a transcript notation that there is an unresolved academic integrity matter pending.
A student has the following responsibilities in resolving the charge of academic misconduct:
- Admit or deny the charge. This will determine the course of action to be pursued.
- Provide truthful information regarding the charges. It is a student conduct code violation to provide false information to the university or anyone acting on its behalf.
Sanctions
If found not in violation of the academic integrity policy
If the charges of academic misconduct are not proven, no record of the allegation will appear on the transcript.
If found in violation of the academic integrity policy
If, after a hearing, a student is found responsible for a violation of the academic integrity policy or if a student has admitted to the charges prior to a hearing, the academic integrity coordinator may impose sanctions, including but not limited to the following:
- Issue a formal written reprimand.
- Impose educational sanctions, such as completing a workshop on plagiarism or academic ethics.
- Recommend to the instructor that the student fail the assignment. (A grade is ultimately the prerogative of the instructor.)
- Recommend to the instructor that the student fail the course.
- Recommend to the instructor that the student receive a course grade penalty less severe than failure of the course.
- Place the student on disciplinary probation for a specified period of time or until defined conditions are met. The probation will be noted on the student’s transcript and internal record while it is in force.
- Impose suspension or expulsion.
Additional educational sanctions may be imposed. This list is not intended to be exhaustive.
A Hearing Panel may also elect to refer their recommended sanctions to the SCB Chairperson for determination if, for example, the recommendation departs from their standard recommendations.
Withdrawing from the course will not prevent the academic integrity coordinator or hearing panel from adjudicating the case, imposing sanctions, or recommending grade penalties, including a failing grade in the course.
A copy of the sanction letter will be placed in the student’s academic file and may be reported in accordance with the Policy on Reporting of Student Conduct Violations.
Appeals
If a student believes the Panel did not conduct a fair hearing, or if a student believes the sanction imposed is excessive, they may seek an appeal within 14 days of the original decision. In cases in which the decision resulted in suspension or expulsion, the appellate officer will be the Vice Provost of Educational Initiatives or the Vice Provost for Graduate Education. For all other cases, the appellate officer will be the Chair of the Student Conduct Board. Appeals are governed by Section VI of the university Student Conduct Code.
Records
Administrative records-keeping responsibilities
It is the responsibility of the academic integrity coordinators to keep accurate, confidential records concerning academic integrity violations. When a student has been found responsible for an academic integrity violation, a letter summarizing the allegation, the outcome, and the sanction will be placed in the student’s official conduct file and may be reported out in accordance with the Policy on Reporting of Student Conduct Violations.
Additionally, a report of the outcome of every formal accusation of student academic misconduct will be shared with the director of university student conduct programs, who shall maintain a record of each incident.
Multiple offenses
When a student is formally accused of academic misconduct and a hearing is to be held, the academic integrity coordinator shall query the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards about the student(s) accused of misconduct. OSCCS shall provide any information in the OSCCS records concerning prior Code violations of that student to the integrity coordinator. Such information will be used in determining sanctions if the student is found responsible for an academic integrity violation in the present case. Evidence of past misconduct generally may not be used to resolve the issue of whether a student has committed a violation in a subsequent case unless the Hearing Chair deems it relevant.
Reports to faculty and student body
Periodic (at least annual) reports will be made to the students and faculty of their school concerning accusations of academic misconduct and the outcomes, without disclosing specific information that would allow identification of the student(s) involved.
Endorsed by the Faculty Senate Council on March 16, 2010
Effective July 1, 2010
Updated December 4, 2014
Endorsed by the Faculty Senate Council on October 18, 2023