Ensuring Academic Integrity: Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Policy and Procedures

Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) prioritizes academic integrity, as it should be integral to any respectable educational institution. Upholding honesty, responsibility, and originality is the cornerstone for scholarly success. 

IUP defines academic integrity as the consistent display of honesty and responsibility in scholarly activities, works or behaviors. Any form of academic misconduct goes against this definition, regardless of the type of coursework or assignment involved.

In essence, a student engaging in academic misconduct is misrepresenting their knowledge, understanding, or mastery of the learning material being assessed for academic benefit. Consequently, IUP has implemented clear-cut policies regarding violations of academic integrity with detailed procedures that ought to be followed by faculty members and all concerned students. 

Types of Academic Misconduct
 
Academic misconduct is covered under broad categories such as plagiarism, fabrication and cheating along with technological and classroom misconducts which hinder normal learning processes. Let us cover each one in brief detail:
 
Plagiarism: This is the act of using someone elses ideas, work or data without proper acknowledgement or citation; presenting it as though it were ones own intellectual creation.
 

Fabrication: Fabrication involves creating fictitious data or information that intends to deceive others to achieve some kind of academic advantage.
 
Cheating: Cheating includes intentionally representing oneself in a false light with respect to knowledge acquired during assessment exercises; i.e., lying about knowledge that they do not possess.
 
Technological Misconduct: Using technology dishonestly for personal gain such as accessing private computing accounts (passwords), resource codes/citations sensitive shared information etc., all qualify as technological misconduct.
 
Classroom Misconduct: Conducting oneself in a manner that disrupts classroom proceedings for others (such as listening to music loudly through headphones), talking out loud during lectures, arguing with lecturers/superiors etc. are all examples of classroom misconduct and will be identified as such by IUP.

IUPs goal is to promote an honest, earnest learning environment through education and prevention programs that can deter dishonest behavior from occurring in the first place. If not, actions could be taken against violators according to the student handbook policies.

Procedures for Violation Resolution
 
Confrontation
If a faculty member detects any sign of academic misconduct, they must bring it up with the student through a confidential meeting. During this meeting, faculty members must notify students of their suspicions, share evidence backing these claims and discuss their plans to file charges if clear violations are detected. After this evidence session, instructors may give students an opportunity to explain themselves.
 
Once an accusation has been made formal and documented through a conference with an administrator or other university official (if the alleged violation is confirmed) there are two options available:
 
Resolution by Documented Agreement:
In cases where proof is clear or disputes have been resolved through mutual consent between both parties (the instructor and accused), a mutual agreement is signed with the help of a neutral third party as a reference point stating what was agreed upon such as sanctions that will be taken henceforth etc.  Once signed onto this document both parties waive rights to appeal therein.
 
Resolution by Formal Adjudication:
This option is utilized when more severe allegations arise, agreements cannot be reached in previous meetings or when appeals become necessary due to lack of mutually agreeable resolutions for the appealers involved.

Sanctions Available under Guidelines 
The following sanctions apply based on whether its resolved through documented agreement or formal adjudication:

Single Grade Reduction: This involves giving one assignment/project in a course zero-grade scores to reflect poor performance
Course Grade Reduction: This entails marking down failing grades for courses having serious breaches.
Constructive Education Task: An educational task assigned that encourages self-reflection on behavioral concerns involving issues on academic integrity.
 
In addition, during formal adjudication sanctioned penalties could include disciplinary probation, letters of warning that certain behavior will not be accepted in the future as well as more severe penalties such as involuntary program withdrawal, academic suspension or even expulsion from school that pertains to specific degree-level programs if deemed necessary by administrative boards.

Disciplinary probation: This involves a student’s status being jeopardy and limits a students access to some privileges or studying opportunities seemingly due to their involvement in previous violations.
Involuntary Withdrawal from Program: A student may no longer have the privilege of participating in classroom learning activities for certain programs associated with the misconduct they perpetrated.
Suspension: Students can’t attend class or participate in university related activities. They must take leave temporarily from the university.
Expulsion: The student is permanently denied enrollment at IUP.
Rescission of Degree: A granted degree’s validity is rescinded and invalidated based on validated claims of academic misconduct regardless of when it occurred. 

Appeals Process
 
When there has been an official resolution by formal adjudication then students have ten calendar days to file an appeal with the Provost. During this period all petitions will be reviewed extensively, including supporting arguments/evidence provided by parties involved. 
 
Contacting Experienced Legal Professional for Support
If you are facing dismissal from a program or university expulsion over an academic misconduct case or charges that cannot be easily dismissed, do not hesitate to engage professional attorney Todd Spodek who has years of experience defending clients in these situations successfully. Contact his offices now for help navigating your options through any and all academic misconduct accusations against you or being considered against you today.