Academic Misconduct, Undergraduate

Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education
Amended

Key Contacts

If you have questions, please contact CLAS Undergraduate Programs.

Applicability

Instructors

Policy Purpose and Description

This policy introduces students to faculty expectations related to learning, research, and scholarship and to the standards of the UI academic community, with undergraduates recognized as essential members of this community. The policy fosters a climate of integrity in the classroom, protecting students from others who try to take advantage of peers through misconduct. 

The policy also helps to protect the integrity and reputation of the instructor, department, CLAS, and UI and the validity of the degree while supporting the Code of Student Life, overseen by the Office of the Dean of Students, which also outlines student obligations as members of the University community. Academic misconduct, as stated in the related policy, is ordinarily handled by the student’s undergraduate college. (For link, see 3. Definitions.) 

Instructors report violations of the CLAS Code of Academic Honesty using the online reporting form after communicating these concerns directly to the student. 

Definitions

  • Academic Integrity Seminar (AIS): A sanction given by the College for a student’s first offense; the seminar is non-credit bearing and is offered by an institution outside of UI. The seminar focuses on the importance of integrity to a civil society and to equity, with an emphasis on student reflection. AIS does not present itself as a punitive experience but as a chance for students to reflect on their goals and values. Students give positive feedback about the AIS. A fee is charged and is paid directly by the student. Scholarships are available for students in need. 

  • CLAS Code of Academic Honesty: A statement that students in essence agree to when registering for CLAS courses, as follows: "I pledge to do my own academic work and to excel to the best of my abilities, upholding the IOWA Challenge. I promise not to lie about my academic work, to cheat, or to steal the words or ideas of others, nor will I help fellow students to violate the Code of Academic Honesty." https://clas.uiowa.edu/academics/handbook/standards/academic-honesty 

  • Code of Student Life: “The purpose of the Code of Student Life is to help students learn and grow to become the best version of themselves. Hawkeyes are expected to embody the IOWA Challenge by positively contributing to the community and beyond. This document establishes a framework to ensure our Hawkeye community achieves and upholds the goals and values listed above. The University is committed to due process and fairness when applying these rules and engaging in the Student Accountability Process. When you become a Hawkeye, you agree to understand and abide by the rules listed in the code, recognizing that this document helps us maintain a safe, healthy, respectful, and supportive community, embodying the meaning of being a Hawkeye.” https://policy.studentlife.uiowa.edu/code-student-life 

  • Documentation: Documentation for academic misconduct may include any information that supports the instructor’s findings, but generally relates to the student’s work and to the direct evidence of misconduct. 

  • Sanctions for academic misconduct: A consequence applied for infractions against the CLAS Code of Academic Honesty, as follows:

    • Course-level sanction: An instructor-assigned sanction, consisting of a reduced or failing grade for the assignment or other work in question.

    • Collegiate-level sanction:  A CLAS-assigned sanction, given in addition to the grade reduction by the instructor.

      • First-offense sanction: AIS (see definition above)

      • Second-offense sanction: May include suspension for one academic year

      • Third-offense sanction: May include expulsion 

Also see https://clas.uiowa.edu/academics/handbook/standards/academic-honesty.

Procedure

Responding to Undergraduate Misconduct

All undergraduate students in CLAS courses are expected to abide by the CLAS Code of Academic Honesty. The Code of Academic Honesty on the Undergraduate Student section of the CLAS website describes possible types of academic misconduct. Please share information about the Code of Academic Honesty on your syllabus, and talk with students about academic misconduct and your expectations concerning their work. Academic misconduct by graduate students must be reported to the Graduate College according to Section IV.F of the Graduate College Manual.

Please use this form to report academic misconduct: online reporting form. CLAS uses these reports to apply a collegiate sanction in addition any grading sanction for the assignment by the instructor (see below). 

If you have questions about academic misconduct or would like to consult on a specific case, please contact Amy Korthank (amy-korthank@uiowa.edu) or Jennifer Bertrand (jennifer-bertrand@uiowa.edu) in CLAS Undergraduate Programs. 

Reporting Misconduct

Each UI undergraduate college tracks offenses on a shared data base, with academic misconduct reports thus shared across UI undergraduate colleges and with sterner consequences for repeat offenders.

For example, if a CLAS student commits academic misconduct in a College of Business course, CLAS is notified and thus is able to apply a collegiate-level sanction, regardless of the administrative home of the course.

In order for the College to contact and educate students within CLAS and at other UI undergraduate colleges, instructors must consistently report these incidents. Unreported incidents lead to repeat offenses, with the integrity of the classroom questioned by students.

Procedures for Reporting Academic Misconduct to the College

  1. Inform the student of the concern in an email at the uiowa.edu account, asking the student to discuss the situation.
  2. If the student does not respond to this email query or does not choose to meet with the instructor, the instructor should proceed with reporting the incident. (Note: TA's should report academic misconduct to the course supervisor who will take further action. Adjunct instructors working with a course supervisor may submit the report themselves, but generally first consult with a supervisor. Each department and program may have slightly different procedures depending on the course type, size, experience of the instructor, and other matters.)
  3. Whenever possible, discuss the situation with the student in person, educating the student on the harm misconduct does to the integrity of the classroom, to fellow students, and to the student him or herself. It can also be helpful to explain how academic misconduct violates the trust an instructor has in students and the shared responsibilities inherent in the educational process.
  4. Please submit the academic misconduct report via the online reporting form describing the academic misconduct and the action taken; attach documentation to support the claim. If an additional person involved in the course, such as the course supervisor, should be copied on correspondences about the incident, please state this in the report since it is sometimes difficult to know who should be copied unless this information is included. The College also carefully considers an instructor's recommendations about a collegiate sanction since the instructor is often aware of circumstances or details not always apparent in the report. At the same time, the College must make sure students are treated consistently. CLAS Undergraduate Programs is happy to consult so feel free to call us at 319-335-2633.

Grading Sanctions Assigned by the Instructor

  1. In the case of an academic integrity violation, an instructor may fail the assignment showing evidence of academic misconduct or may assign a lower grade than otherwise would have been given. The instructor may also decide to request a revision of the work in question and may accept the revision for a grade, as warranted. 
  2. Generally, instructors may not fail the student for an entire class because of academic misconduct since in most cases, the student will earn a low grade for the course based on the overall quality of work. However, if special circumstances exist and an instructor believes that a student should be failed for the entire course because of academic misconduct, the instructor should consult on the matter with the College.
  3. Reporting the student to the College is also considered a sanction assigned by the instructor.

Sanctions Applied by the College

After the College has reviewed the report and the evidence submitted and finds that misconduct has occurred, the following sanctions are applied by the College.

CLAS will report this action taken to the student and to the instructor. However, since academic misconduct is related to a student's privacy, we are careful not to include those on the letter who are not directly involved. It is up to the student, for example, to inform the academic advisor about the situation. Instructors receiving copies of related letters about academic misconduct should share the information only with those who have a need to know, such as a course supervisor.

Note: Academic misconduct can involve many gray areas and borderline situations. In these cases, the College might combine or change the sanctions listed below so that they better fit the situation. For example, a student may be suspended or expelled for an egregious first offense. Likewise, a student may at times be given a warning or found not responsible for academic misconduct depending on the evidence given or the evidence available from other sources that the instructor is not aware of. The College also takes into account the instructor's recommendations about reducing or strengthening a collegiate sanction since the instructor is aware of circumstances or details not always apparent in the report. Please let us know if concerns or questions arise.

For a first offense

The student will be required to enroll in a non-credit academic integrity seminar (AIS). The seminar includes close readings and requires short essays answers, asking students to consider the role of integrity as essential to learning and to the role of a university's research and creative mission. The seminar encourages students to reflect on the deeper worth of their own learning and its importance to a civil society. Many students find this reflection inspirational, helping to recenter their goals and values. The seminar takes around 5-15 hours to complete. The student is charged $105 for the course and the student's ability to register for the next semester or session is held until the course is completed. The fee is not included in UI tuition and is paid separately online. A notation concerning academic misconduct does not appear on the transcript for a first offense since this is seen as a learning experience. 

For a second offense

For a second offense, a student could be suspended and not allowed to register as a student in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences for one year. During suspension, the offense is noted on the student's transcript as: Not permitted to register-Academic Misconduct. At the end of the suspension, the student may return to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the academic misconduct notation is removed from the student's transcript.

For a third offense

For a third offense, the College may recommend to the Office of Executive Vice Provost and Provost that the student be expelled. If expulsion occurs, the offense is recorded on the student's transcript as follows: Not permitted to register-Academic Misconduct. If expelled, the student may not return to the University of Iowa.

Student Appeals

Every student has the right to appeal. A student is invited to meet with the College at any point in the process below.

  • If a student believes that the finding of academic misconduct is in error, the student should first arrange a meeting with the instructor (or the supervisor) and then the head of the department or program to discuss the matter.
  • If the student is dissatisfied with the result of these meetings, the student should make an appointment to discuss the matter with the College. The student may call 319-335-2633 and schedule an appointment.
  • If not satisfied with the outcome of the above meeting, the student may appeal the decision formally in writing to the CLAS Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education. This formal appeal must be received within fourteen business days from the date of the original decision made by College.
  • If the student is not satisfied with these results, he or she may request in writing a review of the situation by the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education.

For more information, please see the student-facing web page: Academic Standards: Academic Honesty.

Frequently Asked Questions

N/A

Related Information

See the related policy for students, including the CLAS Code of Academic Honesty: https://clas.uiowa.edu/academics/handbook/standards/academic-honesty 

This policy supports the UI Code of Student Life, overseen by the Office of the Dean of Students, which outlines student obligations as members of the University community. Academic misconduct, as stated in the related policy, is ordinarily handled by the student’s undergraduate college and its specific policies and procedures: https://policy.studentlife.uiowa.edu/code-student-life 

Revision History

Fall 2011, 2018, 2024

Tags
Misconduct | Cheating | Plagiarism | Turnitin | Unauthorized collaboration | Honor Code | Sanction | Suspension | Expulsion | Academic Integrity Seminar | AIS | Hold on Registration | First Offense | Second Offense | Third Offense