• 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. 

• Academic misconduct: Cheating by presenting the work of others as one’s own, with a list of examples found here: https://clas.uiowa.edu/students/handbook/academic-fraud-honor-code.

• Academic misconduct reporting form: Required form to report undergraduate academic misconduct; the form sends related information to a database used to track offenses and sanctions: https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?UnivofIowa&layout_id=2 

• 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/students/handbook/academic-fraud-honor-code 

• Code of Student Life: “The Code of Student Life is a set of standards of student behavior and conduct that help maintain a campus environment where ideas are freely exchanged, University property and processes are respected, and conflicts are peacefully resolved. When students at the University of Iowa fail to uphold these standards by engaging in a violation of the rules below, campus conduct proceedings are used to assert and uphold the Code of Student Life.” (https://dos.uiowa.edu/policies/code-of-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: Suspension for one academic year

    • Third-offense sanction: Expulsion 

• First, the instructor should inform the student of the concern in an email at the uiowa.edu account, asking the student to discuss the situation. See these optional guidelines for the email: https://clas.uiowa.edu/faculty/teaching-policies-resources-guidelines-e-mail-notification-academic-fraud. If the student does not respond to this email or does not choose to meet with the instructor, the instructor should continue with the reporting process. (If the student contacts the instructor in the future, the instructor may meet with the student at that time or may discuss matters by email. The instructor may also choose to refer the student to CLAS.)  

• Teaching Assistants generally report academic misconduct to the course supervisor who will take further action, but procedures may vary by unit. Adjunct instructors or others working with a course supervisor may submit the report themselves, but generally consult first with the supervisor. Departments and programs may have slightly different reporting procedures depending on the course type, size, experience of the instructor, and other matters. 

• Next, the instructor should fill out the online academic misconduct report, answering all questions. If a supervisor should be copied on the CLAS response, please mention that in the report. 

• Finally, instructors upload the related documentation to the form and then submit the form, an online process.  

• An automated email verifying that the form was successfully submitted is sent, with CLAS contact information included. 

• The College will review the report and respond as soon as possible, generally within one to two weeks (depending on the number of reports received by CLAS in that time period). The student will receive a letter stating the College’s findings and the related consequences, with the instructor and personnel mentioned in the report copied. Advisors and DEOs are not copied because of FERPA concerns; it is the responsibility of the student to share this information with others, as needed. 

• Additional communication may also be necessary and could occur if the student chooses to appeal the finding by CLAS. (See Academic Misconduct, Undergraduate, Students)  

Instructors must use this form report misconduct:   CLAS Report of Undergraduate Academic Misconduct

See the related policy for students, including the CLAS Code of Academic Honesty: https://clas.uiowa.edu/students/handbook/academic-fraud-honor-code 

This policy supports the UI Code of Student Life, overseen by the Office of the Dean of Students (2019-2020 version), 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://dos.uiowa.edu/policies/