June 15, 1998, University Senate Resolution #9798-7-1, Approved April 17, 1998, Revised January 15, 2000, Academic Policy Committee. Reformatted January 14, 2002. VPAA revision January 11, 2005.

Academic integrity is vital to any university community for many reasons. Students receive credit for doing assignments because they are supposed to learn from those assignments, and the vast majority do so honestly. Anyone who hands in work that is not his or her own, or who cheats on a test, or plagiarizes a paper, is not learning, is receiving credit dishonestly and is, in effect, stealing from other students. As a consequence, it is crucial that students do their own work. Students who use someone else's work or ideas without saying so, or who otherwise perform dishonestly in a course, are cheating. In effect, they are lying. Such dishonesty, moreover, threatens the integrity not only of the individual student, but also of the university community as a whole.

Academic integrity lies at the heart of the values expressed in the University's mission statement and inspired by the spirit of Saint Augustine. When one comes to Villanova, one joins an academic community founded on the search for knowledge in an atmosphere of cooperation and trust. The intellectual health of the community depends on this trust and draws nourishment from the integrity and mutual respect of each of its members.

I. Code of Academic Integrity

The following are some rules and examples regarding academic dishonesty. Since academic dishonesty takes place whenever anyone undermines the academic integrity of the institution or attempts to gain an unfair advantage over others, this list is not and cannot be exhaustive. Academic integrity is not simply a matter of conforming to certain rules; it must be understood in terms of the broader academic purposes of a Villanova education.

A. Cheating:

While taking a test or examination, students shall rely on their own mastery of the subject and not attempt to receive help in any way not explicitly approved by the instructor; for example, students shall not try to use notes, study aids, or another's work.

Such cheating includes trying to give or obtain information about a test when the instructor states that it is to be confidential. It also includes trying to take someone else's exam, or trying to have someone else take one's own exam.

B. Fabrication:

Students shall not falsify, invent, or use in a deliberately misleading way any information, data, or citations in any assignment.

This includes making up or changing data or results, or relying on someone else's results, in an experiment or lab assignment. It also includes citing sources that one has not actually used or consulted.

C. Assisting in or contributing to academic dishonesty:

Students shall not help or attempt to help others to commit an act of academic dishonesty.

This includes situations in which one student copies from or uses another student's work; in such situations, both students are likely to be penalized equally severely. (If the assisting student is not enrolled in the particular course, the student's Dean will formulate a suitable and equivalent penalty.) Students are responsible for ensuring that their work is not used improperly by others. This does not include team projects where students are told by their instructor to work together.

D. Plagiarism:

Students shall not rely on or use someone else's words, ideas, data, or arguments without clearly acknowledging the source and extent of the reliance or use.

The most common way to acknowledge this reliance or indebtedness is to use footnotes or other documentation. It is the students' responsibility to show clearly when and where they are relying on others - partly because others may wish to learn from the same sources from which the original writer learned. Since this indebtedness may be of many kinds, some definitions and examples of plagiarism are listed below.

• Using someone else's words without acknowledgment. If you use someone else's words, not only must you give the source, but you must also put them within quotation marks or use some other appropriate means of indicating that the words are not your own. This includes spoken words and written words, and mathematical equations, whether or not they have been formally published.
   
• Using someone else's ideas, data, or argument without acknowledgment, even if the words are your own. If you use someone else's examples, train of thought, or experimental results, you must acknowledge that use. Paraphrasing, summarizing, or rearranging someone else's words, ideas, or results does not alter your indebtedness.
   
• Acknowledging someone else in a way that will lead a reader to think your indebtedness is less than it actually was. For example, if you take a whole paragraph worth of ideas from a source, and include as your final sentence a quotation from that source, you must indicate that your indebtedness includes more than just the quotation. If you simply put a page number after the quotation, you will lead the reader to think that only the quotation comes from the source. Instead, make clear that you have used more than the quotation.
  The examples above constitute plagiarism regardless of who or what the source is. The words or ideas of a roommate or of an encyclopedia, or notes from another class, require acknowledgment just as much as the words or ideas of a scholarly book do. Introductions and notes to books also require acknowledgment.

The examples above constitute plagiarism even in cases where the student uses material accidentally or unintentionally. So, for example, a paper can be plagiarized even if you have forgotten that you used a certain source, or even if you have included material accidentally without remembering that it was taken from some other source. One of the most common problems is that students write a draft of a paper without proper documentation, intending to go back later to "put in the references." In some cases, students accidentally hand such papers in instead of the footnoted version, or they forget to put in some of the footnotes in their final draft. So the fact that the wrong draft was submitted is not a defense against an accusation of plagiarism. In general, students are held accountable for the work that they actually hand in, rather than the work that they intended to hand in. Furthermore, students are responsible for proper documentation of drafts of papers, if those drafts are submitted to the professor. In general, students are responsible for taking careful notes on sources, and for keeping track of their sources throughout the various states of the writing process. Notes must clearly identify the information you have obtained and where you acquired it, so that later you can acknowledge your indebtedness accurately. Do not look at a source without having something handy with which to take such notes.

You need not provide footnotes for items that are considered common knowledge. What constitutes common knowledge, however, varies from academic field to academic field, so you should consult with your instructor. In general, the harder it would be for someone to find the fact you have mentioned, the more you need to footnote it.

E. Multiple submissions of work:

Students shall not submit academic work for a class which has been done for another class without the prior approval of the instructor.

In any assignment, an instructor is justified in expecting that a certain kind of learning will be taking place. Handing in something done previously may preclude this learning. Consequently, if a student hands in work done elsewhere without receiving his or her instructor's approval, he or she will face penalties.

F. Unsanctioned collaboration:

When doing out-of-class projects, homework, or assignments, students must work individually unless collaboration has been expressly permitted by the instructor. Students who do collaborate without express permission of their instructor must inform the instructor of the nature of their collaboration. If the collaboration is unacceptable, the instructor will determine the appropriate consequences (which may include treating the situation as an academic integrity violation.)

Many Villanova courses involve team projects and out of class collaboration, but in other situations, out of class collaboration is forbidden. Students should assume that they are expected to do their work independently unless cooperation is specifically authorized by the teacher.

G. Other forms of Dishonesty:

Acting honestly in an academic setting includes more than just being honest in one's academic assignments; students are expected to be honest in all dealings with the University. Certain kinds of dishonesty, though often associated with academic work, are of a different category than those listed above. These kinds of dishonesty include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Misrepresenting oneself or one's circumstances to an instructor (for example, in requesting a makeup exam or a special due date for an assignment, or in explaining an absence).
   
•  Forging parts of, or signatures on, official documents (including both university documents, such as drop-add slips or excused absence slips, and relevant outside documents, such as doctors' notes).
   
• Taking credit for work in a team-project even when the student has made little or no contribution to the work of the team.
   
• Stealing or damaging library books.
   
• Unlawfully copying computer software.

These serious offenses will be handled by the University's disciplinary procedures.

Penalties:

Individual Course Penalty. The academic penalty will be determined by the student's instructor. Typically, a student who violates the academic integrity code in a course will receive an F for the course, or, at the discretion of the instructor, a less severe penalty. Students who feel that the penalty is too harsh may appeal their grade through the normal University procedure for resolving grade disputes.

University Penalty. Students who violate the code of Academic Integrity are also referred to their Dean for a University penalty. Two kinds of penalty are available. A full academic integrity violation is a Class I violation. Typically a student with two Class I violations will be expelled from the school. In some cases, the Dean may chose to treat a violation of the Academic Integrity Code as a Class II violation. Class II violations are usually appropriate for less serious cases, or in cases where there are mitigating circumstances. Typically a student may receive only one Class II violation during his or her four year career as an undergraduate. All subsequent violations are treated as Class I violations.

Students who have committed an academic integrity violation will be expected to complete an educational program, supervised by the student's college Dean, to help the student come to a fuller understanding of academic integrity. Students who fail to complete the educational program to the satisfaction of the Dean, and within the timelines specified by the Dean, will have a hold placed on their transcript until the program has been completed.

Students who receive an academic integrity penalty may, if they believe that they have not committed an academic integrity violation, take their case to the Board of Academic Integrity. Detailed descriptions of the University's Academic Integrity Policy are available from department chairs and deans.

II. Academic Integrity Policy

A. Jurisdiction:

This policy covers all cases where graduate or undergraduate students are alleged to have committed academic dishonesty at Villanova University in the Colleges of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Engineering, Commerce and Finance, or Nursing. This policy does not apply to students solely in the School of Law, which has its own policy.

B. Policy:

If a faculty member believes that a student has committed an academic integrity violation, the faculty member shall, under normal circumstances, notify the student, allowing the student an opportunity to respond. Faculty members who have questions about whether an incident constitutes an academic integrity violation are urged to consult with their chair, dean, or with the chair of the Academic Integrity Board. If the faculty member continues to believe that a violation has occurred, the faculty member assigns an appropriate grade, typically an F for the course, an F for the assignment, or some other grade that the faculty member judges appropriate (in the College of Commerce and Finance, all faculty members assign a grade of zero to any work in violation of the Code). At the sole discretion of the faculty member, the faculty member may also offer the student an opportunity to redo the work or complete an alternate or additional piece of work. The faculty member must report in writing to his or her chair or program director that an academic integrity violation has occurred. A form is available for reporting violations or faculty members may write a letter. The letter should give a brief account of the matter and, where appropriate, should include copies of the assignment and other documentary evidence. The faculty member may also make a recommendation as to whether the violation should be treated as a Class I violation or as a Class II violation. Typically, violations of the Academic Integrity Code are treated as Class I violations, but in cases which are less serious or where there are mitigating circumstances, the violation may be treated as a Class II violation.

In cases that are particularly complex, the faculty member may also recommend that the matter be referred to the Board of Academic Integrity. If the department chair has questions, the chair may refer the matter back to the faculty member or ask for further clarification from the faculty member. Unless the faculty member wishes to withdraw the case, the chair sends a copy of the faculty member’s report to the faculty member’s dean.

When the faculty member’s dean receives the report, the dean reviews the case. If the dean has questions about the case, the dean may request further consultation with the student, the faculty member, or the chair. Unless the faculty member wishes to withdraw the case at this point, the faculty member's dean makes a determination of the level of the violation (whether Class I or Class II), giving serious weight to the recommendation of the faculty member and chair. If a student has previously received a violation (either Class I or Class II), all subsequent violations will normally be held to be Class I violations.

The faculty member’s dean sends a hard copy or e-mail letter (using the official University e-mail system) to the student informing the student that the student is being charged with having committed an academic integrity violation, and indicating the level of the violation. The letter to the student should include a copy of the academic integrity policy. Copies should also be sent to all parties (defined as follows): the faculty member; the student; the student’s dean (if different); the faculty member’s chair; the faculty member’s program director (if different); and the chair of the board of academic integrity. The student shall respond in writing to the faculty member's dean within five business days of receipt of the notice of complaint (excluding public and University holidays), either admitting the violation or asserting innocence. Failure to respond will be construed as admission that a violation has occurred. The faculty member's dean will send copies of the student's letter to all of the parties indicated above. If the student admits that a violation has occurred but asserts that there are extenuating circumstances, the student should explain this in the letter to the dean. The dean may, at any point in the proceedings, change the level of the violation from Class I to Class II.

If the student denies that an academic integrity offense has occurred, the faculty member's dean will refer the matter to the Chair of the Board of Academic Integrity, with notification of this to the other parties.

Upon receiving notice from the dean, the chair of the Board of Academic Integrity will assemble a panel consisting of faculty and student members of the Board of Academic Integrity. The panel will make a determination (based on a preponderance of the evidence) of whether academic dishonesty has occurred and will convey its finding to the dean, who will advise the student and faculty member of their rights of appeal. If several students are involved in one case, the dean may request that the panel consider the situation of all involved students, even if one or more do not deny having committed an academic integrity offense. If the panel (and/or the dean on appeal) finds that no violation has occurred, the faculty member’s dean will advise the faculty member to regrad (on the premise that no violation has occurred), and notification will be sent to all parties. The Chair of the Academic Integrity Board may make informal recommendations to the dean on issues relating to the level of the violation, but the purpose of the panel is to consider whether an academic integrity violation has occurred. The panel does not make recommendations on issues such as mitigating circumstances or the severity of the punishment.

If the panel (and/or the dean on appeal) determines that a violation has occurred, the original grade assigned by the faculty member will stand. If a student believes that the grade assigned is inappropriate, the student may appeal the grade through the normal procedure for handling complaints concerning grades. As usual in such cases, the instructor’s stated policy regarding grading and academic integrity will be taken into account and given great weight. The complaint process will only consider the grade, and will not review the decision that an academic integrity violation has occurred.

Once it has been determined that a violation has occurred (either by admission of the student, by a decision of the panel, or the dean on appeal) the faculty member's dean sends a notification to all parties. At this point, the case is turned over to the student’s dean. The student’s dean will supervise a program of education and reflection on the meaning and importance of academic integrity. This may include any or all of the following: written exercises; participation in an academic integrity educational program supervised by the college; or community service. If this program is not carried out within the timelines specified by the dean and to the dean’s satisfaction, the dean will impose a judicial hold on the student’s records (and inform the student that such a hold has been placed). This will prevent the student from registering for courses or graduating until the conditions imposed by the dean have been satisfied. The student's dean may also impose or recommend additional disciplinary penalties.

A student who has two Class I violations of the academic integrity code will be reviewed by his or her dean. The dean will review the student’s file and also consult with other academic deans if one or more of the cases occurred in another college. Absent extenuating or mitigating circumstances, the student will be dismissed from the University and a record of the reason for the dismissal will be retained in the student’s permanent file and will appear on the student’s official transcript. At the sole discretion of the dean, the student may be suspended or put on probation instead of dismissed, with or without a permanent indication on the transcript.

Materials on academic integrity violations will be retained in the files until the student graduates or otherwise severs all relationship with the University. If there is no indication of an academic integrity violation on the student’s transcript, the files will be removed and destroyed. If there is an indication on the student’s transcript, the files will be retained.

Students who believe that an integrity violation has occurred should report the suspected violation to the faculty member. If the faculty member does not act on the report, the student may also report the matter, in writing, directly to the faculty member's chair or dean, who will then make a judgment as to whether an academic integrity violation has occurred, and, if so, will follow the process described above.

III. Detailed Procedures

A. Official Members of the Process:

1. The Board of Academic Integrity consists of faculty members and students. From its ranks come the members of a Hearing Panel for any case of alleged academic dishonesty. The Vice President for Academic Affairs will appoint the following members to serve three-year terms on the Board:
    
   1. A Chair of the Board who shall be appointed by the Vice President for Academic Affairs and will oversee all procedures of this policy.
       
   2. At least five full-time faculty members with at least one from each of the four colleges nominated by the deans of those colleges. At least some of those faculty members should be regularly involved in teaching graduate courses. The faculty members will normally serve for three year terms.
       
   3. At least four undergraduate students from each college who have at least sophomore status and at least one graduate student from each college. Sophomores will serve a three year term, juniors and seniors will serve until the time they would normally graduate. Graduate students will serve a three year term (or will serve until they graduate).
      
      The Vice President for Academic Affairs may appoint new members at any time. If a vacancy in the Board of Academic Integrity occurs, the Vice President for Academic Affairs may appoint a new member to fill the unexpired term. Any member may be reappointed. To provide continuity and consistency, members' terms will be staggered.
       
2. The Hearing Panel. A Hearing Panel will be formed to hear cases involving an alleged breach of Academic Integrity. A new panel will be chosen by the Chair of the Board for each case on the basis of impartiality and availability. A panel will consist of the following six members selected from the Board of Academic Integrity:
    
   1. The Chair of the Board of Academic Integrity, who will be a nonvoting member and will provide continuity among the various Hearing Panels to be convened;
       
   2. One faculty member, preferably from the college of the course involved in the alleged violation;
       
   3. Two other faculty members, preferably one of these faculty members will be from the student's college, if different from that of the faculty member;
       
   4. Two students.
      
      If the Chair is unavailable to serve on a particular Hearing Panel, the VPAA may appoint a temporary substitute from among the members of the board. If the case involves a graduate student, the student members will be graduate students, and the faculty members will be selected from those who regularly teach graduate courses.

B. Judicial Hold

At any time after a complaint has been filed, the Chair of the Board may, at his or her sole discretion, put a Judicial Hold on the accused student's academic records in order to preserve the status quo pending the outcome of proceedings under these procedures. The student will be notified of this Judicial Hold. The Judicial Hold will prevent, among other things, registration, the release of transcripts and the awarding of a diploma. If the penalty for the violation is an F for the course, the student will not be permitted to withdraw from the course. If, after the penalty grade has been taken into account, the student is still passing the course, the student may withdraw from the course prior to the final deadline for withdrawing from a course. The academic integrity violation will still be noted on the student's record even if the student withdraws from the course.

C. Convening the Hearing Panel

1. When the case is referred by one of the Deans to the Board of Academic Integrity, the Chair shall convene a Hearing Panel to determine if a violation has occurred. Normally the panel will be convened within thirty days of receipt of notification from the Dean. If the violation occurred prior to the final exam in the course, the Hearing Panel shall, if possible, be convened prior to the scheduled time of the final exam. If the violation is reported during the examination period or between semesters, the Hearing panel shall, if possible, be convened within thirty days after the beginning of the next fall or spring semester.
    
2. Notice of Hearing. The Chair shall inform the student, the faculty member, the faculty member's chairperson, the faculty member's Dean and the student's Dean (and, if appropriate, any additional or other complainant) of the time, the place and the membership of the Hearing Panel. The Chair shall do this within a reasonable time to permit adequate preparation for the hearing. The Chair shall not be responsible for delaying a hearing if a student cannot be reached for lack of a correct address on the University's Student Record System.
    
3. Disqualification of Panel Members.

1. Members of the Hearing Panel shall disqualify themselves from hearing a case if they feel their capacity for making an objective judgment in the case is or may reasonably appear to be impaired. Members should not disqualify themselves for any other reason. A disqualified member will be replaced with another member of the same category if possible. If another member of the same category is not available, the Chair of the Board of Academic Integrity will select another member of the Board to fill the vacancy.
    
2. An accused student or a complainant may object for specific cause to any single panel member assigned to hear the case. The objection must be written and received by the Chair at least forty-eight hours before the hearing. Upon ruling that a challenge is valid, the Chair, after notifying the accused student and the complainant, shall replace the challenged member with another from the same category if possible. If another member of the same category is not available, the Chair of the Board of Academic Integrity will select another member of the Board to fill the vacancy.
    
3. An accused student or complainant may object for good cause to the replacement member within a reasonably prompt time of the member's appointment, but not later than the beginning of the hearing. The Chair shall rule upon the objection, and, if the objection is accepted, the Chair will select another member of the Board to fill the vacancy.

D. Hearing Panel Proceedings

The student shall appear before the Hearing Panel at the scheduled time and place to explain his or her conduct. The faculty member and the faculty member's chairperson need not appear at the hearing, although each may, with the approval of the Chair, attend the hearing and address the Hearing Panel. Any member of the Hearing Panel may question the student or the faculty member. The Hearing Panel shall deliberate and determine the facts of the matter in accordance with the Deliberation and Penalty provisions of these procedures.

1. The student shall present relevant evidence (which may include witnesses or documentary evidence) before the hearing Panel in support of his or her position.
    
2. The hearing shall be conducted in a University facility and shall be closed to the public. The Chair shall preside over the hearing but he or she shall not vote with the Hearing Panel. Formal rules of evidence shall not apply. Evidence, including hearsay evidence, shall be admitted, if it is relevant and not unduly repetitious and is the sort of evidence a reasonable person would consider to have a bearing on the case. The Chair may, in his or her absolute discretion, admit or exclude witnesses during the testimony of other witnesses, admit or exclude members of the student's family and exclude any person who in the Chair's judgment disrupts the proceeding.
    
3. The faculty member (if he or she attends) and the student may each be accompanied by one person, whose role is limited to advising the faculty member or student. This person should be a member of the university community (current faculty member, administrator, staff member, student). Any adviser so designated who is also an attorney-at-law will not be considered to be appearing as counsel. This adviser may not make statements, examine witnesses, or otherwise intervene. At his or her discretion, the Chair may solicit input from the adviser.

E. Panel Deliberation

1. Proceedings. The panel shall deliberate in private and makes its determinations by a secret majority vote.
    
2. Basis of Decision. The Hearing Panel shall make its decision based upon the evidence or other information presented at the hearing.

F. Findings

If the panel determines that the student has committed an academic integrity violation, the Chair will so inform the student, and all parties. The Chair will inform the student of the right to appeal.

In any case where the student is found innocent, the Chair will inform all the parties, and keep a confidential file of the case. The faculty member's dean will ask the faculty member to regrade the original assignment on the assumption that no violation has occurred. The faculty member will be informed by the Chair of the right to appeal.

G. Record of Hearing

The minutes of the hearing or hearings will be part of the official confidential file to be kept by the Chair of the Board of Academic Integrity. The minutes should include the names of the student, the faculty member, the panel members, and any witnesses, advisers, or other individuals who attended the hearing, and should tell the result of the panel's decision. The minutes should not include the actual vote count. The Chair may, at his or her sole discretion, also summarize information that was brought up in the hearing but that does not appear in the record.

H. Appeals of decisions by the Board of Academic Integrity

1. The appeal must be directed to the Dean of the faculty member's college. An appeal may be initiated by either the student or the faculty member. A student or faculty member wishing to appeal a decision of the Panel must do so in writing to the faculty member's Dean within three days of the notice of the decision. Failure to do so will automatically render the decision final, with no further recourse.
    
2. Statement Supporting Appeal. Having given notice of appeal, the person who is appealing will have seven days from the notice date to submit a written statement supporting the appeal to the faculty member's Dean.
    
3. Grounds for appeal. In addition to reviewing the written record, the Dean may consult with the original parties, with other faculty members or students, or with any other University officials in determining the outcome of the appeal. There are only two grounds for appeal:
    
   1. Material procedural error in the process.
       
   2. New material evidence not reasonably available at the time of the Board's review of the matter.

    

4. Record on Appeal. The Dean will decide the appeal on the basis of the records of the proceedings of the Hearing Panel, the written materials submitted with the request to appeal, and the results of his or her consultation with the parties, if any.
    
5. Decision on Appeal. The Dean may do any of the following in response to the student's appeal:
    
   1. Affirm the decision of the Hearing Panel.
       
   2. Remand the case to the Hearing Panel, but only if material procedural errors have occurred or if new evidence has surfaced that could not have been reasonably available at the time of the original hearing.

    

6. Final Decision. The decision of the Dean is final. This decision will be written and shall contain the author's finding of fact and may (at the discretion of the author) include reasons for the decision. It shall be provided to the student, the student's Dean, the faculty member, the faculty member's Chair, the Faculty Member's Dean, and the Chair of the Board of Academic Integrity, and placed in the student's file.

I. Failure to Appear
If the student fails to appear for the hearing, the Hearing Panel will make its judgment on the basis of the evidence presented at the hearing, and the student will forfeit any right to a further hearing.