Academic Misconduct
Guidelines for Communicating and Dealing with Issues Related to Academic Misconduct
Students are expected to be familiar with and abide by the school's standards for academic honesty and conduct. Cheating, plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration or paid assistance, deliberate interference with the integrity of the work of others, fabrication or falsification of data, and other forms of academic dishonesty are considered serious offenses for which disciplinary penalties will be imposed. Following are suggestions for communicating expectations of academic conduct and for dealing with infractions.
Communicating Expectations
During the first week of classes, instructors should explain expectations on items listed below. These are all described in detail in the Student Handbook. If relevant, the following should be discussed:
- Basic expectations for papers and exams. Specify what resources are permitted (including internet resources).
- If students are collaborating on projects, some general assumptions about group work.
- Submission of coursework for one or more courses simultaneously.
- Use of outside copy editing services (as opposed to content editing).
All students received an FAS booklet, Writing with Sources, when they matriculated. It gives detailed information on proper citation of sources. There is also a website, Writing with Internet Sources, which is also an excellent reference. Its URL is http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~expos/sources/writing_with_internet_sources.pdf and is listed in the Student Handbook in the section Academic Support Services. In addition, some students may be accustomed to different cultural values and priorities with respect to academic writing. This increases the need for clearly stated expectations. Students who need additional information about these issues should be referred to the school's Learning Resource Center which is coordinated by the Dean of Students.
Dealing With Violations
Course and studio instructors must report all suspected cases of plagiarism, cheating, or other sorts of academic dishonesty to the Dean of Students. This notification should include a written statement explaining the basis of suspicion. If plagiarism is suspected, the statement should include a copy of the source of the plagiarism and the plagiarized material. The contents of the statement will remain confidential to protect the student’s privacy since the facts will not yet have been determined. The instructor may wish to meet with the student at this time to informally discuss the suspicions.
The Dean of Students will meet with the instructor to discuss the statement, and then the Dean of Students and the instructor will meet with the student to present the statement and to seek the student’s account of the events. If it is determined that the student has plagiarized or cheated, one of the following should be imposed:
- Having to redo the assignment
- Failing the assignment
- Failing the course
- Remedial steps
- Referral to Academic Misconduct Panel
Usually these settlements are made in cases where it is apparent that the student did not fully understand his or her obligations or if the offense is considered not severe enough to warrant a hearing with the Academic Misconduct Panel. If the student does agree to the settlement, a written record describing the offense and the settlement is signed by the Dean of Students, the faculty member and the student, and is filed in the Dean of Students’ office. As a follow up to the settlement, the student will meet with the Dean of Students to review the GSD’s policies. The student is then informed that, if another case of misconduct occurs, the subsequent case will move directly to the Academic Misconduct Panel. At any point in pursuing the foregoing steps, the Dean of Students may consult with the Chair of the Academic Misconduct Panel.
A case will go to the Academic Misconduct Panel if:
- A resolution cannot be reached
- The student wishes to appeal the instructor’s decision
- The academic misconduct is not the first offense
- The severity of the misconduct warrants direct review by the Academic Misconduct Panel
Referral to Academic Misconduct Panel
A case will go to the Academic Misconduct Panel if:
- The finding of academic misconduct is not the first offense
- The severity of the misconduct warrants direct review by the Academic Misconduct Panel
- A resolution cannot be reached among the student, instructor and Dean of Students
- The student wishes to appeal the instructor’s decision
Academic Misconduct Panel
Composed of a standing 3-person committee drawn from those appointed to the Review Board, the Academic Misconduct Panel will be convened only in cases of academic misconduct (See section I.C. on Academic Integrity and Student Conduct.) An alternate will be picked from the Review Board when a member of the Academic Misconduct Panel is a complainant in the case. The Dean designates a Voting Faculty member to serve as Chair. The term of appointments to the Panel is the length of the Review Board appointments. The responsibilities of the Panel are to investigate claims of academic misconduct in accordance with the policies and procedures outlined below.
Academic Misconduct Panel Review
A letter will be sent to the student from the Dean of Students notifying him/her that it has been determined that the case will go to the Academic Misconduct Panel.
The Registrar will staff the Panel and will initiate disciplinary proceedings by sending a letter to the student including:
- A copy of the statement of alleged misconduct
- The composition of the Academic Misconduct Panel
- Copy of the School’s Policy on Academic Integrity and its Academic Misconduct Panel process for addressing allegations of academic misconduct (Section I.C.)
- Copy of documents related to student’s prior cases of academic misconduct with the statement that, “The review will take into account prior instances of academic misconduct.”
- The student’s right to respond within seven days from receipt of the charge by submitting response to Registrar who is staffing the Panel
- Registrar is available to discuss process with student with the caveat that the Registrar will be providing staff support to the Panel, but is not a voting member.
Copies of all the materials above (including the letter to the student) will be sent to the members of the Academic Misconduct Panel. The student should submit a written statement to the Panel and to offer any evidence bearing on the matter. The student shall be advised to meet with his/her academic advisor, another faculty member, or administrator to review this statement or to discuss the situation. The student should be given one week to respond after receiving the written document.
The Panel will meet as soon as possible but not more than 30 days following receipt of the student’s written response.
The student has a right to meet with the Academic Misconduct Panel as part of the hearing. A student may be accompanied by a designated advisor (chosen by the student) from within the GSD community. Since the hearing process is not a legal proceeding, legal counsel may not be present. The respondent must notify the person staffing the Panel of the name of the designated advisor at least 24 hours prior to the meeting with the Panel.
The Panel will make a finding as to whether or not academic misconduct has occurred and, if it has, determine which sanctions if any are appropriate. Formal sanctions, those that become part of the student’s official record, that may be imposed in cases of misconduct are described below:
Sanctions:
- Admonition: A formal reprimand that becomes part of the student’s official record but does not appear on the transcript
- Probation: Conditional permission to remain at the GSD
- Separation: Temporary separation from the GSD for a specified period of time, after which the student is ordinarily reinstated, or may be required to request permission to be reinstated, sometimes under probation
- Requirement to Withdraw: Reason for Withdrawal is not specified on transcript. Student may reapply.
- Dismissal: Reason for Dismissal is not specified on transcript. Student may reapply.
- Expulsion: Reason for Expulsion is not specified on transcript. Student may not reapply.
This process is normally completed within 30 days of receiving the written statements from the complainant and respondent.
The Academic Misconduct Panel shall send a copy of its findings and decision to the student. Decisions of the Panel are final, except for those recommending dismissal or expulsion, which require a two-thirds vote at a full faculty meeting. When a disciplinary case is referred to the full faculty for a vote of expulsion or dismissal, the Chair of the Panel will present the facts of the case in a written report to the faculty.
If the faculty fails to accept by two-thirds vote a recommendation by the Academic Misconduct Panel for dismissal or expulsion, the case shall be returned to the Panel for reconsideration of an alternate sanction.
Appeal
All findings, sanctions, or other decisions are subject to appeal. An appeal may be directed to the Dean within 30 days of the decision in question. Appeals will generally be granted only on the basis of new evidence or significant procedural error.
In cases where the appeal pertains to a lesser sanction or procedural error, the Dean’s ruling on the appeal will be made within 30 days and is final. In cases where the appeal pertains to a major sanction, and the result of the appeal is a recommendation by the Dean for a change in sanction, a new vote of the faculty is required, normally at the next regularly scheduled faculty meeting.
All parties in a case will be notified in writing of the disposition of the appeal within 30 days of such disposition.