The Assistant Dean for Student Academic Affairs, Esrold A. Nurse, is responsible for leadership of the LSA Academic Judiciary Committee and oversight of the academic judiciary processes in the College. Dean Nurse is responsible for ensuring that a fair and judicious process exists for adjudicating cases of academic misconduct when the LSA Community Standards of Academic Integrity may have been violated. Dean Nurse’s Office also works to promote and maintain a high degree of academic integrity in the College, and to that end the Office maintains a website, www.lsa.umich.edu/academicintegrity. You should find especially useful the page of Frequently Asked Questions by LSA Faculty Members (and their answers).

The undergraduate academic community, like all communities, functions best when its members treat one another with honesty, fairness, respect, and trust. The College holds all members of its community to high standards of scholarship and integrity. To accomplish its mission of providing an optimal educational environment and developing leaders of society, the College promotes the assumption of personal responsibility and integrity and prohibits all forms of academic dishonesty. Conduct, without regard to motive, that violates the academic integrity and ethical standards of the College community cannot be tolerated and will result in serious consequences and disciplinary action.

Just as students rightly expect to learn in an atmosphere of integrity and mutual trust, faculty members are right to expect that all students who seek instruction and evaluation from them will do so honestly. Although all members of the community must take an active role in helping create and maintain a culture of integrity in LS&A, what follows are some practical suggestions you, as the classroom instructor, might adopt:

1. Clearly inform your students on a course syllabus of course requirements and your grading policies, and inform them of standards of scholarship and conduct to be observed on assignments. Let them know, too, the consequences that can follow from academic misconduct, and the positive impact of academic integrity on the university community and your field or profession.
2. Use examination formats that discourage academic misconduct or produce alternate versions of an exam, and monitor all examinations.
3. Working with your department, the College, and the Registrar’s classroom scheduling office, try to minimize problems arising from crowded examination conditions. Whenever possible, alternate seating should be provided during examinations.
4. Call attention to our LS&A community standards of integrity and take other steps to reinforce a sense of honesty and integrity in your students. Explain, for example, what constitutes plagiarism and how to avoid it, and/or encourage some open discussion and inquiry about LS&A’s and your own expectations for academic integrity.

It is the responsibility of each faculty member to support integrity and to follow the LS&A Academic Judiciary Manual of Procedures for either admonishing the student or filing a complaint of academic misconduct before imposing any penalty for misconduct.

A student may be accused of academic misconduct whenever a faculty or staff member believes, after reasonable investigation where necessary, that academic misconduct has occurred and that the student has some responsibility for it. The instructor who believes academic misconduct has occurred may either give the student an admonition and a poor or failing grade on the work, or file a formal complaint of academic misconduct with the Assistant Dean for Student Academic Affairs.

Resolving Academic Misconduct by Admonition

As a member of the instructional faculty, you may choose to resolve the incident yourself. That is, an instructor who determines that a student is responsible for an act of misconduct may impose an admonition (warning) plus a grade reduction and/or remedial work, without filing a complaint of academic misconduct. Prior to exercising any admonition, however, all faculty are encouraged to call the Office of the Assistant Dean (764-7297) for consultation.

If you should choose to resolve a case of academic misconduct by admonition, the following conditions apply:

• the student is fully apprised of the allegation(s) and shown any evidence
• the student accepts responsibility for the incident
• the student accepts the grade and/or remedial work assigned by you
• you should report the admonition to the Assistant Dean for Student Academic Affairs.

An admonition might be appropriate when the incident is not egregious and should merit no consequence greater than a zero on the assignment, though the student may be required to do additional, remedial work (e.g., rewrite a plagiarized paper). The distinction between academic evaluation (e.g., reduction in grade, additional work) and disciplinary action is important here. As a member of the instructional faculty you have the authority to make academic judgments relating to your students’ work, and to make decisions in the interests of furthering your students’ education. Only the College, acting through its formal processes, may discipline a student.

Reporting the admonition to the Assistant Dean is important so that repeat offenses can be tracked. No further disciplinary sanction will be imposed by the Assistant Dean’s office. The admonition report will be kept on file in the Office of the Assistant Dean during the student’s enrollment. If the student is ever again charged or admonished for academic misconduct, the prior admonition will count as proof that the student has been warned about misconduct and specifically informed about the community standards of integrity. Therefore, the admonition may lead to a more severe sanction for any future offense.

The student may contest your admonition by bringing the case to the attention of the Assistant Dean. This must be done in a timely manner (typically within ten class days after receiving the admonition). For example, the student may feel that you have imposed an inappropriate penalty. When this occurs, the case will be fully investigated, all relevant information will be reviewed, principles of fairness and due process will apply, and disposition of the student appeal will be based upon its merits.

Filing a Complaint of Academic Misconduct

Rather than admonishing the student, you may choose to file a complaint of academic misconduct with the Office of the Assistant Dean for Student Academic Affairs. When choosing this option, you should not impose any penalty or require any remedial work until the case has been resolved. It is always appropriate, however, to file a complaint in any alleged instance of academic misconduct, and you should do so as soon as possible from the date of occurrence. Barring unforeseen circumstances, cases will be resolved within the academic term (and typically within a week or two) in which the incident occurs. Once a complaint has been filed with the Assistant Dean, it may not be withdrawn without the approval of the Assistant Dean. Also, a student against whom a complaint of academic misconduct has been filed may not change registration in the course (e.g., drop the course) in which the complaint is pending or in which a finding of academic misconduct is made.

You should send Assistant Dean Esrold Nurse (1213 Angell Hall) a memorandum or an email with the following information: the student name and ID number; the course division, course number, and section number; a brief description of the nature of the incident; and your proposed grade penalty, if any, for either a specific course assignment(s) or the final course grade. Dean Nurse’s office will then take responsibility for notifying the student, and the student will be asked to schedule an appointment with the Assistant Dean or the Assistant Dean’s designee to discuss the case.

In meeting with the Assistant Dean or designee the student may present any relevant material or statements in his/her behalf. The student will have the right, prior to the meeting, to review relevant original materials in the Office of the Assistant Dean and to obtain copies of such materials if desired. In the meeting the Assistant Dean or designee will describe the charges made, detail the evidence supporting those charges, and review the range of College sanctions (e.g., disciplinary probation, community service, suspension, etc.). This is an opportunity for the student to be heard and to present his/her side of the incident.

The presumption of innocence means that the student may continue to attend class and receive grades while the case is being investigated and/or adjudicated. During that time, however, the student may not receive credit for the course in which the alleged misconduct occurred and may not graduate. If a final grade must be reported for the course while the case is pending, you should report the course grade as NR (no report), not as an I (incomplete). NR is a temporary, neutral grade that you may use in special circumstances where you are not yet able to report a final grade.

A student who has had a complaint of academic misconduct reported against him or her may admit to the charge and accept responsibility for the misconduct or deny the allegation of misconduct. Prior to making this choice, the student may seek a meeting with you as the person who filed the report in order to clarify any misunderstanding. Such a meeting is not required and may take place only if both you and the student agree to it. If, for any reason, you are not comfortable speaking to the student about your concern, that is OK. On the other hand, if you would prefer to speak with the student even before filing your complaint, you should feel free to do so.

The Assistant Dean or designee has the authority to determine, based upon the information available, whether a violation of academic integrity has occurred. The student will then be informed by letter, with an email copy to you, of the decision and sanction(s), if any, to be imposed.

In exceptional cases, the student may submit a written appeal to the College Academic Judiciary Committee to appeal either the finding of responsibility for academic misconduct or the sanction(s) or both. You will be notified if and when the Academic Judiciary Committee should decide that an appeal has merit and will be reviewed by them.

Classroom Conduct

The classroom is meant to be a place where a free flow of ideas is encouraged and nurtured. It is not, however, a place where one person can make hurtful and demeaning remarks, or disrupt the teaching of the class. For assistance, contact your departmental chair or call the Assistant Dean for Student Academic Affairs (764-7297).

All materials relating to a complaint of academic misconduct will be kept in confidence in the Office of the Assistant Dean for Student Academic Affairs.