Memos

Our professional lives are built on trust. When that trust is violated, we all suffer. I am writing to summarize the University Senate Rules and Regulations (USRR) that deal with academic misconduct and to ask for your assistance in dealing with academic misconduct.

USRR 2.6.1 provides the following definition of student academic misconduct:

Academic misconduct by a student shall include, but not be limited to, disruption of classes; threatening an instructor or fellow student in an academic setting; giving or receiving of unauthorized aid on examinations or in the preparation of notebooks, themes, reports or other assignments; knowingly misrepresenting the source of any academic work; unauthorized changing of grades; unauthorized use of University approvals or forging of signatures; falsification of research results; plagiarizing of another's work; violation of regulations or ethical codes for the treatment of human and animal subjects; or otherwise acting dishonestly in research.

USRR 2.6.2 describes the process that is to be followed in treating work as unsatisfactory if it is a product of academic misconduct:

After consultation with the department chairperson, an instructor may, with due notice to the student, treat as unsatisfactory (1) any student work that is a product of academic misconduct, or (2) a student's performance for a course when there are severe or repeated instances of academic misconduct as defined in Section 2.6.1. If an instructor deems other sanctions for academic misconduct by a student to be advisable, or if a student wishes to protest a grade based upon work judged by an instructor to be a product of academic misconduct, or if a faculty member is charged with academic misconduct in connection with the assignment of a grade or otherwise, the case shall be reported to the Dean of the College or School in which the course is offered and processed in accord with applicable procedures.

USRR 2.6.5 outlines the sanctions that may be imposed for instances of academic misconduct. 2.6.6 requires that all sanctions of Reduction of Grade for Specific Work, Reduction of Grade for the Course, Exclusion from Activities, Transcript Citation for Academic Misconduct, Suspension from a Specific Course, Suspension, and Expulsion that are applied by the College and the Schools or their designated departments will be communicated to the Office of the Provost. The complete text of the USRR academic misconduct is available at https://documents.ku.edu/policies/governance/USRR.htm#art2sect6.

In order to help discourage academic dishonesty, I ask that you do the following:

1. Make clear to students the standards to which they are expected to adhere, including your “rules for the preparation of classroom assignments, collateral reading, notebooks, or other outside work, in order that his or her students may not, through ignorance, subject themselves to the charge of Academic Misconduct.” (University Senate Rules and Regulations 2.6.4)
2. Become more alert to the various forms of academic misconduct. Many cases of misconduct can be avoided with such strategies as scrambled test questions, planned seating arrangements, retention of answer sheets or not allowing students to take books or notes to exams. The responsibility to be honest rests with the students, but there are reasonable ways that instructors can make cheating difficult.

   The University of Kansas subscribes to the digital plagiarism detection program, SafeAssign, that allows instructors to check student papers by digital means for possible plagiarism. SafeAssign provides web access to a comprehensive database of materials using Document Source Analysis technology. Digital versions of text are checked against the database for matches. You can learn how to use the program by scheduling an individual orientation. For more information, go to www.writing.ku.edu/instructors/safeassign.shtml or contact the KU Writing Center, 864-2399. If you decide to use SafeAssign, we ask that you inform students in advance so that the process runs smoothly and fairly. The Writing Center can provide additional information, including language for you to include in your syllabus or other handouts.

3. When you find cases of academic misconduct, file charges through your department or school process and in accordance with the USRR.

Integrity, fairness and trust must characterize the University. Thus, in asking that we focus on academic integrity, I rely on our shared values to ensure that we accord trust where it has been earned and that we strive always to be fair in evaluating our students.