Academic Integrity Resources

ASU’s Academic Integrity Policy can be found here: https://provost.asu.edu/academic-integrity/policy

An Academic Integrity Policy violation includes attempting or engaging in the following:

• Academic Deceit;
• Referring to unauthorized materials, sources, or devices (e.g., Internet resources, computer disks, audio recorders, cellular phones, personal electronic devices, text messages, crib sheets, calculators, solution manuals, materials from previous classes, or commercial research services) during an Academic Evaluation;
• Possessing, reviewing, buying, selling, obtaining, posting on a site accessible to others, reviewing materials from a site accessible to others, or using, without appropriate authorization, any materials intended to be used for an Academic Evaluation in advance of its administration;
• Using a substitute or acting as a substitute for another person in any Academic Evaluation;
• Relying on the aid of others, including other students, tutors, or for-hire agents, in connection with any Academic Evaluation to the extent that the work is not representative of the student's abilities;
• Providing inappropriate aid to another person in connection with any Academic Evaluation, including the unauthorized use of materials, cellular phones, text messages, photocopies, notes, or other means to copy or photograph materials used or intended for Academic Evaluation;
• Plagiarism, or the use of another’s words, ideas, materials, or work from the Internet or any other source without properly acknowledging and documenting the source. Students are responsible for knowing the rules governing the use of another’s work or materials and for acknowledging and documenting the source appropriately.
• Claiming credit for or submitting work done by another or through the unauthorized use of technology;
• Signing an attendance sheet for another student, allowing another person to sign on the student's behalf, or otherwise obtaining credit for attendance for oneself or another without attending;
• Falsifying or misrepresenting hours or activities regarding an internship, externship, field experience, clinical activity, or similar activity; or
• Attempting to influence or change any Academic Evaluation, or academic record for reasons having no relevance to academic achievement.

1. The incident occurs.
2. Instructor speaks with the student about the incident.
3. Instructor communicates incident to unit leadership.
4. Unit leadership reviews the incident and confirms that the student violated the Academic Integrity Policy.
5. If the unit determines that the student violated the Academic Integrity Policy, the instructor then submits the Academic Integrity Policy violation Report Form to The College Academic Integrity Officer (AIO). See below for information on The College’s Academic Integrity Officer.
6. The AIO contacts the reporting instructor regarding the incident.
7. The AIO sends notification to the student regarding the allegation and sanction, including their right to appeal.
   1. The student must file their appeal no later than 10 business days after the date the notification was sent. If the student does not file a timely appeal, the sanction will become final.
8. If the student files an appeal, the student must meet with the Academic Integrity Officer to discuss next steps.
9. The AIO schedules a hearing of The College Student Affairs and Grievance Committee to hear the student appeal.   
   1. The instructor or representative of the unit is asked to participate in the hearing in order to present the details, including all evidence related to the violation, as well as justification for the sanction.
   2. The student is required to participate in the hearing in order to present the details, including any relevant evidence related to their appeal of the allegation and/or sanction.
10. After the hearing, the committee makes a written recommendation to the Dean. 
11. The Dean reviews the case and the written recommendation of the committee and makes a final determination on the appeal.
12. The AIO notifies all parties involved of the final determination of the Dean. 
13. Unless the sanction is suspension or expulsion from the university, the student has no further appeal options.

The Academic Integrity Officer (AIO) is the person responsible for facilitating the academic integrity investigation and adjudication process in a College or School. The AIO works with both the student and instructor to ensure that all procedures are followed. The AIO is responsible for guiding both the student and instructor through the investigation and adjudication process. The AIO may pursue the Academic Integrity Policy violation allegation if, for any reason, the instructor is unable or unwilling to do so.

Paul LePore is the AIO for The College. He can be reached via email at paul.lepore@asu.edu

If, in consultation with the unit leadership, it is determined that the student violated the Academic Integrity Policy, the instructor then submits the Academic Integrity Policy violation Report Form to The College Academic Integrity Officer (AIO). See below for information on The College’s Academic Integrity Officer.

Instructors can report instances of Academic Integrity Policy violation by completing this form:

https://asuacademicaffairs-advocate.symplicity.com/public_report/

The following sanctions may be imposed:

• Reduced or failing grade for the Academic Evaluation (i.e., quiz, exam, essay).
• Reduced or failing grade for the course;
• Recommendation of an XE grade (only The College Dean’s Office can approve and post an XE grade); See below for an explanation of what an XE grade means;
• Recommendation of a withdrawal of credit for a previously accepted course or requirement (only The College Dean’s Office can approve withdrawal of credit);
• Recommendation of suspension from the University for a specific period of time (only the Provost’s Office can approve a suspension);
• Recommendation of expulsion from the University without expectation of readmission (only the Provost’s Office can approve expulsion)

Students who receive any of the sanctions above will also have a record of Academic Integrity Policy violation on file with the university. 

The university’s Academic Integrity Officers (AIOs) have access to an internal database that lists confirmed cases of Academic Integrity Policy violations across the university.  This record is not a part of the student’s transcript nor is it readily visible to administrators or instructors.  A previous record of a violation allows AIOs to see if there is a demonstrated pattern of behavior and can be used as a reason to increase the severity of a student’s sanction.  If the student has had other violations, the AIO may contact the reporting instructor to discuss modifications to the determined sanction.

• The XE grade will be recorded on the student's official and unofficial transcript with the notation “failure due to Academic Integrity Policy violation.” The XE grade shall be treated in the same way as an E for the purposes of grade point average and determination of academic standing.
• No student with an XE grade on his/her transcript shall be permitted to represent the university in any extracurricular activity or to run for or hold office in any recognized student organization.
• Generally, the XE grade will remain on the transcript permanently. For other cases, after at least 12 months have elapsed since the XE grade was imposed, the student may file a written petition to The College Dean to have the XE grade removed and replaced with an E grade. The decision to remove the XE grade and replace it with an E grade is within the discretion and judgment of the Dean.

Academic Integrity Policy violations are separated into three categories:

1. The behavior results from a lack of experience or understanding of the principles of academic integrity.
2. The student’s behavior is intentionally deceptive or dishonest.
3. The student’s behavior is flagrantly dishonest and involves a high degree of planning and intention. 

Generally, XE grades are warranted for the behavior described in category 3.  If the instructor recommends an XE grade, the Academic Integrity Officer will contact the instructor to discuss the violation and the recommended sanction.  The discussion will include a review of the evidence associated with the violation.  It is important to note that ample evidence must accompany any requests for an XE grade.  After a review of the evidence and a discussion with the instructor, the AIO may deny the request for an XE and instead recommend an alternative sanction.    

If the instructor decides to issue a failing grade, or is recommending an XE grade, the instructor should not tell a student to drop, withdraw or otherwise stop participating in the class.  The student has the right to appeal the allegation and sanction and, if successful in their appeal, the student’s final grade in the course will be calculated based on their performance in the entirety of the course.  Students may choose to drop or withdraw from the course, but it should not be recommended by the instructor.

An instructor should still complete the Academic Integrity Policy violation Report Form.  If the violation is flagrantly dishonest and involves a high degree of planning and intention, or the student has a previous record of Academic Integrity Policy violation, The College can administratively change the grade from a W to an XE (a grade noting failure due to Academic Integrity Policy violation).  If the violation does not constitute an XE, The College will still notify the student of the violation and issue a sanction of “a record of Academic Integrity Policy violation on file with the university”.

For more information, please see “What does it mean for a student to have a “a record of Academic Integrity Policy violation on file with the university”?

As indicated in the process (please see “What is the process to report an Academic Integrity Policy violation for students enrolled in courses offered by The College?”), instructors should consult with a representative of their unit leadership regarding an Academic Integrity Policy violation.   Unit leadership can help determine the validity of the allegation and appropriate sanction.  Once the unit determines that the student violated the policy and a report is submitted to The College, any denials of behavior and resulting appeals will be managed by The College Academic Integrity Officer with input and participation from the reporting instructor, as needed.    

The timeline to complete the process associated with an Academic Integrity Policy violation varies based on multiple factors.  Depending on the circumstances surrounding the violation, the process may take between one and six months.

Please see “What is the process to report an Academic Integrity Policy violation for students enrolled in courses offered by The College?” for more information.  

The process is not accelerated for A Session, B Session, or dynamically dated courses.  Cases are processed in the order they are received.  Please note that The College experiences high volumes of cases at the end of each university semester. 

Often, a final course grade for a student must be submitted prior to the completion of the Academic Integrity Policy violation processing timeline. Here are some guidelines to help determine a final grade for students in this situation. 

• If the recommended sanction is a deduction of points or a score of 0 points on a particular Academic Evaluation(s) (i.e., exams, essays, project), and the student has been notified of and accepts the proposed sanction, the final course grade should reflect that deduction. 
• If the recommended sanction is an E or an XE course grade the student should be issued a grade of “incomplete”. If at the conclusion of the processing of the violation case the sanction is determined to be an E or an XE grade, the incomplete will be updated accordingly. 

Note, if a modified sanction is determined to be appropriate after review by the AIO or at the conclusion of a student appeal, a grade change will be processed.

We advise an instructor to discuss the appropriate use of study materials in their classes, add the narrative to their syllabi (e.g., this class cannot use Chegg) and explicitly state sanctions associated with the improper use of course materials.

At present time, two prominent sites for content sharing are:

• Chegg –  https://www.chegg.com/
  • To request that materials be removed from their sites, an instructor should visit: https://www.chegg.com/copyright
• Course Hero –  https://www.coursehero.com/
  • To request that materials be removed from their sites, an instructor should visit: https://www.coursehero.com/takedown-notice/#/

Student resources provided by The Office of the University Provost: https://provost.asu.edu/academic-integrity/resources/students

All course syllabi should at least include the following statement on academic integrity:

"Academic honesty is expected of all students in all examinations, papers, laboratory work, academic transactions and records. The possible sanctions include, but are not limited to, appropriate grade penalties, course failure (indicated on the transcript as a grade of E), course failure due to academic integrity policy violation (indicated on the transcript as a grade of XE), loss of registration privileges, disqualification and dismissal. For more information, see https://provost.asu.edu/academicintegrity."

Proactively setting specific course expectations, carefully considering your course assignments, and implementing teaching strategies that promote academic integrity are important steps in avoiding potential instances of Academic Integrity Policy violations in your courses.  The Office of the University Provost maintains a comprehensive website for faculty related to these topics.  Please visit: https://provost.asu.edu/academic-integrity/resources/faculty