Academic Honesty/Integrity

Academic Integrity

The university expects that students and faculty alike maintain the highest standards of academic honesty. For the benefit of students who may not be aware of specific standards of the university concerning academic honesty, the following information is quoted from The Code of Policies and Procedures for Students at Utah State University (revised September 2009), Article VI, Section 1:

Section 1. University Standard: Academic Integrity

Students have a responsibility to promote academic integrity at the University by not participating in or facilitating others’ participation in any act of academic dishonesty and by reporting all violations or suspected violations of the Academic Integrity Standard to their instructors.

The Honor Pledge — To enhance the learning environment at Utah State University and to develop student academic integrity, each student agrees to the following Honor Pledge.

Violations of the Academic Integrity Standard (academic violations) include, but are not limited to:

1. Cheating: (1) using or attempting to use or providing others with any unauthorized assistance in taking quizzes, tests, examinations, or in any other academic exercise or activity, including working in a group when the instructor has designated that the quiz, test, examination, or any other academic exercise or activity be done “individually”; (2) depending on the aid of sources beyond those authorized by the instructor in writing papers, preparing reports, solving problems, or carrying out other assignments; (3) substituting for another student, or permitting another student to substitute for oneself, in taking an examination or preparing academic work; (4) acquiring tests or other academic material belonging to a faculty member, staff member, or another student without express permission; (5) continuing to write after time has been called on a quiz, test, examination, or any other academic exercise or activity; (6) submitting substantially the same work for credit in more than one class, except with prior approval of the instructor; or (7) engaging in any form of research fraud.
2. Falsification: altering or fabricating any information or citation in an academic exercise or activity.
3. Plagiarism: representing, by paraphrase or direct quotation, the published or unpublished work of another person as one’s own in any academic exercise or activity without full and clear acknowledgment. It also includes using materials prepared by another person or by an agency engaged in the sale of term papers or other academic materials.

*Self-plagiarism occurs when a student reuses work that the student already published or submitted for a class, without prior approval of the instructor. See above under “Cheating:(6)”.

Section 2. Reporting Violations of Academic Integrity

The Academic Integrity Violation Form (AIVF) provides guidance to instructors and students, ensures minimum due process requirements are met, and allows tracking of repeat offenders at the University level. The AIVF is available through the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs website: https://www.usu.edu/intervention/reporting#wellbeing. 

Once an instructor has determined that an academic violation has occurred and that a sanction is appropriate, an AIVF must be submitted prior to application of the sanction. The student may appeal the determination that an academic violation occurred if the AIVF is not filed.

All submitted AIVF forms are kept in the Vice President for Student Affairs Office for the duration of the student’s academic career at Utah State University. When a resolution has been reached between the student and instructor, a Resolution Report detailing the action taken and agreement of both parties on that action shall be submitted to the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs. If no Resolution Report has been filed for a submitted AIVF within the semester, the Campus Judicial Officer will investigate to determine if a solution was reached and why no Resolution Report was filed.

Section 3. Discipline Regarding Academic Integrity Violations

An instructor has full autonomy to evaluate a student’s academic performance in a course. If a student commits an academic violation, the instructor may sanction the student. Such sanctions may include: (1) requiring the student to rewrite a paper/assignment or to retake a test/examination; (2) adjusting the student’s grade—for either an assignment/test or the course; (3) giving the student a failing grade for the course; or (4) taking actions as appropriate. Additional disciplinary action beyond instructor sanction shall be determined by the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards and the University.

The penalty that the university will impose on a student for the first Academic Integrity violation is placement on academic integrity probation after the first offense.

The penalties that the university may impose on a student for multiple or egregious academic integrity violations are:

1. Probation: continued participation in an academic program predicated upon the student satisfying certain requirements as specified in a written notice of probation. Probation is for a designated period of time and includes the probability of more severe disciplinary penalties if the student does not comply with the specified requirements or is found to be committing academic integrity violations during the probationary period. The student must request termination of the probation in writing.
2. Performance of community service.
3. Suspension: temporary dismissal from an academic program or from the university for a specified time, after which the student is eligible to continue the program or return to the university. Conditions for continuance or readmission may be specified.
4. Expulsion: permanent dismissal either from an academic program or from the university.
5. Assigning a designation with a course grade indicating an academic integrity violation involving academic integrity. Conditions for removal may be specified, but the designation remains on the student’s transcript for a minimum of one year; provided however, that once the student’s degree is posted to the transcript, the designation may not be removed thereafter.
6. Denial or revocation of degrees.

The complete Code of Policies and Procedures for Students at Utah State University can be viewed at: The code of policies and procedures for students at Utah State University.