University Regulations

Academic Integrity (Senate Policy 49-20) Definitions and expectations: Academic integrity is the pursuit of scholarly activity in an open, honest, and responsible manner. Academic integrity is a basic guiding principle for all academic activity at The Pennsylvania State University, and all members of the University community are expected to act in accordance with this principle. Consistent with this expectation, the University’s Code of Conduct states that all students should act with personal integrity, respect other students’ dignity, rights, and property, and help create and maintain an environment in which all can succeed through the fruits of their efforts. Academic integrity includes a commitment not to engage in or tolerate acts of falsification, misrepresentation or deception. Such acts of dishonesty violate the fundamental ethical principles of the University community and compromise the work completed by others. To protect the rights and maintain the trust of honest students and support appropriate behavior, faculty and administrators should regularly communicate high standards of integrity and reinforce them by taking reasonable steps to anticipate and deter acts of dishonesty in all assignments. At the beginning of each course, it is the responsibility of the instructor to provide students with a statement clarifying the application of University and College integrity policies to that course.

Academic and disciplinary sanctions (ACUE Policy G-9) The University procedures provide for two types of sanctions: academic and disciplinary. Academic sanctions range from a warning to removal from the academic program, and include deductions of points or alterations in grades. Academic sanctions are determined and assigned by the instructor or by the instructor together with the College Academic Integrity Committee. Disciplinary sanctions may be recommended by the instructor, the College Committee, or the Associate Dean, and are assigned by the Office of Student Conduct. The XF grade is a disciplinary sanction that is only assigned with the concurrence of the instructor, the College Academic Integrity Committee, and the Office of Student Conduct.

Grades (Senate Policy 47-20) Grades shall be assigned to individual students on the basis of the instructor’s judgment of the student’s scholastic achievement as set forth in section 47-60. This specifically includes the instructor’s judgment regarding an appropriate academic sanction for academic dishonesty defined in section 49-20.

To implement the University policy on academic dishonesty, the College of Health and Human Development will encourage the following procedures to minimize dishonest behavior by students. These procedures include practices for faculty that will foster honest scholarship and defines dishonest actions and provides a standard protocol to be used by all instructors in handling cases of suspected academic dishonesty.