Academic Misconduct
According to IU's Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct, academic misconduct is defined as "any activity that tends to undermine the academic integrity of the institution." Such activities may include cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, interference, violation of course rules, and facilitating academic dishonesty. (The Code addresses issues of personal misconduct separately. Such incidents can be reported using the Indiana University Bloomington Incident Report.)
JSoM policies and procedures for dealing with academic misconduct are as follows:
1. If you suspect a student may have committed an act of academic misconduct in one of your courses, then you must meet with him/her concerning the matter. This informal discussion must be private and face to face (i.e., not in the classroom after class, in a hallway, etc.).
- You must let the student know of your allegation and the evidence on which it is based.
- You must give the student an opportunity to respond.
- You must take this response into consideration before reaching a decision on whether or not academic misconduct actually occurred.
- If you have made good faith efforts to schedule such a meeting with the student involved and s/he fails to meet with you, then you should continue the process as outlined below.
2. If you conclude that the student did not commit academic misconduct, then you do not impose an academic sanction and you do not complete a report.
3. If you conclude that the student did commit academic misconduct, then you
- have the right to impose an academic sanction (involving the course assignment/grade, final course grade, etc.). You may wish to consult the Jacobs School's guidelines for proportionate academic misconduct sanctions.
- must report the misconduct (and any sanction you have imposed as a result of it) in writing within 5 calendar days of your informal conference with the student, and any necessary investigation, to the Dean of Students via the Office of Student Conduct at 801 N. Jordan Avenue, 855-5419. That office sends copies of your report to the student, the dean of the school in which the offense occurred, and (if different) the dean of the school in which the student is enrolled. (That office also considers the propriety of additional campuswide disciplinary sanctions since it maintains disciplinary records [as the Registrar maintains academic records].)
- Reporting forms are available on-line at https://studentaffairs.indiana.edu/student-conduct/report-misconduct.html.
- You may send a copy of your report if you wish to the director of undergraduate or graduate studies or to the associate dean for academic affairs and student success in the Jacobs School of Music, but the Office of Student Conduct automatically sends a copy of the faculty report and all documentation to the associate dean for academic affairs and student success, who then notifies the undergraduate/graduate office.
4. If the student chooses not to appeal either your misconduct charge or any academic sanction you impose, you have no further role in this process.
5. If the student chooses to appeal your misconduct charge and/or academic sanction, you will be contacted by the associate dean for academic affairs and student success for further information.
6. If the student's appeal eventually goes forward to a hearing of the Academic Fairness Committee, you will be informed as to any further steps you will need to take.
7. For complete procedures, please see the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities and Conduct and the Procedures for Bloomington Campus (also available in hard copy from the Office of Student Ethics). See Section II: Responsibilities for a complete definition of "academic misconduct." For specific processes and procedures, click on IU Bloomington.
8. A student cannot avoid a low course grade (including an F) given as a result of academic misconduct by withdrawing from the course before the automatic "W" deadline. If academic misconduct is found even in the first week of class, you have the responsibility to file a report and can award the grade of F for the semester.
9. On the final electronic grade roster, you should report F* when the F was awarded because of academic misconduct (if the student's appeal has been completed) or I* if a case of academic misconduct which you reported is still under appeal.
Please contact Kyle Adams, David Cartledge, or Ryan Kelly with questions about these procedures.