Academic Misconduct and Sanctions

Definition of Academic Misconduct
Academic misconduct is broadly defined as the attempt to unfairly advance one’s academic performance. It should be understood as the granting to oneself any kind of advantage not offered or available to one’s peers and colleagues. Academic misconduct can take many forms, including but not limited to:

• Submitting for academic credit any work without properly acknowledging and citing sources. 
• The submissions of another person’s ideas or written work as one’s own. This includes papers purchased online, copied electronic spreadsheets, or any work that is created by anyone other than the student presenting the work for credit, regardless of how the work is procured. 
• Cheating on an examination, including using “cheat sheets,” accessing formulas or notes that have been stored on phones or other technology, or copying from peers. 
• Collaborating with others when it is contrary to the stated policy of the course. 
• Stealing examination or course materials or knowingly using such stolen materials. This includes stealing library or other College resources and unauthorized access to electronic materials. 
• Obtaining information about a test or quiz from someone who has previously taken the examination (This does not include tests returned from previous semesters, which may be considered part of the public domain). 
• Communicating with someone else via text messaging or other technology during a test in order to obtain answers.
• Falsifying or fabricating records, laboratory reports, or other data. 
• Submitting work previously submitted in another course. 
• Knowingly and intentionally assisting another student in any of the above, including assisting any arrangement whereby work is submitted or performed by a person other than the student who is getting credit. 

Sanctions
One or more of the following sanctions may be applied as a result of an honor code conference (HCC) or an academic honor board hearing. If an HCC or an honor board hearing concludes that there is insufficient evidence for a finding of academic misconduct – no sanction will be applied. If participants in an HCC decide that a sanction other than those listed below is appropriate to the circumstances of the case, such sanction should be detailed in the Honor Code Conference Agreement, and may be imposed in place of, or in addition to the sanctions below.

• The Student will complete a remedial tutorial about academic integrity within two weeks after the sanction is imposed. 
• The Student will receive no credit for the academic exercise in question. 
• The final mark for the course will be reduced two half-grades (e.g., from AB to BC). 
• The grade of C will be the maximum allowable final grade for the course. 
• The Student will fail the course, with no opportunity to withdraw from the course. 
• The Student will be suspended from the College for one or more semesters, effective at the end of the term in which the misconduct occurred. 
• The Student will be permanently dismissed from the College, effective at the end of the term in which the misconduct occurred. 

Transcript Notations
The official St. Norbert College transcript will include notation of probation, suspension, dismissal and expulsion status for any student sanctioned under the Academic Honor Code or the Student Standards of Conduct (The Citizen). In 2002, United States of America v. Miami University; Ohio State University, et al. unanimously ruled that disciplinary records are educational records under FERPA. Thus, they may only be released with a student’s consent, as required for a transcript release. Notations will appear on the front of a transcript, as a note on the term the action was taken. The transcript key will include short definitions of each notation.

• Academic Probation
• Academic Dismissal 
• Honor Code Dismissal
• Disciplinary Suspension
• Disciplinary Expulsion