Academic Conduct

Class Attendance

In order to attend a given class, a student must be registered for that class for credit or audit. Exceptions to this policy are at the discretion of the instructor of the course. See Index, Validation of Enrollment for regulations concerning attendance to validate students' enrollment in a class.

Students are expected to attend class meetings as scheduled. Each instructor sets his or her policy with respect to class attendance, and excuses for absence from class are handled between the student and instructor. The instructor is expected to announce his or her policy at the beginning of the course.

Additional information regarding discretionary accommodation for disability and religion are available at http://www.hrs.iastate.edu/AAO/eod/reasonaccom.shtml

Veteran Attendance

Students who receive benefits from the Veterans Administration required by the V.A. to attend class regularly to maintain their V.A. eligibility. If the instructor knows that a student receiving V.A. benefits is not attending class, the instructor is obligated to notify the Office of the Registrar and a notification will be forwarded to the Veterans Administration. More information about veteran benefits is available at http://www.registrar.iastate.edu/veterans/ .

Field Trips/Curricular-Related Activities

Trips away from campus as part of a course are often appropriate educational experiences. They may not, however, take place during the first or last week of the semester, nor may they extend over more than two consecutive class days (Monday -Friday); these regulations may be waived only by special permission of the dean of the college in which the course is offered. Students should consult with instructors whose classes will be missed. If a mutually satisfactory agreement between thee instructors and the student cannot be reached, the student cannot be required to attend the curricular-related activity or be penalized by the instructor for missing the curricular-related activity.

Special fees are often charged to cover the costs of field trips. Field trip fees are noted in the Schedule of Classes .

Excusable Absences for Non-Curricular Reasons

Students who miss class for non-curricular reasons are responsible for completing all assigned course requirements in a timely manner. Instructors should provide timely opportunities for students to make-up or replace missed scheduled examinations and/or assignments resulting from an excusable absence. While instructors are free to change the format of make-up examinations or assignments, students will be evaluated by the same standards as other members of the class.

In all cases, the person responsible for the event or activity should provide participants with a letter explaining the proposed absence and its duration including travel times for off-campus events and activities. Students must provide this documentation to instructors at least 10 days in advance of the activity or event, except when such notice is not possible.

Course instructors retain final authority regarding student absences and how they impact course grades and the acceptability of a student’s work toward passing their course. If a student must miss, for any reason, a portion of a course that, in the considered opinion of the course instructor, is critical to the student's ability to meet the course objectives, the instructor must recommend alternative actions to the student, which may include dropping the class.

Extra-Curricular Activities as a Representative of the University

Students may seek to or be asked to participate as an Iowa State University representative in non-credit events (competitions, conferences, presentations, programs, and performances) scheduled by academic or athletic units of the university at times that conflict with scheduled classes.

Instructors shall excuse students who miss class while representing Iowa State University in official department-or university-sponsored activities, including:

• academic or professional conferences and workshops
• intercollegiate athletic, academic,and judging competitions
• musical, theatrical, dance and other artistic performances
• presentations or programs given to external audiences

Other Extra-Curricular Activities

Instructors will determine whether other absences not officially sponsored by a unit of the University (e.g., conference attendance, job interviews), will be treated as excused.

Military Service

Instructors shall excuse absences due to performing required National Guard or other United States military service obligations (other than annual training). When a student is called to active duty for more than two weeks, instructors should meet with the student and the student’s adviser to discuss the situation and academic options. University procedures are in place for such situations and should be followed.

Court Appearances

Instructors shall excuse absences due to officially mandated court appearances including jury duty.

Academic Dishonesty

Academic dishonesty occurs when a student uses or attempts to use unauthorized information in the taking of an exam; or submits as his or her own work themes, reports, drawings, laboratory notes, or other products prepared by another person; or knowingly assists another student in such acts or plagiarism. Such behavior is abhorrent to the university, and students found responsible for academic dishonesty face expulsion, suspension, conduct probation, or reprimand. Instances of academic dishonesty ultimately affect all students and the entire university community by degrading the value of diplomas when some are obtained dishonestly, and by lowering the grades of students working honestly.

Examples of specific acts of academic dishonesty include but are not limited to:

1. Obtaining unauthorized information. Information is obtained dishonestly, for example, by copying graded homework assignments from another student, by working with another student on a take-home test or homework when not specifically permitted to do so by the instructor, or by looking at your notes or other written work during an examination when not specifically permitted to do so.
2. Tendering of information. Students may not give or sell their work to another person who plans to submit it as his or her own. This includes giving their work to another student to be copied, giving someone answers to exam questions during the exam, taking an exam and discussing its contents with students who will be taking the same exam, or giving or selling a term paper to another student.
3. Misrepresentation. Students misrepresent their work by handing in the work of someone else. The following are examples: purchasing a paper from a term paper service; reproducing another person's paper (even with modifications) and submitting it as their own; having another student do their computer program or having someone else take their exam.
4. Bribery. Offering money or any item or service to a faculty member or any other person to gain academic advantage for yourself or another is dishonest.

5. Plagiarism. Unacknowledged use of the information, ideas, or phrasing of other writers is an offense comparable with theft and fraud, and it is so recognized by the copyright and patent laws. Literary offenses of this kind are known as plagiarism.

   Plagiarism occurs when a person does not credit the sources from which they borrow ideas, whether these ideas are reproduced exactly or summarized. The method of documentation will differ depending on whether the sources are written, oral, or visual. Ethically, communicators are responsible for providing accurate, detailed information about their sources. Practically, audiences need this information to comprehend and evaluate a message's content. The Student Guide: English 150 and 250, available for purchase at the University Book Store, describes the process of documenting source materials as do many other reference guides.

Academic dishonesty is considered to be a violation of the behavior expected of a student in an academic setting as well as a student conduct violation. A student found responsible for academic dishonesty or academic misconduct is therefore subject to appropriate academic penalty; to be determined by the instructor of the course, as well as sanctions under the university Student Disciplinary Regulations. If an instructor believes that a student has behaved dishonestly in a course, the following steps are to be followed:

1. The instructor should confront the student with the charge of dishonesty and arrange a meeting with the student to discuss the charge and to hear the student's explanation.
2. If the student admits responsibility for academic misconduct, the instructor shall inform the student (a) of the grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred, and (b) how this incident will affect subsequent evaluation and the final grade.
3. Because academic dishonesty is also a student conduct violation under Section 4.2.1 of the Student Disciplinary Regulations, the instructor must report the incident in writing to the Dean of Students. After investigating the incident and discussing it with the instructor, the Dean of Students, or his/her designee, will meet with the student and depending on the severity of the offense as well as on the student's past conduct record, may handle the matter through an administrative hearing or schedule a hearing before the All University Judiciary (AUJ).
4. This hearing, conducted according to the procedures outlined in the Student Disciplinary Regulations, is to determine the disciplinary action to be taken. In any case, the student's academic adviser will be informed of the incident but may not insert any record of it in the student's academic file.
5. If the student claims to be not responsible for the alleged violation of academic misconduct, the instructor may not assign the student a grade for the work in question until the question of responsibility is resolved, unless circumstances require that an interim grade be assigned. The instructor shall consult with his or her department chair and report the incident in writing to the Dean of Students.
6. The Dean of Students will refer the case to the Office of Judicial Affairs for investigation. After reviewing the report and completing an investigation, the Office of Judicial Affairs will file a formal complaint against the student if it is determined that there is cause to believe academic misconduct occurred. The case may be adjudicated through an administrative hearing or referred to a hearing before the All University Judiciary (AUJ) depending on the nature and severity of the violation as set forth in the Student Disciplinary Regulations.
7. If the case is referred to the AUJ both the student and instructor will be invited to attend an AUJ hearing and present pertinent information. If the Administrative Hearing Officer (in a minor case) or the AUJ (in a major case) finds the student responsible for the charge of academic misconduct, the instructor will inform the student (a) of the grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred, and (b) how this incident will affect subsequent evaluation and the final grade. The Administrative Hearing Officer or AUJ will determine the appropriate disciplinary action with respect to the nature of the violation.
8. If the Administrative Hearing Officer or AUJ finds the student "not responsible" for academic misconduct, the instructor will grade the student accordingly on the work in question and the student's grade in the course will not be adversely affected. If the student is found responsible the student's adviser will be informed of the decision but shall not insert any record of the action in the student's academic file.
9. If a student either admits dishonest behavior or is found responsible for academic misconduct by the AUJ, the Office of Judicial Affairs (OJA) or AUJ may impose any of the following sanctions:
   1. Disciplinary Reprimand: An official written notice to the student that his/her conduct is in violation of university rules and regulations.
   2. Conduct Probation: A more severe sanction than a disciplinary reprimand, to include a period of review and observation during which the student must demonstrate the ability to comply with university rules, regulations, and other requirements stipulated for the probation period.
   3. Suspension/Deferred Suspension: The suspension is deferred subject to a definite or indefinite period of observation and review. If a student is found responsible for a further violation of the university Student Disciplinary Regulations or an order of a judiciary body, suspension will take place immediately.
      • Definite - The student is dropped from the university for a specific length of time. This suspension cannot be for less than one semester or more than two years.
      • Indefinite: - The Student is dropped from the university indefinitely. Reinstatement may be contingent upon meeting the written requirements of the AUJ specified at the time the sanction was imposed. Normally, a student who is suspended indefinitely may not be reinstated for a minimum of two years.
   4. Expulsion: The student is permanently deprived of the opportunity to continue at the university in any status.

A student accused of academic misconduct has the option to stay in the class or to drop the class if the drop is made within the approved time periods and according to the regulations established by the university. If the student chooses to drop the class, the student will be required to sign a statement of understanding that if the student is later found responsible for academic misconduct, then the student will receive an "F" for the course.

In instances in which the student admits responsibility or is judged to be responsible by OJA or the AUJ, a staff member of the Dean of Students Office will counsel with the student in an effort to deter any further such incidents.

Student records concerning academic dishonesty are maintained in the Dean of Students Office for a period of seven years, after which the file records are purged. These student records are confidential; nothing from them appears on a student's academic transcript. In the event that an instructor is uncertain how to handle an incident of suspected academic dishonesty, the Dean of Students is available at any time to provide advice and assistance to the instructor in deciding a proper course of action to be taken.

Response to Classroom Disruption

Should any student officially enrolled for credit or audit in a class disrupt the instructor's ability to ensure a safe environment, control the class agenda, and/or deliver the approved curriculum, the instructor has the right to ask that the disruptive action cease immediately. The instructor may find it useful to include general guidelines about disruptive behavior on the course syllabus; and in the event of a classroom disruption, the instructor may, if she or he finds it necessary, explain to the student and the class why the particular action is deemed disruptive. The instructor should also take into consideration complaints of disruptive behavior brought to their attention by students. The responsible student should cease the disruption and utilize non-disruptive means for expressing disagreement or concern. If the disruption continues, the instructor can pursue various forms of intervention, including suspension from class, use of student disciplinary regulations, or police intervention, as discussed in more detail in the Faculty Handbook.

Although most situations are best resolved without resorting to requests for police intervention, the Department of Public Safety should be called when the disruptive behavior prohibits the continuation of the class. The Department of Public Safety may also be called if any person enters or remains in the classroom after being asked by the instructor to leave.

Other violations related to academic misconduct may include subsection 4.1.11 Misuse of Computers and subsection 4.2.20 Unauthorized Sale of Others' Intellectual Works. These subsections are located in the Iowa State University Student Disciplinary Regulations under section 4 of the Conduct Code.

Ownership of Course-related Presentations

The presenter owns course-related presentations, including lectures. Individuals may take written notes or make other recordings of the presentations for educational purposes, but specific written permission to sell the notes or recordings must be obtained from the presenter. Selling notes by students without the required permission is a violation of the Conduct Code as published on the Policy Library web site at http://policy.iastate.edu/policy/SDR#a4222 .

Recording and Transmission of Classes

Recordings and transmission of classes may take place for a variety of legitimate reasons, including providing educational opportunities for those who cannot attend classes on campus, assisting students with disabilities that impair classroom note taking, and giving the instructor feedback on his or her classroom performance.

Because the lectures of faculty represent their intellectual labors, individuals are expected to obtain permission to make recordings of lectures and other classroom interactions. Recordings may be used for the purposes of the particular class, although in some cases the recordings may be preserved and used for other classes as well.

Credit Involving a Paid Activity

Students may obtain credit for an activity, either on- or off-campus, for which they are also paid, provided the activity is academically relevant. This policy does not apply to registrations for R credit.

In order for an activity to be defined as academically relevant, prior arrangements for receiving credit must be made with a faculty member in an appropriate department.

The arrangements must include agreement on (1) the academic objectives which the activity is expected to achieve, and (2) the procedure by which the student's learning will be assessed.