Any violation of academic integrity is a serious offense and
is therefore subject to an appropriate sanction or penalty. Academic integrity
violations at Rutgers University are classified into two levels called
nonseparable and separable. Nonseparable violations are less severe violations
for which the possible sanctions do not include suspension or expulsion from
the university; separable violations are more severe violations for which the
possible sanctions include suspension or expulsion.
Whether a given violation is classified as nonseparable or
separable depends on a number of factors including: the nature and importance
of the academic exercise; the degree of premeditation or planning; the extent
of dishonest or malicious intent; the academic experience of the student; and whether
the violation is a first-time or repeat offense.
1. Nonseparable Violations
Nonseparable violations are less serious violations of academic
integrity. They may occur because of inexperience or lack of understanding of
the principles of academic integrity and are often characterized by a
relatively low degree of premeditation or planning and the absence of malicious
intent on the part of the student committing the violation. These violations
are generally quite limited in extent, occur on a minor assignment or quiz, or
constitute a small portion of a major assignment and/or represent a small
percentage of the total coursework. Below are a few examples of violations that
are most often considered nonseparable, at least when committed by an
undergraduate student as a first-time offense. This list is not exhaustive
and classification of a given violation as separable or
nonseparable is always heavily dependent on the specific facts and
circumstances of the violation.
- Improper citation without
dishonest intent.
- Plagiarism on a minor assignment
or a very limited portion of a major assignment.
- Unpremeditated cheating on a quiz
or minor examination.
- Unauthorized collaboration with
another student on a homework assignment.
- Citing a source that does not
exist or that one hasn't read on a minor assignment.
- Making up a small number of data
points on a laboratory exercise.
- Signing in for another student
via attendance sheet or clicker in a course in which attendance counts toward
the grade.
However, an alleged second nonseparable violation shall be
treated as an alleged separable violation. Moreover, some violations that would
be considered nonseparable for an undergraduate student may be treated as
separable for a graduate student [In this policy, the term graduate student
refers to postbaccalaureate students pursuing advanced degrees of any type or
enrolled in a graduate course or courses. The term also includes students in
the advanced stages of a professional program that leads to a masters or
doctoral degree without conferral of a baccalaureate degree.].
Sanctions for nonseparable violations include, but are not
limited to, one or more of the following, and do not include suspension or
expulsion:
- Required participation in a
noncredit workshop or seminar on ethics or academic integrity.
- An assigned paper or research
project related to ethics or academic integrity.
- A make-up assignment that may be
more difficult than the original assignment.
- No credit for the original
assignment.
- A failing grade on the
assignment.
- A failing grade for the course.
- Disciplinary warning or
probation.
2. Separable Violations
Separable violations are very serious violations of academic
integrity that affect a more significant portion of the coursework compared to
nonseparable violations. Separable violations are often characterized by
substantial premeditation or planning and clearly dishonest or malicious intent
on the part of the student committing the violation. Below are some examples of
violations that are most often considered separable. Again, the list is
certainly not exhaustive and classification of a given violation as separable
or nonseparable is always heavily dependent on
the exact facts and circumstances of the violation.
- A second nonseparable violation.
- Substantial plagiarism on a major
assignment.
- Copying or using unauthorized
materials, devices, or collaboration on a major exam.
- Having a substitute take an
examination.
- Making up or falsifying evidence
or data or other source materials for a major assignment, including
falsification by selectively omitting or altering data that do not support
one's claims or conclusions.
- Facilitating dishonesty by
another student on a major exam or assignment.
- Intentionally destroying or
obstructing another student's work.
- Knowingly violating research or
professional ethics.
- Any violation involving
potentially criminal activity.
Sanctions for separable violations include, but are not
limited to, one or more of the following, and may, but need not, involve
suspension or expulsion:
- A grade of XF (disciplinary F)
for the course.
- Disciplinary probation.
- Dismissal from a departmental or
school honors program.
- Denial of access to internships
or research programs.
- Loss of appointment to
academically based positions.
- Loss of departmental/graduate
program endorsements for internal and external fellowship support and
employment opportunities.
- Removal of fellowship or
assistantship support.
- Suspension for one or more
semesters.
- Dismissal from a graduate or
professional program.
- Permanent expulsion from the university
with a permanent notation of disciplinary expulsion on the student's transcript.
The recommendations for sanctions at each level are not
binding, but are intended as guidelines for the university community. For both
nonseparable and separable violations, the severity of the sanction imposed
should be proportional to the severity of the violation committed.
Sanctions for a given violation may be imposed differently
on those with more or with less experience as students. Thus violations of
academic integrity by graduate students [In this policy, the term graduate
student refers to postbaccalaureate students pursuing advanced degrees of any
type or enrolled in a graduate course or courses. The term also includes
students in the advanced stages of a professional
program that leads to a masters or doctoral degree without
conferral of a baccalaureate degree.] will normally be penalized more severely
than the same violations by inexperienced undergraduate students. In particular,
violations that would be considered nonseparable for an undergraduate student
may be treated as separable for a graduate student.
Some professional schools or programs may have codes of professional
conduct with customary sanctions for violations thereof that may be more severe
than those recommended under this policy. These schools or programs have the
responsibility to educate their students about their profession's code of
professional conduct. Students are responsible for understanding the
requirements of the code of professional conduct for the particular
professional program in which they are enrolled and the penalties for violating
that code.
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