1.1 Academic Policies

1.0 Academic Contacts

Each college or school may adopt policies, regulations and procedures covering academic matters. Academic policies, regulations and procedures are available in the Dean's Office for each college or school. Students are expected to become aware of these requirements. In instances in which a specific policy does not exist at the University or the particular college or school, the Dean has the authority to handle and process all academic matters.

College of Arts & Sciences
Verhaegen Hall
3634 Lindell Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63108
(314) 977-2710

College of Philosophy & Letters
Catholic Studies Centre, Rm. 204
3838 West Pine Mall
St. Louis, MO 63108
(314) 977-3827

College for Public Health and Social Justice
Salus Center
3545 Lafayette Ave., Dean's Office
St. Louis, MO 63104
(314) 977-9425

Doisy College of Health Sciences
Allied Health Building
3437 Caroline Street
St. Louis, MO 63104
(314) 977-2570

Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business
Davis-Shaughnessy Hall, 2nd Fl, Rm 200
3674 Lindell Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63108
(314) 977-3833

School of Science and Engineering
McDonnell Douglas Hall
3450 Lindell Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63103
(314) 977-8282

School of Education
Fitzgerald Hall
3500 Lindell Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63103
(314) 977-3292

School of Law
Scott Hall
100 N. Tucker Blvd., 872
St. Louis, MO 63101
(314) 977-7032

School of Social Work
Tegeler Hall
3550 Lindell Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63103
(314) 977-2712

School of Medicine
1402 S. Grand Blvd.
Caroline Building, Room 120
St. Louis, MO 63104
(314) 977-9801

Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing
3525 Caroline Street
St. Louis, MO 63104
(314) 977-8975

School for Professional Studies
Brouster Hall
3840 Lindell Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63108
(314) 977-2330

SLU Madrid
+1+34-638763758

2.0 Academic Integrity Policy - Interim Revised for Academic Year 2023-2024

PREAMBLE 

Saint Louis University is a community of learning in which integrity and mutual trust are vital. Since the mission of the University is "the pursuit of truth for the greater glory of God and for the service of humanity," acts of falsehood violate its very reason for existence.  They also demean and compromise the activities of teaching, research, health care and community service that are its primary mission.

Since the University seeks to prepare students and faculty for lives of integrity and occupations of trust, it regards all acts of academic dishonesty as matters of serious concern. Such dishonesty also undermines the academic assessment process, which in turn impairs the ability of the University to certify to the outside world the skills and attainments of its graduates. Such dishonesty allows those who engage in it to take unfair advantage of their peers and undermines moral character and self-respect. 

The Academic Integrity Policy detailed below sets out principles that are implicit in the ethos of the University but that call for explicit formulation to guide the practice of the entire institution. In establishing necessary definitions and minimal procedures to be followed in adjudicating violations, it also allows academic units to set forth the details of their own honesty policies in ways appropriate to their disciplines. 

Academic integrity is honest, truthful and responsible conduct in all academic endeavors.

THE POLICY AND ITS SCOPE 

The Policy on Academic Integrity set forth here is designed to promote ethical conduct within the University community by: 

1) Defining the responsibilities of various members of the University community;  2) Defining violations of academic integrity;

3) Setting minimum standards for reporting and adjudicating violations of    

      academic integrity;

4) Establishing procedures for appeals to the Office of the Provost; and

5) Establishing standards and procedures for maintaining records. 

The Office of the Provost, in collaboration with Deans and Directors of academic units, has the responsibility for integrating concepts of academic integrity into student programs and curricula. 

To comply with the University policy, academic units are expected to amend their own academic integrity policies to align with University definitions and minimum standards.  Such units are also responsible for acquainting their students with professional requirements beyond those minimal standards as relevant to particular disciplines (NOTE:  The use of the term “academic unit” refers to colleges, schools, centers, and the department or program level. The term is used inclusively because the process of investigating violations of academic integrity may begin at the departmental level in some cases or at the level of the college or school in others).

1. Responsibilities of Members of the Community

To create a learning environment in which high standards of academic integrity are prized requires the efforts of everyone in the University community. 

Faculty are responsible for adhering to high standards of academic integrity in their own research and professional conduct; for laying out relevant parts of the policy on  their syllabi and assignments; explaining key terms to students and following procedures for reporting and adjudicating possible violations both in and out of  their academic unit. Furthermore, faculty are encouraged to create assignments that minimize the possibility of academic dishonesty through clear expectations and to help to create an environment in which academic integrity is uppermost. 

Students are responsible for adhering to University standards of academic integrity, helping to create an environment in which academic integrity is respected, and reporting violations of the policy to instructors, department chairs, or administrators, as appropriate.

Staff are responsible for calling the attention of their supervisors to possible violations of academic integrity, for modeling high standards of academic integrity in their own professional conduct and research and for otherwise supporting a community of academic honesty and trust. 

Academic administrators such as Deans, Chairs and Directors are responsible for addressing and managing cases of academic dishonesty in accordance with University policies and those of their academic units. One exception is that alleged violations of academic integrity in scientific research will be addressed in accordance with the Research Integrity Policy of the University. Administrators in academic units are also responsible for providing students or others charged with violations of academic integrity with appropriate notice of the charges and the opportunity to respond in ways laid out in unit and University policies. 

2. Violations of Academic Integrity 

Definitions to guide academic units in setting and applying their academic integrity policies are as follows (more than one violation may apply):

Falsification entails misrepresentations of fact for academic gain. Instances include:

  1. Lying to or deceiving an instructor about academic work;
  2. Fabricating or misrepresenting documentation or the data involved in carryinout assignments;
  3. Fabricating, misrepresenting, or altering in unauthorized ways information in academic records belonging to an instructor or to any academic department or administrative unit in the University. 

Plgiarism is the presentation or representation of content (including, but not limited to thoughts, words, and/or data) generated or created by someone other than the student, or by any artificial intelligence tool or technology, as if the content were one’s own; this includes “self-plagiarism,” the use of material prepared for one class and submitted to another without proper citation and without the permission of the instructor.

Instances include:

  1. Quoting directly the written, artistic, or spoken work generated or created by someone else or by any artificial intelligence tool or technology without using quotation marks or indented quotations and without giving proper credit to the source; for example, cutting and pasting text from the internet or an artificial intelligence tool and making it appear to be your own work;Paraphrasing or incorporating the ideas, concepts, arguments, observations, images, objects, music, or statements generated or created by someone else or by any artificial intelligence tool or technology without giving proper credit to the source;
  2. Submitting – as one's own – any work that has been prepared, either wholly or in part, by another person, group, commercial firm, or artificial intelligence (AI) tool or technology.

Cheating involves the use of unauthorized assistance to gain an advantage over others.  Instances include:

  1. Copying from another student’s examination, or using unauthorized assistance, aids, artificial intelligence (AI) tool or technology, or other technological resources such as cell phones, calculators, translation software or Internet based applications in taking quizzes or examinations; 
  2. Using resources beyond those authorized by the instructor to complete assignments such as writing papers, preparing reports, giving oral presentations, making models, multi-media projects, sound recordings, creating visual materials such as drawings, videos, or photographs or presenting material on  the internet; 
  3. Acquiring, disseminating, or using tests or any other academic forms of assessment belonging to an instructor or a member of the staff through any means (including social media) without prior approval; 
  4. Influencing, or attempting to influence, any University employee in order to affect a grade or evaluation;
  5. Hiring or otherwise engaging someone to impersonate another person in taking a quiz or examination or in fulfilling other academic requirements. 

Sabotage entails disrupting or seeking to prevent the academic pursuits of others. It includes:

  1. Interfering with work or undermining the academic success of others in the university community in an intentional way for the purpose of negatively impacting that person’s academic performance; 
  2. Modifying, stealing, or destroying intellectual property such as computer files, library materials, artwork, personal books or papers.
  3. Performing any action that would impact research outcomes such as lab tampering, falsification of data, or destruction of research resources. 

Collusion involves unauthorized collaboration with another person or persons for the purpose of giving or gaining an academic advantage in such activities as completion of assignments or examinations without explicit permission of the instructor. Collusion may include any or all of the other violations of academic integrity as defined above. For example, if two students developed a plan that enabled them to improve their performance on an assignment that was supposed to be completed independently, they would be guilty of collusion.

Concealment entails failing to call to the attention of a faculty member or administrator violations of academic integrity that an academic unit requires be reported.

3. Reporting and Adjudicating Violations of Academic Integrity

Individual academic units in the University must take into account standards of academic and professional conduct for their own disciplines. Therefore, the University Academic Integrity Policy attempts no single set of procedures for adjudicating violations of academic integrity at the academic unit level and only applies standards for process, record keeping, and appeals to the Office of the Provost. (Exception: Alleged violations of academic integrity in scientific research will be guided by the University’s Research Integrity Policy.)  Each academic unit is expected to develop and implement an academic integrity policy inclusive of the following guidelines (see individual college/school/center policies for specific guidelines):

Minimal procedures to be followed by academic units are as follows: 

  • Maintenance of confidentiality 
  • Formal charges of violations of academic integrity
  • Notification of charges 
  • Definition of the roles of faculty, administrators, students, staff and students in the proceedings 
  • Opportunity for response by those charged 
  • Opportunity to waive a hearing 
  • Procedures to avoid conflict of interest 
  • A hearing 
  • Notification of findings 
  • Provision of information on appeals to the Provost Maintenance of records (see University policy of maintenance of records at  http://www.slu.edu/Documents/its/SLUInfoSecurity%201.7%20Mai ntenanceRecords%20v1.pdf.  

When an alleged violation involves two units, the academic unit responsible for reporting a violation of academic integrity is the one offering the course or program in which the alleged violation occurred. 

  • The academic unit in which the course is offered is expected to take the appropriate action (e.g., failure in the course) and any further actions should be taken in collaboration with the student’s academic home unit. 
  • In the event that a course is cross-listed, the Deans or Directors of the academic units in question will determine which will take the lead. 
  • If the student being investigated is an unclassified graduate student, the Associate Provost for Graduate Education will have jurisdiction.
  • If the person is an undecided undergraduate (University College), the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education will have jurisdiction.

When an alleged violation is reported to the University by an external source, the Office of the Provost may refer the charge to the academic unit offering the course or program in which the alleged violation occurred. This process applies whether charges are made against current students or alumni.

Investigations of violations will be conducted in accordance with the standards and procedures of the academic unit with jurisdiction. 

Sanctions will be imposed according to the policy standards of the academic unit with jurisdiction of the faculty member teaching the course or supervising the academic experience or leading the academic program in which the violation occurred. Academic unit with jurisdiction as defined as the unit of the faculty member teaching the course or leading the academic program in which the violation occurs. Formal charges of violations of academic integrity do not preclude other disciplinary action that the University may take if circumstances warrant additional sanctions. 

Sanctions are to be commensurate with the nature of the offense and with the record of the student regarding any previous infractions. Sanctions may include, but are not limited to, 

  • A lowered grade; 
  • Failure on the examination or assignment in question; 
  • Failure in the course;
  • Notice of the infraction in the violator’s permanent record;
  • Participation in training sessions;
  • Probation; 
  • Suspension from the University; 
  • Expulsion from the University; 
  • Revocation of University degree; or
  • A combination of the above. 

In extraordinary circumstances, the University reserves the right to withhold or revoke a degree in consultation with the academic unit as appropriate. There is no statute of limitations for degree revocation.  

The student can appeal the decision set forth by the academic unit with jurisdiction. 

4. Submitting and Conducting an Appeal to the Office of the Provost

a.) Grounds for Appeals to the University Academic Review Board

Except as required to explain the basis of a decision or to provide new information, an appeal will be limited to a review of the record of the unit with jurisdiction and of supporting documents in order to determine one or more of the following circumstances:

  • The procedures set forth by the academic unit were not followed, which may have significantly impacted the outcome of the case or may have resulted in a different finding; The procedures set forth by the academic unit were not followed and, for that reason, a different finding may be justified.
  • New or relevant information, not available at the time of the hearing, has arisen that may significantly impact the outcome of the case or may result in a different finding.
  • The sanctions imposed were excessively harsh or excessive for the violation.

b.) Constitution of the Board

Once an appeal has been filed with the Office of the Provost, the Associate Provost for Graduate Education or Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education will collect and review material compiling a record for initial review by the University Academic Review Board (UARB) serving as administrative oversight. The UARB, which reports to the Provost, has the responsibility of reviewing the appeal material and making a recommendation to the Provost. If the Board requires additional material during the review process, the chair may consult with the academic unit. 

  • The UARB is composed of four faculty recommended by the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, serving staggered two-year terms, and one student representative appointed by either Student Government Association (SGA) or Graduate Student Association (GSA) depending on the status of the student under review. Student members serve as ad hoc members of the UARB and must not be from the same academic unit as the academic unit in which the student accused of violations resides.  Faculty members may serve more than one term. For the initial UARB, two members will be chosen for a one-year term and two for a two-year term.  
  • All UARB members will receive periodic training through workshops given by the University’s legal counsel and a representative of the Office of the Provost. The chairperson of UARB serves a one-year term and will be recommended to the Provost by the Faculty Senate President from the faculty pool. The role of the chairperson is to direct and supervise the review process, participate in the deliberations of the UARB, and ensure, insofar as possible, that following the review, the UARB delivers a thoughtful, clearly articulated decision. Any UARB member selected must recuse him/herself if that individual believes s/he cannot impartially fulfill his/her duties. Written notification of intent to appeal must be sent to both the academic unit administrator (e.g., Dean, Chair, or Director) with jurisdiction in the case and the Office of the Provost within five (5) University business days of receipt of the imposition of sanctions. Any concerns or objections with the make-up of the committee should be indicated at the time of notification. 
  • The student’s letter of notification to appeal must contain the following information:
  • The student’s name, student number, mailing address, phone number, and email address; and
  • Notice of the violation itself and appropriate documentation of the event (e.g., Dismissal letter outlining academic integrity violations).
  • The Office of the Provost will acknowledge receipt of the notification to both the appropriate academic unit administrator and the student. Either party will then have five (5) business days to notify the Office of the Provost in writing of any objections to the composition of the UARB based on conflict of interest. The Office of the Provost will distribute the appeal to the UARB. In the event additional information is required, the UARB may contact the student or academic unit with jurisdiction.

Conflict of Interest. Faculty, staff, students, and University officials asserting a violation of academic integrity should recuse themselves from any decision-making role. Such responsibilities will pass to faculty, staff, students, and University officials not directly involved in the case. In general, the standard for recusal is as follows:  whenever individuals do not feel that s/he can consider all of the information provided during a review and render an impartial decision.

Final Notice

Following the UARB review, a Notice of Final Determination will be sent to the academic unit administrator and the student submitting the appeal within five (5) University business days. Such notice should contain one of the following findings:

Academic unit decision upheld; or

Returned to the academic unit of jurisdiction for additional review based on UARB findings such as new material submitted for review or the unit’s failure to follow the prescribed process. 

All correspondence with the student submitting the appeal should be addressed to the student’s local address as it appears in the University’s official records and should be sent via U.S. certified mail. A copy will also be sent to the student’s SLU e-mail address. A notice that is properly addressed will be presumed to have been received. It is the responsibility of the student submitting the appeal to inform the University of any change of address in a timely manner so that University records can be accurately maintained.

Reporting

The Office of the Provost will report violations of academic integrity to the Office of the Registrar if a student is found responsible for the charge(s). Any sanctions imposed by the academic unit(s) become part of the student permanent records. In the event of future violations of University policies, the permanent record may be used to determine which sanction should be imposed. Violations of the University’s academic integrity policies will appear in the student’s permanent record (i.e., Banner), but will not appear on transcript(s). 

5. Confidentiality

Confidentiality applies to all aspects of a matter. Disclosure of the facts will be limited to the UARB and those University officials for each case who have a need to know the information in connection with discharging their official duties and responsibilities. Violation of this confidentiality clause may result in sanctions as deemed appropriate per the University.