University Academic Expectations

Students are responsible for understanding and complying with the policies listed below, as well as those described within individual program sections, student handbooks, and policy manuals. 

Code of Academic Conduct

Honesty and integrity are expected of all students in class participation, examinations, assignments, patient care and other academic work. Students have the obligation to conduct themselves as mature and responsible participants in this community. Toward this end, the University has established policies, standards and guidelines that collectively define the Student Code of Conduct (www.pacificu.edu/about-us/offices/student-conduct/student-handbook/student-code-conduct); it includes all policies, standards and guidelines included in, but not limited to:

• The Pacific University Catalog 
• The Pacific University Handbook 
• The Student Handbook 
• Professional program handbooks and policy manuals 
• Residence Hall Handbook and Contracts

Statement of Students’ Rights and Responsibilities

Students have the right to experience conditions favorable to learning, and to pursue an education free from discrimination based on gender, race, ethnicity, religion, marital status, age, sexual orientation or physical handicap. Students enjoy the freedoms of speech, expression, and association, and the rights to privacy, freedom from harassment, due process in judicial matters, and to appeal judgments and penalties for alleged misconduct. 

Students have the responsibility to conduct themselves, both individually and in groups, in a manner that promotes an atmosphere conducive to teaching, studying and learning. Students are expected to uphold academic and personal integrity, respect the rights of others, refrain from disruptive, threatening, intimidating, or harassing behavior and behavior that is harmful to themselves, other persons or property. Students have the responsibility to abide by the standards, policies and regulations of the University.

Policy of Academic Integrity

Pacific University is an academic community where the pursuit of knowledge, understanding, and skills unites us as its members and depends on the integrity of its members to fulfill its mission. Every one of us has reasons to be concerned about academically dishonest practices. Among such reasons are the following:

1. Academic integrity is at the core of our community values. 
2. Academic dishonesty can undermine the value of Pacific University diplomas by weakening the reputation of Pacific University, associating it in the public mind with institutions whose students have little integrity and a poor work ethic. 
3. Academically dishonest practices are corrosive of individual and community integrity. 
4. In the long run, such practices harm the perpetrator, who fails to give himself or herself the opportunity to develop ideas and skills. 
5. Academic dishonesty is unfair because it gives the cheater an advantage over other students who rely on their own work and knowledge. 
6. Academic dishonesty weakens the link between grades and work, undermining the immediate incentive of students to put in the hard work necessary to develop skills and knowledge.
7. Certain forms of academic dishonesty, because they infringe on copyrights, are illegal. 
8. Academic dishonesty is a violation of the Pacific University Code of Academic Conduct and will be punished according to University and College policies. 

Sanctions and Procedures for Cases of Academic Dishonesty

All acts of academic dishonesty are reported to the Dean of the College in which the person is a student. Procedures vary by College, and are listed in each College’s section within this catalog. In general, faculty suspecting academic misconduct will confer with the Dean of the College or Program; if the evidence seems to support a charge of academic misconduct, a faculty committee will review the situation, make a ruling and, if warranted, assign a sanction.

Sanctions will be consistent with the severity of the violation. Possible sanctions include, but are not limited to, failing an assignment or receiving an “F” or “N” for a course. For violations of the “Acceptable Use Policy,” sanctions range from being barred from the campus electronic network to suspension from the University. In particularly serious breaches of the academic honesty code, or in repeat offenses, suspension or dismissal from the University may be imposed, as well as other appropriate sanctions.

In all instances, violations are reported to the Dean of Students’ Office, and records of such violations are kept in students’ files. Records and reports in these files are maintained according to the University’s Records Retention Policy. 

Students may appeal Program-level decisions to a College-wide review committee and College-level decisions to the University, if one of the following is true: 

• Evidence of error in procedure by the College-wide review committee 
• New evidence, sufficient to alter a decision 
• Evidence that the sanction(s) imposed was not appropriate to the severity of the violation 

Forms of Academic Dishonesty

Cheating

Cheating is an attempt to use deception to portray one’s knowledge and skills as better than they really are. Behaviors that fall under the label of cheating include, but are not limited to:

1. giving or receiving unauthorized aid in academic work such as the improper use of books, notes, or other students ’ tests or papers 
2. taking a dishonest competitive advantage, for instance preventing others from obtaining fair and equal access to information resources 
3. using work done for one course in fulfillment of the requirements of another, without the approval of the instructors involved 
4. copying from another student’s paper 
5. allowing another student to benefit from your test paper or other materials 
6. collaborating on projects or exams that are clearly meant to be individual enterprises 
7. using any unauthorized materials during a test 
8. taking a test for someone else or allowing someone else to take a test for you 
9. stealing another student’s work, including material in a computer file, and submitting it as your own 

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the use of someone else’s words, ideas, or data as your own without proper documentation or acknowledgment. It may also entail self-plagiarism. Quotations must be clearly marked, and sources of information, ideas, or opinions of others must be clearly indicated in all written work. Plagiarism can be unintentional; nevertheless, in all cases it will be treated as a violation. Behaviors that fall under this category include, but are not limited to:

1. quoting another person’s actual words, complete sentences or paragraphs, or an entire piece of written work without acknowledgment of the source 
2. using another person’s ideas, opinions, or theories, even if they are presented entirely in your own words, without proper acknowledgment of the source from which they were taken 
3. using facts, statistics, or other material to support an argument without acknowledgment of the source 
4. copying another student’s work 
5. submitting in a course or for a project all or portions of a work prepared or submitted for another or previous course without proper acknowledgement and approval of the instructors involved 

Fabrication

Fabrication is the intentional use of invented information or the use of falsified results or data with the intent to deceive. Behaviors that fall under this category include, but are not limited to:

1. citation of information not taken from the source that is cited 
2. listing sources in a bibliography not used in the academic project 
3. submitting a paper or lab report or any other kind of document based on falsified, invented information, or the deliberate concealment or distortion of the true nature of such data
4. forging a signature on a University document 

Other Forms of Academic Misconduct

These address the intentional violation of University policies, including but not limited to:

1. tampering with grades or helping another to tamper with grades or any other part of a student’s academic record 
2. furnishing to a University office or official a document based on information that you know is false or which has been tampered with in an unauthorized fashion 
3. stealing, buying or otherwise obtaining all or part of an unadministered test; also the unauthorized use of a previously administered test 
4. changing a grade in a faculty member’s records, on a test or on other work for which a grade has been given 
5. using electronic information resources in violation of the “Acceptable Use Policy”

Sanctions and Procedures for Cases of Academic Dishonesty

All acts of academic dishonesty are reported to the Dean of the College in which the person is a student. Students always have the right to appeal a charge of academic misconduct. 

Sanctions should be consistent with the severity of the violation. Possible  sanctions include, but are not limited to, an “F” for an assignment or an “F” or “N” for a course. In case of violations of the “Acceptable Use Policy,” sanctions range from being barred from the campus electronic network to suspension from the University. In  particularly serious breaches of the academic honesty code, or in repeat offenses, suspension or dismissal from the University may be imposed, as well as other appropriate sanctions.

In all instances, violations are reported to the Dean of Students’ Office, and records of such violations are kept in students’ confidential files. Records and reports in these files are maintained according to the University’s Records Retention Policy.

Procedures vary by College, and are listed in each College’s section within this catalog. In general, faculty suspecting academic misconduct will confer with the Dean of the College; if the evidence seems to support a charge of academic misconduct, a College-wide committee will review the situation, make a ruling and, if warranted, assign a sanction. Students may appeal the College-level decision to the University if one of the following is true:

• Evidence of error in procedure by the College-wide review committee 
• New evidence, sufficient to alter a decision 
• Evidence that the sanction(s) imposed was not appropriate to the severity of the violation 

Things Students Can Do to Avoid Charges of Academic Dishonesty

1. Prepare in advance for examinations and assignments; don’t let yourself get too far behind in your reading and studying for any of your courses. 
2. Prevent other students from copying your exams or assignments. Try to choose a seat during an exam away from other students. Shield your exam. Don’t distribute your papers to other students prior to turning them in.
3. Check with your instructor about special requirements that might pertain to that particular course or assignment. If you cannot find a written section in the syllabus or on the actual assignment to answer your questions about what is acceptable, ask the instructor about his or her expectations. 
4. Use a recognized handbook on source citation. Many professional organizations have style manuals for this purpose; for example, there is the APA Style Manual for psychology or the MLA Style Sheet for the humanities. Be sure to ask your professor what an acceptable style guide is for the written work you will be submitting in her or his course. 
5. Discourage dishonesty among other students. 
6. Refuse to help students who cheat. 
7. Protect your rights and those of other honest students by reporting to your professor incidents of cheating you have observed. 
8. Remember that ignorance of rules, laws and policies is no excuse. 
9. Do nothing that gives you an unfair advantage over your peers.