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4.3 Academic Sanctions and Appeals

See UHV Student Handbook.

4.3.1 Student Academic Honesty Policy

(Adapted from the University of Houston’s Academic Honesty Policy.) The university can best function and accomplish its objectives in an atmosphere of high ethical standards. It expects and encourages all students, faculty and staff to contribute to such an atmosphere in every way possible and especially by observing all accepted principles of academic honesty. It is recognized, however, that any university will include a few students who do not understand, appreciate, and practice these principles. As a consequence, alleged cases of academic dishonesty will inevitably occur, and students will be accused. The following procedures are designed to handle these cases in fairness to all concerned: the accused student, the faculty, and the university.

Matters relating to academic honesty are within the general jurisdiction of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

The policy on academic honesty applies to all colleges within the university. Specific jurisdiction in academic honesty matters rests in each college of the university. The college with jurisdiction is determined by the course in which dishonesty occurs. If the student involved majors in a college other than that offering the course, the college offering the course has jurisdiction, but the dean of the student's major college will be informed. If the college with jurisdiction cannot be determined from the relationship between the alleged actions of a student or group of students and a particular course, then the provost will designate which has jurisdiction. All questions regarding the applicability of college or university policy or special provisions of either shall be determined finally by the provost.

Academic sanctions apply university-wide.

Faculty have the responsibility of reporting incidents of alleged academic dishonesty through their department chair or associate dean to their dean.

Students shall have the responsibility of reporting incidents of alleged academic dishonesty to the instructor involved, or to the appropriate authority if the alleged act is not associated with a specific class.

The purpose of these procedures is to provide for the orderly administration of the Academic Honesty Policy consistent with the principles of due process. Reasonable deviations from these procedures will not invalidate a decision or proceeding unless the provost determines, upon written appeal from the accusing and/or accused parties, that it will result in prejudice to one or more of the parties involved.

Instructors shall have the responsibility of taking action with respect to incidents of alleged academic dishonesty in accord with this Academic Honesty Policy.

4.3.1.1 Definitions

  1. Class Day: Class days, for purposes of this policy, are defined as days the university is open and classes are meeting (excluding Saturdays).
  2. Internal Use: Internal use defines who has access to a student's records. Records for internal use will be released only to University of Houston-Victoria officials who have an educational need to know the information.
  3. Permanent Record: Permanent record includes documents, forms, copies, reports, statements, tape recordings, etc. that are acquired while a student attends the University of Houston-Victoria. The information is only available to outside sources according to the procedures established by the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act.
  4. Sanction: Sanction means the penalty assessed for a violation of the Academic Honesty Policy.
  5. Instructor: Instructor refers to a faculty member, teaching assistant, or teaching fellow in charge of the section in which an alleged violation of this Academic Honesty Policy has occurred. Such individuals will normally be the instructor of record of the course section in question. In instances where this is not the case, instances of alleged cheating shall be reported to the supervisor (e.g., laboratory supervisor) of the instructor, as well as the chair.
  6. Chair: Chair refers either to the chair of the department responsible for the course in which an alleged violation of the academic honesty policy occurs or to his/her designated representative. If the college responsible for the course in question does not have individual departments, chair as used below shall refer to the individual designated by the dean of the college to act as hearing officer in academic honesty cases, usually the associate dean or program coordinator.
  7. Dean: Dean refers to either the dean of the college containing the department offering the course in which the alleged violation of the academic honesty policy occurs or to his/her designated representative.
  8. Student: Student refers to any individual who has ever registered and paid (made a complete payment or has made at least one installment payment) for a course, or courses, at the University of Houston-Victoria. This definition would normally include undergraduates, graduates, post baccalaureates, and individuals auditing courses.

4.3.1.2 Preventive Practices

Instructors can help students comply with the academic honesty policy by minimizing temptation to act dishonestly. Measures instructors may consider are:

  1. Maintaining adequate security precautions in the preparation and handling of tests;
  2. Structuring the type and sequence of examination questions so as to discourage dishonesty;
  3. Providing ample room for proper spacing of students during examinations, if room is available;
  4. Monitoring examinations at all times;
  5. Making clear to their students, in writing, what constitutes academic dishonesty, particularly in those classes where group activities (laboratory exercises, generation of field reports, etc.) are part of the instructional process;
  6. Requiring students to show a picture ID and sign major assignments and exams;
  7. Helping raise consciousness of the issue of academic honesty by asking students to sign an honor pledge in the first week of class and to write a short pledge in their own hand on their major assignments;
  8. Structuring online courses, including exams, quizzes, homework and assignments, in such a way that discourages academic dishonesty; and
  9. Including expectations for academic honesty as a regular part of class discussions.

UHV’s policy for academic honesty and integrity is included in the UHV Student Handbook. Any changes must be dually reviewed and approved by the academic governance process.

4.3.1.3 Sanctions

The sanctions for confirmed breaches of this policy shall be commensurate with the nature of the offense and with the record of the student regarding any previous infractions while enrolled at UHV. Sanctions may include, but are not limited to, a lowered grade, failure on the examination or assignment in question, failure in the course, probation, suspension from the university, expulsion from the university, or a combination of these. Students may not receive a "W" for courses in which they have been found guilty of a violation of the Academic Honesty Policy. If a "W" is received prior to a guilty finding, the student will become liable for the Academic Honesty penalty, including "F" grades.

The terms probation, suspension and expulsion as used herein refer to these sanctions only as they are imposed as a result of violations of this Academic Honesty Policy. All policies and procedures for the imposition and appeal of these sanctions are contained within this policy.