All members of the University community must participate in the development of a climate conducive to academic honesty. While the faculty, because of their unique role in the educational process, have the responsibility for defining, encouraging, fostering, and upholding the ethic of academic honesty, students have the responsibility of conforming in all respects to that ethic.  

Intellectual honesty requires that students demonstrate their own learning during examinations and other academic exercises, and that other sources of information or knowledge be appropriately credited. Scholarship depends upon the reliability of information and reference in the work of others. Student work at the University may be analyzed for originality of content. Such analysis may be done electronically or by other means. Student work may also be included in a database for the purpose of checking for possible plagiarized content in future student submissions. No form of cheating, plagiarism, fabrication, or facilitating of dishonesty will be condoned in the University community.  

Academic dishonesty includes but is not limited to:  

• Cheating - intentional use, and/or attempted use of trickery, artifice, deception, breach of confidence, fraud and/or misrepresentation of one's academic work.  
• Fabrication - intentional and unauthorized falsification and/or invention of any information or citation in any academic exercise.  
• Plagiarism - knowingly representing the words or ideas of another as one's own work in any academic exercise. This includes submitting without citation, in whole or in part, prewritten term papers of another or the research of another, including but not limited to commercial vendors who sell or distribute such materials.  
• Facilitating dishonesty - knowingly helping or attempting to help another commit an act of academic dishonesty, including substituting for another in an examination, or allowing others to represent as their own one's papers, reports, or academic works.  

Sanctions may be imposed on any student who has committed an act of academic dishonesty. Any person who has reason to believe that a student has committed academic dishonesty should bring such information to the attention of the appropriate course instructor as soon as possible.  

Formal definitions of academic dishonesty, examples of various forms of dishonesty, and the procedures which faculty must follow to penalize dishonesty are detailed on the Academic Honesty website. Appeals must be filed within ten days of notification by the Academic Honesty Office that a formal charge has been filed by an instructor that s/he suspects dishonesty. Contact the Academic Honesty Office for more information on the process. The Ombuds Office is also available to support individuals engaging with the Academic Honesty process. The Provost’s Office is where appeals are processed and filed. 

1. Statement of Policy
Since the integrity of the academic enterprise of any institution of higher education requires honesty in scholarship and research, academic honesty is required of all students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Academic dishonesty is prohibited in all programs of the University, including online courses. Academic dishonesty includes but is not limited to: cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, and facilitating dishonesty. [See Appendix B for detailed examples of behavior that constitutes academic dishonesty.] Appropriate sanctions may be imposed on any student who has committed an act of academic dishonesty.

Instructors should take reasonable steps to address academic misconduct. [See Appendix C for some suggested ways to deal with issues of academic integrity.] Any person who has reason to believe that a student has committed academic dishonesty should bring such information to the attention of the appropriate course instructor upon discovery. Instances of academic dishonesty not related to a specific course should be brought to the attention of the appropriate department head or chair. The procedures outlined below are intended to provide an efficient and orderly process by which action may be taken if it appears that academic dishonesty has occurred and by which students may appeal such actions.

Since students are expected to be familiar with this policy and the commonly accepted standards of academic integrity, ignorance of such standards is not normally sufficient evidence of lack of intent.

2. Statement of Process

These procedures apply to all students and instructors and other instructional staff participating in academic classes, programs, and research projects offered at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, i.e., all graduate, undergraduate, and Continuing and Professional Education programs including all online/distance learning courses. If a student is conducting paid or sponsored work under the auspices of a research project led by a Principal Investigator employed at UMass, then research that they conduct in that context falls under the UMass Board of Trustees Responsible Conduct of Research Policy and the UMass Amherst Research Misconduct Procedures should there be an accusation of misconduct. If a student conducts research independently as part of class or degree work, then this activity falls under the Academic Honesty Policy.

With the exception of cases falling under the UMass Amherst Research Misconduct Procedures, the procedures outlined herein are the only official procedures for addressing charges of academic dishonesty. No school, college, department, instructor, or office on the Amherst campus may impose any penalty for suspected academic dishonesty, nor require a student to appeal, through any other procedure, except as otherwise noted in the previous sentence.

1. The Academic Honesty Office
   The Academic Honesty Office is responsible for maintaining records, advising all concerned parties about their rights and responsibilities under this procedure, and convening hearing panels. As process manager, the Office has the discretion to extend timelines; if warranted, the Office may contract timelines (with the agreement of the parties) during sessions outside the regular academic year.
2. The Academic Honesty Office shall maintain records of all allegations that come to its attention, and of all hearing panel proceedings in accordance with University record retention polices.
3. The Academic Honesty Board
   There shall be an Academic Honesty Board comprised of a minimum of twelve members of the faculty, six undergraduate students, and six graduate students. Instructor appointments shall be made by the Faculty Senate and shall include at least one faculty member from each school or college. Student appointments shall be made by the respective governance bodies, with representation from diverse academic areas. Each appointment shall be for a term of three years. To ensure due process, if a sufficient number of timely appointments are not made by the respective governance bodies, such appointments may be made by the Academic Honesty Office (in consultation with the appropriate governance body where possible). Members of the Board will serve on hearing panels as described below.
4. Procedures for Instructors
   An instructor who suspects that a student has committed an act of academic dishonesty may not impose a penalty on the student without notifying the student of the suspicion and of the instructor’s intended penalty. Faculty are encouraged to consider the seriousness of each specific incident and to recommend an appropriate sanction. Students must be afforded the right of appeal, and the right to remain in the class until the issue is resolved. While a charge is pending (informal, formal, or appeal), a course grade may not be submitted. In place of a grade, the instructor should email the Registrar’s office and request that an NR grade be added to the electronic grade roster. In pursuing allegations of academic dishonesty, instructors are required to respect the student’s right to privacy as provided by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). [See also Records of Allegations, Appeals, and Sanctions]  
   1. Student Conference
      1. An instructor suspecting academic dishonesty must offer the student a reasonable opportunity to discuss the situation prior to taking any action. When an instructor suspects dishonesty, he/she must notify the student in writing within ten business days. If the notification is by email, it must be sent to the student’s official University email address and may also be sent to any other email address provided by the student to the instructor. Notification should specify how long the student has to respond, which should be no fewer than five business days. If the student accepts the instructor’s offer to meet, the instructor may include the department head or designee in the meeting; failure to do so does not invalidate the process.
      2. The instructor may conclude that no academic dishonesty has occurred. Following such discussion, if the instructor is satisfied that no academic dishonesty has occurred, the instructor will evaluate the student’s work as though the suspicion of academic dishonesty had never been raised.
      3. The student does not respond. If the student does not respond, the instructor may decide to file a formal charge.
          
   2. Informal Process
      The instructor and the student may arrive at an agreement to resolve the matter informally. The instructor and student may agree that there was no intentional breach of the Academic Honesty Policy on the part of the student or that there were circumstances mitigating the seriousness of the offense. They may agree on an informal means of resolving the matter. Informal resolutions could include, for example, redoing an assignment, doing additional work, or a grade penalty (for either the assignment or the course, up to and including failure of the course). An instructor may not impose a university sanction through the informal resolution process. No student may be forced in any way to agree to a proposed informal resolution of an allegation of academic dishonesty.
      
      Informal resolutions of allegations of academic dishonesty may not be appealed. If a student wishes to contest an allegation of academic dishonesty rather than agree to an informal resolution, the instructor must issue a formal charge. Informal resolutions are to be forwarded to the Academic Honesty Office only, which will maintain a confidential record of all such resolutions, except in the case(s) of student(s) participating in the University’s ROTC program, in which case the appropriate ROTC unit will be informed of the informal resolution. Instructors shall use the form provided in Appendix D to report informal resolutions. A third (and any subsequent) informal resolution will establish a record of academic dishonesty [see Records of Allegations, Appeals, and Sanctions] and a University Sanction Hearing [See Multiple Offenses] will be held to determine whether sanctions should be imposed.
       
   3. Formal Process
      If no informal agreement is reached and an instructor wishes to sanction the student, the instructor must file a formal charge and must notify the Academic Honesty Office of the intended sanction. This begins the formal process. The instructor may file a formal charge of academic dishonesty by notifying the Academic Honesty Office within fifteen business days of any of the following:
      1. the student admits to the alleged dishonesty, but the student and the instructor are unable to reach an informal resolution
      2. the student denies the allegation but the instructor continues to believe that the dishonesty has occurred
      3. the student does not respond to the allegation by the stipulated date
      4. the instructor wishes to impose a university sanction.​

The instructor must send this written notification to the Academic Honesty Office and should retain a copy. Instructors must use the form provided in Appendix D to file formal charges. The instructor’s notification to the Office must include a statement of the evidence that is the basis of the allegation and the intended sanction. An instructor may impose a grade sanction, including a failing grade for the course. The sanction may not be implemented except as outlined in Appeals of Charges and Sanctions. If the instructor believes that the alleged dishonesty warrants an additional sanction, the instructor may also recommend to the Academic Honesty Office that a University sanction be imposed, including, but not limited to, a letter of reprimand, University probation, suspension or expulsion (in the case of probation or suspension, duration must be specified). A recommendation for a University sanction must include the rationale for imposing an additional sanction and requires that a hearing be held as outlined in Appeals of Charges and Sanctions.

N.B. If an informal agreement is reached after a formal charge has been forwarded to the Academic Honesty Office, the instructor must immediately notify the Academic Honesty Office in writing that the charge is withdrawn. 

4. Notification of Charge of Academic Dishonesty
   The Academic Honesty Office notifies the student of the charge and the right to appeal. Upon receipt of the formal charge from the instructor, the Academic Honesty Office will issue an official notification of the charge to the student including the right to appeal, and the timelines for doing so (See Appeals of Charges and Sanctions). The Office will send this notice and a copy of the charge to the student within five business days of receiving the instructor’s formal charge of academic dishonesty. Should the charge proceed to a hearing, the hearing panel cannot impose a more severe sanction than that specified by the instructor.
5. Appeals of Charges and Sanctions
   1. If the student does not appeal an instructor’s allegation or intended sanction, the sanction will be implemented. If a student does not file an appeal by the date specified in the Notification of Charge of Academic Dishonesty, no hearing will be held, and the Academic Honesty Office will facilitate the implementation of the sanction by notifying the instructor, the Dean of Students Office and the appropriate registrar.
   2. The student may appeal the instructor’s decision and intended sanction. If the student denies the allegation of academic dishonesty or wishes to appeal the penalty imposed by the instructor, an appeal may be filed with the Academic Honesty Office. This appeal must be in writing and submitted to the Academic Honesty Office within ten business days of the Office’s official notification to the student. The student’s notice of appeal should describe in detail any relevant evidence and line of argument. [See Appendix D for a suggested format.] The Academic Honesty Office will notify the instructor of the student’s appeal. A course grade may not be submitted until the appeal process has been completed. In place of a grade, the instructor should email the Registrar’s office and request that an NR grade be added to the electronic grade roster.
   3. A hearing of the appeal will be held within fifteen business days of the notice of appeal. If the notice of appeal is received by the Academic Honesty Office with fewer than fifteen business days remaining in the semester, the appeal process will begin with the opening of the following semester. The process may, however, go forward during intersession or the summer if the student so requests, the instructor can be present, and Academic Honesty Board members are available. Students’ and instructors’ rights and obligations in the hearing process are described in Conduct of the Hearing.
   4. In situations where more than one student is charged related to the same incident, appeals may be heard in a joint hearing, upon request of the students and with agreement of the faculty member. In a joint hearing, the panel will consider each appeal separately and may recommend different outcomes. 
   5. A hearing will be scheduled automatically upon recommendation of University sanction(s). An instructor may recommend to the Academic Honesty Office that a University sanction (such as a letter of reprimand, University probation, suspension or expulsion) be imposed in addition to a course sanction. In this case, a hearing panel must review the matter and make a recommendation to the Provost or designee [see Multiple Offenses and University Sanctions].
6. Hearing Panels
   When a student files an appeal, the Academic Honesty Office will convene a panel to hear the appeal. The Hearing Panel will evaluate all evidence and arguments presented to it by the student and the instructor, and will inform the Academic Honesty Office of its findings within five business days of the conclusion of the hearing. No evidence in addition to that submitted to the Academic Honesty Office [noted in bullet (i) above] may be submitted at the hearing without the permission of the chair of the Hearing Panel. The Hearing Panel will keep in confidence all matters which come before it. Its members will not communicate with each other about the nature of the allegations or the appeal prior to the hearing.
   
   A Hearing Panel will be composed of five disinterested members of the Academic Honesty Board. Three will be members of the faculty, and two will be students of the same status (i.e., graduate or undergraduate) as the student in the case. If the instructor is a graduate student, one of the instructor members on the Panel may be replaced by a graduate student who is or has been a teaching assistant or teaching associate on the Amherst campus. One of the faculty members on the Panel shall serve as chair. A hearing may proceed with fewer than five members, but only with the consent of the student and the instructor. For appeals which proceed during the sessions outside the regular academic year, a Hearing Panel may be composed of three members: two faculty members one of whom will serve as chair, and one student of the same graduate or undergraduate status as the student in the case.
7. Conduct of the Hearing
   The Academic Honesty Office is responsible for the reasonable implementation of these rules.
   1. Materials available to participants: At least seven business days prior to the hearing, the student and the instructor should submit to the Academic Honesty Office copies of any materials they wish the Hearing Panel to consider, so that the Office may distribute them to the other party and the Hearing Panel for review prior to the hearing. Any new materials submitted at the hearing will be accepted only at the discretion of the chair of the Hearing Panel.
   2. Persons present at the hearing: In addition to the Hearing Panel, only the following persons may be present at the hearing: a) the student(s); b) the instructor(s); c) Academic Honesty Office staff who will serve as administrative support for the Hearing Panel; d) an advisor for the student and for the instructor (who may confer with and advise the student or instructor during the course of the hearing, but who may not directly address the Hearing Panel except with consent of the Hearing Panel; the advisor may not be an attorney or an employee of an attorney); e) witnesses (who may be present at the hearing only when they are presenting evidence); f) one non-participating observer for each party may be present at a hearing (who may be an attorney or an employee of an attorney); g) other persons, at the sole discretion of the Hearing Panel.
      
      The Hearing Panel may proceed with the hearing and make its findings even in the absence of the student(s), the instructor(s), witness(es), or advisor(s) who fail to appear. However, the Hearing Panel may not base its findings on the fact that a person has failed to appear.
   3. Evidence: The Hearing Panel shall base its findings on a preponderance of the evidence. The Hearing Panel need not follow the technical rules of evidence, but evidence shall be admitted only if is the kind of evidence upon which reasonable persons would rely in the conduct of serious affairs. Such evidence might include, for example, documentary evidence such as written assignments, lecture or study notes, quizzes or examinations, and course syllabi, as well as the testimony of witnesses. The Hearing Panel may consider evidence presented by notarized affidavit, giving it such weight as it deems proper. All evidence shall be taken in the presence of all members of the panel and the student and instructor, except where either is absent by default or has waived the right to be present.
   4. Presentation of the case: The representative of the Academic Honesty Office will make a recording of the hearing. These rules of hearing [Appendix E] will be provided to the parties prior to the hearing and no later than the materials noted in Conduct of the Hearing.
8. The Decision of the Hearing Panel
   The Hearing Panel will arrive at its findings by simple majority. Findings are final and are binding on all parties unless appealed [see Appeal Options]. If the Panel finds in favor of the student, the instructor must compute the student’s grade as though the suspicion of academic dishonesty had never been raised. If the hearing occurs after the semester in which the allegation was raised, the course grade is to be submitted within fifteen business days.
   The Hearing Panel may not impose a sanction more severe than the instructor’s intended sanction. Any decision by the Hearing Panel to modify the instructor’s sanction will require the unanimous agreement of the Hearing Panel and the rationale for so doing shall be explained in the Panel’s report.
   The chair will issue the written findings of the Hearing Panel, addressed to the Academic Honesty Office, within five business days of the conclusion of the hearing. The report will state the Panel’s findings, and, if it finds that the allegations against the student were substantiated, the sanction imposed. The Academic Honesty Office will send a written notification to the student, the instructor, and the appropriate administrative offices (See Records of Allegations, Appeals, and Sanctions) within ten business days. In instances where a University sanction is considered, the Hearing Panel may recommend suspension or expulsion only by agreement of 80% or more of the Hearing Panel. If such agreement is not obtained, a lesser sanction and/or a grade of “F” for the course in question will be recommended. If the Panel does recommend a university sanction, the final determination will be made by the Provost or designee, who will then inform the student and the Academic Honesty Office. The Academic Honesty Office will then notify the instructor and the appropriate administrative offices within ten business days.
9. Administration of Sanctions
   The Academic Honesty Office will notify the appropriate administrative offices of the sanction for academic dishonesty. Where a university sanction is recommended, the Provost or designee determines the appropriate sanction, taking into account the recommendation of the Hearing Panel, and authorizes its administration (e.g., by directing the registrar to carry out the suspension or expulsion, or directing the removal of a student from academic employment).
   
   A student may repeat a course in which he/she has received a grade sanction for academic dishonesty. However, the grade substitution policy will not apply. The grade submitted as a course sanction will continue to be counted in the student’s cumulative grade point average.
   Stay of Sanctions – No sanction will be imposed on the student until all appeals have been concluded. All appeals should be resolved within six months of the filing of the original appeal.
10. Appeal Options
    The Hearing Panel’s judgments are final, and may not be appealed except on the basis of a violation of the Rules of Hearing or on the basis of new evidence.
    Violation of the Rules of Hearing: A violation is defined as a failure to comply with the Rules of Hearing, at the hearing, such that the failure reasonably may have affected the decision of the Hearing Panel to the harm of the student who has appealed. If either the student or the instructor believes that he or she was denied a reasonable opportunity to present his or her case by the Hearing Panel during the hearing, he or she may appeal in writing to the Provost or designee. This appeal must be made in writing within ten business days of the release of the Panel’s decision and must describe the purported violation of due process. If the Provost or designee finds on behalf of the person making the appeal, the Provost or designee will ask the Academic Honesty Office to appoint a new panel to rehear the case. The decision of the Provost or designee will be based on her/his review of the official record of the hearing (official recording and exhibits). The Provost or designee will rule on the appeal within ten business days of its submission. This procedure shall be deemed to have been exhausted once the ruling of the Provost or designee has been rendered.
    
    New Evidence: In the event that new and compelling evidence not available at the time of the hearing becomes available after the Hearing Panel has rendered its decision, the student may appeal to the Academic Honesty Office for a new hearing within 90 calendar days. The appeal shall be in writing and shall include a detailed description of the new evidence and an explanation as to why the new evidence should alter the initial decision of the Hearing Panel. The Office will respond to the request within ten business days of its submission. The decision of the Academic Honesty Office on this appeal is final.
11. Multiple Offenses and University Sanctions
    A student who is found to have committed more than two acts of academic dishonesty – either through admission, failure to appeal, or finding by a hearing panel – may be subject to additional sanctions, including, but not limited to, suspension or expulsion. This provision will also apply to students who have three or more informal resolutions as well as students who have two informal resolutions and one formal finding of academic dishonesty. The Academic Honesty Office will issue a University Sanction Notification and shall convene a hearing panel to make a recommendation on this matter. The student shall be allowed ten business days to prepare for a hearing on a sanction only. At such a hearing, the Dean of Students or the Dean of the Graduate School (or their designees) will place the matter before the Hearing Panel. Sufficient information about the incidents of academic dishonesty at issue shall be given to the Panel such that the Panel is able to make a reasonable determination as to the appropriateness and nature of additional sanctions, if any.
    
    The Hearing Panel will submit its findings to the Provost or designee according to the provisions of Section II:H. 
12. Records of Allegations, Appeals, and Sanctions
    Allegations and charges of academic dishonesty shall be kept confidential. No records shall be maintained by individual faculty or academic departments. The fact that a sanction has been imposed may not be used as the basis of any action relative to the student’s record outside of this process.
    
    Certain exceptions to confidentiality may apply if an act of dishonesty occurs in a classroom, practicum or internship where the student is explicitly bound by formal professional codes or standards. If the incident has been handled according to the Academic Honesty Policy and has resulted in an informal resolution or an uncontested or upheld formal charge, the incident may be reported to the regulating professional organization.
    
    If a student is found to have committed an act of academic dishonesty, the appropriate registrar (graduate, undergraduate, or Continuing and Professional Education) and the Dean of Students Office shall be notified of the sanction by the Academic Honesty Office and shall maintain a confidential record of the sanction imposed. Records of academic dishonesty will be maintained and disposed of according to appropriate University record retention policies. These will include sanctions administered by an instructor without an appeal from the student and sanctions administered based on a finding of a Hearing Panel. Informal resolutions do not establish a discipline record except pursuant to Multiple Offenses and University Sanctions.
    
    The ROTC units (both Army and Air Force) at the University of Massachusetts will be notified of any student involved in any integrity violation which includes Informal Resolutions as well as formal procedures.
    
    University of Massachusetts students enrolled in a course through the Five College Interchange are subject to the standards and procedures in force on the campus where the course is taught. If the University is notified that a student was charged with academic dishonesty and found responsible under another campus’ policy, the charge will be recorded by the University Academic Honesty Office as a formal charge and reported to the appropriate administrative offices as such. When a student from another campus enrolled in a course at the University participates in an informal resolution or is found responsible through a formal charge, the Academic Honesty Office will report this finding to the appropriate administrative office on that student’s home campus.

Source(s): Academic Regulations, Sen. Doc. No. 16-038A