Texas State Academic Honor Code

As members of a community dedicated to learning, inquiry and creation, the students, faculty and administration of our university live by the principles in this Honor Code. These principles require all members of this community to be conscientious, respectful and honest.

WE ARE CONSCIENTIOUS. We complete our work on time and make every effort to do it right. We come to class and meetings prepared and are willing to demonstrate it. We hold ourselves to doing what is required, embrace rigor, and shun mediocrity, special requests, and excuses.

WE ARE RESPECTFUL. We act civilly toward one another and we cooperate with each other. We will strive to create an environment in which people respect and listen to one another, speaking when appropriate, and permitting other people to participate and express their views.

WE ARE HONEST. We do our own work and are honest with one another in all matters. We understand how various acts of dishonesty, like plagiarizing, falsifying data, and giving or receiving assistance to which one is not entitled, conflict as much with academic achievement as with the values of honesty and integrity.

The Pledge for Students 

Students at our university recognize that, to ensure honest conduct, more is needed than an expectation of academic honesty, and we therefore adopt the practice of affixing the following pledge of honesty to the work we submit for evaluation:

I pledge to uphold the principles of honesty and responsibility at our university.

The Pledge for Faculty and Administration 

Faculty at our university recognize that the students have rights when accused of academic dishonesty and will inform the accused of their rights of appeal laid out in the student handbook and inform of the process that will take place. The statement is as follows: 

I recognize students' rights and pledge to uphold the principles of honesty and responsibility at our university.

Addressing Acts of Dishonesty

Students accused of dishonest conduct may have their cases heard by the faculty member. The student may also appeal the faculty member's decision to the Honor Code Council. Students and faculty will have the option of having an advocate present to insure their rights. Possible actions that may be taken range from exoneration to expulsion.

Academic Offenses

A.    Academic work means the preparation of an essay, thesis, report, problem assignment or other projects which are to be submitted for purposes of grade determination.

B.    Violation of the Honor Code includes, but is not limited to, cheating on an examination or other academic work, plagiarism, collusion and the abuse of resource materials. Cheating means engaging in any of the following activities:

1. Copying from another student's test paper, laboratory report, other report of computer files, data listing or programs.
2. Using, during a test, materials not authorized by person giving the test.
3. Collaborating, without authorization, with another person during an examination or in preparing academic work.
4. Knowingly, and without authorization, using, buying, selling, stealing, transporting, soliciting, copying, or possessing, in whole or in part, the content of an unadministered test.
5. Substituting for another student or permitting another person to substitute for oneself in taking an examination or preparing academic work.
6. Bribing another person to obtain an unadministered test or obtain information about an unadministered test.
7. Purchasing, or otherwise acquiring and submitting as one's own work any research paper or other writing assignment prepared by an individual or firm. This section does not apply to the typing of the rough or final versions of an assignment by a professional typist.

C.   Plagiarism means the appropriation of another's work and the unacknowledged incorporation of that work in one's own written work offered for credit.

D.   Collusion means the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written work offered for credit.

E.   Abuse of resource materials means the mutilation, destruction, concealment, theft or alteration of materials provided to assist students in the mastery of course materials.

Penalties for Academic Dishonesty

Students who have been found responsible for committing academic dishonesty may be subject to:

A.   Academic Penalties

1. A requirement to perform additional academic work not required of other students in the course;
2. A reduction to any level of the grade in the course, or on the examination or other academic work affected by violation of the Honor Code;
3. A requirement to withdraw from the course with a grade of F or a W.

B.   Disciplinary Penalties means any penalty that may be imposed in a student disciplinary matter pursuant to The Official Texas State Code of Student Conduct.
 

Procedures in Cases of Academic Dishonesty

A.   Initiation of Action

When a member of the faculty reasonably suspects that a student under the faculty member's supervision has violated the Honor Code, the faculty member will follow these procedures. The faculty member's proceedings are informal and are not adversarial. The faculty member may consult with his or her chair regarding the matter.

B.   Faculty Disposition

The faculty member will summon the student orally or in writing to a private, personal conference. At the meeting the faculty member will explain to the student both the suspected code violation and the evidence that supports the suspicion that the violation occurred. The faculty member may rely on documents and other written statements. If the faculty member relies on documents or written statements, the faculty member will provide the student with copies of such documents.

1. The faculty member will give the student at least three calendar days to respond to the suspected code violation. The student may respond in writing or in person at a subsequent meeting with the faculty member, as determined by the student. The student may be represented by legal counsel at any meeting. 
2. If the student fails to respond in the time that the faculty member provides, the faculty member may proceed to determine the matter as provided below.
3. The faculty member, after considering the evidence and the student's response, will determine whether the student violated the Honor Code and will notify the student of his or her determination and of any academic penalty assessed. The faculty member will also advise the student that the student may accept or reject either the faculty member's determination or any academic penalty.
   a. If the faculty member is not convinced that the student violated the Honor Code, the matter will end.
   b. If the faculty member is convinced that the student violated the Honor Code, the faculty member may assess an academic penalty as defined in Section 2.04.
   c. In addition to an academic penalty, a faculty member may recommend additional disciplinary action.
4. On the Honor Code Review Form, the faculty member shall:
   a. note his or her determination and any academic penalty;
   b. note any additional disciplinary penalty recommended;
   c. give the student an opportunity to indicate the student's acceptance or rejection of the faculty member's determination;
   d. sign and date the form; and
   e. deliver the form to the Coordinator of Student Justice with copies to the student and faculty member's dean.

C.   Convening the Honor Code Council

The dean of the college will convene the Honor Code Council if (1) the faculty member recommends an additional disciplinary penalty; (2) the student rejects the faculty member's determination; or (3) the student has a record of a previous violation of the Honor Code.

1. When the Honor Code Council convenes, it will give the student notice of the reported code violation, notice of the evidence that it has to support that violation, and an opportunity to respond, according to these procedures.
   a. Reviewing Academic Penalties. When the Honor Code Council reviews an academic penalty, it will ask the faculty member to submit, in writing, the documentation and evidence that supports the suspected offense, as well as any mitigating evidence. The Council will then provide the student with a copy of the faculty member's materials and an opportunity to respond to those materials within a reasonable time determined by the Council. The Council may request additional written materials from either party. The Council will consider all material submitted and make its recommendation as provided below.
   b. Reviewing Disciplinary Recommendations. When reviewing a recommendation for a disciplinary penalty, the Council will follow the applicable procedures for hearings in Section 03.05 of the Code of Student Conduct. These procedures include notice to the student of the charges and evidence of an Honor Code violation and an opportunity to respond to the charges and evidence at a hearing.
   c. Reviewing Cases Involving Both Academic Penalties and Disciplinary Recommendations. When reviewing cases that involve both an academic penalty and a recommendation for a disciplinary penalty, the Council will review the academic penalty under the procedures in subsection “a” above, and will review the disciplinary recommendation under the procedures in subsection “b” above.
2. After conducting its review, the Council will submit its findings and recommendations to the dean of the college where the alleged violation occurred. The dean will make a determination as to whether the student violated the Honor Code and, if so, as to whether to impose any academic or disciplinary penalty on the student.
   a. If the dean is not convinced that the student violated the Honor Code, the matter will end and the dean will remit the student's work to the faculty member for evaluation and grade assignment with supervision from the dean or the dean's representative.
   b. If the dean is convinced that the student violated the Honor Code, the dean may assess an academic penalty, a disciplinary penalty, or both.

D.   Appeal

Within five days of receiving the dean's written decision, the student may appeal in writing to the Provost and Vice President for Student Affairs. As provided in the Rules and Regulations of the Board of Regents, Texas State University System (Chapter VI, Section 5.36), the Provost will hear appeals of academic decisions and the Vice President for Student Affairs will hear appeals of disciplinary decisions. The Provost and Vice President for Student Affairs will render their decisions on the appeals within a reasonable time and will inform all parties, including the student and the faculty member, of their decisions. To appeal, the student should send written appeals to both officials. In both cases, grounds for appeal are limited to allegations that: 

1. Proper due process procedures were not followed. However, deviance from prescribed procedures will not necessarily invalidate a decision or proceeding unless they caused significant prejudice to the student;
2. The penalties assessed are not commensurate with the code violation committed; or
3. The university has violated a right guaranteed the student by the Constitution or laws of the United States or the state of Texas.