Academic
Discipline Procedures of the Graduate School
Committee on Academic Standards
I. Rationale
for Academic Discipline
In order to ensure
that the academic competence of students
be judged fairly, and to promote the integrity
of graduate education, the Graduate School
embraces two broad principles: (1) No honest
student should be put to a disadvantage
because of the dishonesty of another student;
(2) Penalties should be commensurate with
the misdemeanors.
II. Definition
of Academic Misconduct
Academic misconduct
is a student's own conduct which intentionally
misrepresents his or her own academic accomplishments,
or which jeopardizes the fair judging of
another student's academic work.
III. Violations
Any attempt to be dishonest
or deceptive in the performance of academic
work, in or out of the classroom, or any
attempt to alter academic records or any
collaboration with another student or students
in an act of academic misconduct, constitutes
an offense. Although not necessarily exhaustive,
the following define such violations:
A. Cheating
on Examinations: Any attempt by
a student to alter his or her performance
on an examination in violation of that examination's
stated or commonly understood ground rules.
B. Plagiarism:
Any attempt by a student to represent the
work of another as his or her own. This
includes copying answers of another student
on an oral or written examination or copying
or substantially restating the work of another
person or persons in any oral or written
work without citing the appropriate source,
or collaborating with someone else in an
academic endeavor without acknowledging
that person's contribution.
C. Misrepresentation
or Falsification of Data presented
for surveys, experiments, etc.
D. Theft of
an Examination: Stealing
or otherwise discovering and/or making
known to others the contents of an
examination that has not yet been
administered.
E. Forgery,
Alteration or Knowing Misuse of
graded examination, grade lists, or official
records or documents such as transcripts,
letters of recommendation, etc., alterations
of examinations or other work after submission.
F. Theft or
Destruction of Examinations after
submission for the purpose of covering up
possible poor performance.
G. Failure to
Comply with the Sanctions imposed
under the authority of the Committee on
Academic Standards.
IV. Administrative
Actions
A. Departmental
Level
Departmental action
is required under any circumstances involving
a suspected or known violation by a current
or former student, whether that student
was enrolled in a GRS course or in a course
outside of GRS. The Department Chairperson
must be notified in writing of these circumstances,
and he or she will constitute an Academic
Discipline Committee which shall consist
of two graduate students and two faculty
members. The Department Chairperson will
notify the student(s), in writing, of the
nature of the charge(s); the right to legal
counsel, if desired; and the date of the
hearing.
This Committee shall
hold a meeting to hear all parties involved;
a decision shall be made with the Chairperson
voting in case of a tie.
Actions which a Departmental
Committee may take are:
--no penalty
--recommend to faculty
to change grade or give "F" grade
--reprimand (nature
of which may be determined by the department)
--refer to Graduate
School
The Department Chairperson
will notify the student in writing of the
Departmental Academic Discipline Committee's
decision.
B. Graduate
School Level
When a current or former
student wishes to appeal the decision made
by a Departmental Academic Discipline Committee,
or if a Departmental Committee cannot reach
a resolution, or if a Department wishes
to recommend a penalty other than the one
allowed, the case is referred to the Associate
Dean of the Graduate School.
The Associate Dean may
initiate action by appointing a Sub-committee
of three regular members of the Committee
on Academic Standards (one will act as Chair
and vote only in a tie), and two graduate
students from the GRS student body.
The CAS Sub-Committee
will hold a hearing with all parties involved.
The Subcommittee may take the following
actions:
--reprimand (nature
of which may be determined by Subcommittee)
--disciplinary probation
--expulsion
--recommend revocation
of degree (see Section V for detailed
information)
The penalty will have
a final review by the Associate Dean of
GRS before written notice of the decision
is sent to the student.
C. Non-GRS Student
Violations
The Departmental level
procedures are to be followed:
--If the student charged
with academic misconduct is in the BA/MA
program, registered in CLA, and the offense
occurs in a GRS course;
--or if the student
is registered in another School or College
within Boston University;
--or if the student
is cross-registered from an outside university.
In each instance the
Department may refer the case immediately
to the GRS Associate Dean, who will consult
with the student's home department or school
to determine if the issue is to be handled
by the Graduate School.
D. Appeals
A student may appeal
the judgment or penalty to the Associate
Dean and/or the Dean of CLA/GRS, who shall
review the documentation and may refer the
appeal to the Subcommittee for clarification
and comments. A re-hearing, normally, will
be ordered only if new evidence is presented.
After the rehearing, a recommendation to
the Associate Dean is to be made, but penalties
may not be more severe than originally proposed.
Appeals which have been denied by the Associate
Dean and/or the Dean of CLA/GRS may be addressed
to the Vice President for Academic Affairs
and ultimately the President.
V. Documentation
of Disciplinary Action
A. Where "no penalty"
is given, no record of the charge shall
remain in the student's departmental file,
in the student's GRS file or on his/her
Permanent Record Card.
B. A change of grade
or an "F" grade will be made on
the student's Permanent Record Card.
C. A copy of a reprimand
shall be placed in the student's departmental
file and in the student's GRS file. It shall
not be recorded on the Permanent Record
Card. Past reprimands may be considered
in imposing sanctions for further offenses.
A reprimand is not made public when records,
transcripts, etc., are sent out.
D. Disciplinary probation
is established for a specified period of
time. It is recorded on the student's Permanent
Record Card for the period of probation.
Following the period of probation, it is
recorded on the back of the card and is
not made public when records, transcripts,
etc., are sent out.
E. Expulsion is recorded
on the Permanent Record Card and in all
student files. Expulsion is permanent.
F. Revocation of degree
(procedures which shall be followed after
appeals by student have been denied):
--CAS makes recommendation
to GRS Faculty and CLA/GRS Dean
--GRS Faculty makes
recommendation to Trustees; CLA/GRS
Dean writes
to President requesting Trustee action
--Board of Trustees
conducts an independent review
--If the degree is rescinded,
the President sends a certified letter to
Boston University library asking that thesis/dissertation
be removed from files
--University Counsel
sends certified letter to student informing
him/her of revocation of degree.
*These procedures were unanimously approved
by the Graduate School Committee on Academic
Standards at its meeting 4 February 1982,
Professor Frances K. Grossman, Chair. Revised
by the Committee at its meeting December
10, 1986, Professor Marvin Freedman, Chair.
0356R/12/86
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