Students

Scholastic Dishonesty, including, but not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, and collusion on an examination or an assignment being offered for credit. Each student is accountable for work submitted for credit, including group projects;

Cheating on an examination or an assignment includes:

• copying the work of another, allowing someone to copy, engaging in written, oral or any other means of communication with another, or giving aid to or seeking aid from another when not permitted by the instructor.
• using material during an examination or when completing an assignment that is not authorized by the person giving the examination or making the work assignment, including, but not limited to, electronic or digital devices such as calculators, cell phones, camera phones, scanner pens, personal digital assistants, or flash drives, etc.;
• taking or attempting to take an examination for another, or allowing another to take or attempt to take an examination for a student;
• using, obtaining, or attempting to obtain by any means, the whole or any part of an examination or work assignment that is not provided for your use by your instructor;
• resubmission of work which has previously been submitted for course credit at any educational institution, unless prior approval is received from both faculty;
• any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such an act;

Plagiarism means the unacknowledged incorporation of the work of another in work that is offered for credit;

Collusion means the unauthorized collaboration with another in preparing work that is offered for credit;

• Copying from or using another student’s assignment when completing your own assignment for credit when not expressly permitted by your instructor.
• Sharing an assignment with another student (thereby allowing them to copy it) when not permitted to do so by the instructor. This includes uploading past assignments to websites or sharing through electronic means such as email or GroupMe.
• Working with another individual on an assignment or exam when not expressly permitted to do so by the instructor. 
• Discussing exam questions, answers, or content with students who have not taken the exam yet or attempting to obtain exam questions, answers, or content before completing an exam. This includes obtaining publisher’s test banks which are specifically for faculty use.
• Possessing or using unauthorized materials when taking an exam.
• Copying words directly or using ideas from another source without giving credit to that source by properly citing the material.
• Resubmitting the whole or part an assignment that you previously submitted for credit without your instructor’s permission to do so.

Transitioning to online courses in response to COVID-19 may be challenging, especially if you are used to taking your classes in person. We have developed the following guide to help you navigate this transition and learn more about Academic Integrity in online environments.

My professor referred me for an alleged academic integrity violation.

What happens next?

If a student is disputing the allegations, the Office of Community Standards will email a summons letter to the student which outlines the allegations and schedules a meeting to discuss the allegations. Students are assigned a grade of Incomplete until their case is resolved.

What happens if I meet with my professor and want to accept responsibility for the violation?

Students who wish to accept responsibility for the violation after speaking with their professor should sign the faculty referral form. In general, if a student does not have a prior academic integrity violation, an outcome letter will be emailed to the student which will include any university sanctions that are appropriate for the specified violation. An additional meeting with Community Standards will not be scheduled.

The Office of Community Standards sends summons letters and request to appear letters to students either involved in or witness to a policy violation. Their letter will provide your student with a date and time for a meeting with a staff member. That meeting is your student’s opportunity to provide their perspective on the incident in question, so a staff member may investigate the information provided in the referral, to determine whether a student is responsible for a policy violation, and, if so, what sanction is appropriate.

The Office of Community Standards receives referrals and incident reports from faculty, staff, and students regarding a variety of policy violations. Anyone can submit a referral to our office on our File an Incident page

A hold may be placed on your enrollment either for failure to attend your meeting with a staff member, or if you failed to complete a disciplinary sanction by the assigned deadline. The hold will be removed once you meet with the staff member or complete the sanction.

All University students are expected to adhere to: the civil and penal statutes of the State of Texas and the United States, the Regents' Rules and Regulations of the University of Texas System, the rules and regulations of the University of Texas at Arlington, the orders or instructions issued by an administrative official of the University or UT System in the course of his/her duties, and the standards of conduct that are compatible with the University's function as an educational institution.

The hold will only be removed after you have either met with a staff member or you have completed all sanctions that are due.

Yes. Like other colleges and universities across the country, the University is subject to a federal law called the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (also called "FERPA" or the "Buckley Amendment"). FERPA sets privacy standards for student educational records and requires institutions to publish a compliance statement, including a statement of related institutional policies. Read more about FERPA and their regulations.

FERPA is the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (also called "FERPA" or the "Buckley Amendment"). It is enforced by the U.S. Department of Education, and it sets privacy standards for student educational records and requires institutions to publish a compliance statement, including a statement of related institutional policies. Read more about FERPA and their regulations.

A meeting with a staff member is your opportunity to speak with an Office of Community Standards staff member to discuss the allegations made against you in a referral. At this meeting, the referral will be discussed and you will be given the opportunity to give your perspective on the incident, present any relevant information, and to ask any questions you may have regarding the allegations. During the meeting, a staff member will inform you whether you are being found responsible for a policy violation and, if so, what the sanctions will be. In certain circumstances (if a suspension of rights and privileges, suspension, expulsion, or grade penalty are recommended), you may choose to either accept the outcome of the meeting or elect to have your case heard by a Hearing Officer at a hearing. If you have received a summons letter from the Office of Community Standards, and fail to attend the appointment or do not reschedule the appointment, a decision may be made in your absence, your case may be sent to a hearing, and/or a "hold" may be placed on your enrollment.

Meetings are held with just the student. However, a parent(s) can attend once their student has filled out a consent form allowing the release of confidential information to the specified parent(s). A parent will not be permitted in the meeting without this consent form. During this meeting, the parent will serve in an advisor role. This means that while your parent can attend the meeting with you, the conversation in the meeting will be between you and the staff member. Advisors are not allowed to participate in meetings unless they are an advisor for a hearing under UTA’s Sexual Misconduct Policy.

A hearing is the formal decision-making option you may choose if you dispute the facts alleged in the discipline meeting and the Office of Community Standards staff member has recommended a suspension of rights and privileges, suspension, expulsion, or grade penalty. A fair and impartial Hearing Officer will listen to evidence presented by both a representative from the Office of Community Standards and the student to make a decision on the alleged violations.

Students are encouraged to be aware of the policies in the Student Conduct and Discipline Policy. If you are accused of scholastic dishonesty, you may meet with your professor and either accept or deny responsibility. You may be able to resolve your concerns with your professor prior to meeting with a staff member from the Office of Community Standards. If you choose to dispute the allegation, do not meet with your faculty member, or a staff member feels it would be beneficial to discuss the incident with you, then a staff member from Community Standards may send you a summons letter setting a date and time for a meeting.

The Office of Community Standards does not review or pursue academic performance issues. All students are encouraged to talk directly with their professor about any grade concerns. If the issue is not resolved, you should discuss the matter with the dean or department chair. If you wish to dispute a grade penalty you received as a result of being found responsible for scholastic dishonesty, contact your academic department to file a grade grievance.