Graduate Students

Academic dishonesty is defined as any activity that compromises the academic integrity of the institution or subverts the educational process. Students are expected to behave honestly in their learning and in their behavior outside the classroom. Cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty undermine the value of a Miami education for everyone, and especially for the person who cheats.

The following actions are just a few examples of academic dishonesty:

• Conduct with respect to and during a quiz, examination, or similar evaluation
  • Possessing, referring to, or employing open textbooks or notes or other devices not authorized by the instructor.
  • Looking at or using information from another person's paper.
  • Using a copy of any unauthorized materials intended to be used in the preparation of a quiz or examination.
  • Taking a quiz or examination in the place of another person.
  • Utilizing another person to take a quiz or examination in place of oneself.
  • Changing material on a graded examination and then requesting a re-grading of the examination.
• Written and other assignments
  • Submitting an assignment purporting to be the student's original work that has been wholly or partly created by another person.
  • Presenting as one's own the work, ideas, representations, or words of another person without customary and proper acknowledgment of sources.
  • Knowingly permitting one's work to be submitted by another person as if it were the submitter's original work.
  • Submitting the identical or substantially the same assignment to fulfill the requirements for two or more courses without the approval of the instructors involved, or submitting the identical or substantially the same assignment from a previously completed course to fulfill requirements for another course without the approval of the instructor of the later course.
  • Violating procedures prescribed to protect the integrity of the assignment.

Back to top

This procedure includes the following steps:

1. Evidence of academic misconduct is reported to the instructor or examination proctor, who validates the claim. A written report of the alleged academic misconduct is prepared and sent to the department chair.
2. The department chair or designee notifies the accused student (in writing) of the charge of academic dishonesty, and the examination proctor (if appropriate), the instructor, and the chair or the designee meet with the accused student.
3. A meeting/hearing is held in which the department chair or designee presents the accused with the evidence, indicates what penalties are applicable, and allows the accused student to respond.
4. After the meeting, the department chair or designee determines whether the student has committed an act of academic dishonesty, and if so, the chair or designee, in consultation with the faculty member, imposes the applicable penalty.
5. A written notice of the decision is prepared and promptly sent by the chair to the accused student.

Back to top

The minimum penalty in any project, paper, quiz, or interim or final examination is failure for the project, paper, or test.

If an act of academic dishonesty is committed while taking a proficiency or waiver examination, the minimum penalty is failure for that examination.

The minimum penalty for serving as a substitute for another student, for arranging for a substitute for another student, or for acting as an intermediary agent or broker is suspension from the University.

The penalty for committing an act of academic dishonesty while engaged in research that will result in a master's thesis (or equivalent), a specialist in education thesis, or a doctoral dissertation to be submitted to the University is dismissal from the University.

Back to top

As a graduate student, instructor, or other person associated with a case of academic dishonesty, you may appeal a decision of the Graduate Council Committee on Academic Integrity to the Graduate Council only if evidence suggests that the committee followed improper procedures. In that case, you must request the appeal in writing within seven class days after receiving the report from the Graduate Council Committee on Academic Integrity.

To learn more about academic integrity and Miami's expectations of graduate students, see Part I, Section 5 of the 2010–2011 Graduate School Handbook (PDF 1.3MB).

Back to top

Cheating

Acting with intent to mislead or deceive.

Plagiarism

Quoting or closely paraphrasing the writings of others while leading the reader to believe that you are the author of the text.