Standards and Regulations Home

Academic integrity is the pursuit of scholarly activity in an open, honest, and responsible manner. Academic integrity is a guiding principle for all academic activity at Loyola University Chicago, and all members of the University community are expected to act in accordance with this principle.

Standards

Failing to meet the following standards is a serious violation of personal honesty and the academic ideals that bind the University into a learning community. These standards apply to both individual and group assignments. Individuals working in a group may be held responsible if one of the group members has violated one or more of these standards.

1. Students may not plagiarize.

a. Plagiarism involves taking and using specific words, phrases, or ideas of others without proper acknowledgement of the sources. Students may not:

1. Submit material copied from a published or unpublished source.

2. Submit material that is not cited appropriately.

3. Use another person's unpublished work or examination material.

4. Allow or pay another party to prepare or write an assignment.

5. Purchase, acquire, or use a pre-written assignment for credit.

2. Students may not submit the same work for credit for more than one assignment (known as self-plagiarism).

a. If a student plans to submit work with similar or overlapping content two or more times for any purpose, the student should consult with all instructors prior to submission of the work to make certain that such submission will not violate this standard.

3. Students may not fabricate data.

a. All experimental data, observations, interviews, statistical surveys, and other information collected and reported as part of academic work must be authentic. Any alteration, e.g., the removal of statistical outliers, must be clearly documented. Data must not be falsified in any way.

4. Students may not collude.

a. Students may not work with others on any exam, assignment or portion of an assignment without permission from the instructor.

b. Students’ work with one another on an exam or assignments may not exceed the terms of their instructors’ directions for collaboration as part of the assignment.

c. Students may not use work submitted by another student in a previous semester of a course.

5. Students may not cheat.

a. Students may not obtain, distribute, or communicate examination materials prior to the scheduled examination without the consent of the instructor.

b. Students may not take an examination by proxy. Taking or attempting to take an exam for someone else is a violation by both the student enrolled in the course and the proxy.

c. Students may not attempt to change answers after an examination or an assignment has been submitted.

d. Students may not falsify medical or other documents for any reason.

e. Students may not use unauthorized study aids in an exam. Examples include, but are not limited to:

i. Bringing notes into an exam that does not allow outside materials.

ii. Programming equations into a calculator when the instructor has indicated that students are to be tested on the recall of those same equations.

iii. Using any electronic device that allows students to look up, translate, calculate, or communicate information with someone else.

6. Students may not facilitate academic misconduct.

a. For example, a student may not allow another student to copy from their exam or give their own work to another student.

 Sanctions

1. An instructor is responsible for determining the sanctions for academic misconduct in the course sections they teach. Minimally, the instructor will assign the grade of a zero for the assignment or examination. The instructor may choose to impose a penalty grade of “F” for the course.

2. Deans may add and/or elevate the initial sanctions based on a student’s conduct history, such as a penalty grade of “F” for the course, suspension, expulsion, and/or the inclusion of educational assignments.

3. Only the Provost may impose the sanction of expulsion as recommended by a dean. The Provost’s decision is final.

Process

1. Instructors will gather the appropriate information and documentation when they suspect an instance of academic misconduct has occurred. The standard of evidence required for an instructor to determine responsibility is known as a “preponderance of the evidence.” This means the instructor must determine that it is more likely than not that an alleged violation occurred based on the totality of available evidence.

2. If instructors conclude an instance of academic misconduct has occurred, then they will determine the sanction as it relates to the course.

3. Instructors will notify the student of their findings and sanction.

4. Instructors will also report the instance of academic misconduct, including supporting documentation, to the Department Chair and the academic Dean’s office.

5. The academic Dean’s office will notify the student that the instance of academic misconduct has been reported. This instance will also be reported to the University’s centralized database.

a. The initial sanction determined by the instructor may be reviewed by the academic Dean’s office.

b. The final sanction will be included in the notification.

6. Incident reports and supporting materials regarding the academic misconduct are part of the student’s academic record.

a. The student has the right to place a statement in the record commenting on contested information in the record or stating why the student disagrees with the decision of the University.

b. The University must maintain the statement with the contested part of the record for as long as the record is maintained.

c. The University must disclose the statement whenever it discloses the portion of the record to which the student’s statement relates.

d. Submitted statements must be sent to the student’s academic Dean’s Office.

Appeals

1. Students retain the right to appeal the determination made at any stage of the process outlined above using the Academic Grievance Procedure described below.

2. The decision of the academic Dean’s office is final in all cases except expulsion.

Academic Grievance Procedure: Academic Misconduct

1. If a student chooses to contest a finding of academic misconduct, the student's first step is to confer directly with the instructor.

2. If a student and instructor are unable to resolve the issue relating to academic misconduct and the student still chooses to contest the finding, the student may appeal by submitting a formal appeal request (see form) via Loyola email to the Department Chair/Associate Dean (when applicable) no later than 30 days into the following semester.

a. If the dispute occurs within a class in the spring or summer semester, the student must submit the appeal no later than 30 days into the fall semester.

b. If the dispute occurs within a class in the fall or J-term, the student must submit the appeal no later than 30 days into the spring semester.

c. For a course offered by the School of Continuing and Professional Studies, the student must submit the appeal no later than 30 days after the final grade is officially posted.

3. The Department Chair and/or Dean’s designee determines whether or not there are grounds for an appeal.

a. When the Department Chair and/or Dean’s designee determines there are no grounds for an appeal, the student will be notified that a hearing board will not be convened.

i. If the student disagrees with the determination by the Department Chair and/or Dean’s designee, the student may appeal to the appropriate academic Dean. In cases where the student is enrolled in a school other than the one in which the course is taught, the academic Deans of the two schools will review the appeal together.

ii. The academic Dean’s office will notify the student of the final decision.

b. When the Department Chair and/or Dean’s designee determines there are grounds for an appeal, the student will be notified that a hearing board will be convened.

4. Each department will have a standing hearing board or have the means to constitute a hearing board for each dispute. Board members are chosen by the Department Chair and/or Dean’s designee and will consist of three to five faculty members other than the faculty member involved or Department Chair. In smaller departments or interdisciplinary programs, board members may be members of different departments.

5. The chairperson of each hearing board will be selected by the person who appoints the hearing board. The chairperson of the hearing board receives all requests for hearings from the department, sets the calendar, notifies all involved parties of the dates and times of hearings and informs students by written notice of the decisions of the board.

6. The hearing will be held within two weeks of the receipt of the request for a hearing, if practicable.

7. The hearing will be private and all information will be held confidential.

8. Both the student and the faculty member involved may be accompanied by one advisor of their choice throughout the hearing process. The individual must inform the chairperson of the hearing board of the name of the advisor before the hearing date.

a. The role of an advisor is to provide a comforting presence for the student and/or instructor. An advisor may only speak to the advisee. An advisor may not ask questions, interject, advocate for, or otherwise speak on behalf of the advisee. Even if an advisor is an attorney, the advisor may not function as legal counsel or “represent” an advisee during the hearing process.

b. If any advisor conducts themselves in a manner inconsistent with these guidelines, or if the advisor’s behavior obstructs or interferes with the hearing process, the advisor will be warned by the board.

c. If the advisor’s interfering behavior continues or if the advisor engages in a manner that harasses, abuses, or intimidates any other participant, the advisor will be excused from the hearing immediately.

9. The student and/or instructor have the option of submitting relevant materials to the hearing board prior to or at the time of the hearing. Individuals in the hearing process have the responsibility of presenting truthful information.

10. The board may address questions to any party.

11. The chairperson of the hearing board determines the hearing procedures (e.g. location, order of proceedings, determining what evidence is relevant, determining if additional information is needed, etc.). The standard of evidence required for a board to determine responsibility is known as a “preponderance of the evidence.” This means the board must determine that it is more likely than not that an alleged violation occurred based on the totality of available evidence.

12. All decisions of the board must be determined by a majority vote of the hearing board members. A final decision must be rendered by the board by the end of the hearing process.

13. The student and instructor will be informed in writing by the chairperson of the board's decision within two weeks of the hearing. The decision is also shared with the Department Chair and/or Dean’s designee.

14. Should the student wish to contest the hearing board’s decision, the student must submit in writing (via Loyola email) an appeal letter to the Dean and/or Dean’s designee within 30 days of notice of the hearing board’s decision.

a. The appeal letter must clearly identify the grounds for the appeal with appropriate supporting documentation. Mere disagreement or dissatisfaction with the decision does not constitute a basis for an appeal.

b. The grounds to appeal the board’s decision must include one or more of the following criteria:

i. New substantive information is available that could not have been discovered by a diligent respondent at the time of the hearing and that would have likely changed the outcome of the case.

ii. A substantive procedural error or error in the interpretation of University policy occurred that denied the student the right to a fair hearing and decision.

iii. The decision is significantly incongruent with the established facts presented at the hearing.

15. Should the instructor wish to contest the hearing board’s decision, the instructor must submit in writing (via Loyola email) an appeal letter to the Dean and/or Dean’s designee within 30 days of notice of the hearing board’s decision.

a. The appeal letter must clearly identify the grounds for the appeal with appropriate supporting documentation. Mere disagreement or dissatisfaction with the decision does not constitute a basis for an appeal.

b. The grounds to appeal the board’s decision must include one or more of the following criteria:

i. New substantive information is available that could not have been discovered by a diligent respondent at the time of the hearing and that would have likely changed the outcome of the case.

ii. A substantive procedural error or error in the interpretation of University policy occurred.

iii. The decision is significantly incongruent with the established facts presented at the hearing.

16. Upon receipt of the appeal letter, the Dean and/or the Dean’s designee will review the appeal to determine whether or not to uphold the decision of the hearing board.

The student and the instructor will be notified by the Dean’s office of the final decision. This Dean and/or the Dean’s designee decision is final and binding.