Academic Honor Policy | FSU Panama City

Florida State University is a proud member of the Center for Academic Integrity.
FSU Panama City facilitates its students' academic–misconduct allegations independently of the Tallahassee

The Academic Honor Policy (pdf)* is an integral part of the FSU academic environment. The policy outlines the University’s expectations for students’ academic work, the procedures for resolving alleged violations of those expectations, and the rights and responsibilities of students and faculty throughout the process. New students are introduced to the Academic Honor Policy at Orientation and pledge to uphold it at New Student Convocation. In surveys, students have indicated that the strength of an individual instructor’s message about the importance of academic integrity is the strongest deterrent to violating the Academic Honor Policy. Thus, instructors should remind students of their obligations under the policy and fully communicate their expectations to students. If an instructor encounters academic dishonesty, he/she should follow detailed procedures to resolve the alleged violation in a timely manner while protecting the personal and educational rights of the student.

Violations

Instructors are responsible for reinforcing the importance of the Academic Honor Policy in their courses and for clarifying their expectations regarding collaboration and multiple submission of academic work.

PLAGIARISM. Presenting the work of another as one's own (i.e., without proper acknowledgement of the source).
Typical Examples Include: Using another's work from print, web, or other sources without acknowledging the source; quoting from a source without citation; using facts, figures, graphs, charts, or information without acknowledgement of the source; utilizing ghostwriting or pay-for-paper services; submitting another’s work through online thesaurus software.
CHEATING. Improper access to or use of any information or material that is not specifically condoned by the instructor for use in the academic exercise.
Typical Examples Include: Copying from another student's work or receiving unauthorized assistance during a quiz, test, or examination; using books, notes or other devices (e.g., calculators, cell phones, or computers) when these are not authorized; procuring without authorization a copy of or information about an examination before the scheduled exercise; unauthorized collaboration on exams. This includes unauthorized actions taken on any social media platform.
UNAUTHORIZED GROUP WORK. Unauthorized collaborating.
Typical Examples Include: Working with another person or persons on any activity that is intended to be individual work, where such collaboration has not been specifically authorized by the instructor. This includes unauthorized actions taken on any social media platform.
FABRICATION, FALSIFICATION, AND MISREPRESENTATION. Unauthorized altering or inventing of any information or citation that affects grades given for academic work or attendance.
Typical Examples Include: Inventing or counterfeiting data or information; falsely citing the source of information; altering the record of or reporting false information about practicum or clinical experiences; altering grade reports or other academic records; submitting a false excuse for a class absence or tardiness in a scheduled academic exercise; lying to an instructor to increase a grade.
MULTIPLE SUBMISSION. Submitting the same academic work (including oral presentations) for credit more than once without instructor permission. It is each instructor’s responsibility to make expectations regarding whether students may incorporate existing work into new assignments clear in writing.
Typical Examples Include: Submitting the same paper for credit in two courses without instructor permission; making minor revisions in a credited paper or report (including oral presentations) and submitting it again as if it were new work.
ABUSE OF ACADEMIC MATERIALS. Intentionally damaging, destroying, stealing, or making inaccessible library or other academic resource material.
Typical Examples Include: Stealing or destroying library or reference materials needed for common academic purposes; hiding resource materials so others may not use them; destroying computer programs or files needed in academic work; stealing, altering, or intentionally damaging another student's notes or laboratory experiments. (This refers only to abuse as related to an academic issue.)
COMPLICITY IN ACADEMIC DISHONESTY. Intentionally helping another commit an act of academic dishonesty.
Typical Examples Include: Knowingly allowing another to copy from one's paper during an examination or test; distributing test questions or substantive information about the material to be tested before a scheduled exercise; deliberately furnishing false information.

Academic Honor Process

This section outlines the Academic Honor Process. Also refer to the Academic Honor Policy for specifications of each process.

Goals

To actively engage students and faculty in preventing academic dishonesty.
To sanction appropriately those who violate the policy and deter second offenses.

Authority and Responsibility

Instructors have authority to enter into a Student–Instructor Resolution with students who have no prior record of academic dishonesty.
Teaching Assistants may enter into a Student–Instructor Resolution with approval from supervising faculty.
Department chairs and deans are responsible for ensuring that the policy is being followed in their units.
The Associate Dean, Student & Strategic Initiatives is responsible for campus-wide implementation of the policy and support for faculty.
The Associate Dean, Student & Strategic Initiatives is responsible for helping students understand their rights within the process.

Common Pitfalls and Misconceptions

Instructors sometimes fail to warn students about unauthorized collaboration, especially within online platforms, and students often do not view collaboration as a violation.
Instructor lack of knowledge regarding the process or unwillingness to go forward sometimes keeps cases from being pursued.
Allegations are handled outside the process and are never documented as Student–Instructor Resolution. Thus, they do not create official prior records and result in grade changes that have no basis in policy.

Notification to the Associate Dean, Student & Strategic Initiatives

When an instructor believes that a student has violated the Academic Honor Policy in one of the instructor’s classes, the instructor must first contact the Associate Dean, Student & Strategic Initiatives to discover whether the student has a prior record of academic dishonesty in order to determine whether to proceed with a Student–Instructor Resolution or an Academic Honor Policy Hearing. The instructor must also inform the department chair or dean.

Advisor

The Academic Honor Policy affords all students involved in the University conduct process the right to an advisor (see section (7)(c)3). An advisor can be a friend, family member, faculty member, attorney, or anyone a student chooses. Regardless of who a student chooses to advise them, the advisor cannot speak for a student in the hearing unless authorized by the hearing body. Students will need to complete and submit the Advisor Request form to the FSU Panama City Associate Dean, Student & Strategic Initiatives (Holley A311) two (2) class days prior to their hearing in order for an advisor to be present at the hearing.

Witnesses

The student or hearing committee may call appropriate witnesses to provide information relevant to the alleged violations in a formal hearing.

Documents and Forms

Additional Resources

Contact Us

Dr. Irvin Clark
Associate Dean, Students & Strategic Initiatives
Holley Academic Center A311
(850) 770-2100
iclark2@pc.fsu.edu