Academic Integrity: Guide and Reporting

This guide provides faculty with practical strategies to promote academic integrity in their courses and clear steps for responding when a potential violation occurs. It focuses on proactive course design, clear communication with students, and consistent processes that support fairness and learning.

Table of Contents

• What is Academic Integrity?
• Promoting Academic Integrity Through Course Design
• Reporting an Academic Integrity Violation
• Additional Resources

What is Academic Integrity?

According to the ASU Student Academic Integrity Policy, students are expected to act with honesty and integrity while completing academic assignments. Academic integrity violations can fall into any of the following broad categories:

• Cheating on an academic evaluation or assignment
• Plagiarism
• Academic deceit, such as fabricating data, information, or documentation
• Aiding others in committing integrity violations or inappropriately collaborating
• Falsifying academic records

Promoting Academic Integrity Through Course Design

Clear expectations and intentional course design can help promote academic integrity before problems arise. Instructors can support students by:

• Clearly communicating expectations for collaboration, citation, outside resources, and generative AI.
• Using assignments and assessments that align with course learning outcomes and make student thinking visible.
• Providing multiple opportunities for students to demonstrate learning rather than relying exclusively on a small number of high-stakes assessments.
• Using clear assignment instructions and rubrics so students understand what successful work looks like.
• Discussing the importance of academic integrity within the discipline and connecting students with support when they are struggling.
• Using Canvas settings, plagiarism detection, or proctoring tools when they are appropriate for the assessment.

For more strategies, including assessment design, course expectations, generative AI, and reasons students may engage in academic dishonesty, see our TLC Guide on Promoting Academic Integrity in Your Course.

Reporting an Academic Integrity Violation

If you believe one of your students has committed an act of academic dishonesty in your course, follow the process outlined below. If an agreement can’t be reached during this step, continue to the next step to escalate.

1. Communicate with the student
   1. Send an email to the student notifying them of your concern and requesting a meeting. The email should include a response deadline.
   2. Meet with the student face-to-face or via Zoom. Either the instructor or the student may request a third party be present. The Curriculum and Academic Support Manager is available to attend the meeting upon request.
2. Submit evidence to the Arizona State University Academic Affairs Report Form.
   1. Include your syllabus, a copy of the assignment, any related evidence, and a detailed description of the allegation.
3. Violation under review
   1. The AIO contacts the reporting instructor regarding the incident.
   2. The AIO sends a notification to the student regarding the allegation and sanction, including their right to appeal.
4. Student appeal and committee hearing
   1. The student has 10 business days after the AIO notification to appeal. If the student does not file a timely appeal, the sanction will become final.
   2. If the student files an appeal, they must meet with the Academic Integrity Officer to discuss the next steps.
   3. The AIO schedules a hearing of The College Student Affairs and Grievance Committee.
      • The instructor (or unit representative) is asked to participate in the hearing in order to present the details, including all evidence related to the violation, as well as justification for the sanction.
      • The student is required to participate in the hearing in order to present the details, including any relevant evidence related to their appeal of the allegation and/or sanction.
   4. After the hearing, the committee makes a written recommendation to the Dean.
5. Final determination
   1. The Dean reviews the case and the committee's written recommendation, and then makes a final determination on the appeal.
   2. The AIO notifies all parties involved of the Dean's final determination.
   3. Unless the sanction is suspension or expulsion from the university, the student has no further appeal options.

If you have further questions regarding academic integrity, contact Scot Schoenborn ([email protected]).

Additional Resources

• TLC Guide: Syllabus and Policies for Generative AI
• TLC Guide: Designing Writing Assignments with AI in Mind
• ASU Provost: Academic Integrity