Academic Honesty

Using or attempting to use unauthorized assistance, materials, information, or study aids in any academic exercise. Submitting substantial portions of the same academic work more than once without permission, or using another person as a substitute to take an examination or quiz.

Altering a score, grade, schedule change form or academic record; forging an instructor’s or another student’s signature.

Offering a bribe or making a threat or coercion related to a grade or an academic exercise.

Falsification or invention of any information, data, research or citation in any academic exercise.

Representing as one’s own in any academic exercise the words or ideas of another, including but not limited to, quoting or paraphrasing without proper citation.

Helping or attempting to help another commit an act of academic dishonesty.

Appeals must be submitted within seven (7) class days from the date of the outcome notification letter. The link to an online appeal form is found in the outcome notification letter.

An appeal shall be based on new evidence, procedural error and/or error in interpretation of evidence. Severity of the sanction is not considered grounds for appeal unless it exceeds the maximum, which would be a procedural error.

NGR (no grade received) is a placeholder used to signify that an academic honesty violation has been reported. The NGR is replaced with the final grade in the course at the end of semester.

A student must work with their academic dean or designee to drop a course when an NGR has been assigned. Permission to drop the course will only be granted if all the following apply:

• The request to drop the course was made to the student’s college prior to the last day for any course to be dropped;
• The academic honesty case has been resolved; AND
• Any assigned sanction(s) from the case did not include an F/WF.

Jeremy T. Zilmer, Ph.D, Dean of Students/Senior Deputy Title IX Coordinator
jzilmer@bgsu.edu
419-372-2843

Kim Caris, Assistant to the Academic Honesty Coordinator
kcaris@bgsu.edu
419-372-5312

Faculty members are encouraged to include in the introduction of a course and the course syllabus:

• A statement of the application of the Academic Honesty Policy within a particular course provided that it is consistent with the policy.
• The statement that every instance of dishonesty will be addressed.
• The definition of plagiarism and proper citation consistent with the accepted style (e.g., APA, MLA).

Initiate discussions that emphasize ethical and principled intellectual pursuit, consistent with the Core Values of the University, and denounce dishonest academic conduct.

Remove temptation to potential violations insofar as possible.

If using the Respondus Lockdown Browser or other similar software, instructors should particularly address the following: 

• Is an environment scan required before/during/after completing the assignment? 
• What does an acceptable environmental scan include/involve? 
• What happens if an acceptable environmental scan is not completed? 
• Can students use any resources during the assignment?
• For example, can students use scratch paper to formulate their answers for the assignment?
• Can students refer to other materials (e.g., websites or print information) while completing the assignment? 
• What sanctions will be imposed on students found violating the policies?  

Since online assessments afford less oversight by instructors than face-to-face assessments, they may lead to an increase in instances of academic dishonesty. Technology (e.g., Lockdown) cannot completely mitigate cheating.

To make instances of academic dishonesty less likely, instructors should consider using assessments that are difficult to cheat. Some strategies include: 

• Setting a time limit that is just long enough for students to complete a quiz but not long enough for them to search out answers using external sources. 
• Creating questions that require higher order thinking such that students cannot simply find the answers by doing a web search. 
• Using Canvas features such as question banks and randomized question order to automatically build unique versions of a quiz for each student.

Cases of academic dishonesty shall be reported by completing and submitting the Academic Honesty Violation Report form found online at BGSU See It. Hear It. Report It.

Make a good faith effort to meet and confer with the student within five (5) class days and prior to making a decision in the case.

During the meeting, discuss with the student the nature of the charge(s) and the evidence in the case as well as provide the student the opportunity to examine/challenge the evidence and explain what occurred.

Give the student two (2) class days after the meeting to provide any additional information.

Within five (5) class days after the meeting (or after having made a good faith effort to meet with the student), make a determination in the case.

• If the instructor determines that no violation of the Academic Honesty Policy has occurred, no action will be taken against the student. The instructor shall notify the student out this outcome.
• If the instructor determines that a violation of the Academic Honesty Policy has occurred, the instructor is required to complete/submit the Academic Honesty Violation Report form found online at BGSU See It. Hear It. Report It.

Jeremy T. Zilmer, Ph.D, Dean of Students/Senior Deputy Title IX Coordinator
jzilmer@bgsu.edu
419-372-2843

Kim Caris, Assistant to the Academic Honesty Coordinator
kcaris@bgsu.edu
419-372-5312