Academic Integrity Policy

1. Introduction

Saint Peter’s University (SPU) does not condone nor tolerate any form of academic dishonesty.
The Saint Peter’s University community is committed to the Jesuit mission through education
that prepares students to “excel intellectually, lead ethically, serve compassionately,
and promote justice”. The Policy on Academic Integrity (PAI) represents the standards of
academic integrity as understood by Saint Peter’s University community of learners,
faculty, and the administration and sets forth the procedures to be followed when the
standards are violated. Ignorance of this policy does not merit a defense against any violations.
All students are bound by the Policy on Academic Integrity set forth below upon enrollment at
the University. All faculty, administrators and staff members are obliged to endorse and
distribute this policy and to ensure that the principles and value of the academic integrity is
discussed and any violation is reported.

2. Types of Academic Dishonesty

2.1 Cheating

Cheating is a serious form of academic dishonesty. It consists of copying, using or
accepting unauthorized assistance in connection with any assignment such as
examinations, tests, quizzes, and papers or any other academic work. Forms of cheating
include, but are not limited to:
i. copying from another student’s paper during a quiz, an exam or any other academic
assignments;
ii. allowing another student to copy from your paper during a quiz, an exam or any other
academic assignments;
iii. using unauthorized aids in an examination for your own or someone else’s benefit (for
example: a cheat sheet or notes, unauthorized use of electronic devices such as cell
phones, digital cameras, tablets, computers, or other electronic devices), unauthorized
live or virtual services to or from your classmates or a third party (including but not limited
to email, text message, phone call, virtual conference, etc.);
iv. providing and/or receiving questions of an examination, test, or quiz prior to its
administration from anyone other than the instructor of the course;
v. impersonating someone or knowingly being impersonated by someone to take an
examination, test, or quiz or to complete homework, paper, project or any other form of
academic assignment;

2.2 Plagiarism

Plagiarism is another serious form of academic dishonesty. It consists of using or purchasing
the ideas, data and writings of another person and using them as one's own.

Examples of plagiarism are:
i. incorporation of whole sentences and/or paragraphs from privately available or publicly
published materials into papers submitted as one's own work;
ii. submitting or presenting an assignment, term paper, computer program or lab report
partially or entirely prepared by someone else as one’s own work.
Note¹: If one properly acknowledges the sources of one's ideas or writing and citations,
plagiarism is effectively avoided. In cases of doubt, students should consult with their instructor
to clarify any ambiguities.

2.3 Falsification
Another form of academic dishonesty is falsification or misrepresentation, i.e. deliberately
furnishing false information with the intent to mislead fellow students, faculty, administrators or
representatives of the University for one’s own or other’s gain in an academic setting. It
includes, but is not limited to:

i. forgery and/or misrepresentation of signature(s) on academic documents (e.g. academic
transcripts, letters of recommendation, registration form, add/drop form, withdrawal form,
grade change form);
ii. falsification, alteration or fabrication of academic, internship, practicum, or other
records/reports involved in the teaching-learning processes of any program at the
University. For example, altering any work that has been graded by the instructor and
resubmitting for a better grade, fabrication of data, etc.;
iii. falsification of any other writings concerning any other academic matters. Although most
falsification cases involve written records, any verbal misrepresentation or lying to faculty
or representatives of the University for one’s own or other’s gain in academics is also
considered falsification.

2.4 Other Forms of Academic Dishonesty
i. Unapproved collaboration or assistance on a quiz, test, exam, project, lab report, term
paper, or other forms of academic activities;

ii. Submission of the same paper or project to more than one course during the time the
student is attending the University, without the explicit permission from all instructors
involved;

iii. Unauthorized recording of lecture or distribution of course material developed by faculty
member or by publishers that is intended for instructional use only (for monetary gain, or
otherwise).

iv.  The use of an Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) service or services (such as ChatGPT, Claude, Llama, Perplexity, DALL-E, Midjourney, Bard, etc.) to generate work and subsequently present the work (partially or in its entirety) as ones own is normally considered a form of academic dishonesty. Authorized use of A.I. for academic purposes is at the discretion of the instructor of the course, or as specified in the course syllabus.

3. Procedures

3.1 Initial Process

i. When a faculty member has reason to suspect an act of academic dishonesty by a student,
the faculty member shall inform the student in writing to the student’s Saint Peter’s email
address within five business days of the discovery of the academic dishonesty, and request
to confer with the student(s) on the matter within five business days of the initial written
communication.
ii. Upon discussing the incident with the student, and hearing the response from the student
and considering the evidence provided by the faculty member and student, presenting
supporting evidence, explaining the prospective sanction (e.g. a reduced or failing grade on
the assignment or a failing grade in the course), and hearing the concerns from the student,
the following may occur:

(a) if the faculty member concludes that no violation of PAI has occurred, no further
action will occur.
(b) if the faculty member concludes that a violation of the PAI has occurred, a
sanction will be imposed according to the course syllabus distributed to the student(s) at
the beginning of the semester (for example: the faculty will give a failing grade on the
assignment). The faculty member must also file an Academic Dishonesty Report (ADR)
with the Dean of the school/college in which the course is offered along with any
supporting documents for filing in the student’s academic folder. Copies of the ADR and
supporting documents will be sent to the Chair of the Department in which the student’s
major and/or minor resides, and to the student in question via the student’s Saint Peter’s
University’s email address.

iii. If the student does not respond to the faculty member within five business days of the initial
written communication, the faculty member shall make another attempt to communicate
with the student. If both attempts fail, after ten business days of the initial written
communication, the faculty member will decide whether a violation of the policy of
academic integrity has occurred, and follow ii (a) – (b).
iv. When a non-faculty employee has reason to suspect an act of academic dishonesty by a
student, the employee shall inform the chair of the department in which the student’s major
program resides. In case a student is majoring in multiple programs in different
departments, all department chairs involved shall be informed. The chair(s) will act in the
role of the “faculty member” following ii (a) – (b).

3.2 Appeal to the Dean’s Office
In the event that the student does not agree with the faculty member’s determination of the
violation of PAI and/or the sanction, the student may file an appeal in writing within five business
days upon receipt of the ADR by the Dean of the College/School in which the course is offered.
In case of cross-listing among multiple college(s)/school(s), the dean’s office with which the
faculty member is affiliated will assume the responsibility of the investigation and communicate
the results to the other college(s)/school(s).
The Dean’s office shall decide the appeal no later than 90 days from the receipt of the appeal.
During the investigation of the case, any sanction imposed by the faculty member shall be
suspended. The student(s) shall be allowed to attend classes and participate in any other
academic activities related to the course as usual.

During an active investigation of an appeal, a dean’s hold will be placed on the student’s
academic account. The student will not be able to withdraw from the course.
If the final grade has to be posted during the investigation, a grade incomplete (IC) shall be
posted by the faculty member until the conclusion of the investigation, at which time, a change
of grade form shall be completed by the faculty member to give the student a final grade.
The decision by the appropriate dean’s office shall be communicated to the student involved in
writing to the student’s Saint Peter’s University email address. If the conclusion of the
investigation is against the student(s), the ADR will be included in the student’s academic
folder(s) and considered as one count of violation of PAI.

3.3 Dean’s Office Sanctions
All Academic Deans’ offices will collectively maintain the record of a student’s ADRs. Upon
confirming a violation of PAI, the appropriate dean’s office will be responsible to file the ADR in
the student’s academic folder, as well as sharing the information with other academic deans,
along with the student’s major/minor department chair(s).
In addition to the sanction a student receives on an individual violation of PAI, based on the
student’s pattern of behavior (i.e. the count of ADRs on record), the sanctions by the
appropriate dean’s office shall be:

First violation: The appropriate dean’s office shall refer to the syllabus of the course, and shall
uphold the sanction applied by the faculty member. In the case that such a policy is missing in
the syllabus, the appropriate dean’s office will impose a sanction, up to the maximum of a failing
grade (“F”) or a zero on the assignment in consultation with the faculty member.

Second violation: If a second violation occurs, the sanction is a failing grade (“F”) in the course
and the student shall not be allowed to withdraw from the course and a Dean’s hold will be
added. Upon the confirmation of the second violation, the student will also be placed on academic
probation immediately.

Third violation: If a third violation is confirmed, regardless of what prior course(s) were involved,
the student will receive a failing grade (“F”) in the course and shall not be allowed to withdraw
from the course, regardless of whether the determination of the third violation is made prior to
the withdrawal deadline posted by the Registrar’s Office. In addition, the student will be
suspended from the University with a specified period ranging from one semester to one year,
starting from the semester following the third violation. If the student does not agree with the
sanction, he/she will have the right to appeal to the academic integrity hearing board (AIHB).
Fourth violations: If a violation further than the third is confirmed, regardless of what prior
course(s) were involved, the student will receive in a failing grade (“F”) in the course and shall
not be allowed to withdraw from the course. The student will also be dismissed from the
University immediately. If the student does not agree with the sanction, he/she will have the
right to appeal to the academic integrity hearing board (AIHB).

4. The Academic Integrity Hearing Board (AIHB) 
If the sanction is academic suspension or dismissal from the university and the student refutes
the decision of from the appropriate dean’s office, as a final measure, an appeal shall be filed in
writing to the Academic Integrity Hearing Board (AIHB) at aihb@saintpeters.edu within ten
business days of the receipt of the decision from the appropriate dean’s office. The AIHB will
make a final decision on whether to sustain or overturn the appropriate dean’s decision based
on a simple majority vote. The decision by the AIHB will be final. At the conclusion of the
hearing, the chair of the AIHB will communicate the decision and its rationale in writing to the
appropriate dean’s office, with a copy of the decision sent to the student’s Saint Peter’s
University email address. A copy of the AIHB’s decision will be included in the student’s
academic folder.