Welcome! This page provides information and resources about academic integrity, defined by Penn State as “the pursuit of scholarly activity in an open, honest and responsible manner,” which includes “a commitment by all members of the University community not to engage in or tolerate acts of falsification, misrepresentation or deception.” (see Senate policy 49-20).

Senate Policy 43-00 requires course educators to provide students with a course syllabus that includes the academic integrity policy for the course and provides a recommended syllabus statement. Educators can find customizable language around students’ use of AI in the ‘Faculty Resources’ section of the University’s Academic Integrity Resources page, and both students and educators can find helpful academic integrity resources, including FAQS, on this webpage.

When an educator believes, for reasons beyond mere suspicion, that a student has attempted to violate or has violated a course academic integrity policy or assessment instruction in a way that (would have) affected the quality of the academic work, then they should submit an academic integrity claim. Educators are strongly encouraged to make reasonable attempts to discuss the situation with the student before they submit.

Because academic integrity information may become part of a student's academic record and conduct record, educators should strive to keep such information confidential. Those with questions or educators seeking consultation may consult with their Academic Integrity Contact Person (follow the ‘Contacts’ link located near the top left corner of the page). At Behrend, this is Dr. Sarah Whitney ([email protected]). Educators seeking consultation from administrators or colleagues should take care to protect the identities of those who are allegedly involved.

  • Graduate Students/Undergraduates in Graduate Classes: For information about the academic integrity process for graduate students and for undergraduates taking graduate classes, including the composition of the Graduate Academic Integrity Committee, policies, procedures, and sanctioning guidelines, see GCAC-805 Academic Integrity.
  • Undergraduate Students: For information about the academic integrity process for undergraduate students outside of graduate classes, see policy G-9 Academic Integrity and the Undergraduate Sanctioning Guidelines for Academic Integrity Violations. Schreyer honors students should also consult the Schreyer Honors College Student Handbook.

Behrend-Specific Information

The Behrend academic integrity committee is composed of participants from different groups: voting faculty recommended by their School Director, voting undergraduates recommended and trained by the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Resolution (OSACR), and an OSACR staff representative who serves as a non-voting observer. Behrend procedures stipulate at least three voting members are required for a quorum.

Students may exercise the option to have either a live (Zoom) hearing about their case where they participate, or to request a document review in which the committee reviews (either asynchronously or by Zoom) the written information contained in the claim and issues an outcome.

The basic workflow of a hearing:

  • The chair will call the group to order, explain the roles of the committee members, and read the charges.
  • The educator and the student are asked (sequentially) Do you want to explain, in your own words, your side of the alleged incident and present any documentation of the alleged academic integrity violation?
  • All parties may ask questions.
  • All parties are given an opportunity to present a brief final summation.
  • The educator and student are dismissed, and the committee discusses and votes on an outcome.
  • The outcome is communicated by letter to the Assistant Director of Academic Administration, whose office forwards it to the parties involved.

To prepare for a hearing, the student and the educator are urged to stick to the facts, to make their case to “everyone” (including non-subject matter experts), and to remain calm and professional.