Consequences of academic dishonesty

Dan Mcclanahan
January 23, 2006

Many students work under the policy of “don’t get caught” when trying to finish homework on a deadline, often working in groups and splitting up tasks among several people.

Few students actually know the official policies and guidelines as to what qualifies as academic dishonesty and what consequences may be dealt to those who are caught. The following is a list of activities Iowa State considers academically dishonest, according to the Iowa State University Catalog:

Obtaining Unauthorized Information This includes copying homework, working on homework with other students unless authorized and looking at notes during an exam

Tendering of Information Giving a copy of your homework to another student, talking about an exam with a student who hasn’t yet taken it and giving or selling term papers to other students

Misrepresentation Handing in someone else’s homework, purchasing a paper from a term paper service, having another student take your exam or turning in other student’s work as your own (even with modifications)

Bribery Offering money or any item of service to a faculty member or any other person to gain academic advantage

Plagiarism Not citing sources in work and using material and ideas that belong to someone else as your own

If a student is caught doing any of the above things, they can – and most likely will – be punished according to the severity of their offense.

Typically, when a student is under suspicion or caught in the act of cheating, the instructor confronts the student about the act. Depending on the severity of the crime, either an administrative hearing or an All University Judiciary hearing will be held. The hearing will determine the course of disciplinary action to be taken with the case. Here’s an overview of the most commonly dealt punishments:

Disciplinary Reprimand An official written notice to the student stating that his or her conduct was in violation of university rules and regulation

Conduct Probation A period of review and observation during which the student must demonstrate the ability to comply with university rules and regulation

Suspension/Deferred Suspension Suspension cannot be for less than one semester or for more than two years. Length of suspension depends on severity of the act committed and deferred suspension includes a period of review and observation before the student is placed on suspension

Expulsion The student is permanently deprived of the opportunity to continue at the university in any status

Plagiarism cases at Iowa State from 2003 to 2004:

By college:

LAS: 104

Engineering: 15

Business: 12

Design: 5

FCS: 10

Agriculture: 5

Study Abroad: 3

By class status:

Freshman: 20