/Institutions/University-of-Texas-Rio-Grande-Valley/json/som/policies-local.json

/Institutions/University-of-Texas-Rio-Grande-Valley/json/som/policies.json

EAA005 Medical Student Dishonesty and Plagiarism Policy

Policy Number: EAA005
Policy Title: Medical Student Dishonesty and Plagiarism Policy

A. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to outline what constitutes academic dishonesty and the procedure to address academic dishonesty.

B. Persons Affected

This policy will cover the students participating in the UTRGV SOM curriculum.

C. Implementation Date

This policy is effective with the UTRGV SOM inaugural class, the Class of 2020, and will remain in effect for future classes unless otherwise amended.

D. Definitions

1. Assignment - The term "assignment" includes any work, required or volunteered, submitted for review, academic credit, and/or disciplinary sanction. All academic work undertaken by a student must be completed independently unless the faculty member or other responsible authority expressly authorizes collaboration with another.
2. Cheating - Cheating is the act of wrongfully using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, study aids, exam preparation resources, or the ideas or work of another in order to gain an unfair advantage. It includes, but is not limited to: plagiarism on any assignment; giving unauthorized aid to another student or receiving unauthorized aid from another person on tests, quizzes, assignments or examinations of any type; using or consulting unauthorized materials or using unauthorized equipment or devices on tests, quizzes, assignments or examinations; altering or falsifying any information on tests, quizzes, assignments or examinations; working on any examination, test, quiz or assignment outside of the time constraints imposed; the unauthorized use of prescription medication to enhance academic performance; or failing to adhere to an instructor's specific directions with respect to academic honesty and professionalism.
3. Lying - Lying is communicating untruths or misrepresentations in order to gain an unfair academic or employment advantage. It includes but is not limited to: falsifying information on a resume; misrepresenting one' s own research; providing false or misleading information in order to be excused from classes, group activities or clinic.
4. Plagiarism - Plagiarism occurs when a student, with intent to deceive or with reckless disregard for proper scholarly procedures, presents any information, ideas or phrasing of another as if they were his/her own and/or does not give appropriate credit to the original source. Proper scholarly procedures require that all quoted material be identified by quotation marks or indentation on the page, and the source of information and ideas, if from another, must be identified and be attributed to that source. Students are responsible for learning proper scholarly procedures.
5. Stealing - Stealing is the act of intentionally taking or appropriating the property of another, including academic work, without consent or permission and with the intent to keep or use the property without the permission of the owner or the rightful possessor.

E. Policy

In line with the Student Standards of Conduct (see policy EAA016), the UTRGV SOM considers academic dishonesty to be a serious and potentially career-ending action for its medical student body. Academic integrity is essential to the success of the UTRGV SOM's mission, and violations constitute a serious offense against the entire academic community. Academic dishonesty is defined as an act of obtaining or attempting to present academic work through fraudulent or deceptive means in order to obtain credit for this work.

Academic dishonesty includes but is not limited to:

1. Cheating

Failure to observe the expressed procedures of an academic exercise, but not limited to:

• Unauthorized use of commercial "research" services such as term papers
• Providing information to others without instructor's permission or allowing the opportunity for others to obtain information that provides that recipient with an advantage on an exam or assignment, including, but not limited to, duplication in any format of exams or quizzes.
• Unauthorized communicating with a fellow student during a quiz or exam
• Copying material from another student's quiz or exam
• Permitting another student to copy from a quiz or exam
• Permitting another person to take a quiz, exam, or similar evaluation in lieu of the enrolled student
• Using unauthorized materials, information, or study aids (textbooks, notes, data, images, formulas, dictionary, calculator, etc.) in any academic exercise or exam
• Unauthorized collaboration in providing or requesting assistance, such as sharing information on an academic exercise or exam through cell phones, texting, or similar mobile technology
• Using computer and word processing systems to gain access to, alter, and/or use unauthorized information
• Altering a graded exam or assignment and requesting that it be re-graded—submission of altered work after grading shall be considered academically dishonest, including but not limited to changing answers after an exam or assignment has been returned or submitting another's exam as one's own to gain credit

2. Fabrication

Falsification or invention of any information in an academic exercise, including but not limited to:

• Fabricating or altering data to support research
• Presenting results from research that was not performed—submitting material for lab assignments, class projects, or other assignments which is wholly or partially falsified, invented or otherwise does not represent work accomplished or undertaken by the student
• Crediting source material that was not directly used for research
• Fabricating details of medical history, physical examination, or results of laboratory or imaging studies

3. Fraud, Misrepresentation, Lying

Intentionally making an untrue statement or deceiving individuals, including but not limited to:

• Falsification, alteration or misrepresentation of official or unofficial records or documents, including but not limited to academic transcripts, academic documentation, letters of recommendation, and admissions applications or related documents
• Providing an excuse for an absence, tardiness, late assignment with the intent to deceive the instructor, staff, or the school
• Checking into UTRGV SOM classes, labs, centers, or other resources with the intent to deceive the instructor, staff or the school.
• Using another student's identification card for use in a class, lab, center, or other UTRGV SOM resource
• Re-submission of past work as new, unique, or novel to a class whereas the work had been previously submitted

4. Plagiarism

The presentation of author's words, images, or ideas as if they were the student's own, including but not limited to:

• Stealing the written, oral, artistic, or original works or efforts of others and presenting them as one's own
• The submission of material, whether in part or whole, authored by another person or source (the internet, book, journal, etc.) whether that material is paraphrased, translated, or copied in verbatim or near-verbatim form without properly acknowledging the source. It is the student's responsibility to cite all sources.
• The submission of material edited, in part or whole, by another person that results in the loss of the student's original voice or ideas (while an editor or tutor may advise the student, the final submitted material must be the work of the student, not that of the editor or tutor).
• Translating all or any part of material from another language and presenting it as if it were the student's own original work
• Unauthorized transfer and use of another person's computer file or any other electronic/technical product as the student's own
• Unauthorized use of another person's data in completing a computer or an academic exercise

5. Multiple Submissions

Resubmission of a work that has already received credit with identical or similar content in another course without written consent of the present instructor or submission of work with identical or similar content in concurrent courses without written consent of all instructors involved.

6. Facilitating Academic Dishonesty

Assisting another student to commit an act of academic dishonesty, including but not limited to:

• Taking a quiz, exam, or similar evaluation in place of another person;
• Allowing one student to copy from another;
• Attending a course posing as another student who is officially registered for that course;
• Providing material or other information (solutions to homework, project, or assignments, copy of an exam, exam key or any test information) to another student with knowledge that such assistance could be used to violate any other sections of this policy;
• Distribution or use of notes or recordings based on college classes without the express written permission of the instructor for purposes other than individual or group study; this includes, but is not limited to, providing materials for distribution by services publishing class notes (restriction on unauthorized use applies to all information distributed or in any way displayed for use in relationship to the class, whether obtained in class, via email, on the internet, or via any other media).

7. Academic Sabotage

Deliberately impeding the academic progress of others, including but not limited to:

• Intentionally destroying or obstructing another student's work;
• Stealing or defacing books, journals, or other library or university materials;
• Altering computer files that contain data, reports or assignments belonging to another student;
• Removing posted or reserve material or otherwise preventing other students' access to such material.

Students are expected to uphold appropriate professional and ethical standards for themselves. They also are expected to act appropriately (e.g. inform a supervisor/ administrator) if their peers and colleagues are not acting in a professional and ethical manner. Students and faculty will report students suspected of academic dishonesty to the course or clerkship director. The course or clerkship director will investigate the situation by reviewing the student's work, discussing the issue with the relevant faculty and possibly other involved students or personnel and reviewing the issue with the identified student. The course or clerkship director will summarize the findings in writing and send to the Associate Dean for Student Affairs for review. The summary must include relevant name(s), date(s), location(s), witness(es) and complete description(s) of the problem and a proposed resolution, if possible. The student will be notified.

The UTRGV SOM Associate Dean for Student Affairs shall confer with the UTRGV Dean for Student Rights and Responsibilities to coordinate the next steps of the resolution of the matter, in accordance with University policy STU 02-100.

If the investigation of the case by the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities concludes that a violation of the Student Code of Conduct occurred, the matter shall be referred to the School of Medicine's Medical Student Evaluation and Promotion Committee (MSEPC) to develop an appropriate sanction.

At the MSEPC meeting during which student's status is reviewed:

• Student may attend in person.
• Student may submit a written brief statement.
• Student may represent themself.

If the MSEPC imposes an appealable sanction, such as suspension, probation, or dismissal, the affected student may file a written appeal to the Vice Dean for Educational Affairs of the SOM within five (5) business days from receipt of the MSEPC's written decision. The student must also inform the Associate Dean for Student Affairs of the intent to appeal, also within the same five (5) business days. The student's appeal portfolio must include a justification statement for appeal and all documentation provided to the MSEPC. The Vice Dean for Educational Affairs (or designee) may appoint an ad hoc panel to assist in reviewing the student's appeal. 

Throughout the investigation by the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities, and while appealing a decision by the MSEPC the student shall remain enrolled and continue to attend scheduled curricular sessions. 

Within 15 business days from the receipt of the student's appeal, the Vice Dean for Educational Affairs (or designee) will submit a report with recommendations to the Dean of the SOM.

On appealing to the dean:

• Student may submit additional information.
• Student may request a meeting with the dean.
• Student shall remain enrolled and continue to attend scheduled curricular sessions.

Upon review of the student's record, the student's appeal portfolio, and the report and recommendations from the Vice Dean for Educational Affairs, the Dean (or designee) may elect to:

a. Take no action, allowing the MSEPC decision to stand;

b. Modify the MSEPC decision.

c. Make an alternate decision.

Within fifteen (15) business days from the receipt of the Vice Dean's report, the Dean (or designee) will provide a written decision to the student, the Associate Dean for Student Affairs and the chair of the MSEPC. The decision of the Dean (or designee) is final appellate review.