Suggested Academic Integrity Syllabus Statement

Academic Integrity Definition and Expectations: Academic integrity is the pursuit of scholarly activity in an open, honest and responsible manner. Academic integrity is a basic guiding principle for all academic activity at The Pennsylvania State University, and all members of the University community are expected to act in accordance with this principle. Consistent with this expectation, the University's Code of Conduct states that all students should act with personal integrity, respect other students' dignity, rights and property, and help create and maintain an environment in which all can succeed through the fruits of their efforts.

Academic integrity includes a commitment not to engage in or tolerate acts of falsification, misrepresentation or deception. Such acts of dishonesty violate the fundamental ethical principles of the University community and compromise the worth of work completed by others. (Policies and Rules for Students, Section 49-20.)

Consequences of academic dishonesty: The instructor may assign an academic sanction ranging from a warning, to failure on an assignment or in the course, or to removal from the course. (Note that a failure in a course may affect a student's status in a program and/or in the University.) The instructor reports each academic sanction to the Office of Judicial Affairs, which keeps a record. Students can appeal academic sanctions to the Committee on Academic Integrity through the Office of Academic Affairs. In more serious cases of academic dishonesty, the Office of Judicial Affairs may apply disciplinary sanctions in addition to the academic sanctions. These may range from a warning to probation, suspension or expulsion from the University. An "XF" grade is a formal University disciplinary sanction that indicates on the student's academic transcript that failure in a course was due to a serious act of academic dishonesty. (Policies and Rules for Students, Section 49-20, and Academic Integrity Procedure G-9.)