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Community Standards & Student Conduct

Academic Misconduct

University of Washington students are expected to practice high standards of academic and professional honesty and integrity. As defined in Student Governance Policy, Chapter 209 Section 7.C, academic misconduct includes:

  • Cheating
  • Falsification
  • Plagiarism
  • Unauthorized collaboration
  • Engaging in prohibited behavior
  • Submitting the same work for separate courses without the permission of the instructor(s)
  • Taking deliberate action to destroy or damage another person’s academic work
  • Recording and/or disseminating instructional content without the permission of the instructor (unless approved as a disability accommodation

See Section 7.C for more detailed information and definitions of academic misconduct.

Reporting

Academic misconduct violations may only be adjudicated under WAC 478-121 and Student Governance and Policies, Chapter 209 by those who have the authority to initiate a conduct proceeding. This ensures a student’s due process rights, creates consistency in the process, and accountability for any additional misconduct by the student. For additional information about the student conduct process visit Student Conduct Process.

Community Standards & Student Conduct (CSSC) serves as a resource to faculty and staff on campus in many capacities. Do not hesitate to contact CSSC at (206) 685-6194 or cssc@uw.edu with any questions or concerns. Click the provided links to access the resources below.

  • To report an alleged violation of the Student Conduct Code, or if you have concerns about academic misconduct, please submit an incident using our reporting tool. A staff member will follow up with you once the report is received.
  • Visit our Student Conduct Process page for more information about the process.
  • Visit our Preventing Academic Misconduct page for tips and recommendations for responding to misconduct concerns.

Academic Misconduct and Grading

It is common practice at the University of Washington to temporarily withhold a grade for any examination or assignment that is suspected of academic misconduct. If an investigation is not resolved by the end of the term, an “X” (leaving a grade unreported) should be submitted for the course until a decision is made.

If the student is found not responsible in the conduct process, the faculty member can choose whether to reinstate the grade the student would have received if the misconduct charges were not submitted. Under the Student Conduct Code, a grade penalty is not a sanction and grading is at the purview of the instructor.

Academic Integrity Toolkit for Faculty and Academic Support Services

CSSC created the Academic Integrity Toolkit* as a reference for faculty when addressing student misconduct in their classroom. The toolkit includes information about CSSC, how to report misconduct, tips for preventing academic misconduct, and addressing the use of AI/ChatGPT with students in the classroom. 

*UW NetID login is required to access and view the toolkit.

If a student is found responsible for misconduct, there is a range of disciplinary sanctions that may be imposed on the student as a result of the student conduct process.

Tips for Faculty: Preventing Academic Misconduct

In general, UW students want to do the right thing when it comes to their academics! Students report that they are most successful in doing their work properly when instructors provide clear, detailed expectations about how they want students to learn.

Academic misconduct is best prevented up front with clear guidelines. Your syllabus is a great tool to use as it serves as your class policy statement. You are encouraged to write a policy statement in your syllabus about your expectations regarding plagiarism, cheating, and unauthorized collaboration. Additionally, you should remind students before the first assignment about your expectations regarding academic integrity and let students know what the consequences are of engaging in academic misconduct.

General Tips

  1. Regularly remind students of the academic misconduct section in the Student Conduct Code in class and in your syllabus
  2. Explain how the Code applies to your specific course regarding cheating, falsification, and/or plagiarism, and advise students of the consequences of academic misconduct in your classroom.
    • Remember that some pieces of the Code need additional context to understand how they apply to an assignment. Specifically, unauthorized assistance, unauthorized collaboration, and prohibited behavior are based on the expectations set for that assignment or that class. For example, it is never appropriate for students to plagiarize but there are assignments where they can work with others. Please indicate what is not permitted for an assignment.
  3. Students may participate in academic misconduct because they are doing poorly in class. Regularly encourage students to go to office hours or to schedule a time to meet with you to discuss their performance.
  4. Students engaging in academic misconduct are often struggling in other areas of their lives, which makes it difficult for them to spend as much time on their academics as they would like. We find that in general, students want to do their work honestly.
  5. Identify common pitfalls for students in advance. If you have an assignment that regularly produces concerns of misconduct, alert your students and provide them with additional guidance about how you would like them to complete the assignment

In-class Exams

  1. Share with students in advance the methods you are taking to prevent academic misconduct during exams – this information may help deter students from engaging in academic misconduct
  2. Include academic integrity expectations and course policies on the first page of the exam if applicable.
  3. Clearly explain to students what your expectations are regarding academic integrity before the exam starts and ensure they understand
  4. Give oral and written instructions concerning material allowed or not allowed during the exam at the beginning of the exam period
  5. If using blue books for exams, collect all of them and randomly redistribute them to the class. Additionally, be sure to collect all blue books, whether used or not, at the end of the exam
  6. Use alternating copies of exams with different colors and questions in different orders
  7. Vary the multiple choice order on the different exams, and consider using different values for different versions of the test
  8. For classes in auditorium-style rooms, think about alternating the test versions by row to ensure students cannot cheat off a student in the row in front of them
  9. Randomize seating in order to avoid students who know each other sitting together or have students fill out a seating chart that you can reference if you suspect academic misconduct
  10. Encourage students to sit apart from their friends and study partners during exams.
  11. Train your TAs how to be effective proctors – encourage them to regularly walk around the room observing students instead of doing other work or reading
  12. If a student needs to leave the room, collect their exam materials while the student is out of the room
  13. After the exam, mark the answer sheets in a way where responses cannot be changed and allows you to see if there have been alterations if a student brings up a concern about grading
  14. Scan a copy of the exam before returning it to students
  15. Give an alternate version of the exam for students you allow to make up the test
  16. For in-class Canvas exams, identify appropriate settings and ensure students understand what materials are permitted during the exam period.

Homework Assignments

  1. Since collected homework can never be fully screened for copying, it may be more effective to put greater effort into preventing cheating on in-class exams and quizzes which can be closely monitored or in final projects
  2. Limit grades for collected homework to no more than 10% of the total course grade, except in courses where regular practice is deemed essential and which cannot be replaced by in-class quizzes or exams
  3. Replace the balance of customary homework assignment grades (traditionally, 25-30% of the course grade had been typical) with a second midterm or in-class quizzes closely based on homework assignments
  4. Rotate homework assignments so that no two similar assignments are used in back-to-back years
  5. Use different versions of the assignment for each course section
  6. Explain clearly what level of collaboration is acceptable
  7. Consider “flipping the classroom” by exposing students to the content before coming to class and using class time to work on practice problems or higher-order learning.

Written Assignments

  1. Identify prompts and topics that are specific to class discussion and the course materials so students can demonstrate their understanding of the material.
  2. Ask for a tentative bibliography and outline in advance of the deadline.
  3. Have students complete in-class writing assignments to help establish a student’s voice and writing style
  4. Think critically about the assignments you are creating. As technology advances, pinpoint the areas within your discipline that cannot be automated or AI-generated.
  5. Clearly explain your expectations for writing styles for written assignments. For example, if students need to complete an essay using APA style, explain what your expectations are using that style of writing and how essays will be graded.
  6. Each student has a different educational background and experience. Provide resources for your students to seek writing help related to your expectations.

Poll Everywhere and Clickers

  1. Emphasize to students your expectations about academic integrity related to the use of clickers or Poll Everywhere
  2. Clearly define these expectations in class and in your syllabus
  3. Consider using time limits for your questions to reduce the chances that a student has time to use another student’s clicker or contact a friend who is not in class with the question and/or answer
  4. Ask a question that can only be answered correctly if the student is in class (what color shirt is a particular TA wearing?)

Final Projects

  1. Vary final project list so that no two similar projects are assigned in back-to-back years
  2. Randomize project assignments, so friends or cliques are not assigned the same projects
  3. Require students to include a signed statement in their report stating that the project report represents their own work and includes complete citations to all references or sources of help, including other students or work colleagues
  4. Reconsider allowing students to use a project that they propose instead of one on your project list (they could be attempting to recycle a work project or a project from another course)
  5. However, if you approve of a student using their own topic, meet with the student and talk about the topic to get a sense of the student’s understanding of the topic
  6. Explain clearly what level of collaboration is acceptable, keeping in mind that students must submit individual reports and are graded individually
  7. If a student wants to continue work from a previous class, consult with the student and develop clear expectations regarding the assignment
  8. To verify the student is expanding on the topic, have the student turn in their old assignment before they start the project to verify the additional work they completed
  9. The Student Conduct Code states, “Multiple submissions of the same work in separate courses without the express permission of the instructor(s)” is a violation