Sanctions for Alleged Violations of Academic Integrity
(Printable version)

 Three sanctions are recommended based on the seriousness of the violation.

Level one sanction:  award a grade of "zero" or "F" for the assignment or examination for violations including but not limited to the following:

• Copying a few sentences of material (1-5 sentences or a minor portion) from a written or Internet source without proper citation.
• Cheating on a quiz or minor assignment (less than 10% of the final grade).
• Receiving unpermitted help on an assignment.
• Working on an assignment with others when the instructor asked for individual work.
• Using a false excuse to obtain an extension on a due date.    
• Signing an attendance roster for someone who is absent or asking someone else to sign the roster to avoid being counted absent.

Level two sanction:  award a grade of "F!" for the course for violations including but not limited to the following:

• Turning in a paper copied from another student.
• Turning in a paper obtained in full or in part from a term paper “mill” or website.
• Copying material almost word for word from a written source and turning it in as one’s own work.
• Fabricating or falsifying a bibliography.
• Getting questions or answers from someone who has taken an examination.   
• Obtaining an unauthorized copy of an examination in advance.
• Using unauthorized notes during an examination.
• Having another student take an examination.
• Inappropriate use of technology (camera phones, text messaging, programmable calculator, etc.) during an examination.   
• Copying from another student during an examination with or without his/her knowledge.
• Helping someone else cheat on an examination.    
• Stealing an examination or problem answer from the instructor.
• Altering a grade or scoring on an examination or paper to obtain unearned credit.
• In a course requiring computer work, copying another student’s program rather than writing one’s own.
• Fabricating or falsifying laboratory or research data.
• Inappropriately sharing or using work on an online assignment or examination.      
• Turning in work done by someone else.
• Submitting substantial portions of the same assignment to more than one class without permission of the instructors.
• For level two sanctions the transcript will indicate that a grade of “F!” signifies that the student failed the course because of an alleged violation of academic integrity.

Level three sanction:  recommend dismissal from the graduate, professional education, or Veterinary Medicine program and suspension from the university for the following types of violations:

• Plagiarism or other violations of academic integrity in a thesis or dissertation proposal, qualifying examination, comprehensive examination, thesis or dissertation, report for a creative component, thesis or dissertation defense, or professional education portfolio.
• Fabrication or falsification of research or laboratory data used in a creative component, report, thesis or dissertation.
• Level two violations committed by veterinary medicine students.

Instructors should assign level one or two sanctions for alleged violations of academic integrity. The recommended levels of sanction should be used by the instructor unless the instructor provides a specific written policy during the first week of class (e.g., an instructor may assign an F! for receiving unauthorized help on an assignment if they provide a written statement during the first week of class). The instructor or Academic Integrity Panel may permit a student to drop a course with a grade of “W” if the allegation is dismissed or if the student admits responsibility for a level one sanction.  A student may not drop a course in which the “F!” grade was assigned.

If you have questions or would like additional information please contact Michele Tillman, Assistant to the Academic Integrity Panel, 101 Whitehurst, Stillwater, OK 74078, (405) 744-5627.