Code of Academic Honesty
Illinois Institute of Technology expects students to maintain high standards of academic integrity. Students preparing for the practice of a profession are expected to conform to a code of integrity and ethical standards commensurate with the high expectations society places upon the practitioners of a learned profession. No student may seek to gain an unfair advantage over another.
It shall be a violation of this code for a student to engage in conduct that violates the standards of his or her major academic discipline, the standards of the academic discipline in which she or he is engaged, the standards of a profession in which she or he is training, or the standards of the university set forth here.
It is a violation for a student, whether or not currently enrolled in the university, to knowingly engage or attempt to engage in the following:
- The misrepresentation of any work submitted for credit as the product of a student's sole independent effort, such as using the ideas of others without attribution and other forms of plagiarism.
- The use of any unauthorized assistance in taking quizzes, tests or examinations.
- The acquisition, without permission, of tests, answer sheets, problem solutions or other academic material when such material has been withheld from distribution by the instructor.
- Deliberate harmful obstruction of the studies, research or academic work of any member of the IIT community.
- Making material misrepresentation in any submission to or through any office of the university to a potential employer, professional society, meeting or organization.
- The intentional assistance of others in the violation of the standards for academic honest.
Academic Discipline
Any member of the IIT community who is aware of a violation of the IIT Code of Academic Honesty, or who has evidence that a violation has occurred, is urged to inform the appropriate course instructor, academic unit head or dean. Faculty members or administrators who are aware of a violation, or who have good evidence of a violation, must inform the Chair of the Academic Honesty Committee for the appropriate academic unit and the Designated Dean for Academic Discipline (“DDAD”). The appropriate academic unit is the unit for the course in which the alleged academic honesty violation occurred. For the Main Campus, the DDAD is either the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Affairs or the Associate Dean for Graduate Academic Affairs, depending on the status of the student. For Chicago-Kent College of Law, the DDAD is the Assistant Dean of Students, and for the Stuart School of Business it is the dean. The DDAD will provide a record of all incidents to the Office of the Dean of Students. A student who believes that his or her record is inaccurate should inform the Dean of Students, who will investigate and, if necessary, correct the record.
If a violation concerns conduct relating to coursework, the course instructor may meet with the student and impose a suitable sanction. The meeting may be held in consultation with the academic unit head, or with the Academic Honesty Committee of the academic unit. The course instructor will report the violation and sanction to the DDAD.
Upon receipt of information about a violation of the code, the DDAD will review the report and any record of prior violation of the code by the student. If there are one or more prior violations, the DDAD will consult with the Chair of the Academic Grievance Committee of the University Faculty Council to determine whether the matter should be referred to a hearing by the Academic Grievance Committee for further sanctions. If the matter is referred for a hearing, the Academic Grievance Committee shall supplement its membership as necessary so as to include at least one faculty member from the Academic Honesty Committee of the academic unit where the violation occurred, at least one member of the student’s major faculty, at least one other faculty member, at least two students and the Dean of Students. The Academic Grievance Committee so supplemented will form a disciplinary committee for the purpose of holding a hearing on the matter and making a recommendation to the DDAD. The chair of the Academic Grievance Committee shall chair this disciplinary committee.
A student who is to appear before a disciplinary committee shall be notified in writing by the Dean of Students of the charges placed against him or her and the time and place of the hearing. This notice shall be delivered to the student at least five days before the hearing. A student appearing before the disciplinary committee has the right to be accompanied by an advisor, witnesses on his or her behalf, and his or her parents. The advisor is limited to advising the student and may not participate in presenting the case, questioning witnesses, or making statements during the hearing. An audio tape recording of the hearing will be made. The audio tape will remain the property of the university. No other record of the hearing may be made.
Upon receipt of a recommendation from the disciplinary committee, the DDAD shall determine the appropriate action to be taken and shall so notify the student.
A determination that a student has violated the Code of Academic Honesty will result in an academic sanction. The course instructor may impose either of the following sanctions:
- Expulsion from a course. The student is assigned a punitive failing grade of ‘E’ for the course and can no longer participate in the course or receive evaluation of coursework from the instructor.
- Reduction in grade. A reduction in grade for the assignment or exam involved or for the course may be applied.
In addition, the disciplinary committee may recommend, and the DDAD may impose, any of the following sanctions:
- Expulsion from a course. The student is assigned a punitive failing grade of ‘E’ for the course and can no longer participate in the course or receive evaluation of coursework from the instructor.
- Suspension. Suspension is a status assigned for various periods of time in which a student’s enrollment is interrupted. A suspended student may not attend day or evening classes, participate in student activities, or live in campus housing. A suspended student may apply for reinstatement at the end of the period of suspension. If reinstated, the student may be placed on disciplinary probation for a period of time designated by the DDAD or the disciplinary committee.
- Expulsion. Expulsion is the complete severance of association with the university. Notation of the violation of the code is made on the Student's transcript.
Appeal Procedures
An appeal of a decision on academic honesty must be submitted in writing to the Office of the Dean of Students within five business days of notification of the decision. Supporting information must be submitted with the appeal. Decisions rendered by the DDAD without referral to the University Faculty Council's Academic Grievance Committee may be appealed to that committee. The Academic Grievance Committee supplements its membership to form a disciplinary committee that is composed as described above and that follows hearing procedures as described above.
Decisions of the DDAD following a disciplinary committee hearing may be appealed to the Provost, whose decision shall be final. An appeal to the Provost is limited to the following reasons:
- Appropriate procedures were not followed.
- The sanction imposed was inappropriate for the offense.
- New evidence that was not available at the time of the original decision has been made available.
Non-punitive grades are not subject to appeal under this process.
The Provost may make one of the following determinations:
- Uphold the decision and the sanction.
- Reverse the decision and the sanction.
- Uphold the decision, but return the matter to the DDAD to reconsider the sanction.