Academic Conduct Policy

To fulfill its missions, an academic community requires that all of its participants maintain the highest standards of honor and integrity. The purpose of the Academic Conduct Policy is to make all community members aware of these expectations. Additionally, the policy outlines some, but not all, of the situations that violate these standards. Further, the policy sets forth a set of procedures that will be used when these standards are violated.

Specific information pertaining to the Academic Conduct Policy may be found in the Student Policies section of this catalog. Students may also obtain a complete copy of the policy statement in the offices of all academic deans and from the dean of campus life, the vice chancellor for academic affairs and the vice chancellor for student affairs.

Academic Conduct

I. Applicability

This policy is applicable to students at TCU, to Faculty and academic administrators who consider and address Academic Misconduct, and to the Academic Appeals Committee.

II. Policy Statement and Purpose

If it is to fulfill its missions, an academic community requires that all of its participants maintain the highest standards of honor and integrity. The purpose of the Academic Conduct Policy is to make all aware of these expectations. Additionally, the policy outlines some, but not all, of the situations that violate these standards.

Further, the policy sets forth a set or procedures that will be used when these standards are violated. In this spirit, this policy outlines below: (1) Academic Misconduct; (2) Procedures for Dealing with Academic Misconduct, and (3) Consequences. These are not meant to be exhaustive.

III. Policy Definitions

A. Academic Misconduct: Any act that violates the spirit of academic conduct policy.

B. Academic Day: Any day on which classes meet during a regular Fall or Spring semester or during summer academic sessions.

C. Academic Dean or Dean refers to the dean of the college or school offering the course in which the Academic Misconduct is alleged to have taken place, or their designee.

D. Department Chair refers to the academic administrator responsible for the unit providing the instruction in which the alleged Academic Misconduct occurred. In some units this may be a program director or other academic administrator. The office of the Academic Dean of the college or school offering the course can provide the appropriate administrator if necessary.

E. Faculty or Faculty Member refers to the instructor of the course in which the suspected Academic Misconduct occurred.

F. Advisor refers to any person selected by the student who accompanies the student during formal hearings. The advisor may speak with the student but may not actively participate in the hearings.

G. The Academic Appeals Committee is a standing University Committee. The charge and membership of the Committee may be found in the current Handbook.

IV. Policy

A. Academic Misconduct

Any act that violates the spirit of the academic conduct policy is considered Academic Misconduct. Specific examples of Academic Misconduct include, but are not limited to:

1. Cheating. Examples of cheating include:

a) Copying from another student’s test paper, laboratory report, other report, essay, or computer files and listings.

b) Using in any academic exercise or academic setting, material, devices or online resources not explicitly authorized by the person in charge of the exercise or setting.

c) Collaborating with or seeking aid from another student during an academic exercise without the permission of the person in charge of the exercise.

d) Knowingly accessing, possessing, photographing, sharing, acquiring, using, buying, selling, stealing, transporting, or soliciting in entirety or in part, or otherwise making a permanent record and/or recording of the contents of a test or other assignment unauthorized for release.

e) Substituting for another student, or permitting another student to substitute for oneself, in a manner that leads to misrepresentation of either or both students’ work.

f) Engaging in any behavior specifically prohibited by a Faculty Member in the course syllabus or class discussion.

2. Plagiarism

The appropriation, theft, purchase, or acquisition by any means another’s work, and the unacknowledged submission or incorporation of that work or materials as one’s own offered for credit. Appropriation includes quoting or paraphrasing of another’s work, published or unpublished, without giving proper credit.

3. Collusion

The unauthorized collaboration with another in prepared work offered for credit.

4. Abuse of Resource Materials

Mutilating, destroying, concealing, or stealing such materials.

5. Computer Misuse

Unauthorized or illegal use of computer software or hardware through the TCU Computer Center or through any programs, terminals, or freestanding computers owned, leased, or operated by TCU or any of its academic units for the purpose of affecting the academic standing of a student.

6. Fabrication and Falsification

Unauthorized alteration or invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise or academic setting. Falsification involves inventing or counterfeiting information or citation for use in any academic exercise or academic setting.

7. Multiple Submission

The submission by the same individual of substantial portions of the same academic work (including oral reports) for credit more than once in the same or another class without authorization.

8. Complicity in Academic Misconduct

Helping another to commit an act of Academic Misconduct.

9. Bearing False Witness

Knowingly and falsely accusing another student of Academic Misconduct.

10. Unauthorized Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Using generative AI without documented approval from the course instructor or in the syllabus will be considered equivalent to representing someone else’s work as one’s own.

B. Procedures for Addressing Academic Misconduct

1. Investigation and Initiation

a) Students who know of an act of Academic Misconduct should report the incident to the Faculty Member teaching the course. The Faculty Member will obtain the basic facts of the allegation and ask the student reporting the misconduct to write and sign a statement of facts. The name(s) of the student(s) reporting suspected Academic Misconduct will remain confidential during the informal faculty/student meeting, but must be revealed to the accused student if the resolution proceeds beyond the Faculty Member and the accused student.

b) Faculty who suspect Academic Misconduct or who have Academic Misconduct reported to them must initiate an investigation and meet with the accused student within five (5) Academic Days of becoming aware of the incident. A Faculty Member who is made aware by another person of an act of Academic Misconduct has the responsibility to investigate the allegation, and, if warranted, pursue the issue as outlined below (IV.C.1).

c) In instances where the suspected Academic Misconduct is discovered during an academic exercise, the Faculty Member has the right to suspend immediately the student involved in the alleged activity from further work on the academic exercise.

d) A student accused of Academic Misconduct, will proceed in the course without restriction until resolution of the issue or until the Academic Dean has taken an action as specified in IV.C. that removes the student from the course.

e) An “I” grade should be given by the instructor if the alleged misconduct occurs near the end of a semester, for example, during finals, and a consequence outlined in section IV.C. has not been applied by the instructor or the Dean.

f) If more than one student is accused of the same act of misconduct (e.g., giving and receiving aid), each individual student is guaranteed the right to have their case heard separately. With each student’s permission, the cases can be combined. The faculty/student conference (IV.B.2) is exempted from this requirement.

2. Resolution

a) Meeting Between Faculty Member and Student. This is the first step to be taken in resolving an incident of suspected Academic Misconduct.

1) Within five (5) Academic Days of suspecting misconduct, the Faculty Member will hold a meeting with the student. At this meeting, the Faculty Member will inform the student of all allegations against them and present any information supporting the allegations.

2) The student will be given the opportunity to respond to the allegations. The student has the right not to respond.

3) The Faculty Member will decide whether or not Academic Misconduct has occurred and, if warranted, apply any combination of consequences in IV.C.1. below, or refer the matter to the Dean for more severe consequences (probation, suspension, or expulsion). Findings of Academic Misconduct are based on the preponderance of the evidence.

4) The Faculty Member will notify the student in writing of his or her decision and may send copies to the Academic Dean, the dean of the college in which the student is enrolled, the Department Chair, and the Office of the Dean of Students. Any such copies of the findings will be kept on file in the college and department offices and in the student conduct files maintained by the Office of the Dean of Students.

b) Meeting with Department Chair. This meeting takes place when the student wishes to appeal either the findings of the Faculty Member or the severity of the consequence(s).

1) Within five (5) Academic Days of being notified by the Faculty Member of the disposition of the incident of Academic Misconduct, the student may request a meeting with the Department Chair.

2) The Department Chair will become acquainted with the facts and meet with the parties involved in the case. The student has the right to meet with the Department Chair without the Faculty Member being present.

3) The Department Chair may either support or reverse the findings of the Faculty Member, and may lessen the consequence(s) imposed by the Faculty Member even while supporting its findings. The chair may not increase the severity of the consequence(s).

4) The Department Chair will notify the student and Faculty Member of their decision in writing and may send copies to the Faculty Member, the Academic Dean and the Office of the Dean of Students. Any such copies of the findings will be kept on file in the college and department offices and in the student conduct files maintained by the Office of the Dean of Students.

c) Meeting with Academic Dean. This meeting takes place if the student wishes to appeal either the findings of the Department Chair or the severity of the consequence(s), if the Faculty Member recommends consequences by the Dean as listed in IV.C., or if the student has been found guilty of Academic Misconduct previously, in which case the Academic Dean may levy additional consequences.

1) Within five (5) Academic Days of being notified by the chair of the disposition of the incident of Academic Misconduct, the student may request a meeting with the Academic Dean.

2) The Academic Dean will hear the facts of the case and make a decision about the alleged act of Academic Misconduct or the appropriateness of the consequences administered by the Faculty Member. The Academic Dean can issue any combination of consequences listed in IV.C.2.

3) The Academic Dean will notify the student of their decision in writing with copies to the Department Chair and the Faculty Member. Copies of the findings will be kept on file in the college office and should be sent to the Office of the Dean of Students.

d) Academic Appeals Committee. Should the student wish to appeal the decision of the Academic Dean, they have the right to request a hearing before the Academic Appeals Committee.

1) The student must request this hearing by submitting an appeal letter to the chair of the university Academic Appeals Committee no later than five (5) Academic Days from the date of receiving written notification of the Dean's finding.

2) Upon receipt of the appeal letter, the chair of the Academic Appeals Committee may request materials from the student, the Faculty Member, the Department Chair, and/or the Dean.

3) The appealing student has the right to appear before the Academic Appeals Committee. The student may bring one person with them as an Advisor. The Advisor may not speak for the student or to the committee. The Advisor may only speak with the student. If the Advisor will be an attorney, the student must inform the committee chair at the time the chair collects the availability of the parties for scheduling the hearing in order for the University to also have an attorney present for the hearing. Each party shall bear the expense of their legal counsel. Legal counsel is to provide counsel only and may not participate directly in the meeting. The meeting is an administrative hearing, not a court proceeding, and is not subject to the procedures or practices of a court of law.

C. Consequences

1. By the Faculty Member:

a) Treat the examination or assignment in question as a missed assignment.

b) Assign a reduced grade, including possibly a grade of “F” or a zero for the examination or assignment in question.

c) Impose an alternative, possibly more or less severe, grade consequence within the course.

d) Recommend to the Academic Dean that the student be dropped immediately from the course with a grade of “F”.

e) Recommend to the Academic Dean that the student be dismissed from an academic program, placed on probation, suspended or expelled from the University.

2. By the Academic Dean or Academic Appeals Committee: (Previous Academic Misconduct will be taken into account when either the Academic Dean or the Academic Appeals Committee considers consequences for Academic Misconduct.)

a) Apply consequences in IV.C.1.

b) Drop student from the course with a grade of “F”. This grade cannot be changed by student-initiated withdrawal and the grade will be included in the computation of the GPA even if the course is repeated.

c) Place the student on suspension from the University for a specified period of time.

d) Expel the student from the University.

e) Recommend to the Provost that they request the Board of Trustees revoke an awarded degree.

f) In a case where the Academic Dean as defined above is not the dean of the college in which the student is enrolled, they shall recommend to the Provost/Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs that the student be placed on probation, suspended, expelled or have their degree revoked.

D. Additional Information Regarding the Applicability of This Policy

1. If a student does not receive a reply acknowledging receipt of an appeal letter within five (5) Academic Days, they may contact the next administrator to request the next stage of appeal.

2. Study abroad students are subject to the rules, regulations, and academic policies of the host university/program in addition to the expectations of TCU students. Misconduct consequences imposed by another academic institution administering study abroad courses do not fall under this policy. However, TCU students found responsible for Academic Misconduct by another academic institution may also face consequences under this policy.

3. Program dismissals resulting from violations of professional standards of the discipline, disruptive behavior in an academic setting, or lack of academic progress should be implemented via the Policy on Unprofessional Behavior, Disruptive Behavior, and Lack of Academic Progress.

V. Enforcement

Section IV above defined the process for enforcing and the consequences for violating this policy.

VI. Administrative Responsibility

The Office of Academic Affairs is responsible for administering and interpreting this policy.

VII. Policy History

Issued: Adopted by University Council, December 6, 1995 Revised: 2006

Revised: April 2024 by the Academic Appeals Committee, approved by Undergraduate Council, Graduate Council and University Council.

VIII. Related Policies and Information

There are no related policies.

IX. Appendix

There are no appendices.

X. Approved By and Approval Date

Approved by Provost/Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Spring 2006; Approved by President’s Cabinet, June 2024.

Disruptive Classroom Behavior and Lack of Academic Progress Policy

Disruptive behavior is prohibited. Disruptive behavior includes, but is not limited to, conduct that substantially interferes with or obstructs the teaching or learning process. Civil expression of disagreement with the course instructor, during times when the instructor permits discussion, is not itself disruptive behavior and is not prohibited.

When any student, acting individually or in concert with others, obstructs or disrupts or attempts to obstruct or disrupt any teaching, research, administrative, disciplinary or public service activity, or any other activity authorized to be discharged on behalf of the University or held on the University's premises, the student may be asked to stop the disruptive behavior by an instructor or staff of the University. If the student continues, an instructor/staff member is authorized to tell the student to leave the area or classroom and, if the student will not leave, to call campus police.

The instructor/staff may immediately call campus police, without prior request to the student, if presented with an unsafe situation, threatening behavior, violence or in other inappropriate circumstances.

Withdrawal of Student from Class or Other Educational Experience

When a student disrupts a class or other educational experience, acts in a threatening manner, is not making acceptable academic progress, or if the student's behavior or lack of preparation is detrimental to the educational experience of others or could create an unsafe condition, or if the student is compromising the learning environment, the instructor may take action to withdraw the student from the class or educational experience.

To do this, the instructor shall provide the student written notice of intent to withdraw the student from the class or educational experience, with an explanation of the instructor's reason(s), and with a copy to the instructor's department chair (or, when there is no department chair, to the associate dean of the instructor's college/school). The notice should schedule a meeting with the student and the department chair (or, when there is no department chair, with the associate dean or dean of the instructor's college/school) to occur within seven days of the notice. The instructor may bar the student from the class or educational experience pending the result of the meeting, and the written notice should advise the student if there is such a bar. At the meeting, the student may have one adviser. Following the meeting, the instructor shall decide whether to withdraw the student from the class or educational experience. If a student is withdrawn, their grade will be recommended by the instructor to the dean of the instructor's college/school as either a “Q” or an “F.” The student may appeal this decision within seven days in writing to the academic dean or designee. During the student's appeal, the student remains withdrawn from and is barred from attending the class. The dean’s decision may be appealed in writing to the Academic Appeals Committee within ten (10) academic days of the dean’s decision. The Academic Appeals Committee will follow the appeals procedures in the Academic Appeals Committee Policy, which may be obtained in full from the chair of the committee or the Provost’s office.

Denying Enrollment, Suspension, Expulsion and Other Appropriate Action

When a student disrupts a class or other educational experience, acts in a threatening manner, is not making acceptable academic progress, or if the student's behavior or lack of preparation is detrimental to the educational experience of others or could create an unsafe condition, or if the student is compromising the learning environment, or if the student has acted contrary to the professional or ethical standards of the University, a department thereof, or a particular field, an academic dean, or the dean's designee, may additionally:

Deny class enrollment to the student; or
Suspend or expel the student from the University or from one or more of its programs; or
Take other appropriate action.
The student affected by such a decision by an academic dean, or the dean's designee, may appeal in writing within seven days to the Academic Appeals Committee. The decision of the academic dean (or designee) remains in place during the pendency of the appeal. The Academic Appeals Committee's decision on the matter is final.

A student so suspended or expelled shall have a grade of “Q” or “F” recorded for each course in progress as determined appropriate by the academic dean. The transcript will not record suspension or expulsion.

Non-Students and Non-Enrolled Students

Non-students and students not enrolled in class may be permanently removed by an instructor of the class, without formal review. Non-students who disrupt University activities may be removed from campus and banned from returning.

Other

Although some disruptive behavior may be due to a mental or physical disorder, as it relates to violence, disruptive or threatening behavior, students with such disorders will be held to the same standards as others.

Nothing in this policy limits a person, including but not limited to, an instructor, academic dean, associate dean or department chair from referring a matter to the Office of Campus Life or pursuing disciplinary action against a student or person through a complaint filed in the Office of Campus Life.

This policy is not intended to limit any authorized University employee, staff member, official, vice chancellor, president, chancellor, members of the Board of Trustees or a member of the Office of Campus Life from appropriately addressing behaviors covered by the policy.

Academic Standing and Satisfactory Academic Progress

A student is considered to be in "acceptable academic standing" if the student is eligible to continue their enrollment at TCU. Verification of this status is made by the Office of the Registrar.

A student is considered to be making "satisfactory academic progress" when the student has acceptable academic standing and coursework is being completed 1) that leads to the degree being sought, 2) in a timely manner and (3) that is consistent with reasonable expectations for individual circumstances. Satisfactory academic progress is determined by the academic dean of the major.

Attendance Expectations and Official Absence Policy

Regular and punctual class attendance is essential, and no assigned work is summarily excused because of absence, no matter what the cause. Records of class attendance are the responsibility of the faculty, and every course syllabus should clearly state the instructor's policy on class attendance and how attendance affects a student's final evaluation in the course. Students who miss an instructional experience are expected to meet with faculty to discuss their absence as soon as possible.

When a student is absent to represent the University (as in athletics, chorus, band, national or state meetings or organizations represented at TCU), then an Official University Absence may be granted by the Office of Campus Life. Faculty/staff who wish to have an activity sanctioned for Official University Absence status must submit the names of all students, including date and hours absent from campus, to the Office of Campus Life no later than one week prior to the date of the activity.

Students are encouraged to use the resources of the Office of Campus Life if an emergency situation occurs or if assistance is needed to resolve individual concerns.

Student Policies

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