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POLICY TITLE:

Academic Integrity Code

APPLIES TO: Students and Faculty

ADMINISTRATIVE AUTHORITY: Division of Academic & Student Affairs Office of the Provost and Vice President of Academic & Student Affairs

APPROVED BY: Kentucky State University Board of Regents

EFFECTIVE DATE: August 8, 2025

NEXT REVIEW DATE: August 8, 2028

Academic Integrity is a fundamental value of the Kentucky State University (KSU) community. KSU wishes to promote the highest and most honorable pursuit of intellectual achievement and emphasize the importance of exercising integrity in all efforts. It should therefore be clearly understood that students engaging in acts of academic dishonesty may be subject to sanctions. Any student who knowingly assists in any form of academic dishonesty may also be subject to sanctions. Academic dishonesty can occur in several forms, some of which include cheating, plagiarism, and forgery. All determinations of academic dishonesty shall be made by a preponderance of the evidence.

The primary body responsible for reviewing allegations of academic dishonesty that are appealed or referred by an instructor.

The committee shall be composed of the Provost, the Chair of the department in which the student is enrolled, a staff member, and a faculty member who is not a member of the department in which the student is enrolled. The staff member and faculty member shall be assigned by the President. If the student has not declared a major at the time of the alleged violation, then the President shall assign a random Chair and faculty member; however, the Chair and the faculty member may not be from the same faculty department.

The committee that adjudicates alleged violations of the Academic Code of Conduct that could subject a student to suspension or dismissal from KSU.

The All-University Court shall be comprised of five (5) members—two (2) faculty members, two (2) staff members, and one (1) student member—appointed by the President.

The administrative leader of a faculty department.

Cheating is the fraudulent or deceptive taking, giving, or presenting of any information or material with the intent of aiding oneself or another on any academic work that is considered in the determination of a course grade. Cheating includes, but is not limited to:

Forgery is falsely recording the signature of an advisor, instructor, or any KSU official on any official KSU academic document.

A grade that denotes a failure in a course due to academic dishonesty.

Plagiarism is the intentional or unintentional act of submitting the work of another as one's own. If a student has any uncertainty regarding plagiarism in the submission of any class material, he or she should discuss the matter with the instructor prior to submission of the material. Examples of plagiarism include:

It is important to note that KSU has not banned the use of artificial intelligence (AI). However, if an instructor requests that students refrain from using AI on a particular assignment, a violation of that request would constitute academic dishonesty and could result in academic sanctions.

This can refer to the Provost and Vice President for Academic & Student Affairs or the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs.

An instructor who has evidence that a student committed an academic violation shall attempt to arrange a conference with the student to discuss the matter. The Chair of the department in which the student is enrolled must be notified of the scheduled conference and attend it. During the conference, the instructor shall present the evidence of the violation, give the student an opportunity to state his or her case, and make known to the student the sanctions that may be imposed.

If the student fails to attend a scheduled conference, the instructor shall proceed to inform the student of the nature of the evidence, the charges, and the possible sanctions by certified mail or electronic mail, with a copy to the Chair of the department in which the student is enrolled. The student may respond to the instructor within three (3) business days of receiving the instructor's correspondence. If the student chooses to respond, his or her response must be in writing, and he or she must provide a copy of the response to the Chair of the department.

After considering the student's response, the instructor may then issue a sanction.

An instructor has the authority to impose the following sanctions:

The instructor's sanction must be issued in writing and sent to the student via certified mail or electronic mail. A copy of the sanction shall be sent to the Chair of the Department.

If the student accepts responsibility for the academic violation, or fails to attend the conference and respond to the instructor's email or letter within three (3) business days, the instructor's sanction is considered final and may not be appealed by the student.

If the instructor believes that a more serious sanction is warranted than one he or she has the authority to impose, he or she may refer the matter to the Academic Misconduct Committee. The instructor must submit to the Provost and the student a report that details the alleged violation, the evidence he or she possesses, and his or her recommended sanction.

If the student attends the conference or responds to the instructor's email or letter within the three-business-day deadline, he or she may appeal the sanction imposed by the instructor. To appeal the sanction, the student must submit a written appeal to the Provost, with a copy to the instructor, within five (5) business days of the sanction's issuance. The Provost must then refer the matter to the other members of the Academic Misconduct Committee within five (5) business days. Within five (5) business days of the appeal, the instructor must submit to the Committee a report that details the alleged violation, the evidence he or she possesses, and his or her recommended sanction.

Within five (5) business days of receiving the instructor's report, the Academic Misconduct Committee shall schedule a hearing and notify the student and the instructor of the date and time of said hearing. The hearing shall be held no earlier than five (5) business days from the date of notification, unless the student waives this requirement in writing. If the student waives the requirement, he or she may request an earlier hearing date or accept responsibility for the violation.

The hearing is an informal discussion in which the student and instructor are permitted to present their positions. The student may bring an advisor (attorney or non-attorney) whose role is limited to private consultation. The hearing will include a discussion of the alleged violation or violations, a presentation of relevant evidence, a discussion to establish any other relevant facts (including any mitigating or extenuating circumstances), and/or any defense that the student wishes to present. Following the evidentiary and oral presentations, the Committee shall deliberate privately. The Committee shall notify the student and the instructor of its decision within five (5) business days of the hearing. The notification shall be made in writing and sent via certified mail or electronic mail.

The Committee possesses the authority to impose the following sanctions:

If the Committee decides that a sanction is unwarranted, the Committee’s decision is deemed to be final and the matter is to be closed. Likewise, if the Committee levies a sanction that it has the authority to impose, the Committee’s decision is deemed to be final and the matter is to be closed.

If the Committee believes that suspension or expulsion of the student is warranted, it shall refer the matter to the All-University Court within five (5) business days of the hearing.

Within five (5) business days of the Committee's referral, the All-University Court shall schedule a hearing. The Chairperson of the All-University Court shall notify the student and the instructor of the hearing in writing. The hearing must be held no earlier than ten (10) business days from the date of notification. At the hearing, the student may bring an advisor (attorney or non-attorney). The student or advisor shall have the opportunity to present evidence and the student's argument. The instructor must attend the hearing, but he or she shall serve only as a fact witness and shall not serve in any adversarial capacity.

Absent exceptional circumstances beyond the control of the student as determined by the All-University Court, the student's failure to attend the hearing shall constitute a forfeiture of his or her right to plead his or her case. Therefore, the All-University Court shall conduct the hearing in abstentia, and the decision of the All-University Court shall be considered binding.

Following the presentation of evidence, the Court shall deliberate in private to determine if the student has committed an academic violation. If the Court determines that the student did not commit a violation, the Court’s decision is to be deemed final. If the Court determines that the student did commit a violation, the Court shall then deliberate to determine the appropriate sanction. Prior to the Court’s deliberation on sanctions, the Provost shall apprise the Court of any previous academic violations the student committed.

Following the deliberation, the Chairperson of the Court shall announce the Court's sanctions to those present. If the Court decides to impose any sanction besides suspension or expulsion, the Court's decision shall be considered final. If the Court elects to impose a sanction of suspension or expulsion, the student may appeal the Court's decision if he or she attended the hearing. The student must submit the appeal to the President in writing, with a copy to the Chair of the All-University Court, within five (5) business days of the Court's decision. If the student elects to appeal the Court's decision, the Court shall submit a report to the President that details the alleged violation, the evidence presented at the Court's hearing, and the Court's recommended sanction. The report shall be submitted within five (5) business days of the student's notice of appeal.

The President shall review the Court's report and issue his or her decision within ten (10) business days of the student's notice of appeal. The President's decision is final.

KSU officials may impose one (1) or more of the following sanctions: