Integrity of scholarship is essential for an academic community. The University and the School expect that both faculty and students will honor this principle and in so doing protect the validity of University intellectual work. For students, this means that all academic work must be done by the individual to whom it is assigned, without unauthorized aid of any kind.
The Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (SSPPS) requires that all incoming students make the following pledge:
"In accepting my position in the Class entering 20XX at the UC San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences I acknowledge my responsibility for ensuring the integrity of course work/examinations undertaken while at the University. I am aware that the large amount of autonomy and trust afforded me in my professional training is done so with the expectation that I will conduct myself in an honest and professional manner. I pledge to uphold the principles of academic integrity. I will expect my fellow students to uphold these principles also, and consider it my responsibility to report any academic dishonesty that I observe."
The following policies apply to academic coursework for SSPPS.
Instructors' Responsibility:
At the beginning of the term the instructor shall state in writing (e.g., in the syllabus, information sheets, or website) what graded assignments and exams will be required of students. The instructor shall also inform students in writing of any course-specific requirements regarding which types of aid and collaboration, if any, are permitted on graded assignments and exams.
Students' Responsibility:
Students are expected to complete the course in compliance with the instructor's standards. No student shall engage in any activity that involves attempting to receive a grade by means other than honest effort; for example:
- No student shall knowingly access, procure, provide, or accept any unauthorized information regarding questions or answers to any examination, quiz, or assignment to be given at a subsequent time.
- No student shall complete, in part or in total, any examination, assignment, or sign-in attendance for another person.
- No student shall knowingly allow any examination or assignment to be completed, in part or in total, nor sign-in for events on the student’s behalf, by another person.
- No student shall plagiarize or copy the work of another person and submit it with the student’s own work.
- No student shall employ aids excluded by the instructor in undertaking course work or in completing any exam or assignment.
- No student shall alter graded class assignments or examinations and then resubmit them for re-grading.
- No student shall submit substantially the same material in more than one course without prior authorization.
- No student shall falsify information or data and submit that as factual information.
Responsibility for Disposition of Cases of Student Academic Dishonesty:
The responsibility for enforcing the standards of academic honesty rests with two University authorities: the faculty and the administration. Under the Standing Orders of the Regents, discipline is the exclusive responsibility of the campus administration, while authority over courses and curricula is delegated to the faculty through the Academic Senate. When a student has admitted to or has been found guilty of a violation of the standards of academic honesty, two separate actions shall follow.
- The instructor shall determine the student's grade on the assignment and in the course. Any breach of academic honesty may be considered grounds for failure in the course, although less serious consequences may be imposed according to the instructor’s discretion.
- The appropriate administrative authority shall impose a disciplinary penalty on the offending student. For SSPPS, this administrative authority is the Associate Dean for Student Affairs and the Academic Oversight Committee (AOC).
Procedures for Disposition of Cases of Student Academic Dishonesty:
The procedure for disposition of cases of academic dishonesty is divided into three phases
- Initial Phase
- Decision and Resolution Phase
- Appeals Phase
The Initial Phase:
When an instructor has reason to believe that a student has violated the Policy on Integrity of Scholarship, the instructor must call the student to a meeting to discuss the suspected violation and/or consult with the SSPPS Associate Dean for Student Affairs.
If the instructor decides that evidence of academic dishonesty exists, they must report the suspected violation to the SSPPS Associate Dean for Student Affairs.
The Associate Dean for Student Affairs shall contact the instructor and discuss the evidence in the case. If informal procedures do not resolve the issue, the instructor may decide to proceed with formal charges. The Associate Dean for Student Affairs shall notify the student of the charges in writing and inform the student of the procedures for processing cases of academic dishonesty under the SSPPS Policy on Integrity of Scholarship and where to obtain advice and assistance, such as from Student Legal Services.
Pending action on the charges, the status of a student shall not be altered, nor shall the rights of the student to be present on campus and to attend class be suspended unless the student is deemed a danger to self or a danger to others. The student’s status and rights will remain unchanged, except for reasons relating to the physical or emotional safety or well-being of the student, or for reasons relating to the safety or invasion of the rights of others, or for protection of University property and property of University-affiliated institutions.
The Decision and Resolution Phase:
The student shall have ten (10) business days following notification of the formal charges of academic dishonesty to meet with the Associate Dean for Student Affairs to discuss the charges and possible administrative penalties. The results of the meeting shall be documented in writing by the SSPPS Associate Dean for Student Affairs. The student shall then decide whether:
- To accept the charge of academic dishonesty.
- To deny the charge of dishonesty and to proceed to a formal hearing.
If the student fails to respond to the written notification of alleged misconduct and does not meet with the Associate Dean for Student Affairs, he or she shall be presumed to have taken the decision to accept the charge of academic dishonesty.
Decision Option I (Student accepts charge of academic dishonesty):
If the student accepts the charge of academic dishonesty, the Associate Dean for Student Affairs shall notify the instructor. The instructor is responsible for assigning the course grade and for notifying the student and the Associate Dean for Student Affairs of the grade.
The Associate Dean for Student Affairs shall also notify the AOC of the charge, and the AOC will discuss the administrative penalty. The AOC has the option to either discuss the charge in question within the committee or may require the student to come before the committee to discuss the charge. The Associate Dean for Student Affairs and the AOC will decide the administrative penalty based on the magnitude of the charge:
Minor offense: the AOC will determine if the student should be placed on academic probation and/or sanctions should be imposed.
Major offense: the student must attend a hearing with the AOC and may be subject to dismissal. The formal procedures for dismissal as outlined in the Policy on Student Academic Probation and Academic Dismissal will be followed.
Within five (5) business days of the AOC decision, the Associate Dean for Student Affairs shall notify the student and instructor in writing of the administrative penalty. The written notification shall also advise the student of the steps for appeal.
A record of the administrative penalty shall be maintained in the student’s file in the SSPPS Office of Student Affairs.
Decision Option II (Student denies charge and requests a formal hearing):
If the student denies having committed the alleged act of academic dishonesty, they must submit a written request for a formal hearing to the Associate Dean for Student Affairs within ten (10) business days of being notified of the charges. The Associate Dean for Student Affairs shall schedule a formal hearing of the case by the AOC. The Associate Dean for Student Affairs shall provide at least ten (10) business days notice to the student and the instructor of the time, date, and location of the hearing. The instructor must be present at the hearing to address the charges and to present the case to the AOC. If the instructor is not present, the AOC may adjourn the hearing and reschedule it for another time, in which case the student will receive at least five (5) business days notice of the rescheduled hearing.
The AOC shall hold a formal hearing, closed to the public, and be governed by the following rules of due process:
- The AOC will appoint a Chair, who will preside over the hearing and prepare a report of the committee’s decision.
- The Associate Dean for Student Affairs will serve as a non-voting member of the committee in an advisory capacity to the student and the committee.
- The instructor will present to the committee the information upon which the formal charges of academic dishonesty are based.
- The Chair shall determine the admissibility of evidence and consider other rulings such as, but not limited to:
- Admissible evidence shall be of the sort upon which reasonable persons are accustomed to rely in the conduct of serious affairs.
- At the request of either party, witnesses may be excluded from the hearing by the Chair, except during their testimony.
- The student will have the opportunity to present information pertinent to the issues under consideration, and may present any relevant evidence including affidavits, exhibits and oral testimony. The student may ask questions during the portion of the proceedings in which he or she takes part, subject to the reasonable control of the Chair.
- All records pertaining to the hearing shall be considered to be UC San Diego records and they shall be retained and administered by the SSPPS Office of Student Affairs in accordance with the applicable UC San Diego records policy, such as, but not limited to, PPM 160-2 and PPM 480.
- The student’s faculty advisor may be present at the hearing if requested by the student or the Associate Dean of Student Affairs. The accused student may be represented at the hearing by an attorney or by a student advocate provided by UC San Diego Student Legal Services. The SSPPS may be assisted by Campus Counsel. The student shall inform the Associate Dean for Student Affairs, at least five (5) business days prior to the date of the hearing, of the student’s intent to have an attorney present at the hearing. Students assisted by an attorney or student advocate must provide a signed release authorizing those third parties to receive relevant information from the student’s records as required by UC San Diego PPM 160-2.
- Following receipt of testimony and written materials from the instructor and the student, the instructor, the student, the student’s faculty advisor, and the student’s attorney or student advocate will be asked to leave the hearing during the committee’s deliberations. Deliberations of the AOC shall be confidential and conducted in private and out of the presence of the public, the accused student, and the instructor presenting the case.
- The findings of the AOC shall be based on the preponderance of evidence as defined below:
- "Preponderance of the evidence is generally that evidence which, when fairly considered, produces the stronger impression and has the greater weight, and is more convincing as to its truth when weighed against opposing evidence."
- The decision of the AOC shall be based on a simple majority vote of the committee members present at the hearing. Voting shall be by confidential ballot unless all members of the committee agree to an open, oral vote.
- If the student is found to have committed academic dishonesty, the AOC shall then decide the administrative penalty based on the magnitude of the charge (minor or major offense). The administrative penalty will become effective on the date of the committee decision. The Associate Dean for Student Affairs shall inform the student and the instructor, in writing, within five (5) business days. The written notification shall also advise the student of the steps for appeal. The instructor shall then assign a grade for the course and notify the student and the Associate Dean for Student Affairs of the grade within ten (10) business days.
- If the AOC finds the evidence insufficient to sustain the charge of academic dishonesty, the Associate Dean for Student Affairs shall forward in writing within five
(5) business days the findings to the instructor and the accused student. The instructor shall dismiss the matter without further action against the student, who shall be permitted to complete the course without prejudice.
The Appeals Phase:
- Appeal of the Judgment of the AOC:
If the AOC sustains the charge of academic dishonesty, the student may appeal the judgment by writing to the Dean of the SSPPS. The administrative penalty remains in effect while the student is pursuing an appeal. Appeals must be made within ten (10) calendar days of formal notification of the disposition of the case. Grounds for appeal are that the AOC policies have not been followed, resulting in prejudiced deliberations, or that the AOC’s decision is arbitrary and capricious.
If the appeal is sustained, the case shall be referred back to the AOC for a new hearing. In all other cases, the judgment of the AOC shall be final.
- Appeal of the Administrative Penalty:
For both the Decision Options I and II, within ten (10) business days of receipt of the Associate Dean for Student Affairs’ notification, the student may appeal the instructor's grade assignment, or the administrative penalty, or both, by submitting a written request to the SSPPS Dean. The SSPPS Dean will evaluate the student's appeal and make a final decision within ten (10) business days of receiving the appeal. The decision of the SSPPS Dean shall be final.
Policies for Student Records:
A record of all proceedings related to the case and its outcome shall be kept in the SSPPS Office of Student Affairs. Once an instructor has decided to proceed with a formal charge of academic dishonesty, he/she will refrain from assigning a course grade for the student until the charge has been resolved. If the course concludes before the charge is resolved, the instructor will assign an "X" code via eGrades for the student's grade and will indicate in the memorandum column that this X is for a "Pending Charge of Academic Dishonesty". Academic Records will note in attached text to the course (i.e., not on the student's transcript) that the hold is for a "Pending Charge of Academic Dishonesty". The student's transcript will show an "X" for the course until the charge is resolved. While a hold is in effect, the student may not drop the course. The faculty hold shall not be removed by the Registrar until notification from the SSPPS Associate Dean for Student Affairs, who shall release the hold once the charge is resolved, and a grade has been assigned by the instructor.
If the student accepts the charge of academic dishonesty or is found guilty by the AOC, the grade assigned by the instructor will be recorded on the student transcript and Academic Records will permanently note in text attached to the course (i.e., not on the student's transcript) that the grade was given as a result of "Academic Dishonesty". If the administrative penalty is suspension or dismissal, the Associate Dean for Student Affairs will notify the Registrar and the fact that the student was suspended or dismissed for academic dishonesty will be posted on the academic transcript for the duration of the penalty.
Revised: January 23, 2023