Beginning September 1, 2024, all alleged academic misconduct must be reported to the UW Office of Community Standards & Student Conduct (CSSC).  This change of procedure allows the University to gather more accurate data about academic misconduct at the UW, and also helps ensure consistency of process across all UW academic units.  

Once reported to the CSSC, alleged academic misconduct involving College of Education students is reviewed by CSSC staff and then referred back to the College of Education Dean's Representative for an Investigative Interview in accordance with the UW Student Code of Conduct.

--> Report Alleged Academic Misconduct   

--> Learn more about CSSC or the Conduct Process

In accordance with this change, the 2018 College of Education Academic Integrity Policy will be revised during the 2024-2025 academic year.  

Please contact Marty Howell in the Office of Student Services with any questions or concerns.  

 

Academic Integrity & Academic Misconduct

 

The College of Education, the University of Washington, and the field of education generally have rigorous expectations regarding academic integrity.  Strong academic integrity is important for the integrity of our profession, and is consistent with the College's vision and mission "to transform inequitable systems of education to create just, sustainable, and culturally-thriving democracies by engaging in dynamic, collaborative partnerships, practices, and research."  

The College's Academic Integrity Policy describes specific expectations, roles, and procedures for College of Education students and faculty, and is consistent with the Student Conduct Code for the University of Washington.

Common Forms of Academic Misconduct

The are many forms of academic misconduct, but the two most common forms are plagiarism and cheating.

  • Plagiarism is defined by the UW Student Conduct Code as “ . . . the submission or presentation of someone else's words, composition, research, or expressed ideas, whether published or unpublished, without attribution. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to: (a) The use, by paraphrase or direct quotation, of the published or unpublished work of another person without full and clear acknowledgment; and (b) The unacknowledged use of materials prepared by another person or acquired from an entity engaging in the selling of term papers or other academic materials.”
  • Cheating is an unauthorized action taken by a student that attempts to gain an unfair advantage over other students.  As noted in the UW Student Conduct Code, cheating includes, but is not limited to, "the use of unauthorized assistance in taking quizzes, tests, or examinations, or completing assignments; the acquisition, use, or distribution of unpublished materials created by another student without the express permission of the original author(s); using online sources, such as solution manuals, without the permission of the instructor to complete assignments, exams, tests, or quizzes; or requesting, hiring, or otherwise encouraging someone to take a course, exam, test, or complete assignments for a student."
  • Other forms of academic misconduct specifically identified in the UW Student Conduct Code include (but are not limited to) falsification, unauthorized collaboration, taking deliberate action to destroy or damage another's academic work, and recording of instructional content without the express permission of the instructor(s) (or unless approved as a disability accommodation).   

The College's Academic Integrity Policy provides specific examples of the forms of academic misconduct relevant to the work and activities of College of Education students. 

Preventing Academic Misconduct

Communication is key to preventing academic misconduct.  This begins with presenting clear guidelines in your syllabus. We strongly recommend that you use the Academic Integrity Statement for Syllabi as a place to begin, but also remind students before their first assignment about your expectations regarding citations, working together, and doing one's own work. Also important is to inform students about the consequences of academic misconduct should it occur.  

The UW Office of Community Standards and Student Conduct offers a number of additional tips for preventing academic misconduct: 

In addition, UW Libraries offers several Strategies for Assignment Design to help instructors minimize plagiarism. 

The video below, entitled Preventing Academic Misconduct, was produced for students in the College of Education and could be linked from your syllabus or Canvas course site(s):  

If You Suspect Academic Misconduct 

  • Communicate with the Student. A first step is to communicate with the student in person (preferred) or by email to explain your concern. When communicating with the student, present the information that made you suspect academic misconduct; also ask the student for an explanation of what transpired. Explain to the student that they have the right to speak directly with a Dean’s Representative if they do not want to interact with you about the matter. Feel free to contact a Dean’s Representative to seek advice if needed prior to the conversation with the student.
  • Refer the matter to the CSSC. If you continue to suspect academic misconduct even after hearing the student’s explanation, you are welcome to consult with a Dean's Representative (the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs or the Assistant Dean for Academic & Student Affairs) about the matter.  In addition, however, you should report it to the Office of Community Standards & Student Conduct (CSSC) using their online reporting tool.  You should notify the student in writing that the matter has been referred to the Office of Community Standards & Student Conduct (CSSC), and that someone will contact the student to schedule an informal hearing.  We recommend sharing these CSSC Respondent Resources with the student as well.  
  • Delay assigning a grade. For the assignment or exam in question (and/or the course, if near the end of the quarter) do not assign a grade until notified by the Dean’s Representative that the academic misconduct process is completed. If the student is found responsible for academic misconduct you may take that into account as you grade the assignment (possibly resulting in a grade of zero for the assignment or exam). If the student is found not responsible for academic misconduct, you must grade the assignment or exam as it would have been graded had there not been a suspicion of academic misconduct.

Additional information about the procedures for suspected academic misconduct is available through the CSSC. 

Additional Resources