The mission of the Asian University for Women (AUW) is to educate ethical leaders. All forms of unethical behavior are serious violations of our mission, and therefore, will not be tolerated.
The integrity of students’ academic work is very important to AUW faculty. Universities are based upon the fundamental principle that the work presented truly belongs to the author, because the academic community revolves around ideas and creativity. Each person’s ideas are his or her contribution to the academic community. Therefore, taking another person’s ideas and representing them as one’s own is a serious form of dishonesty. Similarly, cheating (copying someone else’s work, asking for answers, sharing answers, etc.) and other forms of dishonesty (falsifying data, making up references, etc.) are also serious breaches of this honor code.
AUW students are expected to reflect a high standard of integrity in all areas of their lives, not from mere compliance with external rules, but from a personal commitment to these values.
Students who violate this code not only compromise their own integrity, but they undermine the mission of the AUW. Below are some standards and procedures that (1) define plagiarism and other forms of academic cheating; and (2) allow the faculty and administration to impose serious consequences when such incidents of unethical behavior occur.
Plagiarism is intentionally or unintentionally taking credit for another’s words or ideas. You may not plagiarize in your academic work, and you must adhere to the following:
The various academic disciplines (humanities, social sciences, sciences) use slightly different formats for footnotes, endnotes, and bibliographies. Your professor for a particular class will tell you which format he or she wants you to use in that class.
Copying, asking for answers, sharing answers, and any other form of cheating (misrepresenting your own work and knowledge) on exams or quizzes are all forms of academic dishonesty.
Incidents of academic dishonesty, along with supporting information, must be reported by faculty members to the chair of the Academic Actions Committee (AAC). The accused student should also be notified that the AAC has been informed of the offense. The chair of the AAC will coordinate with the faculty member and student to organize a meeting, request information on prior offenses from the Academic Registrar, and ensure the appropriate procedures are followed.
First Offense:
After a faculty member has identified academic dishonesty and reported it to the chair(s) of the AAC, the student will be required to meet with the relevant faculty member and the chair of the Academic Actions Committee to discuss the offense. During the discussion, notes will be taken on the Academic Misconduct Report Form, and all participants will sign the form to confirm the student hasunderstood the nature of theoffense. If the student admits to the academic dishonesty, the completed form will be submitted to the Office of the Academic Registrar and kept in the student’s file. The faculty in whose class the academic dishonesty occurred may enforce a grade penalty on the assignment.
If the student denies the charge of academic dishonesty, then the chair of the AAC will convene an Academic Honor Court consisting of 3 members of the AAC, including the chair, to hear the case. The Court will hear evidence from the faculty member, student, and any other witnesses the Court deems appropriate. If sufficient evidence of academic dishonesty is found, the Court may institute a grade penalty on the assignment at the faculty member’s discretion. A report of the proceedings will be written by the chair(s) of the AAC and filed along with the Academic Misconduct Report Form in the student’s file.
Second, Third, and Fourth Offenses:
After a faculty has identified academic dishonesty and reported it to the chair of the AAC, the chair will convene an Academic Honor Court consisting of 3 members of the AAC, including the chair, to hear the case. The Court will hear evidence from the faculty member, student, and any other witnesses the Court deems appropriate. If sufficient evidence of academic dishonesty is found, the Court may institute a penalty in relation to the number of cumulative offenses detailed below. A report of the proceedings will be written by the chair of the AAC and filed along with the Academic Misconduct Report Form in the student’s file.
Penalties for Additional Offenses:
Note that actions taken for ethical violations will add to any existing academic actions or serve as the starting place for subsequent academic actions. For example, a student currently on Academic Probation or Final Academic Probation that engages in academic dishonesty will undergo a more severe action than their current status. In the case of an academic action coming after an ethical violation, the action taken will be more severe than that given for cheating or plagiarism.
A record of each incidence of plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will be kept by the AUW Academic Registrar in the student’s file. A student’s financial aid will not be extended beyond four years of undergraduate study if the student must repeat courses due to failing grades resulting from poor academic performance or cheating/plagiarism violations.