Academic Integrity Policy
Department of Statistics
All courses taught by instructors in the Department of Statistics will include the following academic integrity statement in their syllabi:
“Academic honesty is essential to the existence and integrity of an academic institution. The responsibility for maintaining that integrity is shared by all members of the academic community. Students are expected to adhere to guidelines concerning academic dishonesty outlined in Section 4.2 of University’s Student Code of Conduct (http://stuafs.unl.edu/ja/code/). Students who commit acts of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary action and are granted due process and the right to appeal any decision.”
Grade and Academic Policy Appeals, and Incidents of Academic Dishonesty in Department of Statistics courses, are to be handled in the following framework:
Additional information about academic policies and appeals can be found in the Office of the University Registrar’s Academic Handbook (https://registrar.unl.edu/academic-standards/policies/). Information about appeal procedures for academic termination, fellowships, and assistantships can be found in the Graduate Student Handbook and the most recent edition of the UNL Graduate Studies Catalog (https://catalog.unl.edu/graduate-professional/).
Student Appeals of Department of Statistics Policies:
A student wishing to appeal a Statistics or CASNR policy must first request a decision from his or her academic advisor. If a satisfactory solution is not achieved with the advisor, the student may request a decision from the departmental committee implementing the policy (if such a committee exists), Department of Statistics Curriculum Committee, and then the Department Chair (in that order). If a satisfactory solution is not achieved at the department level, the student may appeal his or her case through the appropriate College Dean’s Office, using that body’s appeal process.
Students appealing a policy must do so within 30 days following the decision based on that policy. The departmental curriculum committee would then have 30 days to provide a written response.
A policy appeal to the departmental curriculum committee, and then (if a satisfactory resolution is not achieved) to the department chair, should provide the following information:
- An account of the facts surrounding the reason for the policy appeal.
- Evidence that the student has sought to resolve the case in consultation with their academic advisor and the departmental committee.
- In the case of an appeal to the chair, evidence that the student, failing to resolve the case, has attempted to resolve it by recourse to the department curriculum committee.
- Evidence that the student has carried through the appeal with the greatest expedition possible under the circumstances
- A phone number and an email address at which the committee can contact you.
- Any relevant written evidence.
The appellant should be as specific as possible in the evidence introduced, giving dates, places and times, supplying documentary evidence when this is available (e.g., e-mail communications). The statement is intended as a source of information for the members of the committee (or chair) and the academic advisor, and should not be a vehicle for unsubstantiated charges.
Student Appeals of Statistics Course Grades:
In the event of a dispute involving a Statistics course grade, the student must first appeal to his or her instructor and, failing resolution with the instructor, to the Department of Statistics Undergraduate Curriculum Committee (in the case of an undergraduate course) or the Department of Statistics Graduate Committee (in the case of a graduate course) by sending a written appeal to the Department Chair. If a satisfactory solution is not achieved at the department level, the student may appeal their case through the CASNR dean in the case of undergraduate courses or to the Dean of the Graduate College in the case of graduate courses following the procedures outline in the appropriate college catalog.
A student wishing to appeal a grade should attempt to reconcile the grade with the instructor within 30 days of the posting of the grade report of the disputed final grade. It is incumbent upon the instructor to render a decision regarding the grade during this 30 day period.
If unsuccessful, the student may file a written appeal to the chair of the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee in the case of undergraduate courses or the chair of the Graduate Committee in the case of graduate courses. The appeal must be filed within 60 days of the posting of the grade report. The appeal should be sent to the chair of the Department who will forward it to the appropriate committee chair. A written determination of the appeal will be presented to both the student and the instructor.
If unsuccessful, the student may appeal to the CASNR dean in the case of undergraduate courses or to the Dean of the Graduate College in the case of graduate courses following the procedures outline in the appropriate college catalog.
A grade appeal to the Department of Statistics Undergraduate Curriculum Committee (in the case of an undergraduate course) or the Department of Statistics Graduate Committee (in the case of a graduate course), should provide the following information:
- An account of the facts surrounding the reason for the grade appeal.
- Evidence that the student has sought to resolve the case in consultation with their instructor.
- Evidence that the student has carried through the appeal with the greatest expedition possible under the circumstances
- A phone number and an email address at which the committee can contact you.
- Any relevant written evidence.
Academic Dishonesty:
Academic dishonesty can involve cheating; fabrication or falsification of information; plagiarism; destroying, defacing, stealing, or making inaccessible library or other academic resource material; complicity in the academic dishonesty of others; falsifying grade reports; or misrepresenting illness, injury, accident, etc., to avoid or delay an examination or the timely submission of academic work.
Consequences of academic dishonesty in Statistics courses, depending on the degree of severity as interpreted by an instructor, may range from a warning to assigning an F for the course. The instructor might also choose to assign a zero or partial credit for a specific assignment, quiz, examination or laboratory report in which dishonesty was involved. In all cases the instructor must document the instance(s) of student activity which constitutes academic dishonesty. Documentation must be kept by the instructor for a minimum of one year and must be made available to appropriate department, college, and UNL authorities if cases of academic dishonesty result in disciplinary hearings and/or appeals at those levels. When an academic sanction beyond giving a score of zero on an assignment or exam is imposed, the Statistics Curriculum Committee will be informed. When academic sanction is imposed which causes the student to receive a lowered course grade, the faculty member shall make a report in writing of the facts of the case and the academic sanction imposed against the student to the faculty member’s department chairperson or head and to the Conduct Officer. The student shall be provided with a copy of this report. Further, the instructor may recommend the institution of CASNR or UNL disciplinary proceedings against the student for violation of the Student Code of Conduct if the instructor, in the exercise of his or her professional judgment, believes that such action is warranted.
If a student facing sanctions due to academic dishonesty in a Department of Statistics course wishes to appeal the severity of the sanction, the following process must be followed. First is an appeal to the chief instructor of the course. Failing resolution with the instructor, a student can appeal to the Departmental Curriculum Committee by sending a written appeal to the Department Chair who will forward it to the Departmental Curriculum Committee. Failing resolution with the Departmental Curriculum Committee, the student can next appeal in writing to the Department Chair. If a satisfactory solution is not achieved at the department level, the student may then appeal through the appropriate CASNR or UNL appeal process, subject to the process and requirements of those bodies. If a student facing sanctions due to academic dishonesty in a Department of Statistics course wishes to dispute the finding of academic dishonesty, the matter shall be referred to the Conduct Officer for disposition in accordance with the University Disciplinary Procedures, as detailed in the Student Code of Conduct.
Students wishing to appeal the severity of the sanction must do so within 30 days of being informed of the sanction. The departmental curriculum committee would then have 30 days to provide a written response.
An appeal to the departmental curriculum committee, and then (if a satisfactory resolution is not achieved) to the department chair, should provide the following information:
- An account of the facts surrounding the reason for the appeal.
- Evidence that the student has sought to resolve the case in consultation with the instructor.
- In the case of an appeal to the chair, evidence that the student, failing to resolve the case, has attempted to resolve it by recourse to the department curriculum committee.
- Evidence that the student has carried through the appeal with the greatest expedition possible under the circumstances
- A phone number and an email address at which the committee (or chair) can contact you.
- Any relevant written evidence.
Approved by Statistics Undergraduate Curriculum Committee – 05/09/2019
Approved by Statistics Graduate Curriculum Committee – 05/05/2019
Approved by Statistics Graduate Committee – 05/09/2019
Approved by Statistics Faculty – 05/24/2019
Edited for clarity – 09/12/2019
Revision approved by Statistics Faculty – 03/09/2021
Revision approved by Statistics Faculty – 02/28/2022
Revision approved by Statistics Faculty – 04/25/2022