Undergraduate Policies

Purpose

Academic Integrity is the foundation of all Jefferson teaching, learning, and professional endeavors and is vital to advancing a culture of fairness, trust and respect. All members of the University community must maintain respect for the intellectual efforts of others and be honest in their own work, words and ideas.

Definitions

Bribery: Giving, offering, accepting or soliciting any item of value as a means of influencing the actions of another individual or individuals.

Cheating: Obtaining, attempting to obtain, or aiding another to obtain credit for work or improvement in performance through dishonest or deceptive means, including feigning illness or emergency.

Denying Access: Withholding access to materials, equipment, process (reporting results without performance of test or procedure), or information that is commonly available for use.

Fabrication: Invention or alteration of information, which is false or misleading, including the fabrication of clinical or research data or changing patient records after the records have been reviewed and/or submitted.

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI): for the purpose of academic classroom management at Thomas Jefferson University, Generative AI shall be referred to as GAI and is a set of tools/algorithms capable of generating original text, images, audio, video, and computer code, among other things. 

Identity Misrepresentation: Use of another person’s name, single sign-on credentials, or identity in-person, online, or in signature or allowing use of your name or identity in-person, online, or in signature.

Plagiarism: The explicit use of another person’s language, ideas, or other original (not common- knowledge) material without acknowledging its source, including Generative Artificial Intelligence; engaging and incorporating the exact or closely paraphrased ideas, words, data, or images of others without consent and/or citation to the author.

Unauthorized Use: The use of sources without consent, which includes communication of confidential information without authorization, use of another person’s work without consent for the specified purpose, collaboration without express authorization, completion of work or revision of work without approval/citation, sharing unauthorized information or material, or use of unauthorized tools.  Refer to your course syllabus or instructor if you need clarification on proper sources and uses.

Scope

This policy applies to all full-time, part-time, matriculated and non-matriculated students at Thomas Jefferson University in all of their academic, research, and service pursuits, including at non-Jefferson locations such as clinical experiences, experiential learning, and study away sites. Violations of academic integrity include, but are not limited to plagiarism, cheating, fabrication, unauthorized use, bribery, identity misrepresentation, and denying access.

Components

If a faculty member believes that an academic integrity violation has occurred, the incident must be reported in accordance with the following procedures:

1. Notice to Student: An allegation of a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy will be reported to the student(s) involved as soon as possible following the incident or upon receipt of an outside report of the incident. The notice to student(s) may be verbal or written and should include a description of the alleged violation so the student may respond.
2. Notice to College: The faculty member will inform the appropriate program and college designee(s) of the incident by providing a description of the violation and recommended sanctions. The program and college designee(s) and faculty member will finalize sanctions and determine if action is needed above the College level (see below).
   
3. Final Notice to Student: A written notice, which includes a description of the alleged violation and final sanction(s) must be shared with the student.  Students have the right to appeal using the process described below.
   
4. Notice to Community Standards: To formally track academic integrity violations and/or initiate the University Community Standards process the faculty member or Dean/designee must officially report the incident to the University Dean of Students or Office of Student Affairs and Provost Office.  Reports should be made within two weeks of the final determination of action via the Academic Integrity Violation Form found here.

Reports to the University are submitted for:

a) Informational purposes only. This type of documentation assumes no further action; or

b) Community Standards Referral. This initiates the University’s Community Standards process, and may lead to additional sanctions up to and including dismissal from the University.

More information about the Community Standards Board is available on the Community Standards page.

Sanctions

Sanctions administered within the college can include, but are not limited to, a warning, revision or repeat of work, a reduction in grade, or a failing grade.  Other possible sanctions can be found in Section IX of the Community Standards. Sanctions administered within the college will be appropriate to the violation and are within the purview of the college. Separation from the program, College or University (expulsion or suspension) for engaging in conduct in violation of this policy can only be determined through the University Community Standards process.

Appeals

Appeals at the College level can be made using the grievance or appeal process found within college-level handbooks or undergraduate policies.  

Students may appeal the decision of the College or Community Standards process using the process detailed in Section X of the Community Standards.