About the Department

Recreation, Park and Tourism Management Policy Manual

PSU Academic Integrity

As stated in the University Guide to General Policies and Rules, academic integrity is the pursuit of scholarly activity in an open, honest and responsible manner. Academic integrity is a basic guiding principle for all academic activity at The Pennsylvania State University, and all members of the University community are expected to act in accordance with this principle. Consistent with this expectation, students should act with personal integrity, respect other students' dignity, rights and property, and help create and maintain an environment in which all can succeed through the fruits of their efforts.

Academic integrity includes a commitment not to engage in or tolerate acts of falsification, misrepresentation or deception. Such acts of dishonesty violate the fundamental ethical principles of the University community and compromise the worth of work completed by others. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, fabrication of information or citations, facilitation of acts of academic dishonesty by others, unauthorized possession of examinations, submitting work of another person or work previously used without informing the instructor, and tampering with the academic work of other students (also see Faculty Senate Policy 49-20 and G-9 Procedures). If it is believed that a student has committed plagiarism or another infraction of the University’s Code of Conduct related to Academic Dishonesty, a meeting will be scheduled to review the information that has lead to the belief that a violation occurred, and the student will be provided with the opportunity to respond
to the allegation.

If after this meeting the student is still believed to be responsible, the guidelines that have been established for reporting an Academic Integrity violation which are outlined in G-9 Academic Integrity will be followed:
1. The faculty member informs the student of the allegation while taking into account the confidential nature of the information and the goal of maintaining an environment that supports teaching and learning.
2. When evidence suggests that an academic misconduct has occurred, the faculty member will enter the charge and the academic sanction on the campus or college’s Academic Integrity Form, will sign the form, and then convey the charge and sanction to the student for his or her signature (in person or through other methods if necessary).
3. After reviewing the allegation of academic misconduct with the student, the faculty member may provide the student with an additional period of time (determined by the campus or college procedures) before the student has to make a decision and sign the Academic Integrity Form as to whether or not to accept the academic sanction. A student’s failure to sign and return the
Academic Integrity Form, by the specified deadline, consistent with campus or college procedures, will be construed as not contesting the charge or sanction.