Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a cornerstone of graduate study and research. All members of the academic community are expected to uphold the highest standards of honesty and ethical conduct. The most common forms of academic dishonesty include cheating on examinations and plagiarism.

Procedure for Addressing Suspected Academic Dishonesty

When an instructor suspects a student of academic dishonesty, the instructor must notify the student and inform them of the following rights:

• To receive a written statement of the charges;

• To remain silent without assumption of guilt;

• To receive a copy of the College’s Academic Integrity Statement;

• To be informed of the instructor’s intended sanction.

The instructor and the student may choose to resolve the matter by determining that the suspicion is unfounded or by mutually agreeing upon a sanction. In such cases, the instructor must submit a written report detailing the charges and the agreed-upon resolution to both the department chair and the Office of Graduate Studies.

If no agreement is reached, the instructor must submit a written statement of the charges and the proposed sanction to the student and the department chair as promptly as possible.

Appeals Process

• The student has the right to appeal the instructor’s sanction in writing to the department chair within three weeks of receiving the written notification. If the instructor is also the department chair, the most senior member of the department’s Personnel and Budget Committee will assume this role.

• The chair will convene an ad hoc committee of three faculty members from the department to review the case. This committee must reach a decision within three weeks by majority vote.

• A written copy of the committee’s decision will be provided to the department chair, the student, the instructor, and the Office of Graduate Studies.

• Within three weeks of receiving this decision, either the instructor or the student may submit a written appeal to the Senate Committee on Graduate Studies. This committee’s decision is final. No further appeals will be accepted. The committee will notify all relevant parties of its decision.

• If any portion of the three-week appeal period falls outside the academic semester, the timeline will be extended to include the first three weeks of the following regular semester.

Disciplinary Action

If a charge of academic dishonesty is upheld, additional disciplinary sanctions may be recommended by the Vice President for Student Affairs to the Faculty-Student Disciplinary Committee in accordance with the due process provisions outlined in Article 15.3 of the CUNY Board of Trustees Bylaws. Disciplinary sanctions may include, but are not limited to:

1. Suspension from the College

2. Expulsion from the College

These penalties may only be imposed through the formal disciplinary process as outlined in the Bylaws.