WSU Student Conduct Policy....and related policies

STUDENT CITIZENSHIP STANDARDS

Winona State University is an academic community committed to providing an environment of learning.  As such it has a vested interest in both the safety and well being of members of the university community, and for the promotion and protection of the educational mission of the University.

The purpose of the Student Citizenship Standards is to provide an educational experience through which students learn to understand, accept, and promote attitudes conducive to responsive involvement; to provide a system by which students are held accountable for actions which violate University standards; and to protect the due process rights of students charged with violating these standards.   It i necessary for the University to establish and enforce citizenship standards for the following reasons:

1.   The University has a primary concern with matters which can affect academic achievement and integrity.

2.   The University has a concern with conduct that interferes with the rights of others.

3.   The University has a responsibility to investigate conduct which threatens the health and safety of members of the University community.

4.   The University has an obligation to protect its property and the property of community members from theft, damage, or misuse.

5.   The University has a commitment to enforce its contractual agreements.

6.   The University ha an obligation to support the laws of the city, state, and federal government.

All students are expected to comply with the Student Citizenship Standards.  Consequences for failing to comply could result in sanctions from the University.  Flagrant or repeated violations of the conduct standards could result in suspension or expulsion form the University.

Student Constitutional Rights:   Students have the rights accorded to all persons under the Constitution to freedom of speech, peaceful assembly, petition, and association.  Causes may be supported by individuals and organizations by lawful means that do not disrupt the operations of the University.  These rights carry with them the responsibility for each individual to accord the same rights to other students and groups and not to interfere with or obstruct the rights of others to use University facilities.

In cases of behavioral misconduct, students’ due process rights are as follows:

  • Written notice of the charges.
  • A prompt conference before the Conduct Officer.
  • The right to know the nature and source of the evidence to be used and to question it.
  • The right to present their own witness(es) and defense.
  • The right to have an advisor at the hearing (The advisor may be an attorney when a student faces probable suspension or expulsion, or if there are criminal charges pending. The advisor does not serve to represent the student by speaking for the student or by questioning witnesses).
  • Written notice of the decision.
  • The right to appeal.

Where it is believed that the health, safety, or well being of either the accused student or a member of the University community is in serious question, a summary suspension (prior to a hearing) can be enacted by the Vice President or his/her designee. The accused student has a right to a hearing within 72 hours to identify whether the suspension should remain in effect until a full hearing can be conducted. At this hearing, conducted by the Conduct Officer, the accused student has the right to a notice of charges, an explanation of the evidence, and an opportunity to respond to the allegations. Any student who returns to campus during the period of summary suspension could be subject to expulsion. Permission to be on campus may be granted for a specific reason, however, it must be granted in advance and in writing by the Conduct Officer.

Student Responsibilities:  Students need to accept the following responsibilities:

  • The responsibility of assuming the consequences of one’s own behavior and actions.
  • The responsibility of knowledge of and observance of established University policies as published in official University publications.
  • The responsibility to insure that no student organization includes discriminatory clauses pertaining to race, creed, religion, color, sex, national origin, disability, or sexual orientation.

Student Due Process Rights:  Due Process refers to the concept of fair treatment in the disciplinary process.  This includes information on student expectations, providing notice of disciplinary charges, decisions that are made, and the right to appeal.  In cases of academic dishonesty, the due process rights of students are as follows.  

  • Written or oral notice of the charges.
  • An explanation of the evidence against them .
  • An opportunity to present their side of the story .
  • notice of sanctions(s) imposed.
  • An opportunity to appeal in succession to the Department Chair, the College Dean, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

In cases of behavioral misconduct, students’ due process rights are as follows:

  • Written notice of the charges.
  • A prompt conference before the Conduct Officer.
  • The right to know the nature and source of the evidence to be used and to question it.
  • The right to present their own witness(es) and defense.
  • The right to have an advisor at the hearing (The advisor may be an attorney when a student faces probable suspension or expulsion, or   if there are criminal charges pending. The advisor does not serve to represent the student by speaking for the student or by     questioning witnesses).
  • Written notice of the decision.
  • The right to appeal.

NOTE:  Please see the appeals process under Student Citizenship Standards Procedure in this section.

Where it is believed that the health, safety, or well being of either the accused student or a member of the University community is in serious question, a summary suspension (prior to a hearing) can be enacted by the Vice President or his/her designee. The accused student has a right to a hearing within 72 hours to identify whether the suspension should remain in effect until a full hearing can be conducted. At this hearing, conducted by the Conduct Officer, the accused student has the right to a notice of charges, an explanation of the evidence, and an opportunity to respond to the allegations. Any student who returns to campus during the period of summary suspension could be subject to expulsion. Permission to be on campus may be granted for a specific reason, however, it must be granted in advance and in writing by the Conduct Officer.

Academic Integrity Policy:

Academic integrity at Winona State University is based on honesty. The university community requires that work produced by students represents their personal efforts and requires that they properly acknowledge the intellectual contributions of others.

WSU students are required to adhere to the University’s standards of academic integrity. The following are examples, not intended to be all inclusive, of types of behavior that are unacceptable and will be viewed as violations of the Academic Integrity Policy.

Examples of Policy Violations

Cheating: Using or attempting to use unauthorized materials in any academic exercise or having someone else to do work for you.   Examples of cheating include looking at another student’s paper during a test, bringing a "crib sheet" to a test, obtaining a copy of a test prior to the test date, or submitting homework borrowed from another student.

Deception and misrepresentation: Lying about or misrepresenting your work, academic records, or credentials. Examples of deception and misrepresentation include forging signatures, falsifying application credentials, and misrepresenting group participation.

Enabling academic dishonesty: Helping someone else to commit an act of academic dishonesty. This would include giving someone else an academic assignment with the intent of allowing that person to copy it or allowing someone else to cheat from your test paper.

Fabrication: Inventing or falsifying information. Examples of fabrication include "drylabbing" (inventing data for an experiment you did not do or did not do correctly) or making references to sources you did not use in academic assignments.

Multiple submission: Submitting work you have done in previous classes as if it were new and original work. Although faculty may be willing to let you use previous work as the basis of new work, they expect you to do new work for the class. Students seeking to submit a piece of work to more than one class should seek the permission of both instructors.

Plagiarism: Using the words of ideas of another writer without proper acknowledgement, so that they seem as if they are your own. Plagiarism includes behavior such as copying someone else’s work word for word, rewriting someone else’s work with only minor word changes, and/or summarizing someone else’s work without acknowledging the source.

Due Process Rights:

Due process refers to the concept of fair treatment. In cases where minimal due process rights apply (academic course dishonesty processed by a faculty member), due process rights of accused students are as follows:

    1. Oral or written notice of the charges.
    2. An explanation of the evidence against them.
    3. An opportunity to present their side of the story.
    4. Notice of sanction (s) imposed (such as lowering a grade, failing the course, dismissal from a program, etc.).
    5. An opportunity to appeal the sanction(s).

Students accused of academic dishonesty have the right to appeal a faculty member’s decision to the Grade Appeal Committee. The Grade Appeal Committee will make a recommendation only in cases involving accusation of academic dishonesty to the appropriate academic dean. The academic dean’s (or designee’s) decision is final.

The appeal process for academic sanctions must be received in writing within five class days or, in the case of break periods, within five class days after returning from a break. A time extension may be granted upon request to the Grade Appeal Committee. Failure to submit a timely appeal, or request for extension, constitutes a waiver of any right to request an appeal. The written appeal must be based on one or more of the following reasons:

    1. The evidence at the hearing does not support the outcome.
    2. There is new or newly discovered facts not brought out in the original hearing which may substantially affect the outcome.
    3. There was a procedural error, which could have substantially affected the outcome of the hearing.
    4. The sanction was excessively severe.

There may be circumstances when it may be appropriate for more severe sanction/s (such as probation or suspension), other than the academic sanction. The dean of the college/s (or designee) where the alleged violation/s occurred, in collaboration with the WSU Conduct Officer (or designee), will make the decision as to whether the case will be heard as a behavior discipline and be referred to the Student Affairs Office to be processed under the guidelines of the WSU Student Conduct Policy. Students found responsible for violation/s processed under the WSU Student Conduct Policy face disciplinary sanctions (such as probation, suspension, etc.)