Chapter VI Contents: [ VI.1 L&S Student Academic Affairs ] [ VI.2 L&S SAA Staff ] [ VI.3 Academic Advancement Program ] [ VI.4 L&S Advising Service ] [ VI.5 Bradley Learning Community ] [ VI.6 Cross-College Advising Service ] [ VI.7 Letters and Science Career Services ] [ VI.8 S.O.A.R. ] [ VI.9 Student Records ] [ VI.10 Degree Audit Reporting System ] [ VI.11 Academic Misconduct ] [ VI.12 Accommodation of Religious Belief ] [ VI.13 Policy & Guidelines on Nondiscrimination ] [ VI.14 Summary Blocks/Final Exams ] [ VI.15 Multi-Section Courses ] [ VI.16 Chadbourne Residential College ] [ VI.17 Deleted Section] [ VI.18 First-Year Interest Groups ] [ VI.19 Pathways to Excellence Programs and Services ] [ VI.20 African American Student Academic Services ] [ VI.21 American Indian Student Academic Services ] [ VI.22 Chicano/a Student Academic Services ] [ VI.23 Southeast Asian American Student Academic Services] [ VI.24 Summer Collegiate Experience ] [ VI.25 Undergraduate Research Scholars ] [ VI.26 Grading Policies ] [ VI.27 The Grading System ] [ VI.28 Grade Change Procedure ] [ VI.29 Student Appeals of Grading ] [ VI.30 Grade Disputes ] [ VI.31 Distinction: in the Major, in the Thesis ] [ VI.32 Scholarships ] [ VI.33 Major Declaration Form ]

UW-Madison rules and procedures are described by the Dean of Students in a website devoted to the topic of academic misconduct: http://www.wisc.edu/students/saja/misconduct/facstaff.html.

• Review the rules. Questions may be directed to the Office of the Dean of Students. The policy of that office is to work closely with the Student Academic Affairs Office on matters such as this.
• Arrange the required conference between the instructor and the student(s) suspected of cheating. According to your department's policy or practices, this conference may be private or held in the presence of others (e.g., chair, department adviser). The purpose of this meeting is for the instructor to explain to the student the nature of the charge, the reasons for believing that academic misconduct may have occurred and the possible sanctions, and to hear any response that the student wishes to make.
• Consider imposing a mild sanction (such as a private oral or written reprimand and/or an assignment to repeat the work), without filing a formal report with other university offices, if convinced that cheating or plagiarism has occurred. If students comply and do not appeal, the matter will be considered resolved.
• File a required formal report if the instructor deems that the extent of misconduct warrants a more severe sanction (from a written reprimand to be placed in the student's file and/or a reduced grade on the work or in the course, to probation, suspension, or expulsion). A sample format for such a report can be found at http://www.wisc.edu/students/saja/misconduct/facstaff.html#sample. 

• In teaching a course in which writing is required, it may be helpful to discuss the concept of plagiarism with students. Many students, especially young or new students, may have only a fuzzy idea of when and how to give references to the words or ideas of others.  The best prevention for plagiarism is open and detailed discussion with students, either individually or as a group, as to the policies and philosophies of the instructor. Students should be absolutely clear as to the type of material they may and may not use as well as how such material should be cited. Some instructors have found requiring students to hand in a copy of their rough drafts as well as the final version of a paper to be helpful in controlling the potential for plagiarism.
• It is also necessary to make clear to students what the course rules are regarding collaboration on assignments. There is wide variation among faculty as to how much collaboration is permitted or encouraged, and this may be genuinely confusing to students.

• Seat the students in every other row and seat.
• Make sure that all books and other materials not to be used during the exam are placed out of sight of students.
• Stay in the classroom and observe students while they are taking the exam.
• If students are crowded during exams, alternate versions of the test may be advisable.

Reviewed August 31, 2007 (links updated)