Academic Integrity

Academic work is a shared enterprise that depends on a commitment to truthfulness. Sarah Lawrence students are expected to abide by the standards of intellectual integrity that govern the broader academic community to which the College belongs. These standards entail acknowledging the origin of the ideas, information, data, and forms of expression that one employs in one’s own work, including those produced using generative artificial intelligence; giving due credit to the sources from which one has borrowed; and affording one’s reader a means of consulting those sources directly. Different academic disciplines may have varying conventions of citation and acknowledgment, and electronic media have increased the availability of oral and printed sources. Instructors must clearly outline their expectations for collaboration, citation, and acknowledgment in their courses. Similarly, students are responsible for understanding and adhering to these standards in any academic or creative activity and should seek clarification, if needed.

In addition to the accurate representation of an individual’s work, academic integrity requires that students not abet others in any misrepresentation of their work. Academic integrity also requires that students not interfere with the access of other students to shared material, such as library books, course packets, etc. The Esther Raushenbush Library offers citation and reference educational workshops throughout the academic year. For further information, students may contact the library at reference@sarahlawrence.edu. Students who are unclear about proper citation or who have been found to have violated the academic-integrity policy are especially urged to attend these workshops.

Offenses against academic integrity include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Plagiarism:
   1. Failure to properly cite sources
   2. Unauthorized use of technology, including, but not limited to, the use of generative artificial intelligence
   3. Submitting under a student’s own name work that is not entirely theirs
   4. Cheating or abetting others in the act of cheating
2. Falsification of information, data, or attributions
3. Submitting the same work for more than one class, within the same or different semesters, without the express permission of all faculty involved
4. Stealing or defacing library materials or otherwise rendering them inaccessible to others

Any member of the community, including students, staff, or other faculty, who has reason to believe that a student has committed a violation of the academic-integrity policy should consult with the dean of graduate and professional studies.

When a teacher identifies a suspected violation, the teacher must discuss their concern with the student (in person, whenever possible). This conversation gives the student an opportunity to offer context, clarify misunderstandings, and/or acknowledge responsibility. If, after this initial conversation, the faculty member feels that the concern is merited, the teacher may respond as described below. Teachers are encouraged to confer with the dean of graduate and professional studies, particularly if the suspected violation is discovered after the term ends.

Once the teacher has spoken with the student about the suspected violation of the policy of academic integrity, the faculty member may decide to resolve the matter directly with the student. Any violation likely to be mentioned in the student’s final evaluation should be reported to the dean of graduate and professional studies by filing an Academic Integrity Report form located on MySLC. Depending on the severity of the reported infraction, there are three pathways to deal with the breach of academic integrity:

1. In a case where the faculty has reported a minor violation, the student will receive a warning letter from the dean of graduate and professional studies, which includes resources for understanding academic integrity and guidance for avoiding further violations. This is not recorded on the student’s permanent record, except in the situation described below.
2. If a student in question has accumulated multiple reports of minor violations, the dean of graduate and professional studies may decide to bring the case to a formal hearing committee made up of two faculty members of the Committee on Student Work and two faculty members of the Committee on Graduate and Professional Studies and chaired by the senior associate dean of studies.
3. In a case where the faculty has identified a major violation, a charge is brought and, depending on the resolution, the finding becomes a part of the student’s permanent record. The case is brought to a formal hearing committee made up of two faculty members of the Committee on Student Work and two faculty members of the Committee on Graduate and Professional Studies and chaired by the senior associate dean of studies.

Reporting Infractions

Faculty members submit a report of suspected academic-integrity violations using the Academic Integrity Violation Report form located on MySLC. This form should detail the nature of the violation, evidence supporting the alleged offense, and any relevant information, such as the work in question and the manner of its discovery.

Upon receipt of the report, the dean of graduate and professional studies follows up with the student. The student is given an opportunity to respond to the allegations, either in writing or via a hearing.

Minor Violations
In the case of a minor violation, the student receives a warning letter from the dean of graduate and professional studies that includes resources for understanding proper citation and guidance for avoiding further violations. Warnings do not become part of the student’s permanent record, although repeated minor violations may escalate to a formal charge.

• Acceptance of Responsibility
  If the student admits to the violation, no hearing is required and sanctions are determined based on the documentation provided by the reporting faculty. The student may initiate an appeal based only on the severity of the sanction. The appeals process is described below.
• Dispute of Allegation
  If the student disputes the charges, a hearing is conducted. The student may choose to attend the hearing in person, via teleconference, or by written response. The hearing committee reviews and discusses submitted materials with the student and program director present and makes a determination based on the evidence presented.
• Decision and Notification
  The hearing committee deliberates and decides whether a violation occurred and, if so, determines the appropriate sanctions. Possible sanctions include a letter of warning; academic probation; suspension; expulsion; or, in cases involving graduates, a recommendation to revoke degrees. The student, the reporting faculty, and the student’s program director are notified in writing of the committee’s decision if the student is found responsible for the violation.
• Record Keeping
  If the hearing committee finds no violation or insufficient evidence, records of the inquiry are not retained in the student’s file; however, if a student is found responsible or admits responsibility for a major violation, it is recorded in the student’s permanent academic record and may be disclosed to external institutions upon request.
• Appeals Process
  A student who is found responsible for a major violation of the academic-integrity policy has the right to appeal the decision and/or the sanction to an independent, ad hoc Appeals Committee. Reasons to request a decision review would be to provide new evidence, to reveal a procedural error, or to contest the severity of the sanction. The Appeals Committee consists of the provost (or designee), a faculty member, and a senior member of the library staff. The student must present relevant materials, including the grounds for the appeal, in writing. Note that an appeal is not a rehearing of the case. The Appeals Committee may consult with the Hearing Committee regarding its response to the appeal, but the Hearing Committee plays no role in the Appeals Committee decision-making. The decision of the Appeals Committee is final.