Academic Integrity

VI.A. Definition of Academic Integrity

You are expected to adhere to the definition of academic integrity as defined by the International Center for Academic Integrity: “a commitment, even in the face of adversity, to six fundamental values: honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility, and courage.”

VI.B. Responsibility for Academic Integrity

You are responsible for educating yourself on the proper practices for conducting scholarly work and the proper procedures for documentation in your field of study. When in doubt, ask your faculty members about their specific policies related to academic integrity, particularly preferred citation types, policies on collaboration, etc. There are a number of standards guides for a wide range of academic fields, most of which can be found in Lauinger and Dahlgren libraries. 

VI.C. Violations of Academic Integrity: Academic Misconduct

Georgetown may use all legal means to investigate allegations that you may have committed academic misconduct. This includes using electronic search engines like turnitin.com, which you are encouraged to use for your own purposes to check for improperly documented content. 

If you are found to have violated the standards of academic integrity, you will be subject to academic penalties. These can include:

• Transcript notations

• Suspension

• Dismissal

• Revoking conferred degrees

VI.D. Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction in these matters for Master's students falls to the Honor Council.

1. The Honor Council

The Honor Council judges cases involving students pursuing a master’s degree, a certificate program, or a non-degree program based in the CAS, SFS, MSB, MSPP, SCS, SON, SOH, Biomedical Graduate Education in the School of Medicine, or GSAS’s interdisciplinary studies division. It also judges cases involving doctoral students while they are in coursework, including professional doctorate students in the School for Continuing Studies, the School of Nursing, the School of Health, and those in dual-degree programs that incorporate a Ph.D. or doctorate program. 

2. Students Enrolled in Consortium Courses at Other Universities

If a student primarily enrolled at Georgetown is found guilty of academic misconduct at another institution, that institution will share its findings with Georgetown which will carry out its own sanctions.

If the JOGS receives findings of misconduct by a Georgetown graduate student at another university that is not a member of the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area, they still reserve the right to perform their own investigation and impose their own sanctions. 

VI.E. Reporting Allegations of Academic Misconduct

If you have reason to suspect another graduate student is engaged in academic misconduct, you are encouraged to report it, along with any supporting evidence you may have. Cases of misconduct among Doctoral students should be reported to the school dean. Other cases should be reported to the Executive Director of the Honor Council, which can be done here.

Allegations of misconduct can be reported at any time in your academic career, even after you graduate: it does not matter when the alleged incident took place. Such allegations are considered federally protected information, and should be treated as confidential and shared only with those who need to know. 

If an allegation involves a course that does not yet have a final grade posted, the teacher of that course is instructed not to submit a letter grade or an “Incomplete” for any assignment associated with the allegation(s) until the investigation is complete.