Forms of Academic and Professional Misconduct

Appendix A: Forms of Academic and Professional Misconduct

A. Forms of Academic Misconduct

Offenses against the standards of academic integrity include the following. More detailed information about these offenses is available at http://www.rackham.umich.edu/current-students/policies/academic-policies/section11.

• Cheating

• Plagiarism and other misappropriation of the work of another

• Falsification of data

• Improperly obtaining or representing laboratory or field data

• Dishonesty in publication

• Publication or attempted publication of collaborative work without the permission of the other participants

• Abuse of confidentiality

• Misuse of computer facilities

• Misuse of human subjects

• Misuse of vertebrate animals

• Illegally or carelessly obtaining or using dangerous substances, or providing such substances to others

• Falsification or unauthorized modification of an academic record

• Obstruction of the academic activities of another

• Other forms of academic misconduct that are commonly accepted within the scientific community

• Aiding or abetting academic misconduct

• Attempted academic misconduct

B. Forms of Professional Misconduct

Professional misconduct is behavior that is inconsistent with ethical standards in any of the professional roles for which the student is being trained that is not covered by policies governing academic integrity. This may include the student’s performance in the role of researcher or scholar, teacher or mentor, supervisor, service-provider or colleague. Of particular note in this regard are behaviors that make the workplace hostile for colleagues, supervisors or subordinates. Graduate students are expected to adhere to ethical standards in a variety of work settings (e.g., offices, classrooms, and laboratories) within the explicit standards set by University policies. Being physically or verbally threatening, disruptive, abusive or hostile can make the workplace so unsafe or unpleasant that others cannot do their work. However, graduate education must take place in an environment in which free expression, free inquiry, intellectual honesty, and respect for the rights and dignity of others can be expected. Ethical standards of conduct should help ensure, not compromise, these features of the University environment.

Sources of the norms or standards to which graduate students can be held accountable (and charged under this policy if they fail to adhere to them) are as follows:

State and Federal Laws: Graduate students, like all members of the University community, are expected to abide by all State and Federal laws.

Relevant University-Wide Policy Statements: Graduate students are responsible for being familiar with and are held accountable to the formal norms or standards that are identified in University-wide policy statements and that apply to them, including the following. Please note that with the exception of the two policies that are specific to students (the final two policies on the list below), these standards apply to faculty as well as to graduate students.

• The Sexual Harassment Policy for Faculty and Staff (Office of Human Resources and Affirmative Action)

• The Regents’ Bylaw on Nondiscrimination and Affirmative Action

• The Policy Statement on the Integrity of Scholarship and Procedures for Investigating Allegations of Misconduct

in the Pursuit of Scholarship and Research, which applies to all instructional faculties and others in the institution as specified in the document

• The Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities

• The Student Policy on Alcohol and Other Drugs

The text of these policies can be found on the Rackham website online version of the Guide to Campus and Community for Graduate and Professional Students (see “University Policies Affecting Students”). See also the Office of the Vice President for Research’s site on policies and research responsibility.

Discipline-Specific Professional Standards of Conduct or Codes of Ethics: Graduate students are expected to meet professional standards of conduct associated with their own disciplines and/or professions as articulated in formal codes of ethics. Such formal codes can include but are not limited to codes of professional conduct or statements on professional behavior that have been adopted by the student’s department, program, school or college, as well as codes of ethics published by professional associations. Departments and graduate students share responsibility in this regard. Departments should make such policies available to their graduate students, and, in turn, students should take the initiative to familiarize themselves with such codes of conduct or ethics.

Additional Forms of Professional Misconduct: In addition, graduate students can be held accountable for the following professionally relevant behaviors, which may or may not be identified as violations in other formal codes of conduct relevant to the student. With respect to the following behaviors, the appropriate academic leadership (e.g., dean or department chair), in consultation with department faculty, serves as the authority for whether a specific student behavior warrants review under this policy.

Misrepresentation of one’s credentials or status, or failure to correct others’ inaccuracies or misrepresentation of one’s credentials. This includes professional experience, paid or unpaid, including positions held; and relevant timeframes and dates (e.g., the timeframe in which a professional position was held, or the date on which a degree was earned).

Unethical consulting activity, including misrepresentation of one’s status, credentials, or level of expertise to secure a consulting assignment; and knowingly taking on a consulting assignment without the necessary knowledge or expertise. (Consultation should only be provided by individuals who have demonstrated knowledge, expertise, and competence related to the consultation. To avoid problems in this regard, graduate students are strongly encouraged to seek the advice of their faculty advisors or other appropriate members of the faculty before taking on a consulting assignment.)

Unethical professional practice based on conflict of interest. This includes engaging in unethical professional behaviors to promote, benefit or protect one’s self, family, friends, or business colleagues; and exploiting personal knowledge about an individual (e.g., personal life as well as political and religious views).

Deliberate failure to protect confidential records, in accordance with relevant professional standards. Abuse of the peer review process. This includes the following:

• Simultaneous submission of a manuscript to more than one journal without approval from the respective editors

• Submission of previously published material without clarifying the extent of the previously published material to the editor

• Submitting a manuscript without the permission/agreement of all authors

• Judging a peer’s work on other than professional grounds,

• Judging a peer’s work unfairly or in an uninformed way,

• Serving as a peer reviewer despite conflict of interest (e.g., having a personal relationship with the author) or otherwise being knowingly unable to judge the merits of scholarly work without prejudice

• Trying to unduly influence a colleague’s review of one’s own work

Other fraudulent behavior. This includes actions, taken individually or with other people, that the appropriate dean believes to call into question the student’s ability to ethically and competently join the profession. Specific examples include knowingly providing false information in one’s professional role, embezzling funds, and misusing department or school resources.

Aiding or abetting professional misconduct. Aiding or abetting any individual in the violation of any of the categories of professional misconduct outlined above shall itself be considered misconduct.

Attempted professional misconduct. An attempt to commit professional misconduct may be treated as seriously as the completed act.

Other violations of State or Federal laws or University policies, brought to the attention of the Graduate School that are not explicitly mentioned in the policies and standards of conduct mentioned above but which appear to merit review under this policy, will be evaluated on a case by case basis.