THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT ASHEVILLE
                              FACULTY SENATE 

                                                             
Senate Document Number    4396S
Date of Senate Approval   3/28/96

Statement of Faculty Senate Action:

                     APC Document 40: Academic Honesty

Effective Date:  Fall 1996

Delete: In Catalog 1995-96, page 45, the entire entry for
Academic Responsibilities.

Add: In place of the deleted entry, the following:

Academic Honesty       

      Any act of plagiarism or cheating is academic dishonesty.  A
person who knowingly assists another in cheating is likewise
guilty of cheating.  According to the instructor's view of the
gravity of the offense, a student may be punished by a failing
grade or a grade of zero for the assignment or test, or a failing
grade in the course.  If it seems warranted, the instructor may
also recommend to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
dismissal or other serious University sanction.  

      A student accused of academic dishonesty should talk with
his or her instructor.  In all situations where a student has
been disciplined for plagiarism or cheating, the instructor is to
submit to the VCAA a brief statement of the case; the student is
to receive a copy of this document.  Depending upon the severity
and/or repetition of the offense, the VCAA may choose to impose a
penalty of cancellation of graduation with honors; cancellation
of scholarships; dismissal from the university; or any other
penalty which he or she deems logical and deserved.  A student
has 10 class days to respond to this document, in writing; this
response is to be sent to the VCAA for attachment to the document
submitted by the instructor.  

      The student may choose to contact the Faculty Conciliator,
who will advise the student of his or her rights, and attempt to
mediate between the student and the instructor before proceeding
to bring the case before the Academic Appeals Board.  If the
student is satisfied with the results of this mediation, then the
formal hearing before the Board will not take place.  The request
for this formal hearing must be made by the student within ten
class days of receiving the copy of the instructor's statement to
the VCAA.

Add: In Catalog 1995-96, in the Index (pages 235-41) as
appropriate, references to the page number of the above entry
under "Academic Honesty," "Cheating," and "Plagiarism."

Impact: No additional faculty, staff, or resources will be
necessary.  No major, minor, department, or program changes will
be necessary, though all departments and all individual faculty
will be advised to refer to this policy for the benefit of their
students.

Rationale: Our policy statement now in the catalog is incomplete
and inadequate.  The new policy is intended to be clearer,
stronger, and more effective in preventing academic 
dishonesty.


Recommendations: 

1.    The Academic Honesty statement should be inserted into both
the Student Handbook and the Faculty Handbook.

2.    The VCAA (or a designee of the VCAA) should ensure that a
definition of cheating and examples of plagiarism be developed. 

3.    The Academic Policies Committee should review the definition
of cheating and examples of plagiarism developed.  Once developed
and reviewed, these materials should be included along with the
Academic Honesty statements in the Student Handbook and Faculty
Handbook.

4.    The Academic Honesty statement, and the definition of
cheating and examples of plagiarism (once developed and
reviewed), should be clearly transmitted to students and faculty
during their initial orientations.  All faculty should refer to
this information on their course syllabi, and should, on those
syllabi, make any additional remarks related to their individual,
departmental, or discipline-specific policies on academic
honesty.