Policy Statement on Academic Standards of the Molecular Biology Program:
The Molecular Biology Program is responsible for the recruitment and acceptance
of graduate students, and for directing their first year of graduate studies.
Detailed information regarding the requirements of the first year is provided
during recruiting and at the fall orientation meeting. At the end of the
first year, students choose a laboratory in one of the participating departments,
and enter the graduate program of that department for completion of the
Ph.D. degree. It is the responsibility of the Molecular Biology Program
to monitor the academic performance of first year students and assure
that all requirements have been satisfactorily completed.
Occasionally, unacceptable or incomplete performance will require assessment
of the student, and appropriate action, during or at the end of the first
year. Examples of situations requiring attention are: 1) failure to pass
all core courses (grade of B- or better); 2) GPA of less than 3.0; 3)
unsatisfactory completion of laboratory rotations; and 4) academic dishonesty
such as cheating as defined by the National Academy of Sciences, the University
of Utah (the “University”) Student Code (the “Student Code”),
or this Policy Statement. Copies of these definitions appear at the end
of this document. Cheating or other academic misconduct will be grounds
for academic action under this Policy Statement and for academic sanctions
under the Student Code. Other behavior may also require action under this
Policy Statement and under the Student Code. This document states the
Molecular Biology Program’s policy and procedure in cases of failure
to meet academic standards and in cases of academic or other misconduct.
The Student Code states the University’s policy and procedure in
such cases.
In cases of failure to meet academic standards, such as examples 1, 2
and 3 above, appropriate action may include, without limitation, dismissal
from the Program or a designated probation. The student, the student’s
advisor, the chair of the Advising committee, and the Program Director,
will be notified by the Program Office of perceived failures to meet the
academic standards. The student’s advisor and the chair of the Advising
committee will decide on an appropriate action, usually after discussion
with the student, and submit their recommendation to the Director of the
Molecular Biology Program for approval; the Director’s decision will
be reported to the student, and in cases requiring dismissal from the
Program, the Dean of the Graduate School will also be notified. In the
latter situation, the student will be given an opportunity to appeal the
decision to the Academic Appeals and Misconduct Committee of one of the
Colleges represented by the departments that comprise the Program (College
of Science, College of Pharmacy or the School of Medicine).
Cases of academic misconduct will require additional procedures. At the
beginning of each academic year, the Directors of the Molecular Biology
and Biological Chemistry graduate programs will appoint a four member
Ad Hoc Committee for Academic Standards (the “Academic Standards
Committee”), one member of which should be a senior level graduate
student in one of the participating departments. The Academic Standards
Committee will be notified of any perceived instance of academic misconduct
that occurs during the year. Course leaders, other faculty, academic advisors,
students, or the Program Director will notify the Academic Standards Committee
of such issues. It will be the responsibility of the Academic Standards
Committee to notify the student involved, in writing, of the issue and
to give the student an opportunity to respond. The student’s advisor
will also be notified so that he/she can consult with and appropriately
advise the student; in cases where the student’s advisor has a conflict
of interest, an alternate faculty member will be appointed to serve as
the student’s advocate. In general, the letter from the Academic
Standards Committee will be hand-delivered to the student by their advisor,
and its contents discussed. There will be an opportunity for open discussion
of the situation by all involved faculty and students in the presence
of the Academic Standards Committee. The student will be present and have
the opportunity to hear and comment on all issues discussed at a meeting
to be held within a one month period from the incidence in question. Based
on this discussion, the Academic Standards Committee will deliberate and
recommend appropriate action to the Program Director. Preferably within
5 business days after notice of the committee’s recommendation, the
Program Director must provide the student and committee with written notice
of the Program Director’s decision and of the student’s right
to appeal to the Academic Appeals and Misconduct Committee of one of the
Colleges represented by the departments that comprise the Program. The
Program Director may impose academic sanction such as requiring the student
to rewrite paper(s) or retake exam(s), a grade reduction, or a failing
grade, which is the most severe sanction a Program Director may impose;
as required by the University Student Code, the Vice President for Academic
Affairs or Health Sciences will be informed when a failing grade is imposed
for academic misconduct. In addition, appropriate action may include,
without limitation, a complaint by the Program Director to the Academic
Appeals and Misconduct Committee of one of the Colleges represented by
the Program departments, recommending and seeking dismissal from the Program
and/or the University. The student shall be given a copy of any such complaint.
Students will receive a copy of this Policy Statement during the fall
orientation meeting. At this time, expectations for satisfactory academic
performance will be discussed, as will the appropriate procedures for
individual completion of take-home examinations.
Students will be reminded that academic misconduct, such as cheating,
plagiarism or collaboration on examinations is not permissible, and may
likely result in a complaint seeking dismissal. Collaboration on certain
problem sets and homework assignments may be permitted, but only as specified
by the course instructor. If any doubt exists, students must ask the instructor
for clarification.
Definitions:
National Academy of Sciences Definition of Misconduct in Science:
Misconduct in science is defined as fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism,
in proposing, performing, or reporting research. Misconduct in science
does not include errors in the recording, selection, or analysis of data;
differences in opinions involving the interpretation of data; or misconduct
unrelated to the research process.
Excerpts from the Student Code.
(See the University of Utah General Catalog or the University of Utah Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities for complete document)
V. DEFINITIONS
As used in the Student Rights and Responsibilites Section:
A. "Academic action" means the recording of a final grade (including
credit/no credit and pass/fail) in a course, on a comprehensive or qualifying
examination, on a culminating project, or on a dissertation or thesis.
It also includes a decision by the appropriate department or college committee
to place a student on academic probation, or to suspend or dismiss a student
from an academic program because the student failed to meet the relevant
academic standards of the discipline or program. Academic action does
not include academic sanctions imposed for academic dishonesty or for
specific violations of professional and ethical standards of the profession
or program for which the student is preparing.
B. "Academic dishonesty" includes, but is not limited to, cheating,
misrepresenting one's work, inappropriately collaborating, plagiarism,
and fabrication or falsification of information, as defined further below.
It also includes facilitating academic dishonesty by intentionally helping
or attempting to help another to commit an act of academic dishonesty.
- 1. "Cheating" involves the unauthorized possession or use of
information, materials, notes, study aids, or other devices in any academic
exercise, or the unauthorized communication with another person during
such an exercise. Common examples of cheating include, but are not limited
to, copying from another student's examination; submitting work for an
in-class exam that has been prepared in advance; violating rules governing
the administration of exams; having another person take an exam; altering
one's work after the work has been returned and before resubmitting it;
violating any rules relating to academic conduct of a course or program.
2. Misrepresenting one's work includes, but is not limited to, representing material prepared by another as one's own work; submitting the same work in more than one course without prior permission of both faculty members.
3. "Plagiarism" means the unacknowledged use or incorporation of any other person's work in, or as a basis for, one's own work offered for academic consideration or credit, or for public presentation. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, representing as one's own, without attribution, any other person's words, phrasing, ideas, sequence of ideas, information or any other mode or content of expression. It does not include honest error.
4. "Fabrication or falsification" includes reporting experiments or measurements or statistical analyses never performed; manipulating or altering data or other manifestations of research to achieve a desired result; falsifying or misrepresenting background information, credentials or other academically relevant information; and selective reporting, including the deliberate suppression of conflicting or unwanted data. It does not include honest error or honest differences in interpretations or judgments of data and/or results.
D. "Academic sanction" means a sanction imposed on a student for engaging in academic misconduct. It may include, but is not limited to, requiring a student to retake an exam(s) or rewrite a paper(s), a grade reduction, a failing grade, suspension or dismissal from the program or the University. It may also include notification of the appropriate professional or licensing body of the profession or discipline for which the student is preparing.
------------------------------------------------------------
Student Acknowledgement Form (please sign and return
to the Program Office)
I acknowledge that I have received a copy of the Policy Statement of Academic
Standards of the Molecular Biology Program on August 16, 2002 and that
it is my responsibility to read and understand this statement and to follow
the rules described. I further acknowledge and agree that it is my responsibility
to ask questions about anything I do not understand.
Student Signature: ________________________
Date: ______________________
------------------------------------------------------------
Student Honor Code (please sign and return to the Program Office)
I pledge to follow the Honor Code and to obey all rules for taking
exams and performing homework assignments as specified by the course instructor.
I understand that when asked to follow the Honor Code on exams or homework
assignments I must follow the rules below.
1. When following the Honor Code, a student must work entirely alone on
exams.
2. When following the Honor Code, a student may not share information
about any aspect of the exam with other members of the class, other faculty
members, or other scientists.
3. When following the Honor Code, a student must direct all questions
concerning the exam or homework assignment to the course instructor or
teaching assistant.
4. When following the Honor Code, it is the student’s responsibility
to obtain clarification from the instructor if there are questions concerning
the requirements of the Honor Code.
Student Signature: ________________________
Date: ______________________