Academic Misconduct Information for Instructors

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) defines academic misconduct as any action by a student to falsely claim credit for someone else’s work, use unauthorized materials, fabricate data, forge academic documents, impede others’ academic work, misrepresent academic performance, or assist others in such acts.

Process

All cases of suspected academic misconduct follow the Chapter UWS 14 process outlined in this flowchart.  

  1. If you suspect that a student has engaged in academic misconduct, reach out to the appropriate Investigating Officer(IO) and the DOS to discuss the allegations and review any prior academic misconduct.
    1. Please note each case of academic misconduct is overseen by the major in which the student has declared, not the course in which the academic misconduct has occurred.
    2. For example, an English instructor who suspects an Engineering student of engaging in academic misconduct should confer with the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences IO 
  2. Offer the student a conference to discuss the allegations. Students do not have to attend the conference; however, a conference must be offered to the student.
  3. If after the conference, you believe the evidence showcases that misconduct has occurred you can then decide on an appropriate sanction (IOs and DOS office can support with sanction choice)
    1. If you decide on a Group A sanction, please notify the Dean of Students Office for their records.
  4. If you decide on a Group B sanctions (as outlined in the flowchart), you will need to send a formal letter to the student. For a template letter, please click here: Academic Misconduct Letter Template.
    1. Prior to sending out this letter, please send it to the Dean of Students Office for review.
    2. After review, you will send the student their official letter and the Dean of Students Office will communicate with you if an appeal has been requested or if the deadline for appeal has passed and the recommend sanction can be implemented.
  5. If you decide on a Group C Sanction (probation, suspension or expulsion) the Investigating Officer (IO) will need to be included in the decision process. If after discussions with the student the IO agrees with your recommendation, they will send the official letter to the student.  Unless the student waives their rights to a hearing, a hearing is scheduled before the Academic Misconduct Hearing Committee corresponding to the student’s status (undergraduate or graduate).

Review the full Chapter UWS 14 policies (PDF).

Records of all disciplinary actions are maintained by the Dean of Students Office.

For Graduate students suspected of academic misconduct, please review the Graduate school process. 

Frequently Asked Questions

I am a TA and I suspect academic misconduct what do I do?

If a T.A. suspects misconduct, the instructor of the course must lead all discussions about the alleged misconduct, recommend any sanction (when necessary) and prepare all reports.

Am I required to snail mail (USPS) decision letters to students?

We encourage that all decision letters be emailed to the student to ensure that the student has received it and has adequate time to respond to a hearing request. Before sending the letter please send it to the DOS office for review.  

What information does the Dean of Student Office need for academic misconduct?
  • As noted, we encourage you to contact our office prior to a student conference to see if there are previous cases of academic misconduct as well as after the conference as the decision letter is being drafted to ensure that all of the due process requirements are noted within the letter prior to it being sent to the student.
  • For the student’s file the Dean of Students Office requires a copy of the decision letter as well as any evidence that is available. These items can be emailed to the Dean of Students Office or dropped off in person in Student Union 345.
How do I know if a student has requested a hearing for academic misconduct?

The Administrative Case Manger within the Dean of Students Office will contact you if a student requests a hearing and/or after the deadline to request hearing has passed so that the appropriate sanction can be enforced.

A student has requested a hearing for academic misconduct and I am the instructor, what do I do next?

The Administrative Case Manager within the Dean of Students Office will contact you to request available times for a hearing.  The Case Manager will be your point of contact during the hearing process and can answer any questions that you may have along the way.

How should I address Academic Misconduct in my syllabus?

Suggested Syllabus Statement:

University of Wisconsin System Chapter UWS 14 Student Academic Disciplinary Procedures promote academic integrity on our campus and hold all students accountable for misconduct violations. Students who are suspected of violating academic misconduct policies are subject to disciplinary action in accordance with Chapter UWS 14 Policy.

Examples of academic misconduct include, but are not limited to, cheating on a test, assisting others on an assignment when it was not permitted, utilizing materials without proper citation, utilizing Artificial Intelligence tools such as ChatGPT without authorization or citation, impeding or damaging the work of another student, or assisting another student in violating Chapter 14.

For more information on the academic misconduct processes, please read the DOS website: https://uwm.edu/deanofstudents/academic-misconduct-2/

If you need more support with your academics, please visit The Writing Center or the Student Success Center.

What should I do when I suspect a student used Artificial Intelligence to complete an assignment without authorization or citation?

If you suspect a student has used an Artificial Intelligence tool, such as ChatGPT in your course, you will follow the Chapter UWS 14 academic misconduct process. As the instructor you will first request a conference with the student. During this conference you will need to inform the student about the allegations. To determine if academic misconduct occurred, we recommend that you first simply ask the student if they engaged in academic misconduct.  If further information is needed to determine if misconduct occurred, you could ask the student clarifying questions regarding the assignment to gain a deeper understanding of their working knowledge of the assignment and/or to try to assess if they understand and can answer questions about the materials they submitted. After your conference, if you believe that the student engaged in academic misconduct, please reach out to the DOS office and we will support you in sending the Chapter UWS 14 decision letter.  

How do I approach the conference with the student when AI is suspected as part of the misconduct?

When discussing possible misconduct with a student some topics to consider or discuss with the student could include:  

Ask the student if they utilized AI to complete their assignment  

Ask questions to assess their working knowledge of the assignment that they submitted

Such as asking how they reached certain conclusions in a paper, or to explain their work on a problem 

Ask what their process is when completing these types of assignments  

Ask about any inconsistencies in their writing style and why it may have changed  

Ask questions regarding the content they addressed, specifically if it did not match the assignment topic specifically.

What are some examples of work I may notice that could suggest a student has used Artificial Intelligence to complete an assignment?

(This is not an exhaustive list, nor does the existence of these issues automatically prove the improper use of AI tools) 

  • Work that seems competently written and complete, but does not properly address the prompt or assignment at hand 
  • No in-text citations or inaccurate reference list
    • Tools like ChatGPT may be able to create what looks like a references page but at this time they do not always use relevant references and may fabricate citations
  • The writing style of the student has significantly changed from their previous assignments
  • The assignment contains no opinion or personal experiences included in the assignment when it would have been relevant

At this time UWM is not promoting any AI detection websites or services, as these tools have yet to be proven to be consistently effective at detecting AI created work. 

Check out CETL’s website for more information about AI and best practices for instructors.