Important Policies

Academic Misconduct

It is each student’s responsibility to know what constitutes academic misconduct. The University of Akron’s Code of Student Conduct is a University rule that provides the framework for the student conduct process at The University of Akron and defines student misconduct and the process by which the University will use to address student misconduct reported to the Department of Student Conduct and Community Standards.

Academic Misconduct is defined as engaging in any intentional or unintentional activity, individually or in concert with others, which would constitute a breach of academic integrity, or otherwise subverts the educational process. This includes the submission of any student work or assignment wherein an evaluation, grade, or academic credit is expected, whether in a face-to-face setting or by any electronic means. Acts of academic misconduct include, but are not limited to, the following:

Cheating: the use, attempt to use, or possession of any aid, information, resources, or other means in the completion of any academic assignment, where use of such material is not specifically permitted or authorized by the instructor, or providing such material to another student. This includes, but is not limited to: possessing, referring to, or otherwise using unauthorized books, notes, crib/cheat sheets, etc. in any format; possessing, using, or referring to any unauthorized electronic devices or other materials during completion of any academic assignment; looking at or using information from another student during the completion of any academic assignment; receiving assistance from another individual in completing any academic assignment without express authorization from the instructor; utilizing or soliciting another individual to complete any portion of an academic assignment in place of oneself or submitting the work of another individual as one’s own; submitting the same, or substantially the same, materials for academic credit in more than one course without the express permission of the instructor making the academic assignment; completing or participating in the completion of any portion of an academic assignment for another student to submit as their own work; providing assistance, information, or other materials to another student in any manner not authorized by the instructor.
Plagiarism: presenting as one’s own work the ideas, representations, or words of another individual/source without proper attribution. Examples include, but are not limited to, submitting material that in whole or in part is not entirely one’s own work, without accurate and appropriate citation and/or attribution (including the use of quotation marks); using the words, ideas, or structure/sequence of another individual or source without proper and appropriate citation and attribution (including the use of quotation marks).
Fabrication: falsification, invention, or manipulation of any information, citation, data, or method. Examples include, but are not limited to, changing materials submitted on a graded academic assignment and requesting re-grading of that assignment; presenting false or invented information in any academic assignment; presenting false claims regarding how information or data was collected, generated or obtained; inventing or inaccurately presenting citations or sources.
Unauthorized Collaboration: unauthorized collaboration with another in any phase of, or in the completion of, an individual academic assignment, without the express permission of the instructor to complete any assignment in that manner.
Misrepresentation: falsely representing oneself or one’s efforts or abilities in an academic assignment. Examples include, but are not limited to, utilizing another individual or individuals to complete any portion of an academic assignment in place of one’s self; having another individual appear in or participate in any fashion in any class.
Gaining an Unfair Advantage: completing an academic assignment through use of information or means not available to other students or engaging in any activity that interferes with another student’s ability to complete their academic work. Examples include, but are not limited to: retaining, possessing, using, or distributing previous or current academic assignment materials when the instructor has indicated that those materials are not to be retained or shared or are to be returned to the instructor at the conclusion of the academic assignment or course (including originals, copies, reproductions, or pictures and electronic or hard-copy formats); making copies, pictures or reproductions in any form of any academic assignment when the instructor has not allowed such reproduction; obstructing or interfering with another student’s work, or ability to get access to information to be used in the completion of any academic assignment; taking another student’s work without his or her knowledge or permission; removing academic assignment materials from an instructor’s office, classroom, computer, or any other University space (physical or virtual/electronic); violating the procedures described to maintain the integrity of an academic assignment.
Engaging in behavior specifically prohibited by an instructor in the course syllabus or during any academic assignments.
Attempts to engage in any of the described acts shall be treated the same as a completed act.

This rule shall not be interpreted as permitting a faculty member to limit a student's right to responsibly engage in free inquiry and expression, when relevant to the subject under study or discussion, or to be treated fairly in the academic setting and to have the student’s performance evaluated solely on an academic basis.
Violation of any prohibition of academic misconduct may result in the imposition of sanctions beyond any imposed, or suggested, by the faculty member involved, and may result in the University revoking any degree awarded. Any act of academic misconduct must be reported to the Department of Student Conduct and Community Standards by any faculty, or other individuals who become aware of such acts and will be adjudicated as outlined in the Code of Student Conduct and explained below.

An incident of academic misconduct may be resolved and a sanction assessed in a meeting between the faculty member and student. The faculty member should confer with the Department of Student Conduct and Community Standards to determine whether any prior academic misconduct has occurred. If there is no history of prior academic misconduct and the student and faculty member agree on the facts of the incident and the proposed sanction, the matter can be resolved informally through the use of the Academic Misconduct Notification Form located on the Department of Student Conduct and Community Standards webpage. If agreement has been reached and the Academic Misconduct Notification Form has been signed by both the student and faculty member a copy should be retained by the faculty member and student, and the original should be sent to the Department of Student Conduct and Community Standards.

If the student and faculty member disagree about the facts of the incident or the proposed sanction, or the student chooses not to sign the form, or the faculty member chooses not to resolve the matter informally, then the matter should be referred to the Department of Student Conduct and Community Standards for adjudication as provided in the Code of Student Conduct.

For additional information or resources concerning academic misconduct or the Code of Student Conduct please contact the Department of Student Conduct and Community Standards by phone at (330) 972-6380, by email at studentconduct@uakron.edu, online at www.uakron.edu/studentconduct, or by visiting us in Simmons Hall room 302.

Academic Reassessment

A student who meets all the criteria described below may petition the Dean of the Graduate School to remove from his or her graduate cumulative grade point average all those grades earned under the student's prior enrollment at The University of Akron.

Degree-seeking graduate student
Previous graduate enrollment at The University of Akron
Not enrolled at The University of Akron for at least five years prior to current enrollment, and
Maintain a current graduate grade point average of at least 3.00 or better for the first fifteen hours of re-enrollment credit.

If the student's petition is granted, the following will apply to the reassessment policy:

This policy only applies to the student's graduate grade point average.
All University of Akron grades will remain on the student's official, permanent academic record (transcript); this process will affect the cumulative grade point average only. It will not remove evidence/documentation of the student's overall academic history at the university.
No grades/credits from the student's prior graduate enrollment at the university may be counted toward the subsequent degree program requirements. Degree requirements may only be met by courses included in the calculation of the student's cumulative graduate grade point average at The University of Akron. Thus, the student who successfully petitions for cumulative graduate grade point average recalculation under this policy automatically forfeits the right to use any of the excluded course work toward the current degree requirements.

A student may exercise this graduate reassessment option only once, regardless of the number of times the student enters/attends a graduate degree program at The University of Akron.

Discipline. Continuation as a student of the university is dependent on the maintenance of satisfactory grades and conformity to the rules of the institution.

Auditing Courses

A student choosing to audit a course must elect to do so at the time of registration. The student pays the enrollment fee and may be expected to do the work prescribed for students taking the course for credit, except that of taking the examination. Any faculty member may initiate withdrawal for a student not meeting these expectations.

Commencement

Students must file an online application for graduation with the Office of the University Registrar after completion of one-half of the credits required for their degree program or by the following dates:

April 1 for Spring Commencement
July 1 for Summer Commencement
November 1 for Fall Commencement

Students wanting to attend the commencement ceremony must visit the Office of the University Registrar website to respond to the ceremony.

Grades

A student admitted to graduate study under any status at The University of Akron is expected to maintain a minimum 3.00 average (4.00 = "A") at all times. A grade-point average of 3.00 or better is required for graduation. Any student whose average falls below 3.00 is no longer in good standing in the Graduate School and considered on probation. No more than six semester credits of "C" grades may be counted toward the degree. In computing cumulative averages, "D" grades are treated as "F" grades. The Dean of the Graduate School, with the approval of the department head, may dismiss anyone who fails to make satisfactory progress toward declared goals or who accumulates six semester credits of "C+" or below. The accumulation of six semester credits of "F" will result in mandatory dismissal. A student dismissed from the Graduate School for academic reasons may not be readmitted for one calendar year, and then only if evidence for expecting improved performance is submitted and found acceptable.

Official academic records are maintained with a grade-point system as follows:

Grades
Grade	Quality Points	Key
A	4.0
A-	3.7
B+	3.3
B	3.0
B-	2.7
C+	2.3
C	2.0
C-	1.7
D+	0.0	Failure
D	0.0	Failure
D-	0.0	Failure
F	0.0	Failure
CR	0.0	Credit
NCR	0.0	No Credit
AUD	0.0	Audit

The following grades may also appear on the term grade reports or on the official academic record. There are no grade points associated with these grades.

"I" - Incomplete: Indicates that the student has done passing work in the course but that some part of the work is, for good and acceptable reason, not complete at the end of the term. Failure to make up the omitted work satisfactorily by the end of the following term, not including summer sessions, converts the "I" to an "F". When the work is satisfactorily completed within the allotted time, the "I" is converted to whatever grade the student has earned. (Note: If instructors wish to extend the "I" grade beyond the following term for which the student is registered, prior to the end of the term they must notify the Office of the Registrar in writing of the extension and indicate the date of its termination. It is the responsibility of the student to make arrangements to make up the incomplete work. The faculty member should submit the new grade to the office of the registrar in writing.)

"IP" - In progress: Indicates that the student has not completed the scheduled coursework during the term because the nature of the course does not permit completion within a single term, such as work toward a thesis.

"PI" - Permanent incomplete: Indicates that the student's instructor and the instructor's dean have for special reason authorized the change of an incomplete ("I") to a permanent incomplete ("PI").

"WD" - Withdraw: Indicates that the student registered for the course but withdrew officially sometime after the second week of the term.

"NGR" - No grade reported: Indicates that, at the time grades were processed for the present issue of the record, no grade had been reported by the instructor.

"INV" - Invalid: Indicates the grade reported by the instructor for the course was improperly noted and thus unacceptable for proper processing.

Special Credit/No Credit grading basis for Spring 2020 only:

The Graduate School will support programs which better understand their needs with respect to accreditation, licensure, etc. The Graduate School will not make any decisions regarding course grading and will support the decisions of the programs with the content expertise.

Changing Grades

A student who wishes to appeal a final grade must initiate the procedure by the end of the fifth week of the spring semester for grades received during the preceding fall semester, and by the fifth week of the fall semester for grades received during the preceding spring or summer semesters. For grades earned during the semester in which a student graduates, grade appeals must be initiated and completed before the degree is posted to the student’s permanent record. Students must first review the matter with the instructor. If the matter is not resolved, or if the instructor is not available, the student must submit a written appeal to the department chair or school director.

Re-examination for the purpose of raising a grade is not permitted.

Thesis and Dissertation Credits

Course number 699 will only be used for courses which indicate credit is being given for a master’s thesis. 899 will only be used for courses which indicate credit is being given for a doctoral dissertation. No credit for 699 or 899 will be given unless the thesis or dissertation is completed.

Grievance Procedure for Graduate Students

Purpose

The procedures set forth in this document are intended to provide graduate students with a formal channel of appeal and redress of grievances arising out of their academic and/or employment relationship with the University.

Procedures

Any graduate student who believes that he or she has valid grounds for a complaint shall attempt to resolve the problem through a conference with the faculty member involved, the department head, and/or the graduate adviser. Following that, the student may attempt to resolve the problem with the assistance of the academic dean. A graduate student presenting a case to the academic dean must provide a full written statement of the grievance, together with all appropriate supporting material. When or if the problem has not been adequately solved at that level or the student wishes to appeal that decision, the student shall prepare a written statement of the complaint setting forth clearly and specifically the allegations and shall hand deliver the written complaint to the Dean of the Graduate School. The Dean of the Graduate School shall notify the complainant confirming the receipt of the complaint and shall request all materials from the dean of the complainant's college.

Within one week of receipt of the complaint, the Dean of the Graduate School shall communicate with all parties in an attempt to informally resolve the problem. The result of this process will be a recommendation by the Dean of the Graduate School which will be communicated in writing to all parties, including the Senior Vice President and Provost.

The complaint shall become a grievance to be filed with the Senior Vice President and Provost if:

the Dean of the Graduate School wishes to have a hearing committee render a recommendation on the grievance; or
the student wishes to appeal the recommendation of the Dean of the Graduate School.

The student must notify the Senior Vice President and Provost in writing within one week of notification of the Dean of the Graduate School's decision on the complaint.

Upon receipt of the grievance, the Senior Vice President and Provost shall notify in writing the President of Graduate Student Government that a hearing committee should be constituted. The hearing committee shall be organized in no more than two weeks.

When the grievance has been filed with the chairperson of the hearing committee, it shall be the responsibility of that chairperson to notify in writing all parties involved in the grievance within two working days. This notification shall include the following information: that a grievance has been filed; the nature of the grievance; and the parties involved.

If the charged party in that grievance admits the validity of the grievance, the chairperson of the hearing committee shall waive the hearing and shall direct an appropriate resolution in consultation with the hearing committee.

If the party charged in the grievance denies the validity of the grievance, the hearing committee shall conduct the hearing.

Hearing Committee

A hearing committee shall be established as follows:

Chairperson. The chairperson shall be a member of the graduate faculty with full membership, but not from a department involved in the proceedings. This chairperson shall be selected by the Senior Vice President and Provost and shall serve for only one grievance proceeding. The chairperson shall conduct the hearing and shall vote only in the case of a tie.
Members: four members shall be selected as follows:
- From the complainant's department - Graduate student not directly involved, selected jointly by the department chair and the President of the Graduate Student Government. If the grievance is filed against the department chair, the academic dean shall substitute for the department chair. If the grievance is filed against the department, the Senior Vice President and Provost shall substitute for the department chair.
- From the complainant's department - A faculty member not directly involved, selected jointly by the department chair and the President of the Graduate Student Government. If the grievance is filed against the department chair, the academic dean shall substitute for the department chair. If the grievance is filed against the department, the Senior Vice President and Provost shall substitute for the department chair.
- A graduate student not involved with the complainant and not from the complainant's department, selected by the Vice Chairperson of the Graduate Council.
- A member of the graduate faculty with full membership not involved in the complaint nor from the complainant's department, selected by the Senior Vice President and Provost.

A hearing committee shall be organized anew each and every time a grievance is brought forth. A hearing committee shall serve through the adjudication and resolution of the complaint.

Hearing Procedure

The hearing must take place within two weeks of the hearing committee's formation.

At least three working days prior to the hearing, the hearing committee chairperson shall provide the hearing committee and the parties involved with the students's written statement of the grievance, written notification of when and where the hearing committee shall meet, and a copy of the Grievance Procedure for Graduate Students and all relevant documents.

Each party shall be required to appear in person before the hearing committee to present his or her case. Each party may have an advisory/colleague present to protect his or her rights if so desired. However, the parties shall speak and act on their own behalf. Witnesses may be called to present evidence on behalf of the complainant or the charged person. The use of tape recorders is prohibited, except as may be required to accommodate persons with disabilities.

All parties shall be entitled to an expeditious hearing. In urgent cases in which it is alleged that a regulation, administration decision, or action threatens immediate and irreparable harm to any of the parties involved, the hearing committee shall expedite the hearing and disposition of the case. The hearing committee is empowered to recommend to the Dean of the Graduate School that an individual, department, or college discontinue or postpone any action which threatens to cause irreparable harm, pending the final disposition of the case.

The burden of proof shall be on the complainant and the standards of justice and fair play shall prevail in the adjudication of violations and grievances.

If necessary, the hearing committee may consult with the university's Office of General Counsel for advice at any time throughout this process.

Decisions and Actions

The hearing committee shall decide as follows: there has been a violation of the complainant's rights, or there has been no violation of the complainant's rights.

Should the hearing committee determine that a violation of the complainant's rights occurred, the committee shall, if practical, recommend a resolution to the Senior Vice President and Provost.

The Senior Vice President and Provost, exercising his or her judgment, shall act on the implementation of the resolution recommended by the hearing committee.

Record Keeping

The chairperson of the hearing committee shall be responsible for keeping a summarized, written record of all the proceedings.

Records of all proceedings shall be prepared by the secretarial personnel of the Graduate School. Copies of all proceedings shall be distributed as follows:

To all parties involved in the proceedings.
To all hearing committee members.
To the President of Graduate Student Government.
To the Dean of the Graduate School.
To the Senior Vice President and Provost.

A copy of all proceedings shall be kept in the office of the Dean of the Graduate School pursuant to the University's record retention proposal.

Appeal

An appeal may be made to the President of the University after all of the above procedures have been followed. The President of the University shall assess each case on an individual basis and his/her decision shall be considered final.

Probation and Dismissal

Any student whose grade-point average falls below 3.00 is no longer in good standing in the Graduate School and will be placed on probation. In consultation with the college or department, as appropriate, the Dean of the Graduate School will dismiss full-time students who do not return to good academic standing within two consecutive semesters (excluding summers) and part-time students who do not return to good academic standing within the attempting of fifteen additional credits.

For the purpose of administration of the full-time and part-time provisions of this policy, full-time and part-time status are determined by the semester in which the student goes on probation. Full-time enrollment constitutes nine or more graduate hours; part-time is less than nine graduate hours.

The Dean of the Graduate School, with the approval of the relevant department chair may also dismiss anyone who fails to make satisfactory progress toward declared goals or who accumulates six semester credits of "C+" or below. The accumulation of six semester credits of "F" will result in mandatory dismissal.

A student dismissed from the Graduate School for academic reasons may not be readmitted for one calendar year, and then only if evidence for expecting satisfactory performance is submitted and found acceptable.

Repeating Courses

Any graduate course may be repeated once for credit. However, the degree requirements shall be increased by the credit hour value of each course repeated. The hours and grades of both the original and the repeated section shall be used in computing the grade-point average. Required courses in which a "D" or "F" was received must be repeated.

Veteran's Policy

To prevent institutions from charging late fees or preventing facility access to student veterans due to delay in payment for Chapter 33 Post 9/11 and Chapter 31 Vocational Rehab by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the following policy has been adopted. While this policy addendum takes effect August 1, 2019, The University of Akron is already complying with the requirements.

SEC. 103. DISAPPROVAL FOR PURPOSES OF EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS OF CERTAIN COURSES OF EDUCATION THAT DO NOT PERMIT INDIVIDUALS TO ATTEND OR PARTICIPATE IN COURSES PENDING PAYMENT.

(a) In General.—Section 3679 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
“(e) (1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, beginning on August 1, 2019, a State approving agency, or the Secretary when acting in the role of the State approving agency, shall disapprove a course of education provided by an educational institution that has in effect a policy that is inconsistent with any of the following:
“(A) A policy that permits any covered individual to attend or participate in the course of education during the period beginning on the date on which the individual provides to the educational institution a certificate of eligibility for entitlement to educational assistance under chapter 31 or 33 of this title and ending on the earlier of the following dates:
“(i) The date on which the Secretary provides payment for such course of education to such institution.
“(ii) The date that is 90 days after the date on which the educational institution certifies for tuition and fees following receipt from the student such certificate of eligibility.
“(B) A policy that ensures that the educational institution will not impose any penalty, including the assessment of late fees, the denial of access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities, or the requirement that a covered individual borrow additional funds, on any covered individual because of the individual’s inability to meet his or her financial obligations to the institution due to the delayed disbursement of a payment to be provided by the Secretary under chapter 31 or 33 of this title.
“(2) For purposes of this subsection, a covered individual is any individual who is entitled to educational assistance under chapter 31 or 33 of this title.
“(3) The Secretary may waive such requirements of paragraph (1) as the Secretary considers appropriate.
“(4) It shall not be inconsistent with a policy described in paragraph (1) for an educational institution to require a covered individual to take the following additional actions:
“(A) Submit a certificate of eligibility for entitlement to educational assistance not later than the first day of a course of education for which the individual has indicated the individual wishes to use the individual's entitlement to educational assistance.
“(B) Submit a written request to use such entitlement.
“(C) Provide additional information necessary to the proper certification of enrollment by the educational institution.”.
(b) Prompt Payments.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall take such actions as may be necessary to ensure that the Secretary makes a payment to an educational institution on behalf of an individual, who is entitled to educational assistance under chapter 31 or 33 of title 38, United States Code, and who is using such assistance to pursue a program of education at the educational institution, not later than 60 days after the date on which the educational institution certifies to the Secretary the applicable tuition and fees for the individual.
(2) SEMIANNUAL REPORTS.—Not later than May 1 and October 1 of each year, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives a semiannual report summarizing any cases in which the Secretary failed to make a payment described in paragraph (1) within the period set forth in such paragraph and an explanation for each delayed disbursement of payment.
(c) Rule Of Construction.—In a case in which an individual is unable to meet a financial obligation to an educational institution due to the delayed disbursement of a payment to be provided by the Secretary under chapter 31 or 33 of such title and the amount of such disbursement is less than anticipated, nothing in section 3679(e) of such title, as added by subsection (a), shall be construed to prohibit an educational institution from requiring additional payment or imposing a fee for the amount that is the difference between the amount of the financial obligation and the amount of the disbursement.