April 23, 1999
KALAMAZOO--Acting at its April 23 meeting, the Western Michigan University Board of Trustees approved a set of revisions to the student academic code that are designed to improve the clarity and consistency of policies and procedures dealing with questions of academic conduct.
The revisions cover three areas: procedures used to address questions of academic honesty and conduct in research; procedures for appeals of course grades; and definitions and clarifications of language used under the "Academic Honesty" heading in the graduate and undergraduate catalogs. The revisions cover only academic conduct and not other forms of conduct governed by the University's Student Code, which also was revised and presented to trustees at the same meeting.
The revisions call for formation of an Academic Integrity Committee, made up of both students and faculty, to hear charges of academic dishonesty. Grade appeals and program dismissal appeals would be heard by a committee consisting solely of faculty. A Faculty Senate oversight committee will monitor the application of the procedures and make yearly reports and recommendations.
The revisions approved by the board are the product of an ad hoc committee of the Faculty Senate formed on campus in fall of 1997 to review the code. The committee was comprised of faculty members from five departments, one undergraduate student, one graduate student, the dean of students and the interim general counsel.
Led by Dr. Carol A. VanAuken-Haight, associate professor of finance and commercial law, the committee reviewed the work of earlier WMU committees, the literature of experts in the area and the policies of other universities. They also conducted an on-line survey of WMU faculty and student responses to academic integrity issues and the current policy. The Faculty Senate approved the committee's recommendations in February.
Media contact: Cheryl Roland, 616 387-8400, cheryl.roland@wmich.edu
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