These regulations make up the Academic Honor Code for undergraduate and graduate students at Loyola. The Academic Honor Code applies to all Loyola students, whether enrolled in on-campus or online programs. This includes definitions of academic dishonesty such as plagiarism, and the processes determining findings of academic dishonesty and governing appeals.
If you do not find what you are looking for, please return to the Regulations Directory. If you have any questions, please contact the Office of the Registrar at registrar@loyno.edu. University course descriptions can be viewed in the Course Catalog.
Academic Honor Code
Supersession of Previous Policies
This Academic Honor Code supersedes policies and procedures related to the Integrity of Scholarship and Plagiarism policies and procedures published in previous University Bulletins for all Graduate (non-Law) and Undergraduate students at Loyola University New Orleans. Law students are to consult the Honor Code published in the Law Bulletin.
Navigation:
- Academic Honor Pledge
- Academic Honor Code
- Processing an Alleged Violation
- Appeals Procedures
- Potential Consequences
Academic Honor Pledge
In accordance with the Academic Honor Code of Loyola University New Orleans, I pledge I will not cheat, lie, falsify, plagiarize, or participate in any form of unauthorized collaboration, misuse or misrepresentation of my academic work or the academic work of others in any manner. I will be honest in all academic endeavors and conduct myself in a manner that protects and promotes the intellectual and ethical integrity of myself, others, and the University.
All students, whether enrolled in on-campus or online programs, must acknowledge and agree to be bound by the Academic Honor Code. Each student is required to do so upon their first log-in to LORA, and cannot register for courses or access their account prior to this agreement.
Academic Honor Code
The Academic Honor Code of Loyola University New Orleans represents the University community’s commitment to the highest intellectual and ethical standards of honesty, integrity, fairness and justice. Violations of the Academic Honor Code include but are not limited to cheating, lying, false citations, falsified data, falsification of academic records, plagiarism, participation in any form of unauthorized collaboration, misuse or misrepresentation of academic work or the academic work of others in any manner, misuse of electronic material, and violation of intellectual property laws.
A student in doubt about whether a particular course of conduct violates the University’s Academic Honor Code should consult with the course instructor before engaging in that conduct.
Cheating
Cheating is the fraudulent or dishonest presentation of work. Cheating includes but is not limited to:
- using or attempting to use unauthorized materials in any academic coursework
- copying, falsifying, destroying, or altering another student's work
- submitting the same written work in more than one course without prior written approval from the instructors involved
- dishonestly requesting to make up exams or extend deadlines for submitting coursework
- plagiarizing in any form
- sharing your Learning Management System (LMS) login and credentials with anyone else to allow access to unauthorized users to commit a violation of the Academic Honor Code
False Citations
False citation is the attribution of intellectual property to an incorrect or fabricated source with the intention to deceive.
Falsified Data
False data are data that have been fabricated, altered, suppressed, manipulated, or contrived in such a way as to be deliberately misleading.
Falsification of Academic Records
Falsification of Academic Records is any attempt to forge or alter academic documentation, including, but is not limited to, transcripts, letters of recommendation, certificates of enrollment or good standing, registration forms, and medical certification of absence.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the act of taking material that is not one’s own and representing it as one's own. The material in question can include (but is not limited to) unacknowledged words, sentences, paraphrases, data, images, videos, sounds, music, ideas, calculations, translations, and solutions to problem sets. This material can be written by another person, a group of persons, or even a computer or website. As the Modern Language Association (MLA) website describes plagiarism “It is thus a kind of fraud: deceiving others to gain something of value. While plagiarism only sometimes has legal repercussions (e.g., when it involves copyright infringement—violating an author’s exclusive legal right to publication), it is always a serious moral and ethical offense."
Unauthorized Collaborations
Unauthorized collaborating is completing coursework with other(s) without prior approval. Students are expected to consult with their instructor prior to engaging in cooperative activities.
Misuse of Electronic Materials and Violations of Academic Property Laws
Access and use of licensed electronic materials are governed by agreements between the University and publishers or sellers of the services. Students must comply with the prohibitions stated below.
- selling or public posting of material from these services
- sharing your login with anyone else or allowing access to unauthorized users
- giving away or transferring information from these services to anyone not affiliated with Loyola University New Orleans
- systematic, large-scale downloading of information, including entire issues of electronic journals or entire electronic books
- misuse of a virtual conference meeting and disruptions to an online classroom
- sharing of video conference meeting links without the permission of the instructor
Other breaches of the Academic Honor Code include:
- the misrepresentation of material facts or circumstances in relation to examinations, papers, or other evaluative activities
- the unauthorized use of University academic facilities or equipment, including computer accounts and files
- the unauthorized recording, sale, purchase, or use of academic lectures, academic computer software, or other course materials
- the violation of Institutional Review Board (IRB) policies and procedures
- attending a course that you are not enrolled in without permission of the instructor
Processing an Alleged Violation
Student Academic Honor Code violations and sanctions are reported by a course instructor to the leader of the academic unit in which the course is offered and the Dean’s Office of the college in which the violation occurred. If there is no designated Associate Dean of the college in which the violation occurred, the Dean or the Dean's designated representative will fill this role. This method of handling Academic Honor Code violations helps promote university-wide standards of integrity with 1) due process and 2) identification of students with repeat violations across the university.
Instructor Report
A course instructor reports student violations and sanctions using the following process:
Instructor of Record for the Course
The instructor investigates the matter further, issues findings, and imposes sanctions. Specifically:
- The instructor collects and keeps copies of all evidence related to the charge and examines the situation.
- If the instructor finds there has been an Academic Honor Code violation, the instructor then issues a sanction. (Potential sanctions defined below.)
- The instructor provides the student, the leader of the instructor's academic unit, and the instructor’s Associate Dean written notification of the violation and sanction and a copy of all relevant documentation related to the case. The instructor informs the student of the right to appeal the decision within ten days of its being issued to the leader of the academic unit in which the course is offered and the Associate Dean of the college in which the course is offered, following the process found here.
- The Associate Dean collects and keeps copies of all evidence related to the charge and reviews the situation. The Associate Dean makes a notation of the violation in the student’s record.
- The Associate Deans are responsible for recording and monitoring violations of the Academic Honor Code. This data will be reported to the Provost's Office every semester.
Multiple Violations
If a student is charged with violations of the Honor Code on repeated occasions, the Associate Dean of the student’s college investigates the matter further, issues sanctions in writing to the student, and informs the student of the right to appeal the decision following the process found here. The Associate Dean collects and keeps copies of all evidence related to the charge and notifies the Director of the Honors Program where applicable.
The student has the right to request a meeting with the Associate Dean of the college offering the course to review the violation and sanctions within five business days of the notification from the Associate Dean. If a meeting with the Associate Dean is requested,
- The Associate Dean will review with the student the written notification of the violation and sanction.
- If the student believes the violation and/or sanction is unjust, the Associate Dean directs the student to follow the Academic Honor Code violation appeals process found here.
Graduate Programs
Additional steps, clearly outlined in program policies and procedures materials, may be added to the Academic Honor Code Procedures by individual graduate programs.
Appeals Procedures
After meeting with the Associate Dean, the student has a right to submit an Academic Honor Code violation appeal. During summer terms, as applicable, a hearing date may not be possible until the subsequent fall semester. Until the appeal is determined, the student’s academic standing, related rights and privileges, and the grade prior to the violation occurred will be upheld.
Step 1: Accused Student
The accused student completes and submits by email an Academic Honor Code appeal to the Associate Dean.
Step 2: Associate Dean
The Associate Dean appoints a committee composed of the Associate Dean or the Dean's designated representative; two faculty members, who, if possible, should be familiar with the course; and one student who has taken the course, if possible.
- The Associate Dean or designated representative will serve as the non-voting chairperson of the grade appeal committee.
- The student and instructor are to be informed of the composition of the grade appeal committee, and the Associate Dean should honor any reasonable objection either might have to appointed members.
- Both the student and the instructor have the right to present their position in person or virtually to the grade appeal committee or to write a statement that is to be presented to the committee by the chairperson.
- The burden of proof is on the student.
- The decision of the appeal committee is final, and the grade it decides upon becomes the official grade for the course. This concludes the appeal process.
Online Programs
Alternative processes, clearly outlined in online program policies and procedures materials, may be added to the Appeals Procedures by individual online programs (undergraduate or graduate) to accommodate the difficulty of face-to-face meetings on Loyola's campus.
Potential Consequences of Violations of the Academic Honor Code
Email of Warning: The instructor of the course or the Associate Dean of the college in which the violation occurred may send an email of censure. The email will clearly articulate the violation of which the student has been found responsible, reiterate the University’s Academic Honor Code, and clearly spell out possible consequences if the student violates the Academic Honor Code in the future. A printout of the email of censure will be placed in the student’s permanent file along with all supporting documentation regarding the case.
Failing Grade for Assignment: A permanent failing grade may be assigned for the offending course work. The instructor of the course or the Associate Dean of the college in which the violation occurred may issue this sanction. A failing grade of an assignment is typically the sanction for a student's first violation of the Academic Honor Code.
Failing Grade for Course: A permanent failing grade may be assigned for the course. To issue this sanction, the instructor of the course requires approval from the Associate Dean of the college in which the violation occurred. A failing grade for the course is typically the sanction for a student's second violation of the Academic Honor Code.
Academic Suspension: Academic suspension is an appropriate sanction for students found responsible in particularly egregious cases or students who have previously been found responsible for violations of the Academic Honor Code. Academic suspension is typically the sanction for a student's third violation of the Academic Honor Code.
The Associate Dean of the college in which the accused student is enrolled submits the recommendation of academic suspension to the Dean of the student’s College for review. If the Dean concurs with the recommendation, notification of the length of the academic suspension must be sent to the Office of the Registrar. A notation “Academic Suspension” will be placed on the student’s official transcript. The decision to suspend a student for violating the Academic Honor Code will be made in consultation with the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
Honor Code Academic Dismissal from the University: Dismissal from the University is the most severe recommendation that can be made and is reserved for the most egregious acts of academic dishonesty. Students found responsible for repeatedly violating the University’s policy regarding academic integrity, especially if they have already been suspended from the University, should be considered for permanent dismissal. The Associate Dean of the college in which the accused student is enrolled submits the recommendation to the Dean of the student’s College so that a decision may be rendered. The decision to permanently dismiss a student from the University will be made by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. The notation “Honor Code Academic Dismissal” will be placed on the student’s official transcript. An Academic Dismissal from the University is typically the sanction for a student's fourth violation of the Academic Honor Code.