Definitions

(1) Academic Exercise. Academic Exercise may consist of all forms of work submitted by a student for academic credit or hours. (2) Academic Misconduct. Academic Misconduct may consist of acts of plagiarism, cheating, or fabrication. (a) Plagiarism. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, the adoption or reproduction of ideas, words, statements, images, or works from another source as one’s own without proper attribution. This includes self-plagiarism, which occurs when an author submits material or research from a previous academic exercise to satisfy the requirements of another academic exercise and uses it without proper citation of its reuse. Plagiarism also includes the unauthorized use of paraphrasing tools or “text spinners” and artificial intelligence software. (b) Cheating. Cheating includes, but is not limited to, using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or aids in any academic exercise or test/examination. Cheating also includes unapproved collaboration, which occurs when a student works with others on an individual academic exercise without the express permission of the faculty member. Unapproved collaboration can also include, but is not limited to, sharing of any physical or electronic papers, exams/quizzes, assignments, and/or posting of same to unauthorized websites. ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT CHAPTER 0240-07-04 (c) Fabrication. Fabrication includes, but is not limited to, unauthorized falsification or invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise. (3) Academic Misconduct Committee (Committee) refers to the Committee established under University policy. (4) Faculty Member. For the purposes of this Rule, a faculty member is the University employee teaching a course or serving in a supervisory, advisory, or evaluative capacity in relation to the student(s) accused of academic misconduct, including graduate teaching assistants who are instructors of record. Graduate teaching assistants or others who are not instructors of record should present documentation of suspected misconduct to the supervising faculty member. (5) Director of Academic Integrity (Director). A designee of the Vice Provost for Faculty and Strategic Initiatives whose responsibilities are to manage and ensure fairness in the investigation and timely resolution of alleged academic misconduct. The Director does not vote in academic misconduct hearings. (6) Student. Any person who is admitted and/or registered for study at MTSU for any academic period, either full-time or part-time, undergraduate, graduate, or professional studies. (7) Notice. For the purposes of this Rule, a notice is a written communication sent to the student’s official MTSU email account, or to the student’s local address as indicated in the student information system, or both as specified in this Rule. Students have the responsibility to check their University-issued email accounts regularly and to ensure that the local mailing address on file with MTSU is current. The requirement to provide notice will be satisfied and any period for response will begin on the date the notice is sent.