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Code of student conduct purpose
Oakland University students are expected to practice civility and uphold the highest standards of academic and personal integrity. These campus community values are reflected through campus standards and regulations. The purpose of Oakland University’s Code of Student Conduct is to foster the growth and development of students by encouraging self discipline, assist in creating an educationally supportive environment, and to protect the well-being of the campus community.
This code includes nonacademic and academic conduct and applies to all undergraduate students, graduate students and student organizations at Oakland University. It is the responsibility of all university students and organizations to familiarize themselves with the conduct code at the beginning of each academic year. The conduct code is set forth in writing to give students general notice of the conduct expected of them. The code is not written with the specificity of a criminal statute and is not designed to define misconduct in exhaustive terms. The Code of Student Conduct shall apply to a student’s conduct even if the student withdraws from class or school while a disciplinary matter is pending.
Non-academic conduct regulations
Jurisdiction
The university reserves the right to take necessary and appropriate action to protect the mission of the university or the safety of its members. This may include taking disciplinary action against students whose behavior off university premises or between academic periods violates university ordinances and regulations, federal, state, or local laws; or which materially and adversely affects the individual’s suitability as a member of the campus community.
If a student breaks a law that also violates university standards of conduct, the student may be held accountable by both external authorities and the university. The university may at its sole discretion elect to pursue disciplinary action against the student either before, during or after administrative, civil or criminal proceedings arising out of the same or other events and shall not be subject to challenge on the ground that external charges involving the same incident have been dismissed, reduced or are pending.
Imminent danger/emergency suspension
Sometimes, the nature of a reported incident may require immediate action be taken by the university to protect the members of the community. Such a situation occurs when the nature of the allegation brings into reasonable question the prudence of permitting the accused student to continue as a member of the university or residence halls community prior to a formal hearing. To protect the safety and well-being of university students, faculty, staff or university property, the student may be temporarily suspended prior to formal adjudication of the case. In any such instance, the university will promptly implement its judicial procedures to address the conduct in question.
University ordinances and regulations
Acting under the authority granted by Act 35 of the Public Acts of 1970 of the state of Michigan, the Board of Trustees has enacted ordinances to provide for the health, safety, welfare and protection of persons and property at Oakland University. The ordinances regulate the conduct of persons on the campus of Oakland and supplement state statutes and local ordinances relating to such conduct. A partial list of pertinent parts of ordinances particularly applicable for new students follows. A complete set of ordinances can be viewed in the Dean of Students Office, 144 Oakland Center.
Violation of ordinances may subject persons to criminal prosecution and/or disciplinary proceedings under university judicial systems administered by the Department of University Housing and Dean of Students personnel.
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University rules
Students are expected to adhere to the following university rules:
- All students are expected to comply with the direction of university officials or law enforcement while performing their duties on university property or within specified boundaries.
- No person shall enter into or use any university premises or property for which it was not intended or without authorization. Nor shall any person remain in any area that is officially restricted or closed.
- No person shall engage in any activities that obstruct or interfere with the free, normal and uninterrupted process of student government elections or student organization elections.
- No person shall use another person’s SpiritCard, credit card, secured card, debit card, charge card or any other such instrument of credit.
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Academic conduct regulations
All members of the academic community at Oakland University are expected to practice and uphold standards of academic integrity and honesty. Academic integrity means representing oneself and one’s work honestly. Misrepresentation is cheating since it means the student is claiming credit for ideas or works not actually his or her own and is thereby seeking a grade that is not actually earned.
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Faculty standards
Faculty members are expected to maintain the following standards in the context of academic conduct:
- to inform and instruct students about the procedures and standards of research and documentation required to complete work in a particular course or in the context of a particular discipline.
- to take practical steps to prevent and detect cheating.
- To report suspected academic misconduct to the Dean of Students, 144 Oakland Center, for consideration by the Academic Conduct Committee of the University Senate.
- To present evidence of plagiarism, cheating on exams or lab reports, falsification of records, or other forms of academic misconduct before the Academic Conduct Committee.
Student standards
Students are expected to abide by the following standards in the context of academic conduct:
- To be aware of and practice the standards of honest scholarship.
- To follow faculty instructions regarding exams and assignments (including group assignments) to avoid inadvertent misrepresentation of work.
- To be certain that special rules regarding documentation of term papers, examination procedures, use of computer-based information and programs, etc., are clearly understood.
- If a student believes that practices by a faculty member are conducive to cheating, he or she may convey this information to the faculty member, to the chairperson of the department, or to any member of the Academic Conduct Committee either directly or through the Dean of Students Office.
Examples of academic dishonesty
- Cheating on assignments and examinations. This includes, but is not limited to the following when not authorized by the instructor: the use of any assistance or materials such as books and/or notes, acquiring exams or any other academic materials, the use of any other sources in writing drafts, papers, preparing reports, solving problems, completing homework or carrying out other assignments. No student shall copy from someone else’s work or help someone else copy work or substitute another’s work as one’s own. No student shall engage in any behavior specifically prohibited by an instructor in the course syllabus or class discussion.
- Plagiarizing the work of others. Plagiarism is using someone else’s work or ideas without giving that person credit. This can occur in drafts, papers and oral presentations. By doing this, a student is, in effect, claiming credit for someone else’s thinking. Whether the student has read or heard the information used, the student must document the source of information. When dealing with written sources, a clear distinction should be made between quotations, which reproduce information from the source word-for-word within quotation marks, and paraphrases, which digest the source of information and produce it in the student’s own words. Both direct quotations and paraphrases must be documented. Even if a student rephrases, condenses or selects from another person’s work, the ideas are still the other person’s and failure to give credit constitutes misrepresentation of the student’s actual work and plagiarism of another’s ideas. Buying a paper or using information from the Internet without attribution and handing it in as one’s own work is plagiarism.
- Cheating on lab reports by falsifying data or submitting data not based on the student’s own work.
- Falsifying records or providing misinformation regarding one’s credentials.
- Unauthorized collaboration on assignments. Individual (unaided) work on exams, lab reports, homework, computer assignments and documentation of sources is expected unless the instructor specifically states in the syllabus that it is not necessary. This also includes unauthorized access to and use of computer programs, including modifying computer files created by others and representing that work as one’s own.
- Use of original work. If the instructor assigns a special project, other than or in addition to exams, such as a research paper, original essay, or a book review, the instructor intends that work to be completed for his/her course only. Work students may have completed for a course taken in the past, or may be completing for a concurrent course, must not be submitted in both courses unless they receive permission to do so from both faculty members.
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If the Academic Conduct Committee determines that misconduct has occurred, the Committee assesses sanctions ranging from academic disciplinary reprimand to academic probation, to suspension or expulsion (dismissal) from the university. All conduct records are maintained in the Dean of Students Office.
Oakland University students shall enjoy certain rights as members of the academic community in addition to those rights that they enjoy as citizens or residents of the United States and the state of Michigan.
While the following is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all rights supported by the university, it does reflect principles that are essential to the maintenance of an environment that is conducive to the pursuit of learning and the development of students as scholars and citizens.
- Students have the right of free inquiry, expression and association, and students are expected to exercise their rights within the bounds of civility and community responsibility.
- Students have the right to participate in university-sponsored services and activities without discrimination or harassment based on a student’s race, creed, color, sexual orientation, national origin, age, sex or other classification that deprives the person of consideration as an individual.
- Students have the right to protection against improper disclosure of their student record as provided in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
- Students have the right of access to their personal records and other university files as provided for under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and the Michigan Freedom of Information Act.
- Students have the right to join associations without fear of harassment or intimidation.
- Students have the right to petition for change in either academic or non-academic regulations, procedures or practices.
- Students accused of misconduct or of violating university policy have the right to have their responsibility determined in accord with university procedures and standard due process protections.
The federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 pertains to confidential student educational records. This legislation allows students the right to view upon request their own confidential educational records and defines the use of these records by others.
The dean of students is the university compliance officer for the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. Students who do not want directory information to appear on the Oakland University Web site can restrict release of such data by doing the following:
- Login to SAIL
- Click on Login to Secure Area
- Complete the User Login
- Select Personal Information
- Select Directory Profile
- De-select the Display in Directory option for items you wish to not appear in the Web directory.
Students who do not want directory information released in any other form must notify the Office of the Registrar in writing. Forms for this purpose are available in 101A O’Dowd Hall. Upon receipt of the completed form or a letter, directory information will be withheld until the student requests in writing that it be released. Requests for privacy may also be faxed to the Registrar at (248) 370-3461.
The university considers student theses and dissertations to be public statements of research findings. Therefore, students who submit such work in fulfillment of degree requirements shall be deemed to have consented to disclosure of the work.
A full statement of students’ rights is available in the Office of the Dean of Students, 144 Oakland Center, (248) 370-3352
Any questions, grievances, complaints or other related problems may be addressed to the Dean of Students, 144 Oakland Center, 2200 North Squirrel Road, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan 48309-4401, (248) 370-3352 and/or filed with the U.S. Department of Education.
Oakland University shall comply with the applicable requirements of the “Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act,” beginning in 2002, which states that every sex offender must register under “Megan’s Law” and provide information of his/her enrollment or employment by a college or university. Members of the campus community can access the Michigan Public Sex Offender Registry database maintained by the Michigan State Police. Users can search the database using name, city, zip code, or county. The database can be accessed on the State of Michigan website at mipsor.state.mi.us or by visiting the OUPD website at police.oakland.edu. Questions or further information regarding the Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act may be obtained by contacting the Vice President for Student Affairs, (248) 370-4200, or the Chief of Police, (248) 370-3000. In accordance with the “Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act,” nothing may be construed to prohibit Oakland University from disclosing information provided to the university concerning registered sex offenders. Finally, it is required that the Secretary of Education take appropriate steps to notify Oakland University that disclosure of this information is permitted.
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