Students at the University of Missouri-St. Louis are expected to exhibit the highest standards of academic integrity. There are two types of consequences that can arise if a student commits an act of academic dishonesty. When academic dishonesty impacts a student’s academic performance, the instructor may impose course-related penalties such as a reduced grade. The second type of consequence is conduct or disciplinary sanctions, which include things such as official warnings, probation, suspension, and expulsion. The Office of Academic Integrity and Student Conduct is charged with determining conduct or disciplinary sanctions.
The University of Missouri System Collected Rules and Regulations (CRR 200.010) provides guidelines for appropriate student conduct, including academic conduct. Academic Dishonesty as defined by Collected Rule 200.010 Standard of Conduct includes cheating, plagiarism, unauthorized use of artificially generated content, and sabotage.
Faculty members at the University of Missouri-St. Louis are required to take an active role in creating a climate of academic honesty. Faculty should include information about expectations for classroom conduct and the policy for academic integrity at UMSL in course syllabi. UMSL’s Center for Teaching and Learning has syllabi templates that provide models that reference the Standard of Conduct that faculty are encouraged to integrate into course syllabi.
Should academic dishonesty be suspected, faculty members must follow the steps below. At any time, a faculty member may contact the Office of Academic Integrity and Student Conduct for advice on how to proceed on a specific case. The following procedures guide the campus in upholding the University of Missouri Collected Rules for Student Academic Conduct.
Procedural Guidelines for Faculty Identifying Cases of Academic Dishonesty
Step1. A faculty member who suspects academic dishonesty has the following obligations:
a) Notify the student of concerns for academic dishonesty. Present to the student with a copy of the information you have that suggests an academic integrity violation has occurred and explain your perspective. Faculty should clearly outline concerns presenting specific evidence that led to concerns for academic dishonesty, such as similarities between assignments, unusual patterns in answers, potential plagiarism and/or concerns for inappropriate use of AI. Make an academic assessment - Assign an appropriate grade for the assignment in question.- It will be at the faculty member’s discretion to request a meeting with the student to discuss academic dishonesty concerns. This meeting will allow the student the opportunity to respond with their perspective.
- Inform the student that you intend to file an academic integrity violation form to the Office of Academic Integrity & Student Conduct.
b) Submit the following relevant information to the Office of Academic Integrity & Student Conduct via the online Academic Integrity Reporting Form. Faculty should submit a report even if they are not seeking conduct sanctions and are comfortable with their assessment of the assignment as the only consequence. Tracking concerns about academic dishonesty allows the Office of Academic Integrity & Student Conduct to implement progressive sanctions that vary depending on whether a student has previously been found responsible for academic dishonesty. In addition to the form, the report should include:
- A copy of the course syllabus (including any guidance on academic integrity policies in the course).
- A clean copy of the assignment/exam/paper that is involved in the violation.
- A brief summary describing the violation from the faculty member.
- Any additional supporting documentation (e.g., statements by a TA who observed the student’s actions, a “cheat sheet” used by the student).
- Note that current AI detection software has not been proven to be a reliable means of determining that text was AI-generated and should not be the sole or primary evidence that AI was used in an assignment.
- Further information about how to establish and maintain ethical principles for the use of AI in the classroom as well as how to detect AI use is available through UM System's Academic Technology's webpage on resources for faculty on generative AI.
Step 2. The Manager of Academic Integrity & Student Conduct shall review the Academic Integrity Reporting Form and initiate the investigative process. Discipline for academic dishonesty follows Collected Rule 200.020 Rules of Procedures in Student or Student Organization Conduct Matters.
The Manager of Academic Integrity & Student Conduct will contact the student by their student email account, asking them to make an appointment with the Manager of Academic Integrity & Student Conduct within ten (10) calendar days of the letter date. At the appointment, the student is informed of his or her rights and options and is informed of the charge and evidence from the faculty member. The Manager of Academic Integrity & Student Conduct shall encourage the student to provide a full explanation of the situation to assure their due process.
The Manager of Academic Integrity & Student Conduct has the authority to propose an informal disposition consisting of a preliminary determination and proposed appropriate remedies and/or sanctions. In making a determination, the manager considers the following:
- The materials/supporting evidence submitted by the faculty member
- The student’s statement
- Any relevant materials presented by the student
- Any statements received from witness(es)
- Previous dispositions
- Student’s cumulative conduct record
- Severity of the violation
- Other factors as appropriate
The Manager of Academic Integrity & Student Conduct provides written notice of the proposed informal disposition and proposed appropriate remedies and/or sanctions to the student via their student email account. If the student has been found responsible for academic dishonesty, the student is given two options:
- Accept responsibility and the proposed remedies and/or sanctions
- Reject responsibility, which means the charges are referred to a hearing before the Student Conduct Committee
Some common examples of remedies and/or sanctions that may be imposed upon a student who has been found responsible for single cases of academic dishonesty include trainings, official warnings, and probation. Severe or repeated cases may result in sanctions such as suspension or dismissal.
If the student fails to submit a rejection to the Manager of Academic Integrity & Student Conduct within ten (10) business days, the proposed informal disposition shall become final.
Once a final determination has been made The Manager of Academic Integrity & Student Conduct notifies the faculty member via email of the outcome.
Step 3. If the student rejects an informal disposition, it must be in writing and shall be forwarded to the Student Conduct Committee. The Student Conduct Committee’s hearing of the case will be conducted according to procedures established in Section F of Collected Rule 200.020: Rules of Procedure in Student or Student Organization Conduct Matters.
The Manager of Academic Integrity & Student Conduct will provide all appropriate materials to the committee at the time of the hearing. No member of the committee may have been involved in the investigation of or filing of charges in the case.
In the event the student requests a hearing before the Student Conduct Committee, the Manager of Academic Integrity & Student Conduct will meet with the faculty member prior to the hearing to explain their rights and the process. The faculty member has the following rights in relation to the hearing
Rights of faculty pre-hearing:- To be informed of the hearing process. The instructor should be provided with details regarding the hearing format, the role of the hearing panel, and the timeline for the process.
- To choose to attend or not attend the hearing
- To be represented by university legal counsel on request
- To present evidence. This includes presenting the allegedly plagiarized work, emails, witness testimonies, or any other evidence that supports the accusation of academic dishonesty.
- To provide testimony. The instructor can share their observations and interpretation of the alleged misconduct, including how they came to suspect the student of violating academic integrity
- Ask questions of the accused student and witnesses.
The committee and the student also have rights during a hearing. Just as the Manager of Academic Integrity & Student Conduct and faculty member can ask questions of witnesses. The committee and the student or the student’s advisor have the right to ask questions of witnesses in a hearing, including faculty members.
As outlined in Collected Rule 200.020 Rules of Procedures in Student or Student Organization Conduct Matters, the report of the committee’s findings and determination of discipline shall be sent to the student and the Manager of Academic Integrity & Student Conduct. The Manager of Academic Integrity & Student Conduct will notify the faculty member of the committee’s findings and determination.
If the disposition involves suspension or expulsion, the Manager of Academic Integrity & Student Conduct must place a “hold” on the student’s re-enrollment. Records regarding probation for academic integrity issues are internal to the Student Conduct & Academic Integrity Office and not available to regular academic advisors.
Requests to petition for a review or an appeal of the Student Conduct Committee’s decision will follow the procedures described in Collected Rule 200.020. Please consult Collected Rule 200.020 section E subsections 5 - 8 or ask the Manager of Academic Integrity & Student Conduct for further information about these procedures.
(Additional information about Academic Integrity at UMSL, including information for students seeking to understand expectations regarding academic dishonesty, students who wish to report potential academic dishonesty, and the student conduct process from a students' perspective are available on the Office of Institutional Effectiveness' Academic Integrity website.)
Fall 2025
Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Compliance
Office of Academic Affairs