Academic Integrity and Behavioral Conduct Concerns

A faculty member’s primary role is to report possible academic misconduct to Student Conduct and Community Standards (SCCS). Please see this list of academic violations for a description of various breaches of academic integrity. General information can be found here and this is the link to submit a report on academic misconduct. (Incidents of behavioral misconduct can be reported here.)  Faculty should include the following information when submitting an alleged Academic Misconduct violation:

• A copy of the course syllabus
• Description of the allegation and any supporting materials, e.g., student submission(s), exam/assignment involving misconduct, etc.
• Any expectations communicated to students regarding the related assignment/exam
• Any expectations communicated to students regarding academic integrity in the course

SCCS will review a report and immediately determine whether the formal process is an appropriate response, or if the report should be referred elsewhere. Following the formal discipline process, SCCS will investigate on behalf of the faculty member; they will contact the student, conduct a hearing, follow up with the faculty member as needed, and alert faculty of the results of the hearing and any sanction provided to the student.  Decisions regarding sanctions are made only after careful consideration of all the available evidence and in consultation with Columbia Business School administration.

In addition to filing the report, faculty should note the following:

• Faculty should email staff in the relevant academic program to inform them that a report was submitted.  SCCS will provide them with complete copy of the report, so there is no need to explain what happened.
  • Full-time MBA (Office of Student Affairs): Katrina Mirasola (Director of Academic Affairs) and Samantha Shapses (Associate Dean and Dean of Student Affairs)
  • Executive MBA (EMBA Program Office): Kelley Blanco (Senior Associate Dean for Executive MBA and Global Programs) and Lorin Killian (Assistant Dean, EMBA Programs)
  • MS and PhD: Oded Netzer (Vice-Dean for Research) and Elizabeth Elam (Director for MS and PhD Programs)
• Faculty have the option to email relevant students to inform them that a report has been filed. Students will always receive an email from SCCS regarding the Discipline process.
• If the academic integrity concern is not resolved by the end of the course, faculty should submit an Incomplete (IN) grade temporarily for the student(s) involved. When a grade has been determined, the faculty member can submit the change of grade request on SSOL.    

Sanctions range from disciplinary probation to expulsion. Sanctions depend on the severity of the misconduct and student behavior during an investigation (e.g., students who lie about their actions may receive more severe sanctions than those who are forthcoming). In some cases, students may also be assigned an ethics course or a required reflection. Program offices will work with students to determine a path forward at CBS that incorporates the assigned sanction. The following sanctions indicate that a student is not in good disciplinary standing:

• Disciplinary Probation: Student is no longer in good disciplinary standing for a specified time period. The student is permitted to continue academic progress at the University.
• Disciplinary Suspension: Student is temporarily separated from the University for a specified time period during which the student is ineligible to participate in any Columbia University affiliated academic or extracurricular activity. Additionally, the student is not permitted to enroll at any other institution for the purpose of transferring credit back to Columbia University.
• Expulsion: Student is permanently separated from the University and not permitted to return.
• Degree Revocation: A former student may be subject to degree revocation if the University finds by a preponderance of evidence that the student engaged in research misconduct during their enrollment or obtained their degree through deceit, fraud, or misrepresentation. Columbia University may impose a sanction up to revoking those degrees, certificates, and/or decertify credit. Revocation of a degree is noted on the academic transcript and renders the former student ineligible to enroll in any school within Columbia University

Below, please find a sample of sanctions typically determined for academic violations:

Grading is ultimately determined by faculty. SCCS will not advise on the grades that faculty members should provide on individual assignments or for the course.  However, Columbia Business School takes academic integrity very seriously and faculty should consider the following grading guidance:

• Faculty should consider giving an F (or zero credit) on the assignment in question, if not an F for the entire course. As seen in the examples above, cheating on a final exam generally comes with serious sanctions, including suspension. Faculty should consider giving an F grade in the course if the breach of integrity is on a final exam or other assignment/project of similar magnitude.
• Grading penalties should be the same for students who share submissions/solutions as for those who receive them.
• Faculty are encouraged to include their policy regarding breaches of academic integrity and grades on their syllabus. For example: “Students who are found to have cheated on an exam or assignment will automatically receive an F in the course. Students who help others to cheat, e.g., by sharing their answers to an assignment or exam, are equally culpable.”