Academic Integrity
Academic Integrity
View the Southern Miss Academic Integrity Policy
Report a Violation
Need to report an academic integrity violation?
The Creed at Southern Miss begins with two very important lines:
“I belong to a community of scholars at The University of Southern Mississippi.
I will demonstrate integrity and determination in all academic pursuits.”
Part of the duty of all Southern Miss students, faculty, and staff is to ensure the value of the degrees and coursework and maintain the standards and values that give the classes and degrees their value. As part of a community of scholars, you can play a vital role in ensuring the highest integrity and continuance of a true community of scholars by reporting those who have violated their standards and the values of the Creed by engaging in violations of the academic integrity standards. When academic misconduct through cheating, plagiarism, misuse of artificial intelligence, or other means becomes or is believed to be common, often degrees can be viewed with suspicion by future employers and others in professional communities who may worry that an institution who has students who violate academic integrity codes may create employees who would violate company policies. If you are aware of academic misconduct or academic integrity policy violations, you have a duty to protect the value of your courses and your future degree by reporting those who would violate policy.
Students cannot report a violation anonymously, but the Office of Academic Integrity keeps the report confidential. Once the report is filed, your involvement is limited only to that of being the reporter of the incident. While your name will not be shared with the student or faculty member, you also will not be permitted, due to student privacy and the laws and protocol which govern it, to learn any further information about the allegations or outcomes of any academic integrity process.”
Cases of academic misconduct, whether or not a penalty is applied by the faculty member, should be reported. Faculty should make every effort to discuss the situation with the student(s) to ensure students learn from the situation. Faculty can offer a range of educational sanctions to students including the UNV 300 course which is generally used to remediate an XF and the USM Libraries’ plagiarism tutorial.
Violation Resolution
When an instructor is able to resolve the academic integrity violation with the student without the use of a facilitator, the instructor should submit a Faculty Resolution form.
Download faculty resolution form
Request an Academic Integrity Presentation or Consultation
Academic Integrity Request Form
Academic Integrity Flowchart
For more information on the process of reporting, facilitation, and appeals, view the Academic Integrity Flowchart.