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Academic Integrity

At the University of Southern Mississippi, we expect everyone in our community to operate with academic integrity, holding to the highest standards of scholarly professionalism. Our campus should be characterized by honest, responsible, respectful and ethical behavior, and the Academic Integrity Policy reflects this expectation.

The Southern Miss Integrity Agreement

As a member of the Southern Miss community, I will act with honor and integrity at all times. I will not engage in any act of academic misconduct, and I understand that such acts violate the Academic Integrity Policy and Student Honor Code and undermine the community of trust so important to the integrity of the University.

Academic Integrity Policy

The Southern Miss Academic Integrity Policy includes:

Our University’s definitions of “academic misconduct”;
Sanctions imposed for academic misconduct, including the “XF” grade;
Consequences of receiving an XF; and
Processes for appeal in cases of alleged misconduct.

View the policy

Students at the University of Southern Mississippi are responsible for understanding and following this policy. All students will be required to complete an educational online module regarding academic integrity, and additional workshops will be available through University Libraries for those who would like additional information.

Academic Integrity Forms

Academic Integrity Flowchart

This flowchart will explains the Academic Integrity Violation process, from the discovery of a possible violation through any appeal the student might make.

Form A

Form A is filled out by the faculty member who discovers the alleged violation. The student will recieve a copy via email.

Form B

Form B is filled out during the facilitation meeting among the student, the faculty member, and a college facilitator, and details the outcome of the meeting.

Form C

Form C is filled out by the student only if they wish to appeal the decision made at the facilitation meeting.

Student FAQ

Academic misconduct includes a range of actions including but not limited to: cheating; plagiarism; acquiring information (like test questions) inappropriately; lying about academic matters or falsifying information (like service hours or internship work); stealing or defacing anything related to the academic mission of the University; submitting your work (like a paper or part of a paper) to multiple instructors without their permission; and/or conspiracy to do any of these violations.

Each class comes with its own requirements and assignments that have been designed to meet the mission of that particular course. When you “recycle” work from one class for another, you typically are not meeting the educational goals of each unique class, and you cheat yourself out of the opportunity to learn. You should check with your professors before re-using any content from one course in another.

Plagiarism is not just about quoting from other people. If you use any ideas from any source without properly letting the reader know exactly where that idea came from, it is plagiarism.

Depending on the severity of the offense, you can receive sanctions such as an F for the assignment or an XF for the course. The grade of XF will be recorded on the transcript with the notation “Failure due to academic misconduct.” The XF cannot be replaced by retaking the course. Students who have violated the Academic Integrity Policy and who have been informed that they will receive an XF grade for the semester are not eligible to withdraw from a class. Instructors and the Office of the Registrar will deny any request for withdrawal. If a student decides to withdraw from the University entirely, the student will still receive an XF for the course for which the academic integrity violation occurred while receiving Ws for all other courses.

If a student has never been given an XF before, he or she may have the "X" removed after completing an Academic Integrity Remediation Program. It is important to note that only one "X" may be removed from a student's transcript, and undergraduate students with three XF grades (including one that has been removed from the student's transcript via remediation) will be placed on academic suspension due to multiple violations of academic integrity.

Yes. All students have the right to appeal a penalty for academic misconduct, including an XF grade. Appeals must be initiated within 5 business days of the facilitation meeting. Students should complete the Academic Integrity Appeal form (Form C), which should then be submitted to the Office of the Provost or emailed to integrityFREEMississippi before the deadline for initiating the appeal.

Within five business days of receiving an appeal form, the Academic Integrity Officer should contact all parties informing them that a formal appeal has been initiated. All parties must submit any written materials they intend to present to the Academic Integrity Appeals Board within 30 business days of being notified of an appeal. An appeal hearing will be scheduled within 20 business days of an appeal form being submitted to the Office of the Provost. All appeals are heard by the Academic Integrity Appeals Board, a University standing committee appointed by the Provost. Academic Integrity Facilitators and student mentors not involved with the facilitation meeting may substitute for Board Members when necessary.

Everyone who sees your transcript will see the notation of “failure due to academic misconduct,” which could shape how you are seen by future employers or schools. Additionally, students with an XF grade cannot graduate with honors. Students who receive three XF grades will be automatically suspended; students with four or more XF grades will be expelled.

Academic Integrity Poster