Academic Conduct Policy
The program seeks to create an environment of academic excellence conducive to student learning. This requires students to take personal responsibility for their learning and mastery of the knowledge and skills necessary to provide safe and effective patient care and for excellence in professional practice. This also requires students to complete all work with academic integrity, recognize the limits of their current knowledge, and pursue life-long learning. Academic misconduct undermines the purpose of education and violates the trust among program faculty and students necessary for intellectual growth and development. Examples of academic misconduct include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Abetting: encouraging or assisting another student to do something wrong
- Cheating: acting dishonestly to gain an advantage, such as using unauthorized study materials
- Plagiarism: claiming someone else’s ideas, words, data, etc. as your own
- Fabrication: presenting falsified work as genuine
- Misrepresentation: any act or omission with the intent to deceive
Dishonesty of any kind on examinations, unauthorized possession of examination questions, duplication of examination questions, the use of unauthorized notes during an examination, obtaining information during an examination from another student, assisting others to cheat, altering grade records, or illegally entering an office are instances of cheating and are violations of appropriate academic and professional conduct.
The Academic Conduct Policy is part of the Student Code of Conduct (found in the LMU-SMS-Chattanooga PA Student Handbook). LMU-SMS Chattanooga PA Students must maintain high standards of private and public conduct on campus, off campus, and at LMU-sponsored events. Violation of these and other generally accepted rules of behavior, whether covered by specific policies or not, may subject a student to disciplinary action. Claims of ignorance of acceptable behavior or enumerated policies and standards are not accepted as an excuse for violation. Students suspected of violating the Student Code of Conduct may be referred to the Student Progress Committee (SPC) for recommendations regarding progression and/or disciplinary action, including dismissal from the program.
The LMU-SMS Chattanooga PA Program’s Student Code of Conduct includes policies for the following
areas:
• Professional Conduct
• Academic Conduct
• Testing
• Attendance
• Confidentiality
• FERPA
• Social Media
• Audio and Video Recording
• Learning Environment
• Dress Code (Professional Appearance)
• Identification as a Physician Assistant Student (PA-S)
• Arrest/Criminal Background Check
• Drug/Alcohol Screening and Driving while Under the Influence (DUI)