Academic Policies
Academic Code
A. Introduction
These procedures supplement the Student Disciplinary Procedures
of New York University, as approved by the vote of the Wagner school
faculty on May 14, 2003.
As permitted under New York University by-laws and disciplinary
procedures, the faculty of the Wagner Graduate School of Public
Service adopts the following procedures for informal resolution
of complaints and for cases of formal student discipline. The procedures
described below are not exclusive and are not intended to prevent
informal resolution.
B. Disciplinary Violations
Students of the Wagner School and New York University have joined
an academic community that presumes certain behaviors and norms.
As members of this community, students are expected to conduct their
academic work with the highest integrity and to avoid any behaviors
that jeopardize the well-being of others or disrupt educational
activities. Accusations of behaviors that constitute disciplinary
violations of either academic dishonesty or community offenses are
covered by these procedures.
1. Charges of Academic Dishonesty
Academic disciplinary violations include, but are not limited to:
cheating on exams or assignments, plagiarism, providing your work
for someone else to submit as his or her own, collaborating on work
intended to be done individually, or forgery of academic documents.
Plagiarism consists of presenting ideas or words without adequate
acknowledgement of their source and, as with other acts of academic
fraud, is a violation based on fact rather than intent. Any of the
following acts constitute plagiarism:
a. Using a phrase, sentence, or passage from
another person’s work without quotations marks AND attribution
of the source. (Both quotations and attribution are necessary).
b. Using text from a source that is rearranged,
paraphrased or discussed without attribution to the source;
c. Submitting work where a central idea for
a section/paragraph is taken from a source, written in the student’s
own words and not cited in the text;
d. Submitting work completed by another (including
work that was accessed via the internet) copied in its entirety
or modified without attribution to the source.
e. Submitting your own work towards requirements
in more than one class without the explicit prior permission of
the instructors.
In addition to the aforementioned examples of plagiarism, below we provide
several websites that discuss plagiarism further. For research resources and
to help you learn about appropriate citation of the many different sources
you will use in your work at Wagner, see Writing
under "Academic Services." Resources for understanding and avoiding plagiarism:
2. Offenses Against the Community
Offenses against the community are behaviors that jeopardize the
physical or emotional health or safety of its members or disrupt
educational or Wagner community activities (classroom activities
or other official school sponsored events such as town hall meetings).
These include, without limitation, damaging premises, interference
with access to academic facilities or offices, and physical or other
interference with or harassment of others.
C. Disciplinary Procedures
Complaints can be filed by faculty members, students and administrators
and will be fielded by the Chair of the Disciplinary Committee.
Upon receiving a complaint, and depending on the nature of the offense
and whether informal resolution has already been attempted, the
Chair may attempt to resolve matters informally, with the consent
of all parties. If informal resolution by consent is not possible
for any reason, the Chair will conduct a preliminary investigation
to determine whether or not it is necessary to proceed with formal
hearings.
If the Chair determines that the complaint warrants proceeding
with a formal hearing, the Chair will notify the student (hereinafter
the ‘student’) against whom the complaint was filed
in writing of the charges within 48 hours. The written complaint
will state the policies that have been alleged to be violated by
the Student. The Chair will then create a Hearing Panel from the
available Committee members.
1. Discipline Committee
The standing Disciplinary Committee will be composed of a total
of five members, with three faculty members (or two faculty and
one administrator)– including the Chair – and two student
members. The two students will be selected by the Dean’s office
from a pool of students either self-nominated or nominated by the
Wagner Student Association. The students will join the Committee
as first-year, second-term students. All committee members will
serve for a minimum of three semesters, with overlapping, staggered
terms.
2. The Hearing Panel
The Hearing Panel will consist of three people, including the Chair
(two faculty members and one student or one faculty member, one
administrator and one student). Any committee members with conflicts
of interest should excuse themselves from serving. In advance of
the hearing, the Chair will present the case materials to the Hearing
Panel. The Chair will also ask that the complainant and the Student
submit the names of all witnesses that they would like present at
the hearing. The Hearing Panel has the discretion to limit the number
of witnesses appearing at the hearing as it deems appropriate, and
the Chair may request certain witnesses to attend the hearing and
to testify.
3. Hearings
The Hearing Panel shall control the conduct of the hearing proceedings.
The Chair shall instruct everyone participating in the disciplinary
proceeding of the confidentiality of such proceedings.
The hearing shall not be governed by formal rules of evidence.
Following the hearing, the Hearing Panel shall meet in closed session.
The Hearing Panel shall first vote on whether the Student has committed
the alleged disciplinary infraction, and then, if necessary, the
Hearing Panel will decide the disciplinary sanction to be imposed.
A majority vote of the Hearing Panel is necessary for a valid decision.
The Student has the right to have the Hearing Panel request the
presence of a reasonable number of witnesses on his or her behalf,
though the Hearing Panel cannot compel the attendance of such witnesses.
A tape-recorded record of the hearing shall be made. In addition,
the Chair shall prepare minutes of the hearing, which include:
a. A short statement of the charge against the
Student;
b. A summary of the findings of fact and conclusions
made by the Hearing Panel;
c. A statement of the decision of the Hearing
Panel; and
d. The penalty imposed by the Hearing Panel.
The Chair shall inform the Dean of the Hearing Panel’s findings.
The Dean shall promptly provide the Student with a copy of the Hearing
Panel’s decision, and all appropriate notations in the Student’s
record shall be made.
4. Rights of the Student
The Student has the right to be informed in writing of the charge(s)
against him or her and the name(s) of the person(s) who filed the
complaint.
The Student has the right to consult with an adviser or counsel
of his or her own choosing (who may be an eligible and consenting
faculty member) to assist him or her in the preparation of the defense.
No member of the Committee or Dean shall be eligible to serve as
an adviser under this section. The adviser or counsel may assist
the Student in the preparation of the Student’s case for the
initial hearing and any appeal. The adviser or counsel may also
appear at any prehearing and hearing and shall have the right to
examine by putting questions directly to the witness, or by asking
questions through members of the hearing body. The method shall
be determined by the hearing body and may be altered by it at any
time.
5. Disciplinary Sanctions
The Committee’s decision, based on current findings and any
record of prior infractions, may include any one or more of the
following disciplinary sanctions:
a. Warning – Notice to the Student, orally
or in writing, that continuation or repetition of the conduct
found wrongful, or participation in similar conduct, within a
period of time stated in the warning, shall be a cause for disciplinary
action.
b. Censure – Written reprimand for violation
of specified regulation, including the possibility of more severe
disciplinary sanction in the event of conviction of another violation
of a University regulation within a period of time stated in the
reprimand.
c. Disciplinary Probation – Exclusion
from participation in privileges or extracurricular University
activities as set forth in the notice of disciplinary probation.
Notification that a more severe disciplinary sanction may be imposed
if the Student commits a second disciplinary offense while on
disciplinary probation.
d. Restitution – Reimbursement for damage
to or misappropriation of property. Reimbursement may take the
form of appropriate service to repair or otherwise compensate
for damages.
e. Monetary Fines – For any offenses as
determined by the Committee.
f. Suspension – Exclusion from classes
and other privileges or extracurricular activities as set forth
in the notice of suspension.
g. Dismissal – Termination of student
status for an indefinite period. The conditions for readmission,
if any permitted, shall be stated by the panel in the order of
dismissal.
h. Expulsion – Permanent termination of
a student’s status.
i. Community Service – Specific service
as deemed appropriate given the violation.
6. Appeals
Appeals of the Hearing Panel’s decision shall be brought
to the Dean. The Student may appeal from any adverse determination
but only on the grounds that (i) the procedure followed at the hearing
deprived the respondent of a fair opportunity to respond adequately
to the complaint or (ii) the evidence in the record taken as a whole
does not substantially support the Hearing Panel’s action.
The appeal must be in writing, must state the basis for the appeal,
and must be received by the Dean within 20 working days of the date
on which the final report of the Hearing Panel was given to the
Student. The appeal shall be limited to a review of the record of
the hearing, including the Hearing Panel’s decision, and of
any materials presented as evidence at the hearing. The Dean’s
decision shall be made within 20 working days of the date on which
the Student’s appeal was received. The Dean shall have the
power to stay the sanction imposed by the Hearing Panel pending
the appeal. The Dean shall prepare a written decision on the appeal
and may affirm the Hearing Panel’s action, modify it in any
respect (including the imposition of a more severe sanction), reverse
it, or remand the case for further proceedings by the Discipline
Committee. Any decision by the Dean, other than a remand, shall
be final and binding.
7. Recording/Record Keeping
The records of all disciplinary cases, preliminary assessments
and hearings shall be kept and maintained by the Chair in a confidential
manner. The Committee will keep and maintain such records until
all appeals have been completed or the time for an appeal has expired.
Student files, at a minimum, shall reflect the Hearing Panel’s
affirmative findings of a disciplinary infraction while the Student
is enrolled at Wagner.
The Committee shall be responsible for preparing an annual reporting
summary to ensure that the Wagner community is made generally aware
of disciplinary outcomes.
