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University Policy Statements

Rights and Responsibilities for Academic Integrity

The academic enterprise is characterized by reasoned discussion between student and teacher, a mutual respect for the learning and teaching process and intellectual honesty in the pursuit of new knowledge. By tradition, students and teachers have certain rights and responsibilities that they bring to the academic community. While the following statements do not imply a contract between the teacher or the institution and the student, they are nevertheless conventions that should be central to the learning and teaching process.

I. Faculty Rights and Responsibilities

  1. Faculty members shall share with students and administrators the responsibility for academic integrity.
  2. Faculty members shall enjoy freedom in the classroom to discuss subject matter reasonably related to the course. In turn, they have the responsibility to encourage free and honest inquiry and expression on the part of students.
  3. Faculty members, consistent with the principles of academic freedom, have the responsibility to present courses that are consistent with their descriptions in the catalog of the institution. In addition, faculty members have the obligation to make students aware of the expectations in the course, the evaluation procedures and the grading policy.
  4. Faculty members are obligated to evaluate students fairly, equitably and in a manner appropriate to the course and its objectives. Grades must be assigned without prejudice or bias.
  5. Faculty members shall make all reasonable efforts to prevent the occurrence of academic dishonesty through appropriate design and administration of assignments and examinations, careful safeguarding of course materials and examinations, and regular reassessment of evaluation procedures.
  6. When instances of academic dishonesty are suspected, faculty members shall have the responsibility to see that appropriate action is taken in accordance with institutional regulations.

II. Student Rights and Responsibilities

  1. Students share with faculty members and administrators the responsibility for academic integrity.
  2. Students have the right of free and honest inquiry and expression in their courses. In addition, students have the right to know the requirements of their courses and to know the manner in which they will be evaluated and graded.
  3. Students have the obligation to complete the requirements of their courses in the time and manner prescribed and to submit to evaluation of their work.
  4. Students have the right to be evaluated fairly, equitably and in a timely manner appropriate to the course and its objectives.
  5. Students shall not submit as their own work any work that has been prepared by others. Outside assistance in the preparation of this work, such as librarian assistance, tutorial assistance, typing assistance or such special assistance as may be specified or approved by the appropriate faculty members is allowed.
  6. Students shall make all reasonable efforts to prevent the occurrence of academic dishonesty. They shall by their own example encourage academic integrity and shall themselves refrain from acts of cheating and plagiarism or other acts of academic dishonesty.
  7. When instances of academic dishonesty are suspected, students shall have the right and responsibility to bring this to the attention of the faculty or other appropriate authority.

III. Institutional Responsibility

  1. Constituent institutions of the University System of Maryland shall take appropriate measures to foster academic integrity in the classroom.
  2. Each institution shall take steps to define acts of academic dishonesty, to ensure procedures for due process for students accused or suspected of acts of academic dishonesty and to impose appropriate sanctions on students found to be guilty of acts of academic dishonesty.
  3. Students expelled or suspended for reasons of academic dishonesty by any institution in the University System of Maryland shall not be admissible to any other System institution if expelled or during any period of suspension.

(Approved Nov. 30, 1989, by the University System of Maryland Board of Regents.)

Disclaimer

No provision of this publication shall be construed as a contract between any applicant or student and the University of Maryland Baltimore. The University reserves the right to change any admission or advancement requirement at any time. The University further reserves the right to ask a student to withdraw at any time when it is considered to be in the best interest of the University.

Admission and curriculum requirements are subject to change without prior notice.

Eligibility to Register

A student may register at the University when the following conditions are met:

  1. The student is accepted to the University,
  2. The student has received approval from the unit academic administrator, and
  3. The student has demonstrated academic and financial eligibility.

Human Relations Code Summary

The University of Maryland Baltimore has a Human Relations Code for use by the entire campus community. The code represents the University's commitment to human relations issues. The specific purposes of the code include:

  1. Prevention or elimination of unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, ancestry or national origin, physical or mental handicap, or exercise of rights secured by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution; and
  2. 2. Establishing a timely, effective grievance procedure as an alternative to more lengthy formal processes for resolution of human relations issues.

A Human Relations Committee was created to oversee the code. It is comprised of campus faculty, administrators and students and is advisory to the president of the campus. The committee may institute educational programs and provide an open forum on human relations issues. In addition, the committee is charged with maintaining a mediation, investigation and hearing process for specific complaints of discrimination brought by students, faculty or staff. The code describes the particulars of the hearing process. It is the intent of the code to provide a grievance procedure for an individual on campus who wants a cross-section of the campus community to investigate and mediate a problem without having to resort to complaints to external agencies such as the Maryland Commission on Human Relations, complaints under personnel rules or lawsuits.

Copies of the Human Relations Code are available in the dean's office, student affairs and USGA offices in the Baltimore Student Union, and the Human Resources Management and Affirmative Action offices in the Adminstration Building.

Service to Those with Infectious Diseases

It is the policy of the University of Maryland to provide education and training to students for the purpose of providing care and service to all people. The institution will employ appropriate precautions to protect providers in a manner meeting the patients' or clients' requirements while also protecting the interest of students and faculty members participating in the provision of such care or service.

No student will be permitted to refuse to provide care or service to any assigned person in the absence of special circumstances placing the student at increased risk for an infectious disease. Any student who refuses to treat or serve an assigned person without prior consent of the school involved will be subject to penalties under appropriate academic procedures; such penalties to include suspension or dismissal.

Confidentiality and Disclosure of Student Records

It is the policy of the University of Maryland to adhere to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA or Buckley Amendment). As such, it is the policy of the University:

  1. To permit students to inspect their education records,
  2. To limit disclosure to others of personally identifiable information from education records without students' prior written consent,
  3. To provide students the opportunity to seek correction of their education records where appropriate, and
  4. To advise students they may file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education to allege a failure by the University to comply with FERPA.

Scheduling of Academic Assignments on Dates of Religious Observance

It is the policy of the University of Maryland to excuse the absence(s) of students that result from the observance of religious holidays. Students shall be given the opportunity, whenever feasible, to make up, within a reasonable time, any academic assignments that are missed due to individual participation in religious observances. Opportunities to make up missed academic assignments shall be timely and shall not interfere with the regular academic assignments of the student. Each school/academic unit shall adopt procedures to ensure implementation of this policy.

Review of Alleged Arbitrary and Capricious Grading

It is the policy of the University of Maryland that students be provided a mechanism to review course grades that are alleged to be arbitrary or capricious. Each school/academic unit shall develop guidelines and procedures to provide a means for a student to seek review of course grades. These guidelines and procedures shall be published regularly in the appropriate media so that all faculty members and students are informed about this policy.

Position on Acts of Violence and Extremism that are Racially, Ethnically, Religiously or Politically Motivated

The University System of Maryland Board of Regents strongly condemns criminal acts of destruction or violence against the person or property of others. Individuals committing such acts at any campus or facility of the University will be subject to swift campus judicial and personnel action, including possible expulsion or termination, as well as possible state criminal proceedings.

Student Right to Know and Campus Security Act Request

The Student Right to Know and Campus Security Act (Public Law 101-542), signed into federal law November 8, 1990, requires that the University of Maryland Baltimore make readily available to its students and prospective students the information listed below.

Should you wish to obtain any of this information, please mark the appropriate topic(s), fill in your name, mailing address and UMB school name, print this form and send it to:

University Office of Student AffairsAttn: Student Right to Know Request
University of Maryland Baltimore
Student Center at Pine Street
222 N. Pine Street
Baltimore, MD 21201

Please underline the topic(s) about which you'd like more information:

  • Financial Aid
  • Costs of Attending the University of Maryland Baltimore
  • Refund Policy
  • Facilities and Services for Handicapped
  • Procedures for Review of School and Campus Accreditation
  • Completion/Graduation Rates for Undergraduate Students
  • Loan Deferral under the Peace Corps and Domestic Violence Services Act
  • Campus Safety and Security
  • Campus Crime Statistics

For more information, see the Student Answer Book.