Touro University Academic Integrity Policy
Touro University is a community of scholars and learners committed to maintaining the highest standards of personal integrity in all aspects of our professional and academic lives. Because intellectual integrity is a hallmark of ethical, scholarly, and scientific inquiry as well as a core value of the Jewish tradition, students and faculty are expected to share a mutual respect for teaching, learning and the development of knowledge. They are expected to adhere to the highest standards of honesty, fairness, and professional conduct in their academic work and respect for all community members.
Academic dishonesty undermines our shared intellectual culture and our ability to trust one another. Faculty and administration bear a major responsibility for promoting a climate of integrity, both in the clarity with which they state their expectations and in the vigilance with which they monitor students. Students must avoid all acts of dishonesty, including, but not limited to, cheating on examinations, fabricating, tampering, lying, plagiarizing, and utilizing AI tools without acknowledgment of such, as well as facilitating or tolerating the dishonesty of others. Academic dishonesty lowers scholastic quality and defrauds those who will eventually depend on the knowledge and integrity of our graduates. Furthermore, it misrepresents student efforts and mastery of course material both absolutely, and relative to others in their courses.
Touro University views violations of academic integrity with the utmost gravity. Such violations will lead to appropriate sanctions, up to and including expulsion from the university community. We commit ourselves to the shared vision of academic excellence that can only flourish in a climate of integrity.
The Touro University policy on academic integrity, which is outlined in this document, is designed to guide students as they prepare assignments, take exams, and perform work necessary to complete their degree requirements, and to provide a framework for faculty in fostering an intellectual environment based on the principles of academic integrity.
The International Center for Academic Integrity (ICAI), of which Touro University is a member, lists six fundamental values: honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility, and courage, to allow institutional scholarship to flourish with integrity. To sustain these values, Touro University’s Academic Integrity Policy, requires that a student or researcher:
Properly acknowledge and cite all use of the ideas, results, or words of others, including the use of AI tools and other emerging technologies;
Properly acknowledge all contributors to a given piece of work;
Make sure that all work submitted as their own in a course or other academic activity is produced without the aid of unsanctioned materials or unsanctioned collaboration;
Treat all other students in an ethical manner, respecting their integrity and right to pursue their educational goals without interference. This requires that a student neither facilitate academic dishonesty by others nor obstruct their academic progress.
Adherence to these principles is necessary in order to ensure that:
Everyone is given proper credit for their own ideas, words, results, and other scholarly accomplishments;
All student work is fairly evaluated and no student has an inappropriate advantage over others;
The academic and ethical development of all students are fostered;
The reputation of the University for integrity in its teaching, research, and scholarship is maintained and enhanced.
Failure to uphold the principles of academic integrity threatens not only the reputation of Touro, but also the value of each and every degree awarded by the institution. All members of the Touro community bear a shared responsibility for ensuring that the highest standards of academic integrity are upheld.
Touro University works with faculty and students to promote an institutional culture of academic integrity, provides effective training that creates a commitment to academic integrity, and establishes clear procedures to deal with allegations of violations of academic integrity and monitoring the adherence thereto.
Violations of Academic Integrity
The following are considered to be violations of academic integrity and are prohibited by the Touro University System. Students, faculty, and other members of the Touro community who commit one of the offenses listed below, or similar such offenses, or those who assist in the commission of such offenses, may be subject to sanctions (i.e. classed as A, B, or C, as described below in the section “Procedures in Response to Violations of Academic Integrity”).
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is defined as the unauthorized use of the writings, ideas and/or computer-generated material of others without appropriate acknowledgement, and the representation of them as one’s own original work. It also includes the unauthorized use of computer-generated material via artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies without appropriate acknowledgement and the representation of them as one’s own original work. Plagiarism encompasses acts of inadvertent failure to acknowledge sources, as well as improper attribution due to poor citation.
When using ideas/words from other sources, the student must clearly define the sources using standard methods of citation. Plagiarism can occur even when one does not use the exact words of another author. Paraphrasing written material by changing or rearranging words without the proper attribution is still considered plagiarism (even if it eludes identification by plagiarism detection software). It is therefore critically important that students understand how to cite. If students have any questions about the proper use and citation of material from other sources, they should seek help from their professors.
Intentional Plagiarism
Plagiarism takes many forms. Flagrant forms, or intentional plagiarism, include, but are not limited to:
Purchasing a paper;
Commissioning another to draft a paper on one’s behalf;
Intentionally copying a paper regardless of the source and whether or not that paper has been published;
Copying or cutting and pasting portions of others’ work (whether a unique phrase, sentence, paragraph, chart, picture, figure, method or approach, experimental results, statistics, etc.) without attribution;
Using computer-generated material via artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies without attribution;
In the case of clinical documentation, copying clinical notes/materials without personally performing the patient examination.
Plagiarized sources may include, but are not limited to, print material, digital and media resources including social media and blogs, as well as assignments completed by other students at Touro University System and elsewhere. A more subtle, but equally flagrant, form is paraphrasing or attempting to put in one’s own words the theories, opinions or ideas of another without proper citation.
Additionally, students may not reuse their own previous work without appropriate citation. This is a form of plagiarism called self-plagiarism and may mislead the reader or grader into the erroneous belief that the current submission is new work to satisfy an assignment.
If students are unsure as to whether a fact or idea is common knowledge, they should consult their instructor or librarian, or else provide appropriate citations.
Unintentional Plagiarism
Plagiarism is not only the failure to cite, but the failure to cite sources properly. If a source is cited but in an inadequate way, the student may still be guilty of unintentional plagiarism. It is therefore crucial that students understand the correct way to cite. The rules are relatively simple:
For exact words, use quotation marks or a block indentation, with the citation.
For a summary or paraphrase, indicate exactly where the source begins and exactly where it ends.
In its policies and disciplinary procedures, the Touro University System will seek to recognize and differentiate between intentional plagiarism, as defined above, and failure to cite sources properly (unintentional plagiarism). While both forms are violations of the Academic Integrity Policy, a student’s first instance of unintentional plagiarism may only be penalized with a Class C sanction (see sanctions below).
Cheating on Examinations and Other Class/Fieldwork Assignments
Cheating is defined as improperly obtaining and/or using unauthorized information or materials to gain an advantage on work submitted for evaluation. Providing or receiving assistance unauthorized by the instructor is also considered cheating.
Examples of cheating include, but are not limited to:
Giving or receiving unauthorized assistance to or from another person on quizzes, examinations, or assignments;
Using another learner’s audience response device/i-clicker;
Using materials, devices, or tools not specifically authorized during any form of a test or examination;
Exceeding the restrictions put in place for “take home” examinations, such as unauthorized use of library sources or internet sources, unauthorized use of computer-generated material via artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies, or unauthorized collaboration on answers;
Sitting in for someone else or permitting someone to sit in for a student on any form of test or examination;
Working on any form of test or examination beyond the allotted time, which includes any extra time resulting from a documented accommodation (unless the instructor provides explicit permission);
Hiding, stealing or destroying materials needed by other students;
Altering and resubmitting for re-grading any assignment, test or examination without the express written consent of the instructor;
Copying from another individual’s examination or providing information to another student during an examination;
Soliciting, obtaining, possessing or providing to another person an examination prior to the administration of the examination.
Bringing into the examination room notes in any format and paper, electronics or writings, drawings, etc. that could be used to aid in taking a closed notes/book exam.
Examples of unauthorized assistance include:
Giving or receiving assistance or information in any manner, including person-to-person, notes, text messages, or e-mails, during an examination or in the preparation of other assignments without the authorization of the instructor;
Receiving assistance via artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies without the authorization of the instructor;
Using crib sheets or unauthorized notes (unless the instructor provides explicit permission);
Copying from another individual’s exam.
Failure to comply with any and all Touro University System test procedures will be considered a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy.
Research Misconduct
The integrity of the scientific enterprise requires adherence to the highest ethical standards in the conduct of research and research training. Therefore, students and other trainees conducting research are bound by the same ethical guidelines that apply to faculty investigators, based on the Public Health Service regulations dated May 17, 2005. Research misconduct is defined in the USPHS Policy as “fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism in proposing, performing, or reviewing research, or in reporting research results.”
These terms are defined as follows:
(a) fabrication - making up data or results and recording or reporting them;
(b) falsification - manipulating research materials, equipment or processes, or changing or omitting data or results such that the research is not accurately represented in the research record;
(c) plagiarism - the appropriation of another person’s ideas, processes, results, or words without giving appropriate credit.
Research misconduct does not include honest error or honest differences of opinion.
Touro’s Research Misconduct Policy can be found: https://www.nymc.edu/media/schools-and-colleges/nymc/pdf/policies/PoliciesandProceduresforRespondingtoAllegationsofResearch
Misconduct.final6.15.23.pdf
Other Unethical Conduct
Misleading or Fraudulent Behavior
Misleading or fraudulent behavior, put simply, is lying, and includes acts contributing to or associated with lying. It takes on any form of fabrication, falsification or misrepresentation.
Examples include, but are not limited to:
Reporting false information to gain an advantage;
Omitting information or data resulting in misrepresenting or distorting findings or conclusions;
Providing false information to explain lateness or to be excused from an assignment, class or clerkship function;
Signing in another person's name on any attendance sheet/roster representing them as present when they are not;
Falsely accusing another of misbehavior, or otherwise misrepresenting information about another;
Providing false information about oneself, such as on an application or as part of some competition;
Taking credit for accomplishments achieved by another person or computer-generated material via artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies;
Omitting relevant information about oneself.
Tampering
Tampering is the unauthorized removal or alteration of college/university documents (e.g., library resources, official institutional forms, correspondence), software, equipment, or other academic-related materials, including other students’ work. It should be noted that tampering as a form of cheating may also be classified as criminal activity and may be subject to criminal prosecution.
Examples include, but are not limited to:
Intentionally sabotaging another student’s work;
Altering a student’s academic transcript, letter of recommendation, or some other official college document;
Electronically changing another student’s or colleague’s files, data, assignments, or reports.
Copyright Violations
Academic integrity prohibits the making of unauthorized copies of copyrighted material, including software and any other non-print media. Individuals, under the legal doctrine of “fair use,” may make a copy of an article or copy small sections of a book for personal use, or may use an image to help teach a concept. Examples of copyright violations include:
Making or distributing copies of a copyrighted article for a group (on paper or electronically);
Disseminating an image or video of an artist’s work without permission, including those found on the internet;
Copying large sections of a book.
The “fair use doctrine” regarding use of copyrighted materials can be found at the following link: https://www.copyright.gov/fair-use. Also see the library’s guide on frequently asked copyright questions: https://libguides.tourolib.org/copyright/faqs.
Please contact your campus librarian to get copyright clearance for required reading materials.
Sanctions
The following sanctions may be imposed for violation of this Policy. Informal resolution of violations can be accompanied by Class C sanctions only. Formal resolution can be accompanied by any combination of sanctions from Class A, B, and C. Except in the case of a student’s expulsion or dismissal, any student found to have violated this Policy is required to take additional ethics tutorials intended to assist student to avoid future misconduct. (Academic Integrity Plagiarism Tutorial, https://libguides.tourolib.org/AI, for an overview on how to avoid plagiarism. Scroll down the page for the link to the Touro University Academic Integrity Test, https://libguides.tourolib.org/research-101 that will go to the instructor’s email.)
Class A Sanctions:
Expulsion/dismissal
Revocation of awarded degree in the event that the violation is identified after graduation
Class B Sanctions:
Suspension (up to twenty-four months)
Indication of the violation in a letter of reprimand, in reference letters, licensure and regulatory forms, etc.
Notification of the violation to the other schools within the Touro University System
Indication of ‘disciplinary action for academic integrity violation’ on the permanent transcript
Class C Sanctions:
Placement on Academic Probation
Failure in the course, with consequences as determined by the individual program’s rules and regulations
Reduction of the grade for a particular submitted piece of work, segment of work required for a course/clerkship, or the entire course/clerkship with or without the option of redoing the work or the course/clerkship
Requiring the student to redo the assignment or to do an alternative assignment, which may include a grade reduction
Procedures in Response to Violations of Academic Integrity
This Touro University System Academic Integrity Policy applies to all Touro students. Any act in violation of this Policy or any allegation of misconduct related to this Policy involving a student must be reported and addressed in accordance with the adjudication procedures outlined below or those of the student’s school, which may not be less stringent than the requirements and standards set forth in this Policy.
The Dean of each school or the Provost shall designate a member of the school’s administration as Chief Academic Integrity Officer (herein referred to as the “CAI Officer”) to oversee the adjudication of violations and to maintain appropriate documentation. The CAI Officer of each school will maintain written records of all violations and resolutions, both informal and formal. The CAI Officer must be an assistant dean or higher, or another appropriate responsible individual approved by the Provost or Vice President of the Undergraduate Division for schools in that Division.
Each school shall designate a Committee that will adjudicate violations of academic integrity via a formal Hearing process.
The Provost or Vice President shall designate a Dean responsible for hearing formal resolution appeals (herein referred to as the “Appeals Dean”). The CAI Officer and the Appeals Dean cannot be the same individual.
Reporting a Case of Suspected Plagiarism or Cheating
Due to the organizational and administrative differences among schools and programs, each school can determine its own reporting sequence from faculty member to CAI Officer.
Depending on the school or program, faculty or students may report an alleged incident to:
Department Chair, Department Deputy Chair, Program Chair, Sequence Chair, Program Director, Department Director, Academic Dean, Preclinical Dean, Dean, or CAI Officer directly.
Each school and program should make its reporting sequence known to its constituencies.
For the sake of clarity, the faculty member’s supervisor will be referred to as “Chair” in the paragraphs that follow.
Faculty members, students, or other members of the Touro community who encounter suspected academic integrity violations should contact the relevant “Chair”. The “Chair” will consult with the faculty member, and if a violation is identified, the faculty member will inform the student. The “Chair" will also report all suspected violations in writing (using the Academic Integrity Violation Reporting Form) to the CAI Officer, who will advise the “Chair” on whether to pursue an informal or a formal resolution. For first-time suspected violations, CAI Officers and faculty are strongly encouraged to seek an informal resolution with the student. No permanent grade may be entered onto the student’s record for the course in question before the issue is resolved.
If an instructor strongly suspects cheating during an exam, the instructor should stop the student’s exam and collect all evidence of cheating. The incident should be immediately reported to the “Chair”, who will investigate and report in writing to the CAI officer.
Resolution of Academic Integrity Violations
Incidents of academic integrity violations are reported to the department Chair, and a report by the Chair is submitted to the CAI Officer. The method of resolution of the violation may be either informal or formal. Students who are found to have violated the Touro University System’s Standards of Academic Integrity are subject to the sanctions listed above.
Should a student action be of such a serious nature that it is felt that he/she may be considered a danger in a clinical setting, the CAI Officer or the Chair may remove such a student from a clinical assignment, not to exceed fourteen (14) days pending the outcome of a formal resolution. A student shall not be removed from a didactic course while an allegation of an academic integrity violation is ongoing. It is the responsibility of the student to work with their program to make up any time missed from clinical assignments.
Informal Resolution
After consulting with the Chair and the CAI Officer (as per “Reporting a Case of Suspected Plagiarism or Cheating”), the faculty member may attempt to resolve the issue informally with the student. Once an informal resolution is agreed to between the faculty member and the student, the faculty member must present such resolution to the department Chair for approval. The faculty member, in consultation with the Chair, may impose any range of Class C sanctions, but must include requiring the student to take additional ethics tutorials intended to assist that student to avoid future misconduct. Once accepted by the student, the informal resolution is binding on both the student and faculty member, and cannot be appealed by the student.
If the student is found to have committed an academic integrity violation, the outcome of the informal resolution should be reported in writing by the Chair to the CAI Officer, who will maintain the record for the duration of the student’s academic career. NOTE: Some Touro schools may be required to report the violation to outside licensing agencies.
The informal resolution process is not available to individuals who have previously committed an academic integrity violation.
Formal Resolution
In the event that (1) the accused student denies the charge, (2) the student and faculty member do not agree to informal resolution, (3) the student has been previously found guilty of a similar infraction, or (4) for any other reason for which informal resolution is not appropriate as determined by the CAI Officer, then the matter shall be submitted for formal resolution.
To institute formal resolution, the following procedures shall be followed:
The Chief Academic Integrity Officer receives a written statement from the instructor, proctor, student, or any other complainant, as the case may be.
The written statement must include the name of the involved student(s), the name and position of the reporting person, and the nature of the alleged act.
The CAI Officer shall arrange a hearing which, generally speaking, should take place no earlier than five (5) calendar days and no later than twenty (20) calendar days after notification that informal resolution was unsuccessful or not pursued.
The hearing shall take place before the designated Committee on Academic Integrity of the School. If the hearing involves a student in a dual-degree or joint-degree program, then the Hearing Committee should have representatives from both programs.
The Committee shall receive the written statement, and any documents submitted by the student or reporting person.
All persons involved in a hearing shall be given notice of all hearing dates, times and places. Such notice, which will be sent by e-mail will be given at least two (2) business days prior to any hearing, unless waived by the parties involved.
Postponements of Committee hearings may be made at the discretion of the Committee Chair. Either party may be granted a postponement only if pertinent information or interested parties cannot, for good cause, be present at the appointed time. Any postponement may not extend beyond a one-month period and any delay may affect the student’s ability to progress in the program.
The accused student and the accuser will be afforded the following opportunities:
To review, but not copy, all pertinent information to be presented to the Committee. The length of time for review shall be reasonable, as determined by the Committee Chair.
To present fully all aspects of the issue before the Committee.
Committee Hearings will proceed under the following guidelines:
All Committee hearings and meetings are closed to the public.
The Committee may hear the student, the faculty member or proctor, and any other individual who may be knowledgeable or may have information to share with the Committee regarding the suspected offense. Each person will meet with the Committee on an individual basis.
The Committee may consider relevant written reports, discussions with involved parties, examinations, videos, papers, screen shots, social media posts, or other related documents.
The Committee must be comprised of a minimum of three people, who must be present either in person or via video-conference, and may not be the faculty member of the course in question.
All decisions shall be made by majority vote.
The student has the right to appear before the Committee, in person or via video conference, in order to present his/her case, but, after proper notice of a hearing, the Committee may proceed, notwithstanding the student’s absence.
The hearing is academic in nature and non-adversarial. Student representation by an attorney or other representative at the hearing is not permitted. However, the student may bring a support person to accompany them and be present in an anteroom, put not participate, in the hearing.
Audio recordings of the hearing are not permitted and transcripts are not required.
All information supporting the charges made against a student shall be presented first. Following this presentation, the student who has been accused of a violation will present his/her side of the matter by submitting to the Committee information that he/she chooses to submit to support their stance or position. The CAI Officer, his or her designee, Office of Institutional Compliance or other members of the faculty and Administration may also meaningfully participate in this information exchange. Pursuant to the Touro University Code of Conduct, the student is expected to conduct themselves harmoniously so as not to obstruct the investigation or proceedings.
The student, his/her accuser, the Committee, and/or Touro University System’s representatives may raise questions about the information under review so that all aspects of the case are clarified.
The Committee shall reach a decision using the following guidelines:
The Committee will meet in closed session to reach a decision, including recommended sanctions, if applicable. Such meeting shall generally be held immediately after the hearing or within one Touro business day (a Jewish Day of Observance as delineated on the Touro calendar does not count as a business day).
If the Committee seeks additional information following commencement of its deliberations, it will notify the parties within two (2) Touro business days, and reconvene the hearing within five (5) Touro business days of the conclusion of the original hearing. The Committee's final decision must then be made.
The Committee may impose a range of Class A, B, or C sanctions.
The Committee’s decision must be based solely on the evidence presented at the hearing and will be the final disposition of the issues involved, including sanctions. The decision of the Committee will be presented in writing to the CAI Officer, the student, and the Chair. The Committee’s letter will contain the following elements: Charge; Hearing Date; Findings; List of Sanctions; and the Right to Appeal and to whom. In the event the case involved a student in a dual-degree or joint-degree program, the CAI Officer of each relevant school should be informed of the decision.
Appeal Process
Following a Formal Resolution Hearing and notification of the Committee decision, either party may appeal the decision. An appeal may only be granted on the basis of: 1) evidence of bias of one or more of the members of the Committee; 2) new material documenting information that was not available at the time of the decision; 3) procedural error.
The appellant has three (3) business days within which to submit a formal written appeal of the decision to the Appeals Dean for the School. The appeal should be accompanied by the Hearing Committee’s letter and by a narrative explaining the basis for the appeal. The narrative should fully explain the appellant’s position and substantiate the reason(s) for their appeal.
The Appeals Dean may request to meet with the appellant.
After consideration of the Appeal, the Appeals Dean may accept, reject or modify the Committee’s decision, and will notify the student in writing of the decision.
The Appeals Dean, when notifying the student of the decision, shall inform the student of his/her right to appeal an adverse decision to the Chief Academic Officer.
A copy of the Appeals Dean’s final decision will be transmitted to the CAI Officer and the Chair.
A student has three (3) business days from receipt of written notification to submit a formal written appeal of the decision, that is discretionary in nature, to the Chief Academic Officer (CAO) (i.e., Provost) or his/her designee. In the event the CAO decides to consider the matter, the CAO may only sustain the appeal on the basis of one of the following:
Evidence of bias of one or more of the members of the Committee or of the Appeals Dean.
New material documenting information that was not available to the Committee or the Appeals Dean at the time of the initial decision.
Procedural error.
The CAO may, at his/her discretion, conduct interviews and review materials. The CAO will notify the student, the CAI Officer, and the Appeals Dean in writing of the appeal decision. The decision of the CAO shall be final.
The complete Touro University Academic Integrity Policy can be found at www.touro.edu/students/policies/academic-integrity/
Policy for Appropriate Use of Artificial Intelligence in Coursework
Students must also abide by the Policy for Appropriate Use of Artificial Intelligence in Coursework.