Cronkite’s commitment to academic integrity

Academic dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. The crux of our democracy is the ability of citizens to obtain honest, truthful and balanced information, and the credibility and integrity of the individual journalist and communications professional are crucial in that effort.

In light of the Cronkite School’s mission to prepare students to become journalists and communication professionals, it is critical that credibility and integrity are fostered within the educational environment of the school.

The school has zero tolerance for academic dishonesty; academic integrity is enforced within every course and educational activity offered or sanctioned by the school. Any allegation of academic dishonesty will be referred to an appointed Academic Integrity Officer for investigation, with cases elevated to the school’s Standards Committee for review and recommendation to the dean of the school. If any student is found to have engaged in academic dishonesty in any form – including but not limited to cheating, plagiarizing and fabricating (see examples here) – that student shall receive a grade of XE for the class and may face suspension or expulsion from ASU.

At the beginning of every Cronkite class, every student must digitally sign their agreement to uphold Cronkite’s Commitment to Academic Integrity, as well as the ASU Academic Integrity Policy and the Student Honor Code. This agreement indicates that each student has read and understood the terms of academic integrity violations and all potential sanctions. Full information on Academic Integrity policies and procedures can be found on the ASU Provost’s site.

Per ASU’s policy, anyone with a good faith basis for believing that a student has engaged in academic dishonesty may report the alleged violation. In any case, the alleged violation should be brought to the attention of the faculty member or instructor who oversees the academic evaluation in question. Use this link to report an alleged violation to an Academic Integrity Officer.

If the Cronkite School dean determines that a graduate student has violated the ASU Academic Integrity Policy and should be suspended or dismissed from the program, they will notify ASU’s Graduate College and make a formal recommendation for dismissal or suspension. The Graduate College dean will make the final determination of sanctions.