Changes to the Golden Rule by the Golden Rule Review Committee 2003-2004

WITH DR. HUDDLESTON’S CHANGES

 

 

Changed Golden Rule

Location in Golden Rule

Committee Vote

OSRR Approval

1.

1. b.  Plagiarism whereby another’s work is used or appropriated without any indication of the source, thereby attempting to convey the impression that such work is the student’s own. 

 

Section 11, A, 1.b

Yes: 5

No: 0

Abstain:  0

 

2.

2. a.  When an instructor becomes aware of an alleged violation of student academic behavior standards and before any academic action is taken, the instructor shall inform the student of the violation, citing the information on which the allegation is based.  The instructor shall give the student the opportunity to respond in defense.  If the instructor continues to believe a violation of academic behavior has occurred, the instructor in consultation with the unit head shall duly inform the student in writing of the academic action being taken and the reason for such action.  Reports of the initial violation and the final academic action report shall also be sent to the Director of the Office of Student Rights & Responsibilities (OSRR) or designee. 

2. b.  In response to a an alleged violation of the student academic behavior standards, the instructor, along with the unit head, shall take appropriate measures ranging from counseling to an academic action (loss of credit in a specific assignment, examination or project; failure of the course; or removal of the offender from the course with a grade of “F”) to a recommendation for disciplinary action forwarded to the Director of the OSRR or designee.  If a student is found to have multiple infractions, OSRR may recommend additional action.

 

Section 11, A, 2.a & 2.b.

Yes: 5

No: 0

Abstain: 0

 

3.

1. a. This rule shall apply to undergraduate and graduate student     
            appeals of the following:

   i. Grades (typically limited to final grades) resulting from an                                 
      instructor’s:

       a. Alleged deviation from established and announce grading policy;

       b. Alleged errors in application of grading procedures;
       c. Alleged lowering of grades for non-academic reasons including              
           discrimination. 

   ii.  Actions taken by an instructor pursuant to the provisions of the UCF   
        policy on “Student Academic Behavior”

 

   b. This rule shall also apply to undergraduate program requirements of departments, schools, or colleges.
   c. Appeals of graduate programs actions or decisions by a faculty members, program, or college, including termination from an academic program, are discussed in the following section 6.

   d. The professional judgment exercised by an instructor in assigning a specific grade or in conducing a class is excluded from the provisions of this rule except as noted above. 

 

Section 11, B, 1.a - d

Yes: 5

No: 0

Abstain: 0

 

4.

3. b.  The unit head or supervisor in consultation with the instructor or administrator should make every effort with the student to solve the problem.  This resolution shall take place within 10 school days of the complaint being brought to the unit head or supervisor.  At the time the unit head or supervisor notifies the student of this decision, the student should also be informed of the formal procedures for appeal, and that counsel for these procedures are available with the Student Government Association.  The decision of the unit head or supervisor must be in writing. 

 

3. c.  When the instructor or university official is not available to discuss the problem, if at all possible, the resolution should wait until such time as the person whose action is being appealed can return to the campus, but no longer than one semester.  If the unite head or college dean or designee determines that an emergency exists requiring that the problem must be solved prior to the availability of the instructor or official (e.g. in a case of probable delayed graduation), the unit head or dean or designee shall make every reasonable effort to inform the instructor or administrator of the situation.  The person whose action is being appealed may elect to submit a written statement and to designate a faculty replacement to aid in solving the problem.  If that person cannot be reached or does not elect to designate a replacement and the complaint must be dealt with promptly, then the unit head or dean or designee shall act on behalf of the instructor or administrator.

 

Section 11, B, 3.b. & 3.c.

Yes: 5

No: 0

Abstain: 0

 

5.

4. c.  The purpose of the student academic appeals committee is to determine whether a broader segment of the campus represented by the committee also judges the action as wrong. If so, they are to suggest a resolution for the action. Before filing the complaint, the student should consult with, Student Government Association’s Judicial Advisor or designee, who shall furnish advice to the student’s rights and responsibilities with respect to this policy. The written appeal shall include the basis of the original complaint, the dates when the instructor, unit head, administrator, or supervisor, met with the student to discuss the problem, and the suggested resolution at that time.

4. d.  The Student Academic Appeals Committee

i. Each college shall establish a Student Academic Appeals
     Committee whenever required.
ii. The committee shall be made up of at least three and no
     more than five tenured faculty members and an equal
     number of students.
iii. Student members shall be selected by the dean of the
     college or designee from a panel of 30 students
     appointed by the Vice President of Student Development
     and Enrollment Services from a list of students furnished
     for this purpose by the Student Body President.
iv. Any member shall be challenged for cause by either
     party. The validity of such challenges shall be decided
     by the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities. If
     a challenge is upheld, the college dean or designee shall
     appoint a replacement from the college’s tenured faculty
     or the student panel.

4. e. The college dean or designee shall call the Student Academic Appeals Committee together for an arranged appeals date.

4. f. In conducting a formal review, the Student Academic Appeals Committee shall adhere to the following guidelines:

i. The time limits specified in the following review procedure may be extended by mutual agreement of the parties.

ii. The student and the instructor or instructor’s replacement shall be permitted to have a non-lawyer representative appear with them before the committee if they so choose.

iii. The committee shall not be officially convened to review the appeal until the faculty member involved, or replacement, has received a copy of the appeal or complaint and has had at least 5 school days to submit, if desired, any information. The student will be provided with a copy of any material submitted by the instructor at least 5 school days before the committee meets to review the case.

iv. The committee should make every reasonable effort to meet for review of the case within 15 school days after receipt of the student’s written appeal and any information provided by the faculty member and/or chair.

v. The committee will function as an objective, fact finding body when examining all available and relevant information concerning the student’s appeal of academic action by the instructor. Such information shall include the student’s written appeal, written and/or oral information provided by the instructor, statements made by both parties before the committee, and any other information the committee may deem relevant.

vi. The student and faculty member shall be invited to meet with the committee. Each shall be allowed adequate time to respond to the appeal and material as submitted, to any questions from committee members, and to present additional information needed to clarify the issues involved.

vii. After meeting with both parties, the committee shall develop its recommendations by majority vote. The committee chair shall designate a member to record the committee's recommendations. These recommendations concerning the disposition of the case shall be submitted to the college dean.

4. g.  The college dean shall render a decision within 10 school days of the conclusion of the committee hearing. Copies of the committee’s recommendation and the dean’s decision shall be made available to both parties concerned, to the provost, and all other involved parties and departments.

 

Section 11, B, 4.c., 4.d. & 4.e.

Yes: 5

No: 0

Abstain: 0

 

6.

6. b. Academic Grievance Procedure. The Office of Graduate Studies follows the procedures for academic grievances as outlined below. Academic matters are those involving graduate instruction, graduate research, or decisions involving graduate instruction or affecting academic freedom of graduate students.
The Appeals Subcommittee of the Graduate Council is the committee that has jurisdiction for issues involving graduate students enrolled for graduate credit, with the exclusion of the following:

             i. Grade appeals for individual courses (not thesis or dissertation requirements)
            ii.  Non-academic issues of a disciplinary nature both of the above items (i and ii) are handled by the Golden Rule process for all students at UCF (see the appropriate sections above).

 

Section 11, B, 6.b.

Yes: 5

No: 0

Abstain: 0

 

 

 

 

 

Changed Golden Rule

Location in Golden Rule

Committee Vote

OSRR Approval

1.

10. Unlawful Possession, Use, or Sale of any Controlled Substance

Unlawful possession, sale or use of any controlled substance.

 

Section E, 10

Yes: 5

No: 0

Abstain:  0

 

2.

11. Use, possession, sale and/or distribution of alcoholic beverages except as expressly permitted by the law and university rules, and behavior under the influence of alcoholic beverages.

 

Section E, 11

Yes: 5

No: 0

Abstain: 0

 

3.

12. Possession and/or use of a Firearm and/or Dangerous Material


a. Possession or use of firearms or any weapon on University premises or at University sponsored/related activities.

NOTE:  Possession of a pocket knife for common use, not as a weapon, is permitted.

 

 

Section E, 12

Yes: 5

No: 0

Abstain: 0

 

4.

14.  Misuse of Computing and Telecommunications Resources


The preservation of an open computing and communications environment requires adherence by users to applicable law and University’s rules regarding the responsible use of computing systems, software and telecommunication networks. Suspected criminal violations of applicable laws shall be reported to the University Police Department, appropriate law enforcement agencies or any other applicable authorities or agencies.

 

a. The information that is transmitted across University computing resources is subject to protection by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.

i. Certain types of information, such as obscene material, are not entitled to First Amendment protection.

b. Users shall not use University computing resources to impersonate another individual.

 i. All e-mail messages must correctly identify the sender.

 ii. Users shall not modify the original attribution of e-mail messages.

 iii. Users shall not use the University’s computing resources or telecommunication networks to send e-mail “spam.”
 iv. For the purposes of this document e-mail shall include postings to newsgroups and listservs, point-to-point messages such as those generated by Internet pagers including ICQ, AOL Instant Messenger, Yahoo Pager, etc., or any electronic messages involving computers and/or computer networks.

c. University computing resources shall not be used to assist in the unauthorized duplication or distribution of copyrighted material such as audio, video, pictures, or text.

 i. Unauthorized distribution of audio files containing copyrighted content, such as mpeg audio (mp3) is prohibited.

 ii. Unauthorized distribution of video files containing copyrighted content, such as mpeg video and other formats, is prohibited.

d. User shall not host network servers on computer connected to University computing resources.  Those users who wish to setup a server must first register the computer as a server with the UCF Computer Store and the Network Operations Center (NOC).

 i. A server is defined as a computer that supports access to electronic services or information for network users.

 ii. The following servers are not allowed unless registered with the NOC.  The list includes, but is not limited to: HTTP or Web servers, FTP servers, Telnet servers, DCC or Chat servers, NNTP or News servers, SMB or Windows File Share servers (Network Neighborhood), Appleshare servers or NFS servers.

 iii. Those who wish to register a server must provide full administrative access to the NOC including root or Administrator passwords for the server.

 iv. Also prohibited is the use of recreational file-sharing software when used as a server.  This rule also applies to similar applications such as Macster, Kazaa, Gnapster, Audio Galaxy File Agent, and other peer-to-peer file-sharing software.

 

e. Users shall not attempt to undermine the security or integrity of the computing systems or telecommunication networks and shall not attempt to gain unauthorized access to these resources.

i. Users shall not intentionally damage, disable, or disrupt computing or telecommunications equipment or software.

ii. Any attacks on university computer resources or networks, such as Denial of Service attacks, flood attacks, etc., will be punishable by academic/disciplinary action and/or criminal charges against the offender.

f. Use of the University’s computing resources and telecommunication networks for the purpose of personal financial gain is prohibited.  The University’s computer resources and telecommunication networks shall not be used for commercial purposes.

g. University Computing Resources are not to be used in support of local, state, or federal campaigns or campaign fundraising.

 

Section E, 14

Yes: 4

No: 0

Abstain: 0

 

 

 

 

Changed Golden Rule

Location in Golden Rule

Committee Vote

OSRR Approval

1.

 5.  Sexual Abuse

a. Sexual assault:  is defined as any actual or attempted nonconsensual sexual penetration, coercion, or penetration against the victim’s will.  This includes oral, anal, and vaginal contact as well as the use of objects.  Sexual assault can occur regardless of the relationship between the students involved (i.e. friend, date, acquaintance, stranger and/or partner).

Any sexual conduct which occurs with at least one member of the university community on or off the UCF campus shall be consensual.  Consent, to be valid, must be:

(1)     Freely & actively given

(2)     In mutually understandable words or actions

(3)     Consent to one form of sexual activity can never imply consent to other forms of sexual activity

(4)     Consent is not the lack of resistance; there is no duty to fight off a sexual aggressor. 

(5)     Consent can be withdrawn at anytime, as long as the withdrawn is clearly communicated by the person withdrawing consent through words or actions.

A person shall not knowingly take advantage of another person who is under 18 years of age, mentally defective, incapacitated by prescribed medication, alcohol or other chemical drugs, or who is not conscious or awake, and thus is not able to give consent as defined above.  Further, a person shall not physically or verbally coerce another person to engage in any form of sexual conduct, to the end that consent as defined above is not given. Any attempted acts of sexual abuse are also violations of this policy.

b. Sexual Harassment: Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature which prevents or impairs another person’s full enjoyment of the educational benefits, atmosphere, or opportunities provided as part of the University.

c. Public Indecency:  exposure of one’s body in such a manner that another party reasonably could be offended or to display sexual behavior which another person reasonably finds offensive.

d. Voyeurism: sexual stimulation sought through trespass, spy, or eavesdropping activities

e. UCF will use discretion in accommodating the victim as well as protecting the rights of the accused violator(s). UCF will not attempt to shelter students from federal, state, and/or local laws pertaining to sexual abuse.  For further information see “Provisions for Victims/Survivors.”

Section E,5

Yes: 5

No: 0

Abstain:  0

 

2.

1.  Academic Dishonesty/Cheating

i.  … The presentation of material which has not been studied or learned, but rather was obtained solely through some else’s efforts and used as part of an examination, course assignment or project. 

ii. Plagiarism:  whereby another’s work is used or appropriated without any indication of the source, thereby attempting to convey the impression that such work is the student’s own.

iii. Any student who knowingly helps another violate academic behavior standards is also in violation of the standards.

Section E, 1

Yes: 5

No: 0

Abstain: 0

 

3.

2.  Possession and/or Providing False and Misleading Information and/or Falsification of University Records.

a. Withholding related information, or furnishing false or misleading information (oral or written) to University officials, faculty, or staff, including possession, use, or attempted use of a fraudulent identification card or driver’s license. 

Section E,2

Yes: 5

No: 0

Abstain: 0

 

4.

3.  Disruptive Conduct

c. Any act which deliberately impedes or interferes with the normal flow of pedestrian and vehicular traffic.

 

Section E,3

Yes: 5

No: 0

Abstain: 0

 

5.

4.  Personal Abuse

c. Harassment:  defined as behavior (including written or electronic communication such as AOL, IM, ICQ, etc.) directed at a member of the university community which is intended to and would cause severe emotional distress, intimidation, or coercion to a reasonable person in the victim’s position, or would place a reasonable person in the victim’s position in fear of bodily injury or death.

Section E,4

Yes: 4

No: 0

Abstain: 0

 

6.

7.  Hazing

d. Any activity, as described above, upon which the initiation or admission into or affiliation with a University of Central Florida organization may be directly or indirectly conditioned, shall be presumed to be a “forced” activity, the willingness of an individual to participate in such an activity notwithstanding. 

Section E,7

Yes: 4

No: 0

Abstain: 0 

 

7.

8.  Unauthorized use of Keys, and/or Entry

b. Unauthorized entry or attempted entry into any off campus or university premises. 

Section E,8

Yes: 4

No: 0

Abstain: 0 

 

8.

9.  Misconduct at University Sponsored/Related Activities
a. Violation of UCF rules of conduct at UCF sponsored/related activities shall also be a violation of the Golden Rule

b. Violations of a regulation(s) of a host institution sponsored/related activity shall be a violation of the Golden Rule

Section E,9

Yes: 3

No: 0

Abstain: 1