Academic Affairs Policies

• Policy on Academic Integrity (for undergraduate and some graduate students)
• Examples of Academic Misconduct

Resources

• Flowchart -- Resolving Incidents of Academic Misconduct
• Flowchart -- Reviews by Academic Standards Committee

The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) oversees the university's vivarium and animal care and use program and is responsible for reviewing all animal-related research protocols, ensuring compliance with federal regulations, inspecting animal housing and laboratories, and overseeing training and educational programs for all individuals involved with animal-related research and care.

If you have concerns regarding the animal care on campus, please review our procedures for animal welfare concerns. To submit a report, please use our reporting form.

WNE IACUC Representatives

• Sheralee Tershner, PhD, Chair of IACUC
• Stephanie Bacon, MS DVM, IACUC Consulting Veterinarian

The policy below defines Western New England University’s policy and procedures regarding financial conflicts of interest in relation to sponsored projects involving research, education, and University service:

Financial Conflict of Interest Policy

WNE’s Financial Conflict of Interest Policy describes its commitment to managing conflicts of interest in sponsored projects where the sponsor may be any external sponsor or the University itself. The purpose of the policy is to protect the credibility and integrity of the University’s faculty and staff so that public trust and confidence in the University’s sponsored projects are ensured. Learn more here:

Training for Financial Conflict of Interest

Complete the Disclosure Form below and submit it to the Vice President for Finance and Administration:

WNE Disclosure Form

Consistent with the values expressed in Western New England University’s mission that “excellence in student learning goes hand in hand with the development of personal values such as integrity, accountability, and citizenship,” the University holds its faculty, research staff, graduate, and undergraduate students to the highest ethical standards in the conduct of research. Western New England University seeks to prevent any instances of research misconduct, and takes seriously the need to investigate possible instances, while protecting the positions and reputations of those who file complaints in good faith, witnesses, and those asked to serve on committees, so that any necessary investigations may proceed without fear or favor.

The University’s Statement of Policy and Procedures for Responding to Allegations of Research Misconduct describes the policies and procedures to be followed in response to allegations of research misconduct involving Western New England University faculty, staff, graduate, professional, and undergraduate students engaged in research that is funded by a federal agency.

Policy & Related Guidelines for Use of Respondus Lockdown Browser (RLDB) and Respondus Monitor

Summary

To make the online testing environment more equitable, secure, and accessible, Western New England University makes Respondus LockDown Browser and a companion technology, Respondus Monitor, available for use by faculty, at their discretion, for courses or sections of courses designated by the Office of the Registrar in the catalog or course schedule as Distance Education courses (ONLIN, ONSYN, ONLTD, ONFLX, or HYBRD).

Respondus LockDown Browser functions as a stand-alone web browser that limits user access to other applications, files, folders, or websites based on pre-determined criteria. Respondus Monitor is a separate, companion technology that uses the users’ web cameras to record their activity during tests where the instructor has required the use of Respondus LockDown Browser. Respondus Monitor cannot be used independently of LockDown Browser; however, LockDown Browser can be used without Monitor.

Instructors, preceptors, or proctors may require the use of LockDown Browser in any testing situation they deem appropriate; however, the use of remote proctoring and monitoring software, like Respondus Monitor, is authorized only for Distance Education courses (with exceptions made as described in the policy for usage below).

Policy

Because of the nature of the technology and its potential impact on student performance, faculty using Respondus LockDown Browser as a stand-alone technology, or in concert with Respondus Monitor, are expected to conform to the requirements outlined in this policy.

• For any and all uses of Respondus LockDown Browser and/or Monitor, including plans to use implement technology in the event of an unanticipated event such as student illness or emergency class cancellation, or campus closure, the following must be disclosed in the syllabus:
  • Technology requirements (web cam & microphone)
• Use of Respondus Monitor is pre-authorized for courses or sections of courses designated by the Office of the Registrar in the catalog or course schedule as Distance Education courses (ONLIN, ONSYN, ONLTD, ONFLX, or HYBRD). Monitoring technology may not be employed in other courses, including face-to-face courses, without prior, written authorization as described below in this policy.
• To use Respondus Monitor in a course or section of a course that is not designated as a Distance Education course, the course instructor must obtain written authorization for an exception to this policy from their department chair, their dean (or dean's designee), and the provost. To request an exception to the policy and permission to use Respondus Monitor in a non-Distance Education course, complete the Online Monitoring Request Form).
  • Requests for exceptions must be received no later than 30 days prior to the start of the semester in which the technology will be deployed.
  • A new request must be made for each semester and for each course section in which a faculty member wishes to seek an exemption from this policy.
• The use of Respondus Monitor is actively audited; unauthorized use will result in a direct charge to the unauthorized users’ department budget.

Note: This policy may be suspended upon request in the event of a continuity of learning emergency such as that defined in the WNE Inclement Weather Policy. A request for an exception to the policy should be made by the Dean (or Dean's designee) of the requesting program to the Director of ETT (as the provost’s designee).

Office of the Provost

January 17, 2023

Western New England University is committed to academic integrity and the ethical use of information. In order to avoid plagiarism and teach students how to properly use and cite sources, papers required in this course may be submitted by students and/or faculty to the plagiarism prevention service, Turnitin.com.  Papers submitted to this service will be evaluated against an extensive database of source documents for textual similarities, and an originality report indicating such similarities will be generated. Papers submitted for analysis will not become part of the Turnitin.com proprietary, restricted-access database, which is used to detect possible plagiarism in other documents. By taking this course, you agree to submit papers in electronic format and allow the submission of such papers for review in Turnitin.com. Use of this service is subject to the Terms and Conditions of Use posted on the Turnitin.com site.