Academic Honesty

According to the Regent’s Rules and Regulations, scholastic dishonesty includes but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person, taking an examination for another person, any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such acts.

UTB/TSC recognizes the responsibility of the entire campus community in furthering the standards of scholastic integrity and the important, traditional role of the faculty member in maintaining academic honesty in the classroom.

In the light of these principles, the Dean of Students delegates authority to faculty members for the administration of disciplinary action for scholastic dishonesty that occurs in their classes.

For more detailed information feel free to review the Student Handbook available online.

Examples of Plagiarism (*)

Below are some examples of plagiaristic acts. This list is by no means comprehensive, but simply contains the most common occurrences and misperceptions about plagiarism. If you have any doubt whatsoever whether your use of materials is plagiaristic, consult with the instructor of your course before you turn in the assignment.

Note: Unless the instructor has told you explicitly that you can collaborate on a homework assignment or report, all the work you turn in must be your own. If the work is collaborative, the names of ALL the participants should be on it.

Example 1: Direct copying from original sources.

Most commonly, this involves using one or more sentences verbatim from your original source (with or without footnotes). This is completely unacceptable. If you copy your source text you must put the passage in quotes or offset the passage. However, extensive quoting of this nature is generally frowned upon in scientific writing and indicates that you have made little original contribution to the work.

Do not be fooled into thinking that you can copy sentences from textbooks or journal articles and get away with it. The shift in your writing style is usually quite obvious as is the ease with which you suddenly start discussing unfamiliar terms or concepts. Your instructors know far more about the subject material than you do and are quite familiar with the common sources of information on each subject.

The best way to avoid accidental copying (it is a still a violation whether you meant to or not), is to read the passage and then express it in your own words. Afterwards, compare your text to the original and make sure that they are sufficiently different. Take care to avoid paraphrasing (simple rewording, Example 3).

Example 2: Direct copying from original sources, but with footnotes

Assembling sentences or passages from various documents and putting a footnote at the end of each sentence or paragraph is still plagiarism. None of the words in the passage are your own (and probably very little of the organization, too).

Consider: One could not copy a $75 text, put a footnote after each sentence and then sell it as his own original textbook for $35. Likewise, you can not do the same with a lab report or other assignment.

Example 3: Rewording a sentence (paraphrasing)

This is one of the most common mistakes that students make. You can not simply reword a sentence. This is best shown by example. Consider the following sentence from Angelici (Synthesis and Technique in Inorganic Chemistry, p 46):

"Those complexes that contain unpaired electrons are attracted into a magnetic field and are said to be paramagnetic, while those with no unpaired electrons are repelled by such a field and are called diamagnetic"

The following permutations are unacceptable changes in wording:

• "Complexes that contain unpaired electrons are those that are attracted to a magnetic field. These are called paramagnetic, while those with no unpaired electrons are repelled by a magnetic field and are said to be diamagnetic."
• "Those complexes that contain paired electrons are repelled by a magnetic field and are said to be diamagnetic, whereas those with no paired electrons are attracted to such a field and are called paramagnetic."
• "Compounds that have unpaired electrons are attracted to a magnetic field and are called paramagnetic. Compounds with no unpaired electrons are repelled by this field and are said to be diamagnetic."

Yes, sometimes there is no good way to make the sentence substantially different and still convey the information with the same effectiveness. It is perhaps OK to do this once or twice in an assignment, but certainly no more than that. Remember, the wording must be your own! Express information in your own words.

Remember: Paraphrasing is plagiarism!!!

Example 4: Borrowing organization

This is also fairly common because many introductions, for example, tend to follow the same pattern of organization. However, beyond the first sentence or two, there is plenty of room for divergence.

Avoid the trap of following the organization and content of your source too closely by making sure that you collate the ideas to be presented and then express them in your own fashion. You may still follow elements of another author's organization, but make sure that you haven't copied sentences verbatim or paraphrased the original work!

Example 5: Submitting someone else's work

ALL work submitted must be your own, even if you worked with a lab partner, unless specified otherwise by the instructor. Here are a few of the more common examples:

• Copying someone's homework and turning it in as your own.

This is easily detected, easily proved and will be harshly punished. You can work together on assignments, but whatever you turn in must be your own work.

• Identical passages in laboratory reports.

You and your lab partner (unless otherwise indicated) are to prepare independent laboratory reports. ALL aspects of the written report should differ. Even the Experimental section should differ because you need to express what you did in your own words!

• Copying or using a laboratory report from a previous semester.

This is a great way to find out firsthand what it is like to be suspended or expelled from the University. Direct copying or even using an old lab report as a template is violations. Contrary to what you may think, this is also easily detected. Students have unique writing styles that can be easily spotted. In addition, some instructors photocopy old lab reports at random.

• Submitting someone else's computer input/output as your own

Assignments that require you to generate computer input or output files as part of the assignment are usually assigned on an individual basis. Copying another student's files or printouts is plagiarism. If you work on the assignment with a lab partner, you must BOTH have made a contribution to the work done on the computer -- one person can not do it and simply give it to his/her partner.

Example 6: Failing to reference/footnote source material

Anytime you present a new fact that is not immediately obvious to someone in the field (or at your level of knowledge), you should provide a footnote reference to the source material. Ideally, this will be a reference to the primary literature (usually a scientific journal or sometimes a book).

Some examples of items that need to be referenced/footnoted:

• Data obtained by other researchers such as melting points, NMR shifts etc.
• Any sentence or passage that is used verbatim or paraphrased. Caution: do not overuse this option (see Example 2 above).
• Concepts, ideas or conclusions that are not intuitively obvious and are not your own.
• Drawings, charts, graphs etc. that you copied from elsewhere.
• Laboratory procedures followed; usually your lab manual or an original research article.
• Almost anything else that is not your own work.

Statements such as "benzene is aromatic" do not need to be footnoted, but something such as "ferrocene is an aromatic molecule which has been shown to be more reactive than benzene in aromatic substitution reactions" requires a footnote. In the previous example the phrase "has been shown" should elicit the response "BY WHOM???" Whenever you can ask a question like this, you probably need to footnote.

Bottom line: If it isn't your work and/or you aren't sure what to do, footnote it. Ask your instructor BEFORE you turn in the work.

This section on plagiarism was taken from the University of Kentucky’s web site located at http://www.chem.uky.edu/Courses/common/plagiarism.html

 General Information 

Obtaining A UTB/TSC Graduate Student ID Check List

_______ Visit the Arnulfo L. Oliveira Memorial Library.

_______ Present the Statement of Charges for the current semester at the circulation desk.

_______ A $10.00 fee applies to replace lost or damaged IDs. There is no charge to obtain an ID the first time.

Parking Permit Check List

_______ At the beginning of each semester, visit the Business Office in Tandy Hall to purchase a Parking Permit. Permits are $20.00 a semester and $10.00 during the Summer Sessions.

_______ Present statement of charges to Campus Police at Cavalry Hall to pick up parking permit. Students also have the option of purchasing the Parking Permit directly at Campus Police.

Obtaining Grades Check List

_______ Final grades may be obtained by calling (956) 982-5800 or 1-888-882-4026.

_______ Enter your seven-digit school identification number.

_______ Enter your four-digit Personal Identification Number (PIN).

_______ Select the term for which you would like grades listed.

Grading System

A student receives a grade for each registered course. Grades are indicated by letters and assigned quality points as shown below. Credit toward a degree program will be granted only for courses in which a grade of “C” or better is earned. (Check with Grad Office to see how many C’s are allowed.)

*Only used with courses specified as Pass/Unsatisfactory in course description.

The student’s grade point average (GPA) is determined by dividing the total number of grade points earned by the total letter-graded graduate hours attempted (not the number of graduate hours passed) at UTB/TSC.

Scorpion Online Access Check List

_______ Access The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College webpage at www.utb.edu.

_______ Select Scorpion Online, located at the bottom of the screen.

_______ Select “Students.”

_______ Select “Sign up for Scorpion Online.”

_______ Submit an application for access to Scorpion Online electronically or fax to the Office of Admissions at (956) 882- 7810.

_______ Notification of access approval request received by mail 3-4 days after submission.

Checklist for Registrar’s Office Procedures

The following checklist describes requirements and procedures processed directly through the Registrar’s Office:

.

Grade Change

_______ Contact the Instructor of Record (IOR).

_______ Instructor of Record (IOR) initiates a grade change form through the Department Chair, School or College Dean, and Dean of Graduate Studies.

_______ Instructor of Record (IOR) submits a grade change form to the Dean’s Office for approval.

_______ The form, with proper signatures, will be forwarded to the Registrar’s Office to be processed.

_______ Transcript reflects grade change. For information on the grading system, please see under GRADE CHANGES Graduate Policies and Procedures, p. 28.

Add/Drop Classes

Before Official Record Date

_______ Call (956) 882-5800 or 1-888-882-4026; log onto Scorpion Online at www.utb.edu; or call the Office of Graduate Studies.

_______ Pick up a new Statement of Charges at the Business Office, located in Tandy Hall.

After Official Record Date

_______ Visit the Office of the Registrar, located in Tandy 105.

_______ Obtain and Complete an ADD/DROP Form.

_______ Review “Dropping a Course” at http://blue.utb.edu/registrars/Dropping.htm for refund policies and procedures.

_______ Pick up a new Statement of Charges at the Business Office, located in Tandy Hall.

Course Substitution

_______ Pick up a course substitution form at the Registrar’s Office, located in Tandy 105

_______ Complete form, listing course taken and not taken.

_______ Submit form for signature from the Academic Advisor, Chair, and Dean of the graduate program you are pursuing.

_______ Return Course Substitution Form to the Graduate’s Office.

Transcript Request

Official Transcripts

_______ Official transcripts may be requested at the Registrar’s Office, located in Tandy 105. (Note: A picture ID will be required at the time of the request.)

_______ There is a $5.00 transcript fee.

Unofficial Transcripts

_______ Unofficial transcripts may be requested at the Registrar’s Office, located in Tandy 105. (Note: A picture ID will be required at the time of the request.)

_______ A copy of the unofficial transcript will be provided to the student. (Note: Unofficial transcripts do not include logo, signature, or college seals.)

Web-mail Services Check List

_______ Complete an online Student ePass (e-mail) Request Form at http://ir.utb.edu/Agree.asp.

_______ Notification of account creation received 24-48 hours after submission of request form.

Immediate On Campus-Services Checklist

Student Housing

_______ Obtain a housing application from the The Village at Fort Brown Student Housing webpage at http://www.sa.utb.edu/ housing.

_______ Submit completed application, along with a $20.00 application processing fee and a $200.00 deposit to the Department of Residence Life and Housing, 1915 East Elizabeth, Brownsville Texas 78520.

_______ Receive official notification of room assignment from the Department of Residence Life and Housing upon receipt of application.

_______ Attend obligatory student housing orientation the first Tuesday after the scheduled moving date, usually during the first week of class.

Print/Copy Card Services

Visit the Reference and Information Center (RIC) in the first floor of the Library or SET-B computer lab to purchase a print/copy card. The cost of the card is $1.00, and you must add additional funds for copies. The card may be used in the following: SET-B Computer Lab, Reference Lab, Open Computer Lab, Learning Assistance Center Lab, Library Copy Room and Serials Department (Microfilm/Microfiche). Print copies are $0.05, photocopies are $0.10, and microfiche/microfilm copies are $0.25.

Graduation Check List

_______Obtain a Graduation Application at the Office of Graduate Studies or download a copy at http://blue.utb.edu/graduate/.

_______ Submit a completed Graduation Application to the Office of Graduate Studies, along with the $25 fee. (Note: Application must be submitted by the following deadlines: December Graduation - April 1st • May Graduation - October 1st • August Graduation - February 1st.)

_______ A letter from the Registrar’s Office will be mailed to the student regarding their Commencement participation.

_______ All Commencement participants are required to purchase the proper regalia from the Bookstore. For more information, contact the Bookstore at (956) 544-8249

Transfer of Credit Policy

Subject to the approval of the major department, a maximum of 12 graduate semester hours taken at an accredited university may be transferred for degree credit. Transferred credit will not be counted in computing the grade point average on courses completed in the graduate program.

 Credit may not be transferred for:

Courses that would not receive graduate credit at UTB/TSC

Courses with a grade lower than a “B”

Correspondence and extension courses

Credit for life experience or prior learning

Courses that are more than seven years old; courses less than seven years old may not be accepted if in the professional judgment of departmental faculty the content is outdated or obsolete.

Transfer credit used to fulfill program requirements will be approved by the Faculty Advisor, Chairperson of the Department, and the Office of Graduate Studies when the official Program of Study is approved for the student. The Faculty Advisor has the initial responsibility to insure that the proposed transfer work is relevant and appropriate to the degree sought. The Office of Graduate Studies will validate the student’s transcript when necessary. Additionally for the School of Education, transfer credit for certification purposes must also be approved by the Graduate Advisor, Coordinator of Teacher Education, and the School of Education Dean (see “School of Education” for further information). For confirmation on how a course will be transcripted, consult with your faculty advisor.

Time Limits

A student will be governed by the Graduate Catalog in effect at the time of official notification of admission to graduate studies or may choose to graduate following the requirements of the most current catalog. Should a graduate student fail to enroll for a full calendar year, the catalog requirements in effect at the time of readmission will apply. State of Texas regulations with regard to certification programs taken as part of a graduate program do not supersede university graduate degree program requirements. Students must complete all graduate work for a degree within seven years of the time of their first graduate course registration. Graduate courses more than seven years old will not be accepted for credit toward a degree program. Students who have compelling reasons for interruption of their graduate programs may petition the Dean of Graduate Studies for an extension of the time limit.

Student’s Thesis Completion Checklist

_______ Register for six required hours of thesis credit. Registration must be continuous until the thesis is completed.

_______ Apply for Thesis at the Office of Graduate Studies.

_______ Obtain a Thesis Guide and Checklist from the Office of Graduate Studies or its website at http://blue.utb.edu/graduate/.

_______ Submit the Thesis Proposal Approval form and Prospectus signed and dated by the Thesis Committee.

_______ If applicable, obtain approval from the Human Subjects Research Review Committee (HSRRC) and/or Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).

_______ In cooperation with the Thesis Committee Chair and the Office of Graduate Studies, set a date and time for the Thesis Defense.

_______ Submit two copies of the final draft of the thesis at least one week prior to the Thesis Defense to the Office of Graduate Studies.

_______ Thesis Defense (At least two weeks prior to the deadline to submit completed thesis).

_______ Following published time lines, the successful candidate provides five copies of the thesis for binding on the type of paper specified by the Graduate Office.

_______ Student pays the required binding fee to the library.

Thesis

Some UTB/TSC master’s degree programs allow for a thesis as part of the program of study. In consultation with the Faculty Advisor, students should carefully consider their career goals in deciding between a Thesis and a Non-Thesis degree. Some academic institutions regard a Non-Thesis master’s degree as a terminal degree program. Students who intend to pursue the doctoral degree should seriously consider undertaking a thesis. Students in programs that require a thesis must complete the six required hours of thesis credit. Thesis courses may be repeated and are counted in determining course load limits for a semester or Summer session, although credit for these courses is given only once. Students who register for the thesis course must continue to register each succeeding semester or summer session until the thesis is completed. The student shall choose, in consultation with their faculty advisor, a thesis committee consisting of three graduate faculty members including the student’s faculty advisor (who chairs the committee). The committee will be approved by the student’s advisor, the Graduate Coordinator or Program Director, the Department Chair, and the Graduate Dean. The thesis topic and written prospectus must be approved in writing by the Faculty Advisor, the thesis committee, and the Dean of Graduate Studies prior to the student’s undertaking the research problem. All research involving human subjects must also be approved by the Human Subjects Research Review Committee (HSRRC) prior to collection of any data. Similarly, all research involving live vertebrate animals must also be approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) prior to collection of any data. Instructions for the preparation of the thesis and information on the HSRRC and the IACUC can be obtained from the academic department or Office of Graduate Studies.

The thesis committee will judge the research competence of the student during the thesis defense meeting. A graduate faculty member from outside of the School/College, appointed by the Dean of Graduate Studies, shall represent the Office of Graduate Studies on the thesis committee during the defense meeting. The Graduate Program representative will be provided a copy of the thesis one week prior to the defense. Thesis defense meetings are announced in advance and open to the university community. Students are responsible for adhering to all due dates regarding the thesis defense, submission of copies of the thesis to the Office of Graduate Studies, and binding (see university class schedule for dates, fees and deposits). The student must complete all course work for the degree within seven years of the time of the first graduate course registration. Courses older than seven years will not apply towards the degree. Students who have compelling reasons for interruption of their graduate degree may petition the Office of Graduate Studies for an extension of time.

The Professional Report for the MPPM Program

The Professional Report (PR) is the capstone experience in the MPPM program. It is an individual-based written project in policy analysis or problems in public management and counts in lieu of the thesis. Each student selects his or her own topic and obtains the consent of two faculty members to serve on the supervising committee.

Supervising Committee

The first reader on the supervising committee must be a UTB MPPM tenured or tenure-track faculty member with a graduate teaching appointment. The second and/or third reader may be any member of the UTB government department faculty with a graduate teaching appointment. For students with an area focus out of the government department and MPPM program, an additional supervisory committee member should be from the cognate department with an appropriate graduate teaching appointment.

Academic Requirements

The PR counts as three credit hours towards the Master's Degree requirement in the Department/Program for which the PR is listed (e.g. PPAM 7303) on a credit/no credit basis. You must be registered for the Professional Report (or "thesis," as appropriate) in the semester in which you graduate. Any student registered for a specialization is required to complete a PR.  Successful completion of PPAM 7303 is determined by a majority vote of the supervisory committee after a public defense of the PR before that committee.  The Graduate Dean or his/her representative may participate in an ex-officio role during the defense.

Human Subject Review

Research involving human subjects such as surveys and interviews must meet UTB requirements. See http://blue.utb.edu/sponsoredprograms/researchcommittee/irb/what-it-is.htm.

Format Requirements (based on the LBJ School at The University of Texas at Austin – link: http://www.utexas.edu/ogs/pdn/pdf/format_guidelines-m.pdf )

ARRANGEMENT OF THESIS OR REPORT

Each thesis or report must be arranged as follows:

Fly Page (A blank page, cotton bond, not included in the counting and not numbered. This only applies to the bound version of a thesis or report. A pdf version does not need a fly page.)

·         Copyright Page (Begin counting with this page, but do not place a page number on it) (Not to be confused with the copyright disclaimer form which is filled out by the student in the thesis option only.)

·         Title Page

·         Signature Page

·         Dedication and/or Epigraph

·         Acknowledgments and/or Preface

Begin placing lowercase roman numerals on this page and subsequent preliminary pages. The actual number will depend upon how many pages (not including the fly page) precede the Preface or Acknowledgements.

·         Abstract

·         Table of Contents (Listing all subsequent major sections.)

·         List of Tables (this and following ‘Lists’ are optional whether you have tables, figures, etc. or not)

·         List of Figures

·         List of Illustrations/Maps/Slides

Text (Begins on page 1.)

·         Appendix

The entire thesis is numbered consecutively through the last page (the Vita).  The appendix may not be numbered differently.

·         Glossary

The Glossary may also be placed after the Table of Contents (and after any Lists.)

·         Bibliography (Not optional. You may call this section by another name, such as “References” or “Works Cited”. This section always precedes the Vita.)

·         Vita (Not optional. Must be included as the last page of the thesis or report, immediately after the Bibliography, and be numbered in the Table of Contents.)

·         Optional page(s)-- used in this order.

Take your committee members’ travel plans into account the semester you file to graduate; extensions will not be granted simply because you’re missing signatures!

METHODS OF PRODUCTION

WORD PROCESSING: Theses and reports must be printed on only one side of the page. The print must be uniformly dark and individual dots should not be visible. You should use one font style throughout your thesis or report, the only exceptions being in tables, figures, graphs and appendices. Drop caps, running headers columns or other creative options are not acceptable. Headings may be bolded and slightly larger than text, but shouldn’t be more than 2 pts. larger.

PAPER (applies only to bound versions of thesis or report): Quality bond paper of 25% or 100% cotton content must be used in all copies of the traditionally bound thesis or report submitted to the Graduate School. Check the watermark for the statement “100% (or 25%) cotton fiber” or “100% (or 25%) cotton content.” Onion skin, erasable bond, or other such types of paper will not be accepted. The standard sheet size is 8 1/2 by 11 inches. You may use recycled cotton bond as long as the watermark indicates cotton content. All paper used must be white (not off-white or ivory). The loose pages (title page, signature page and Abstract) that you are required to submit with your thesis or report can be on any kind of white paper, but the signatures must be original.

MARGINS: The bound thesis or report must have a minimum margin of 1 ½ inches at the left and top of the page, and a minimum margin of 1 ¼ inches at the right and bottom of the page. More than the minimum margin is acceptable, but less margin space is not. The margins you set should be consistent throughout your work. If you are submitting a pdf version of the thesis or report, your margin settings should be 1 ¼ inches on all sides.

SPACING: The thesis or report must be double-spaced or space-and-a-half. Exceptions for which you may use single spacing are the Table of Contents, footnotes and endnotes, charts, graphs, tables, quotations, captions, glossary, appendices and bibliography. Prose quotations over three lines should be in block quote (double or single spaced, indented on the left). Do not use quotation marks in the block quote except for quotations nested within the block.  If your thesis or report is very long, you may bind it in two volumes. Volumes over 3 inches thick are bulky and could cause the bindings to break over time. Choose a logical break, at the end of a chapter or section. Continue consecutive numbering in the second volume. If you choose to put a title page in volume two, do not put a page number on it but include it in the counting.

NUMBERING OF PAGES: Beginning with the first page of the Acknowledgments or Preface, if used, all preliminary pages preceding the actual text of the thesis or report should be numbered in lower-case roman numerals (iii, iv, v, vi...), centered under the text with at least one inch of space between the number and the bottom edge of the page. If no optional pages are used, the page numbers begin on the Abstract. Do not number the copyright page, title page, signature page or dedication, but count each. Do not count the fly page. The first page of the text begins at 1 (Arabic), with the page number centered under the text with at least one inch of space between the number and the bottom edge of the page. The first page of every major section (bibliography, appendices, chapters, Vita, etc.) must begin on a new page with a bottom centered number. Subsequent pages may be numbered either at the bottom centered at least one inch above the edge of the page or in the upper right-hand corner of the page, at least one inch from the edges of the sheet. If placed in the upper right corner, it is preferable to have the page number flush with the right side margin of the text (minimum 1 ¼ inch from the right edge) and at least one inch from the top of the page. Remain consistent with your method of pagination through the entire work.

ILLUSTRATIVE MATERIALS: Tables, maps and illustrations must fit within the required page margins. It is possible to reduce them or use landscape orientation to fit the margins, in which case the page number should be added after the reduction is done. If it is not possible to reduce these materials satisfactorily, fit them in a closed pocket securely bound in the back of your work. Pockets and sleeves should be sturdy enough not to tear apart and are usually affixed to the inside of the back cover. Avoid awkwardness and unnecessary bulk; too much bulk in the bound copy can cause the bindings to break. Foldou