Office of Academic Integrity

About

The Office of Academic Integrity, which resides within the Office of the Provost, supports the University’s educational mission and goals in two ways. First, the Office helps faculty and students to maintain fairness and integrity in the classroom. In addition to providing resources for upholding academic integrity, the Office is responsible for handling student conduct issues related to academic dishonesty. Second, the Office supports the University’s deep commitment to intellectual pluralism and respect in the classroom.

Our office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Academic integrity at MU rests upon our Statement of Values:

“The University of Missouri-Columbia, as the state’s major land-grant university, honors the public trust placed in it and accepts the associated accountability to the people of Missouri for its stewardship of that trust. Our duty is to acquire, create, transmit, and preserve knowledge, and to promote understanding. We the students, faculty, and staff of MU hold the following values to be the foundation of our identity as a community. We pledge ourselves to act, in the totality of our life together, in accord with these values.”

MU’s Statement and Philosophy

Our distinct mission, as Missouri’s only state-supported member of the Association of American Universities, is to provide all Missourians the benefits of a world-class research university. We are stewards and builders of a priceless state resource, a unique physical infrastructure and scholarly environment in which our tightly interlocked missions of teaching, research and service work together on behalf of all citizens. Students work side by side with some of the world’s best faculty to advance the arts and humanities, the sciences, and the professions. Scholarship and teaching are daily driven by a sense of public service—the obligation to produce and disseminate knowledge that will improve the quality of life in the state, the nation and the world. [Mission Statement]

Respect for one’s self and for others is the foundation of honor and the basis of integrity. A hallmark of our community is respect—for the process by which we seek truths and for those who engage in that process. Such respect is essential for nurturing the free and open discourse, exploration, and creative expression that characterize a university. Respect results in dedication to individual as well as collective expressions of truth and honesty. Respect is demonstrated by a commitment to act ethically, to welcome difference, and to engage in open exchange about both ideas and decisions. [Statement of Values]

We are committed to Intellectual Pluralism in its many dimensions – political, cultural, religious, international, disciplinary, economic, lifestyles – and to encouraging and supporting robust debates over matters of academic interest. [Intellectual Pluralism report to the Board of Curators, April 2007].

Honor Pledge

I strive to uphold the University values of respect, responsibility, discovery, and excellence. On my honor, I pledge that I have neither given nor received unauthorized assistance on this work.

What is Academic Integrity?

Academic integrity is the core set of values and principles that underwrites the mission of the University: integrity, honesty, hard work, and the determination to translate personal and professional principles into behavior. It is a reflection of the students’ experience here at Mizzou and is a measure of the worth of their degree.

  • For students, this ethic lies at the heart of the value of their degree. If they or others around them are not living up to a high standard of academic integrity, the worth of the education they are receiving (and the degree they will receive) is compromised.
  • For faculty, a high standard of academic integrity will ultimately lead to greater heights of academic rigor and freedom among students, a better reputation for MU, and more positive patterns of interaction with the student population. We can generate a long-lasting academic focus among the faculty that pervades MU and inspires students during their time at Mizzou.

The principles of academic integrity also represent an informal contract between faculty and students. Instead of pitting faculty against students, both share a common standard of behavior and set of values critical to the continued success of the University of Missouri. Both populations play an important role and have a responsibility in creating and constantly re-creating the strength and excellence defining Mizzou.

Learn More about Academic Integrity

What is Intellectual Pluralism?

The proper expression of both academic rights and responsibilities is required for a reasoned and respectful debate that explores a diversity of views and perspectives about complex, and often controversial, topics. This is the essence of Intellectual Pluralism. The University of Missouri supports the American Council on Education’s Statement on Academic Rights and Responsibilities.

Learn More about Intellectual Pluralism