Article 8: Definitions
8.1 Various terms appearing in other Articles of this document are defined below.
8.1.1 Academic Disciplinary Case: A case brought against a student accused of academic misconduct involving sanctions other than or in addition to a penalty grade.
8.1.2 Academic Misconduct: Instances of academic dishonesty, violations of professional standards, and falsification of academic records or records for admission to a department/school/program/college. See also General Student Regulation 1.00, Scholarship and Grades; Integrity of Scholarships and Grades Policy.
8.1.3 Administrators: University employees who manage University budgets, direct work units, or formulate, evaluate, and/or administer University policy.
8.1.4 Advisor: A member of the student body, faculty, or staff of the University chosen by a party to assist in the preparation of a case.
8.1.5 All-University Graduate Student Governing Body: Council of Graduate Students (COGS).
8.1.6 Class Day: A day on which classes are held, including the days of Final Exam Week but excluding weekends.
8.1.7 Clear and Convincing Evidence: Evidence that reaches the standard of being more highly probable to be true than not true and for which hearing board members have a firm belief in its factuality.
8.1.8 Complainant: A member of the University community who initiates a judicial proceeding under this document. A student complainant is a grievant.
8.1.9 Faculty: All persons appointed by the University to the rank of professor, associate professor, assistant professor, or instructor, all persons appointed by the University as librarians, and all other University employees with approved titles in the academic personnel system whose duties involve instructional activities.
8.1.9.1 Regular Faculty: All persons appointed under the rules of tenure and holding the rank of professor, associate professor, assistant professor, or instructor, and persons appointed as librarians. In addition, the principal administrative officer of each major educational and research unit of the University shall be a member of the “regular faculty”.
8.1.10 Falsification of Admission or Academic Records: Falsification of any record submitted for admission to the University or an academic unit of the University. Falsification of any record created, used, and/or maintained by the Office of the Registrar, the Office of Admissions, or academic units (e.g. colleges, departments, programs, and schools).
8.1.11 Good Cause: Good cause includes, but is not limited to, circumstances outside of a party’s control, such as illness, death in the family, or a class conflict.
8.1.12 Graduate Student: A graduate student enrolled in a master’s, doctoral, or educational specialist program or in a graduate non-degree program, including Lifelong Education.
8.1.13 Graduate-Professional (Medical or Law) Student: A graduate student enrolled in a medical degree program in the College of Human Medicine, College of Osteopathic Medicine, or College of Veterinary Medicine. Those students who are enrolled in graduate-professional non-degree programs, including Lifelong Education, shall be deemed graduate-professional students.
8.1.14 Hearing Body: A duly constituted hearing board or judiciary as described in this document.
8.1.15 New Information: Relevant information or documents previously unavailable to a party to a proceeding, although the party acted with due diligence to obtain such information.
8.1.16 Non-Academic Disciplinary Case: A case brought against a student accused of violating a General Student Regulation, University ordinance, or University policy. Such a case is heard pursuant to the Michigan State University Student Rights and Responsibilities document.
8.1.17 Ombudsperson: The University Ombudsperson is a senior faculty member or executive manager who assists members of the MSU community in resolving complaints or concerns confidentially, informally, impartially, and independently.
8.1.18 Penalty Grade: A grade assigned to a student by a faculty member based on a charge of academic misconduct.
8.1.19 Professional Standards: Codes of expected professional conduct, including University-approved honor codes.
8.1.20 Respondent: An individual or group against whom or which a grievance is filed.
8.1.21 Staff: Employees of the University other than administrators or faculty.
8.1.22 Student: An individual is considered a student from the time he or she attends his/her first class until graduation, recess, dismissal, suspension, or withdrawal from the University, or he/she fails to register for more than one consecutive semester. An individual is considered a graduate student from the time he or she begins participation in official graduate programs or activities.
8.1.23 Undergraduate: A student enrolled in a program leading to a bachelor’s degree or in an undergraduate non-degree program, including Lifelong Education.
8.1.24 University Community: All University students, Trustees, administrators, faculty, and staff.