Office of the University Registrar

It’s an unfortunate reality that the University must often address cases of academic falsification.  (Academic falsification as used here is a subset of academic fraud, and encompasses forged transcripts, fake diplomas, or otherwise altered academic credentials.) A new resource recently launched on the Office of the University Registrar’s site will help faculty, staff, students, and employers address this problem.

Why post a blog entry in addition to publishing the policy?

A definition of academic falsification, guidelines for dealing with it, and possible consequences for those committing it can be found on the page itself. But there’s more to this topic than the policies stated there; this post aims to explain the OUR’s reasons for highlighting the University’s policy on fraudulent academic claims.

The University’s Student Code of Conduct states:

(2) Admission to the university carries with it the presumption that students will conduct themselves as responsible members of the academic community. As a condition of enrollment, all students assume responsibility to observe standards of conduct that will contribute to the pursuit of academic goals and to the welfare of the academic community. That responsibility includes, but is not limited to:

(a) Practicing high standards of academic and professional honesty and integrity;

In addition, the University’s handbook states:

“In order to preserve the integrity of the academic standards and of the degrees granted by the University of Washington, the power and right to revoke degrees previously granted may be exercised by the Board of Regents upon recommendation of the appropriate faculty in those cases in which the recipient has failed to satisfy the standards for that degree existing at the time of its award. If the failure to satisfy those standards was not discovered because of fraud or deceit on the part of the recipient of the degree, the power may be exercised at any time upon discovery of the deficiency.”

These are clear statements of the University’s commitment to academic integrity and its stand against fraud and falsification.

In the State of Washington, we are fortunate in that our legislature backs the University’s strong stance against academic falsification. Under RCW 9A.60.060, “knowingly using a false academic credential is a gross misdemeanor,” and the OUR has a clear process for responding to it. The publication of the new page should reduce dishonest representation as well as help recipients of falsified credentials—employers, other universities, scholarship committees, etc.—deal with them.

Why does academic falsification matter?

The Office of the University Registrar takes academic falsification very seriously.  We are taking action against it for  three primary reasons:

1. Fairness – Lying about a degree or the grades received in the pursuit of a degree is fundamentally unfair to those who achieved these goals honestly.
2. Integrity of education – The integrity of a University education and all that it confers on the student and the respect with which that education is regarded by the community must not be diminished by falsified academic credentials.
3. Safety – Upholding the rigorous standards of the University is also an issue of safety. Would you be comfortable seeing a doctor who lied about his medical degree? Or driving across a bridge designed by a fraudulent engineer? Or with government representatives who misrepresented their credentials? These and many other examples illustrate why we all must be vigilant against academic falsification.