Affirmative Action Office
202 Somsen Hall (507.457.2766)
The Affirmative Action Officer provides information and investigates complaints of discrimination or harassment based upon race, sex, color, creed, religion, age, national origin, marital status, disability, status with regard to public assistance, sexual orientation, or membership or activity in a local commission as defined by law. The Affirmative Action Officer also investigates concerns regarding sexual assault at WSU. These confidential services are available by appointment or on a walk-in basis. Call the Affirmative Action office for more information or to make an appointment.
Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act
Don Walski, Director
WSU Security Services
Main Floor Sheehan Hall (507.457.5555)
264 W. Mark St.
Email: security@winona.edu
Winona State University recognizes that providing the safest environment possible is an integral element of the University’s educational mission and annually publishes a Campus Security Report that is available to everyone. This report provides statements of policy for a broad range of topics including safety, community relations, environmental safety, enforcement authority, Annual Fire Safety Compliance Report, missing persons, emergency notification and response, and a three-year statistical review of designated crimes on campus.
The Winona full report and the Rochester full report are available for download on WSU’s Security website.
Winona State University encourages all members of the University community to be fully aware of the campus safety issues and to take action to prevent and report illegal and inappropriate activities. Personal awareness and applying personal safety practices are the foundation of a safe community. The Campus Security Report is designed to inform and educate the campus community on the measures that can be taken and the services available to assist in maintaining a safe and secure learning environment. All members of the University community are encouraged to contact the Director of Security with any concerns and questions regarding campus security and related issues.
Student Conduct
Office for Student Life and Development
130 Kryzsko Commons, (507.457.5300)
Email: studentlife@winona.edu
The WSU Student Conduct Policy and related policies, which express expectations concerning behavior and state the rights of students, are available in the Student Handbook. Students are responsible for being aware of and complying with all WSU student policies and regulations.
The purpose of the conduct system at WSU is (1) to provide an educational experience through which students learn to understand, accept, and promote attitudes and behavior conducive to responsible citizenship; (2) to provide a system by which students are held accountable for actions that violate University proscribed behaviors listed in the Student Conduct Policy; and (3) to protect the due process rights of students charged with violating these behaviors.
At the discretion of the University, students may be held accountable for behavior - both on and off campus - that constitutes a violation of the Student Conduct Policy or local, state, and federal laws. Note that the WSU Student Conduct Policy does not replace or reduce the requirements of civil or criminal laws. If assistance with a complaint or additional information is needed, contact the Office for Student Life and Development.
Academic Integrity Policy
WSU students are required to adhere to the University’s standards of academic integrity. Following are examples of behaviors considered unacceptable and viewed as violations of the academic integrity policy:
Cheating: Using or attempting to use unauthorized materials in any academic exercise or having someone else do work for you. Examples of cheating include looking at another student’s work, bringing an unauthorized “crib sheet” to a test, obtaining a copy of a test prior to the test date, or submitting homework borrowed from another student.
Deception and Misrepresentation: Lying about or misrepresenting your work, academic records, or credentials. Examples of deception and misrepresentation include forging signatures, falsifying application credentials or transcripts, and misrepresenting group participation.
Enabling Academic Dishonesty: Helping someone else to commit an act of academic dishonesty. This would include giving someone else an academic assignment with the intent of allowing that person to copy it or allowing someone else to cheat from your test paper.
Fabrication: Refers to inventing or falsifying information. Examples of fabrication include inventing data for an experiment you did not do or did not do correctly or making references to sources you did not use in academic assignments.
Multiple Submissions: Submitting work you have done in previous classes as if it were new and original work. Although faculty may be willing to let you use previous work as the basis of new work, they expect you to do new work for the class. Students seeking to submit a piece of work to more than one class should seek the permission of both instructors.
Plagiarism: Using the words or ideas of another writer without proper acknowledgment, so that they seem as if they are your own. Plagiarism includes behavior such as copying someone else’s work word for word, rewriting someone else’s work with only minor word changes, and/or summarizing someone else’s work without acknowledging the source.
Consequences for Academic Violations
Consequences for academic violations are most often addressed by the instructor and the student at the time of the violation. The instructor has final determination, but may also refer the issue to the department and/or dean of the college.
Possible consequences assigned by:
- Faculty: Re-do the exam or assignment, award a lower or failing grade on an assignment and/or the course, or allow the student to withdraw from the course
- Department: Dismissal from a program or major
- Dean: Administrative withdrawal of the student from a course
- Vice President: Disciplinary probation or suspension
Note: There may be circumstances where the Dean of the College, in collaboration with the WSU Director of Student Conduct and Citizenship, will decide whether the case will be heard as a student conduct issue. Students found culpable of a violation(s) will face disciplinary consequences. The WSU Student Conduct Policy can be obtained online or in the Office of Student Life and Development.
Student Rights
- Oral or written notice of the charges from the faculty member is required even though an immediate consequence may be imposed.
- An explanation of the evidence against the student. Note: Evidence may be physical or in the form of witnesses or observers.
- An opportunity for the student to present his/her side of the story
- Notice of the decision(s)
- An opportunity to appeal the decision(s)
Appeal Procedure
STEP I: A student appealing a faculty, department, or dean’s decision should meet within 14 calendar days on an informal basis with the faculty member, department chair, or dean directly involved in the situation in an attempt to address the matter and resolve the issue(s). If the student is not comfortable working with this person, they may appeal to the next higher level of authority.
STEP II: A student may appeal the decision in Step I and has 14 calendar days to meet with and present a dated, signed, and written account of the circumstances to the appropriate college dean. The appeal shall contain a statement indicating the reason for the appeal and the relief requested. The academic dean (or higher authority) shall respond to the student with a written decision within 14 days of receipt of the appeal.
Written appeals must be based on one or more of the following reasons:
- The evidence presented at the meeting between the faculty and the student does not support the outcome.
- There are facts not brought out in the original meeting which may affect the outcome.
- There was a procedural error which could have affected the outcome of the meeting.
- The consequences were excessively severe.
STEP III - If the issue is not resolved in Step II, the student has 14 calendar days to appeal to the Vice President for Academic Affairs. This appeal should be a dated, signed, and written account of the situation. The vice president shall respond to the student with a written decision within 14 calendar days of receipt of the appeal. The decision of the vice president is final. The 14 day response period does not include breaks and holidays. A time extension may be granted upon request to the dean (STEP II) or academic vice president (STEP III). Failure to submit a timely appeal, or request for extension, constitutes a waiver of any right to request an appeal.
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