Institute Policy on Academic Dishonesty

Introduction
Sec. 1: Definition
Sec. 2: Initial Procedure
Sec. 3: Academic Dishonesty Conferences and Hearings
Sec. 4: Sanctions
Sec. 5: Adjudication Procedure — Conferences and Hearings
Sec. 6: Appeals
Sec. 7: Evidence
Sec. 8: Time Limits
 

Introduction

All members of the community are expected to exhibit honesty, integrity, and fairness in their academic work and interaction with others. The entire community shares the responsibility to secure and respect general conditions conducive to academic honesty. Individual academic departments may develop and publicize supplemental guidelines, in conformity with Institute policies, for academic competence and honesty appropriate to their fields of study. Academic dishonesty is treated as a moral and intellectual offense against the academic community and is not tolerated. Students are responsible for reading and familiarizing themselves with the Institute Policy on Academic Dishonesty. All members of the community are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the Institute’s academic procedures, for preventing acts of academic dishonesty, and for noting and taking steps to prevent such acts from recurring.

1. Definition

Academic dishonesty is an act of fraud, which may include misrepresentation, deceit, falsification, or trickery of any kind that is done by the student with the purpose, intent, or expectation of influencing a grade or other academic evaluation. Academic dishonesty also includes forgery and falsification of Institute academic documents, intentionally impeding or damaging the academic work of others, or assisting other students in acts of dishonesty. Common examples of academically dishonest behavior include, but are not limited to, the following:

1.1 Cheating — intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any academic exercise; copying from another student’s examination; submitting work prepared in advance for an in-class examination; taking an examination for another person or conspiring to do so; violating other rules governing administration of examinations.

1.2 Fabrication — intentional and unauthorized falsification or invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise.

1.3 Facilitating academic dishonesty — intentionally or knowingly helping or attempting to help another to commit an act of academic dishonesty.

1.4 Plagiarism — intentionally or knowingly representing the words or ideas of another as one’s own in any academic exercise; failure to attribute direct quotation, paraphrase, or borrowed facts or information.

1.5 Unauthorized Collaboration — providing, either knowingly or through negligence, one’s own work to assist a student in satisfying a course requirement, or representing material prepared by or with another as one’s own independent work. In instances where students are permitted to work jointly to complete an assignment, instructors will offer clear guidelines about when and how to collaborate; if a student is unsure, it is the responsibility of the student to ask the instructor.

2. Initial Procedure

When a student is suspected of academic dishonesty, action must be taken as follows:
2.1 The most senior instructor who suspects academic dishonesty of a student in his or her class must confront the student in private conference.

2.1.1 If the student admits dishonesty, the faculty member may impose a sanction pursuant to Sections 4.1 through 4.4 of this Policy. The faculty member must send a signed Incident of Academic Dishonesty memorandum, including a proposed sanction to the Dean of Student Affairs or designee for review. The Dean of Student Affairs may accept the recommended sanction, impose a more appropriate sanction, or refer the incident for a conference or hearing. An examination proctor, who is not the course instructor, must collect all evidence and bring the incident to the attention of the course instructor.

2.1.2 Should the student not admit to the act of academic dishonesty, or disagree with the sanction the instructor recommends, then the instructor must report the incident to the Dean of Student Affairs or designee for a conference or hearing. Should the instructor become convinced that the student is innocent, then the accusation must be dropped and all record of the charge be destroyed.

2.2.1 All other members of the Institute community accusing a student of academic dishonesty must contact the Dean of Student Affairs or designee. The complainant is responsible for composing an Incident of Dishonesty memorandum, including the charge of dishonesty, to the Dean of Student Affairs or designee for a conference or hearing. The student has the right to hear the charge and the evidence brought against him or her and to speak on his or her own behalf. If the student agrees that the charge is valid and that the sanction is appropriate, then the Dean of Student Affairs will prepare a written statement including the charge and sanction which will be signed by the student, complainant, and the Dean of Student Affairs or designee. A copy of the statement must be retained by the Department of Student Development as appropriate. If the complainant becomes convinced that the student is innocent, then the charge must be dropped and all record of the charge destroyed.

3. Academic Dishonesty Conferences and Hearings

If the student believes that the charge is not true or that the sanction is inappropriate, then the case is referred to an appropriate hearing body. Refer to Sections 9 - 14 of the Institute Code of Conduct for details.

4. Sanctions

The purpose of sanctions is to provide a fair educational opportunity for all found responsible for their actions. Sanctions may include any combination of Sections 4.1- 4.7.

4.1 A written reprimand will be retained in the student’s file in the Department of Student Development.

4.2 Rejection of the assignment, examination, or project, with the requirement that the student complete compensatory work. A record of this action will be retained in the student’s file in the Department of Student Development.

4.3 Zero for the assignment, examination, or project. A record of the sanction will be retained in the student’s file in the Department of Student Development and in the student’s academic department file.

4.4 Grade of F for the course or other academic requirement. A record of the sanction will be retained in the student’s file in the Department of Student Development and in the student’s academic department file.

4.5 Community service hours to the Institute, including but not limited to, and/or educational programs and /or presentations designed to compensate the Institute community for violations of this Code. A record of the sanction will be retained in the student’s file in the Department of Student Development and in the student’s academic department file.

4.6 Suspension from the Institute for a period not to exceed one year with notation on the transcript during the suspension period. A record of the sanction will be retained in the student’s file in the Department of Student Development and in the student’s academic department file.

4.7 Expulsion from the Institute with appropriate notation on the student’s transcript. A record of the sanction will be retained in the student’s file in the Department of Student Development and in the student’s academic department file.

5. Adjudication Procedure — Conferences and Hearings

Refer to Sections 9 – 14 of the Institute Code of Conduct for details.

6. Appeals

Any academic dishonesty determination may be appealed. Requests for appeals must be submitted within five (5) business days of the date of the letter. Failure to appeal in the allotted time will render the determination final and conclusive. Appeals for sanctions 4.1- 4.4 must be directed to the Department Head. If the Department Head is also the instructor, then the appeal is directed to the Provost. Appeals regarding the determinations and sanctions must be made in writing to the Provost or designee (Refer to Section 17 of the Institute Code of Conduct).

7. Evidence

The reliance upon evidence shall be determined by fundamental principles of fairness and not upon strict rules of evidence or procedure as are customarily applied in courts of law.

8. Time Limits

Acts of academic dishonesty must be reported as soon as possible after the act is discovered and not more than one academic year. Every effort will be made to expedite proceedings pursuant to allegations of academic dishonesty within a reasonable period. In the interest of time, the Dean of Student Affairs may form an ad hoc committee to appropriately expedite proceedings pursuant to Section 12 of the Institute Code of Conduct.