Academic Honestly Policy

Academic Honesty Policy

Because the integrity of the academic enterprise of any institution of higher education requires honesty in scholar-ship and research, academic honesty is required at Woodbury University. Academic integrity is important for two reasons: first, independent and original scholarship ensures that students and scholars derive the most from their educational experience and the pursuit of knowledge. Second, academic dishonesty violates the most fundamental values of a community of scholars and depreciates the achievements of the entire University community. Accordingly, Woodbury University views academic dishonesty as one of the most serious offenses that a member of our community can commit. Adherence to the Academic Honesty Policy reflects the commitment of our University to the ideals of learning, research, and scholarship.

Code of Academic Integrity

Because the integrity of the academic enterprise of any institution of higher education requires honesty in scholarship and research, academic integrity is required at Woodbury University. Academic integrity is important for two reasons: first, independent and original scholarship ensures that students and scholars derive the most from their educational experience and the pursuit of knowledge. Second, academic dishonesty violates the most fundamental values of a community of scholars and depreciates the achievements of the entire University community. Accordingly, Woodbury University views academic dishonesty as one of the most serious offenses that a member of our community can commit.

Adherence to the Code of Academic Integrity reflects the commitment of our community to the ideals of learning, research, and scholarship.

DEFINITIONS OF ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

Cheating

Cheating is the act or attempted act of deception by which an individual seeks to misrepresent that they have mastered information on an exercise that they have not mastered.

Exaples include, but are not limited to:

· Using books, notes, calculators, conversations with others (including text messages), etc. to complete a test or other assignment when such use is prohibited.

· Having other people conduct research or work for the student without advance authorization from the instructor. This includes the services of term paper companies (i.e., downloading a paper in whole or in part from the internet).

· Reusing previously submitted work in whole or in part for credit or honors without authorization from the instructor.

· Copying from another student’s test paper.

· Allowing another student to copy from a test paper.

· Using or possessing specifically prepared materials during a test (i.e., notes, formula lists, notes written on the student’s clothing, etc.) when such materials have not been authorized.

Complicity

The University defines complicity as assisting or attempting to assist another person in any act of aca-demic dishonesty. This includes but is not limited to allowing other students to copy their work, paying for resources or assistance, providing material of any kind that may be misleading to an instructor, and providing information about tests or other assessments.

Fabrication

Fabrication is the use of invented information or the falsification of research or other findings in an aca-demic exercise.

Examples include but are not limited to:

· Altering and resubmitting returned academic work without notice to the instructor

· Citing information not taken from the source indicated

· Listing sources in a bibliography not used in the academic exercise

· Submitting in a paper, thesis, lab report, or other academic exercise falsified, invented, or fictitious data or evidence, or deliberate and knowing concealment or distortion of the true nature, origin, or function of such data or evidence

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the submission of another’s work as one’s own without adequate attribution. When an in-dividual submits work that includes the words, ideas, or data of others, the source of the information must be acknowledged through complete, accurate, and specific references, and, if verbatim statements are included, through quotation marks or indentation as appropriate. By placing their name on work submitted, the author certifies the originality of all work not otherwise identified by appropriate acknowledgements. Plagiarism covers unpublished as well as published sources.

Examples of plagiarism include, but are not limited to:

· Quoting another person’s actual words, complete sentences or paragraphs, or entire piece of written work without acknowledgement of the original source.

· Using another person’s idea, opinion, or theory even if it is completely paraphrased in one’s own words without acknowledgement of the source.

· Borrowing facts, statistics, or other illustrative materials that are not clearly common knowledge without acknowledgement of the source.

· Submitting as your own any academic exercises (i.e., written work, printing, sculpture, design, etc.) prepared totally or in part by another.

· Copying, or allowing another to copy, a computer file that contains another individual’s assignment, and submitting it, in part or in its entirety, as one’s own.

· When working with others on an assignment, submitting individual copies of the assignment as one’s own individual work.

Outsourcing

For the purpose of this policy, outsourcing is defined as obtaining created work or acquiring outside ser-vices to produce created works in any aspect of course-assigned project development and/or production. This includes work or services that are paid for and work or services that are not. It includes work or services from any individual including fellow students and outside professionals.

Outsourcing is different than collaboration. Collaboration is seeking from another student, tutor, professor, or colleague critique and review while maintaining control and authorship over the work as an individual or a group. Collaboration is a fundamental skill where students learn from one another and work together to achieve a common goal. Follow your instructor’s guidelines with respect to what kind of collaboration is permissible for any given assignment, and request clarification when you need it.

Outsourcing of project production elements is prohibited unless specifically stated in your course syllabus and/or guidelines. Outsourced elements must be acknowledged through complete, accurate, and specific references. The intellectual authorship of the project must belong to the submitting students.

Outsourcing will not be permitted under the following circumstances:

· If a program or course learning outcome is designed to assess skills or techniques and the out-sourcing involves these skills or techniques.

· If a program or course learning outcome is designed to assess the production of physical or digital components and outsourcing involves these components.

· If the effect of outsourcing changes or impacts the students’ original design or creative vision or process at any stage of the project from development to final production or installation.

If there is a question as to whether outsourcing is appropriate or approved, it is the student’s responsibility to seek clarification from the instructor.

Academic Misconduct

Academic misconduct includes other academically dishonest acts such as tampering with grades or taking part in obtaining or distributing any part of an unadministered test.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

· Stealing, buying, or otherwise obtaining all or part of an unadministered test.

· Selling or giving away all or part of an unadministered test including answers to an unadministered test.

· Bribing any other person to obtain an unadministered test or any information about the test.

· Entering a building or office for the purpose of obtaining an unadministered test.

· Continuing to work on an examination or project after the specified time has elapsed.

· Entering a building or office for the purpose of changing a grade in a grade book, on a test, or on other work for which a grade is given.

· Changing, altering, or being an accessory to the changing and/or altering of a grade in a grade book, on a test, a “change of grade” form, or other official academic records of the University that relate to grades.

· Submitting any academic accomplishment in whole or in part for credit more than once, whether in the same course or in different courses without prior consent of the instructors.

Action Taken by Instructors

Note: Academic honesty is expected in all aspects of curricular and co-curricular life. The term “instructor” is used to refer to anyone serving in the role of teacher, facilitator, advisor, or supervisor.

When a violation of the code of academic integrity appears to have occurred within the academic process, the individual instructor discusses the apparent violation with the student as soon as possible and gives the student an opportunity to explain. Instructors are also encouraged to seek the counsel of department chairs, deans, librarians, and student conduct personnel in gaining perspective concerning the severity of an offense.

If the instructor chooses to continue the complaint, the instructor may impose one or more of the following grade-related sanctions:

· An assignment to repeat the work, to be graded on its merits

· A lowered/failing grade on the assignment

· A lowered grade in the course

· A failing grade in the course

The instructor notifies the student of the charge and the penalty to be imposed. The instructor then completes the Academic Integrity Violation Report Form. The instructor submits the Public Incident Re-port for Academic Honesty Violation. This record is placed in the student’s file so that infractions may be monitored in the context of the student’s entire disciplinary record. Sanctions above and beyond instructor sanctions may be issued by the chief conduct officer when the student has previously been re-ported for an academic honesty infraction.

A student may appeal an instructor’s decision to impose grade-related and/or course-related sanctions as outlined in the appeal process.

Action Taken by the Chief Conduct Officer

The chief conduct officer meets with students accused of academic dishonesty in cases of repeated violation, in cases where an alleged violation is reported by an individual other than the instructor, or at the request of the student or instructor.

The chief conduct officer may impose any of the following sanctions dependent on the severity and nature of the offense:

· Disciplinary warning

· Educational sanctions – a hold is placed on the student’s registration and transcripts until the sanction is satisfactorily completed

· Placement on disciplinary probation

· Suspension

· Expulsion

Cases in which the sanctions of suspension or expulsion may be levied may be referred to the University Committee on Student Behavior.

Decisions made by the chief conduct officer, or the University Committee on Student Behavior may be appealed by the student to the sr. vice president of Academic Affairs as outlined in the appeal process.

APPEALS PROCESS

To appeal the decision of an instructor:

· Within three business days of official notification of the decision, the student must submit a letter of appeal to the faculty academic policy appeals committee via the Registrar’s Office. The letter must state the grounds for the appeal.

· Grounds for appeal are:

a. The student has new evidence available that was not available prior to the original decision.

b. The process as outlined was not adhered to and the break in process was substantial enough to have possibly affected the outcome.

c. The sanctions do not relate appropriately to the violation for which the student has been found to have committed.

· If the Faculty Academic Policy Appeals Committee determines that there are grounds for an ap-peal, then the committee will hear the student’s case. The decision of the Faculty Academic Pol-icy Appeals Committee replaces that of the instructor.

To appeal the decision of the chief conduct officer

· Within three business days of official notification of the decision, the student must submit a letter of appeal to the sr. vice president of Academic Affairs. The letter must state the grounds for the appeal.

· Grounds for appeal are:

a. The student has new evidence available that was not available prior to the original hearing.

b. The conduct process as outlined was not adhered to during the student’s original hearing and the break in process was substantial enough to have possibly affected the out-come.

· If the sr. vice president of Academic Affairs determines that there are grounds for an appeal, then they will rehear the student’s case. The decision of the sr. vice president of Academic Af-fairs replaces that of the chief conduct officer.

To appeal the decision of the University Committee on Student Behavior:

· Grounds for appeal are:

a. The student has new evidence available that was not available prior to the original hearing.

b. The conduct process as outlined was not adhered to during the student’s original hearing and the break in process was substantial enough to have possibly affected the outcome.

· If the sr. vice president of Academic Affairs determines that there are grounds for an appeal, then they may convene an appeals board to rehear the student’s case. The decision of the ap-peals board replaces that of the University Committee on Student Behavior.

The decision rendered as a result of the appeal process is final.