The principles of integrity, respect and ethical behavior are long standing traditions at CCC. It is expected that all students will recognize these values and adhere to all aspects of student conduct and academic honesty inside and outside of the classroom. The act of academic dishonesty is one in which a student is trying to gain an unfair academic advantage or is avoiding actions required by a course, which have been designed to improve some aspect of the student’s education.
Knowingly and willfully aiding or collaborating with a student in the violation of an Academic Honesty policy, even if not personally committing any violation, is considered academic dishonesty. The following list describes various instances or actions that the College considers to be acts of academic dishonesty. While trying to be thorough, this list is not absolute. It is up to the practical judgment of faculty and students to consider cases that are not included here.
Examples of Violations of Academic Honesty include, but are not limited to the following:
- Plagiarism occurs when a person presents another’s ideas, information, words, artwork, films, music, graphs, images, data or statistics as if they were his or her own creation. Plagiarism is a form of theft and is cheating.
- When a person copies material from a published source, such as a periodical, encyclopedia, book or downloads a passage from an Internet source and presents that information without proper documentation (reference or quotation) in a paper or project, then that person has committed plagiarism. Even if the content or wording has been slightly changed, a little plagiarism is still plagiarism. If a person submits a paper or project in satisfaction of a course assignment that was authored or researched in part or in whole by someone else, then that person is guilty of plagiarism.
- Using prohibited materials such as the use of other students’ work, past papers, reports or lab documents without the specific permission of the instructor.
- Using notes or information in any form when not specifically permitted. Using programming functions of calculators, memory in PDA’s, cell phones, laptops or any other handheld computing device without authorization from the instructor.
- Gaining or providing unauthorized assistance on term papers, reports, projects, research data, take-home tests, quizzes or homework turned in for grading.
- Having another person represent himself or herself as you during a course, examination or activity.
- Receiving information from another student or communicating in any way during an examination, quiz or other course activity when not authorized by the instructor.
- Stealing or otherwise receiving information, questions or answers for an examination, quiz or other course activity when not authorized by the instructor.
- Intentionally impairing the work of another student or instructor.
- Forging or altering college records or documents
When a violation of the Academic Honesty policy is suspected, it is the instructor’s responsibility to investigate the incident and determine the severity and intent of the violation. This investigation must be done in a timely fashion, but has no limits based on the nature of the investigation. All investigations must offer students an opportunity to provide evidence of their academic honesty. If the instructor concludes that an offense has occurred, the instructor will determine an appropriate penalty using his or her judgment as to the severity and intention of the infraction.
Any student violating the College’s Academic Honesty Policy will, for their first offense, receive one or a combination of the following penalties imposed by the course instructor:
- Receiving a verbal warning
- Receiving a written warning
- Partial grade out of the total possible for the assignment
- Recreate or retake an assignment or assessment activity
- Receiving a zero or F on an assignment or assessment activity
- Receiving an F grade for the course
Instructors will submit the full record of their investigation, the result, and any penalties incurred to the VP of Academic Affairs. For a subsequent violation of academic integrity, a student will be subject to any combination of the above sanctions, and, after due review by the VP of Academic Affairs according to the procedure noted below, one of the following:
- Suspension from the College for up to one academic year. Readmission will be contingent upon the approval of the academic dean.
- Dismissal from the College.
Procedure:
When a course instructor believes that a student has violated the Academic Honesty Policy, the course instructor shall discuss the incident with the student as soon as possible. If, after the conference, the course instructor determines that an act of academic dishonesty has occurred, the course instructor may impose the appropriate sanctions. Within five (5) days of the course instructor’s action, the course instructor shall complete an Academic Honesty Policy Violation Report, copying the Associate Dean of Instruction and the VP of Academic Affairs. Within five working days of completion of the course instructor’s report, the Associate Dean of Instruction will notify the student via the student’s college email address of the sanctions and the appeals’ process. Copies of the notice shall be sent to the Associate Dean of Instruction, VP of Academic Affairs, and VP or Student Development and Enrollment Management. The student may appeal the course instructor’s decision as outlined below. Upon completion of the appeals’ process, the Associate Dean of Instruction shall notify the student of the final disposition of the matter and the sanctions to be imposed, if any, with copies to the course instructor, Associate Dean of Instruction, VP of Academic Affairs, and VP or Student Development and Enrollment Management.
Appeals’ Process:
A student who is charged with violating the Academic Honesty Policy by a course instructor may appeal in writing to the Associate Dean of Instruction in which the alleged incident took place. The letter must state the specific grounds for the appeal. The student must submit a written appeal to the Associate Dean of Instruction within seven (7) working days of receipt of the notification of the imposed sanctions. Failure to make an appeal within this 7-day period shall constitute a waiver of the student’s right to appeal. Within five working days of receipt of the student’s appeal, the Associate Dean of Instruction will review the circumstances of the alleged violation with the student and then the course instructor separately, and recommend upholding, modifying, or dismissing the sanctions imposed by the instructor. If the Associate Dean and Instructor cannot come to a consensus on the issue, they shall include the relevant Department Chair as a third, and final, member of this decision. The Associate Dean of Instruction, within five working days, shall notify the student of the outcome, with copies to the course instructor (and everyone else mentioned in the other areas). If it is determined that a violation of academic honesty did not occur, the student’s final grade in the course cannot be based on the assumption of such violation.