Plagiarism
- Academic integrity is an integral part of a faith-based university community. As such, it is assumed that a student is the author of all course work (quizzes, problem sets, online contributions, tests, papers, lab work, etc.) that he/she submits, whether for a grade or not. Images, ideas, data, audio clips, phrases, etc. borrowed from others should be fully identified by standard procedures for making such acknowledgment.
- An act of academic dishonesty (i.e., cheating or plagiarism) is a serious offense and is regarded as conflicting with the work and purpose of the entire university and is not merely just a matter between the student and an instructor.
- When a student cheats or commits acts of plagiarism, disciplinary action is initiated with the goal of helping the student refrain from future acts of academic dishonesty. This disciplinary action includes academic consequences related to the student’s course and a change in the student’s status, moving the student to Academic Integrity Probation or Academic Integrity Suspension, as appropriate.
- Incidents of plagiarism must be reported immediately by the faculty member to the Registrar for traditional undergraduate courses or the Assistant Dean of the College of Graduate, Online & Adult Learning (CGOAL) for dual enrollment courses.
- The most common errors in handling written sources are the following:
- failure to use quotation marks when quoting,
- failure to make a thorough paraphrase when attempting to put the idea in one’s own words,
- failure to give the source of the information.
- A student found plagiarizing in course work or examinations is subject to discipline. The standard disciplinary response is an immediate F (failing grade) for the course. Additionally for the first incident of academic dishonesty, the student is placed on academic integrity probation by the registrar, or assistant dean of CGOAL, as appropriate, and for a subsequent incident of academic dishonesty, the student is placed on academic integrity suspension by the registrar or assistant dean of CGOAL, as appropriate. As appropriate, Student Life and Academic Achievement are made aware of the disciplinary action taken.
- The disciplinary action may be decreased for reasons such as the following:
- Possibly decreased to failure of assignment and/or student not placed on academic integrity probation or academic integrity suspension:
- if work is a minor part of the total grade of the course (such as less than 5%),
- if judged not to be premeditated.
- However, the professor may require the student to rewrite the paper, while still receiving a failing grade, in order to pass the course.
- Possibly decreased to failure of assignment and/or student not placed on academic integrity probation or academic integrity suspension:
- Academic integrity probation students are required to do the following:
- Meet with the Academic Achievement Program Manager
- Complete the “Unit 3: Avoiding Plagiarism” section (to include the two Unit 3 mastery quizzes) of the “Achieving the Best in Your Writing” learning management system course
- The student can be removed from academic integrity probation if the student meets with the Academic Achievement Program Manager and achieves a minimum score of 8 on both mastery quizzes
- Academic integrity suspended students are suspended as such:
- If fall semester incident, then suspended subsequent spring
- If spring semester incident, then suspended subsequent summer and fall
- If summer incident, then suspended subsequent fall
- Appeals for cause on plagiarism will be in writing and directed to the respective chair of ad hoc Appeals Committee: Registrar for traditional undergraduate courses or the Assistant Dean of the College of Graduate, Online & Adult Learning for dual enrollment courses.
- See Academic Dishonesty and Cheating for other related policy information.