5.06.01 - Academic Integrity

Policy Title: Academic Integrity

Impact: Students

Responsibility:

Effective Date: 5/25/2005

Revised Date:

Reviewed Date:

Relates to Procedure(s): 5.06

Legal Citation(s):

Please note that the authors of this policy and procedure have obtained permission from The Center for Academic Integrity to use specific information, words, and phrases from the extensive resources they have provided to North Idaho College by mail, telephone, and the Internet.  They have compiled these resources from the work of individuals, colleges, and universities who are devoted to increasing awareness about the importance of academic integrity.

I. Academic Integrity

 In order to carry out North Idaho College’s Mission and to create a community of learners, the students, faculty, staff, and administrators must share common principles or values.  These values—which include honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility—make up academic integrity. 

II. Academic Dishonesty

Violations of academic integrity involve using or attempting to use any method that enables an individual to misrepresent the quality or integrity of his or her work at North Idaho College.  These violations include the following:

1. Cheating: using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or study in any academic exercise.
2. Fabrication: falsifying or inventing any information or citation in an academic exercise.
3. Plagiarism: knowingly representing the words or ideas of another as one’s own in an academic exercise.
4. Violation of Intellectual Property: stealing, altering, or destroying the academic work of other members of the community or the educational resources, materials, or official documents of the college.
5. Facilitating Academic Dishonesty: knowingly helping another to attempt to violate any provisions of this policy.
   
   

III. Responsibilities of Students

NIC students will show their commitment to academic integrity by not giving, providing, or receiving assistance without permission when completing examinations or any other official assignments used by instructors as the basis for grading. 

Furthermore, all members of the college have the responsibility to:

1. detect incidents of academic dishonesty, falsification of documents, and facilitating academic dishonesty, and will report serious instances when they merit “External Resolution,” adhering to the requirements of FERPA.
2. provide assistance and cooperation in the prosecution of alleged offenders.

Violations of this honor code will result in corrective and/or disciplinary actions described in the procedures.  If a student chooses to appeal a penalty imposed, he or she will follow the steps outlined in the procedure.

IV. Responsibilities of Faculty and Administrators

Members of NIC’s faculty and administration will show their commitment to academic integrity by demonstrating trust and respect for students, colleagues, and members of the community and by practicing the principles of academic integrity both inside and outside of the classroom.  (Also see NIC’s Professional Ethics Policy 3.05.1.) 

Procedure Title: Academic Integrity

Impact: Students, Faculty

Responsibility:

Effective Date: 5/25/2005

Revised Date:

Reviewed Date:

Relates to Procedure(s): 5.06

Legal Citation(s):

As they are admitted to North Idaho College, incoming freshman will be provided this policy and procedure by way of the Student Handbook. Faculty will include a paragraph on academic integrity on their syllabi.

Please note that this procedure and the process for resolution were inspired by The Center for Academic Integrity and Eastern Washington University.

I. Prohibited Behavior Defined

As defined in the Academic Integrity Policy, the main categories of academic dishonesty are the following:

1. Cheating;
2. Fabrication;
3. Plagiarism;
4. Violation of intellectual property;
5. Facilitating academic dishonesty;

Specific examples of prohibited conduct are included within the Resolution of Violations and Disciplinary Review sections below.   

II. Coverage

This policy applies to all North Idaho College students. 

III. Corrective Action

If an individual has violated the Academic Integrity Policy, penalties may include but are not limited to the following, which are applied through procedures described in more depth in parts V and VI:

1. verbal or written reprimand;
2. educational opportunity, such as an assignment or research project;
3. grade penalty on a specific academic exercise resulting in a course grade
   penalty;
4. failing course grade. In addition, the student may be required to pass a
   tutorial or course on academic integrity before retaking the course;
5. particularly egregious offenses or repeat offenses may result in
   suspension from the college for a defined period of time.

IV. Privacy

Student privacy rights are to be strictly observed throughout these procedures.  Only the people identified in these procedures “need to know” information about individual cases. A final decision that a student has violated the Academic Integrity Policy will be placed in the student’s confidential discipline file which is maintained in the Vice President for Student Services Office. If a final decision in a case results in a failing grade for a course, then the student’s official transcript will display the F grade.

V. Resolution of Violations

If an instructor determines that a student has violated the Academic Integrity Policy and decides that corrective action will include III. A, B, C or D, the instructor will resolve the problem directly with the student.

In the case of III. A, B or C, the details of the violation will remain confidential between the instructor and student, and the instructor will keep records of the offense and interaction with the student in his or her files.  These cases include, but are not limited to, the following examples:

1. technical plagiarism in which a student neglects to acknowledge sources for summarized or paraphrased information;
2. or technical plagiarism in which a student fails to document his or her sources correctly;
3. an instance of cheating on a quiz;
4. cooperative work in which a student uses words or information unauthorized by other members of a group;
5. an assignment that a student turns in for one class that he or she completed for another class without permission from both instructors.

In these instances, the instructor will notify the student of the offense, either orally or in writing, and will explain the grade penalty and/or any corrective action, such as makeup work or educational opportunities that may help the student on future assignments.

If an instructor determines that a student has violated the Academic Integrity Policy and corrective action will result in III. D (failure from the course), the details of the violation will be forwarded to the vice president for student services for placement in the student's disciplinary file. These cases include flagrant instances of intentional academic dishonesty, including, but not limited to, the following examples:

1. referring to materials or information that are not allowed during a testing situation;
2. fabricating information or citing nonexistent sources;
3. turning in work for credit that was completed by another person;
4. falsely representing as one's own complete phrases, sentences, or full text from a published source or sources
5. failing to document substantial information from research;
6. turning in work purchased from Internet or other sources;
7. working with one or more people to cheat, fabricate, falsify, plagiarize, or violate intellectual property.

The instructor will notify the student, his or her division chair, and the vice president for student services of the violation and the resulting failing grade.  Notification will include a description of the specific academic exercise and evidence of the offense, a copy of this Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure, and a copy of the Academic Integrity Resolution Form.  A student's failure to respond within five days of receipt of the notification will be interpreted as an admission of responsibility and acceptance of the corrective action.

In the event a student wishes to appeal a failing course grade received for flagrant academic dishonesty, the following procedure applies, and he or she is responsible for following all steps described below:

1. Within five days of receiving notification from the instructor, the student will complete an “Academic Integrity Resolution Form” and send copies to the instructor and the instructor's division chair.
2. The division chair will arrange a meeting with the student within five (5) working days of receiving the appeal form. At the meeting, the division chair will explain the charges and evidence to the student and announce his or her decision.  In the event the division chair supports the instructor's grade, one of three options will result: the student may accept responsibility and corrective action by signing the “Academic Integrity Resolution Form;” the student, division chair and instructor may amend the corrective action with a signed agreement; or the student may proceed with the appeal.  If the student wishes to continue with the appeal process, he or she must notify the instructor and division chair of his or her intention in writing within five working days of the meeting. A student's failure to respond within five days will be interpreted as an admission of responsibility and acceptance of the corrective action.
3. Within five working days of receiving the student’s request to continue with an appeal, the division chair will notify the vice president for instruction and provide copies of all pertinent materials.
4. The vice president for instruction may make a decision based solely upon this record or may call another meeting with the student, the instructor, and others as deemed appropriate. The vice president for instruction shall render a decision on the appeal, and this decision shall be deemed final.

VI. Disciplinary Review

If, after corrective action is taken, another violation of the Academic Integrity Policy occurs which results in a failing grade for a course or it is determined a student has committed a particularly egregious offense, the vice president for student services will conduct a disciplinary review. The description of the matter is outlined in article XI of the Student Code of Conduct.  Egregious offenses include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. stealing or photographing an examination;
2. stealing or photographing an answer key;
3. selling of exams or research papers to students;
4. completing a test using false identity.

North Idaho College

Academic Integrity Resolution Form

Appeal of Violation and Corrective Action

I, (print name) _________________________________, wish to appeal the charges by instructor, ___________________________________, that I have violated NIC’s Academic Integrity Policy.  I understand that this appeal will involve a meeting with the instructor's division chair. 

If my appeal is denied by the division chair and I choose to continue the appeal, the vice president for instruction will render a final decision.  

Signature and date: 

___________________________________________________________

Reason(s) for this appeal (below or attached):