Scholastic Honesty (SH)

The students of VSM/CU should be aware that the value of an academic degree depends upon the academic integrity of the institution awarding it, and that scholastic honesty is mandatory for that integrity. Achievement of a degree through a use of dishonest practices lowers the value of the degree and also the whole value and pursuit of educational process. It's problematic from a learning perspective because students aren't able to write on their own, analyze and come up with their own thoughts, or to show what they really learn by themselves. Exams, tests, and papers should be an individual work since the grade a student receives shows the value of the author’s own work, not the work of someone else.

Procedures

All major papers submitted by students should be placed on the computer network secure drive designated for that purpose. The student should consider that placing his/her name on a paper is equivalent to the signed statement, "This work is entirely my own." Violation of this rule is cause for severe penalties. All files received into the archives are submitted to SafeAssign system for plagiarism checking and kept in a database. A student is not to be given a grade for particular assignment unless he/she submits an electronic copy to the archives. Without this electronic copy the student receives a grade reduced by a percentage designated to the assignment in question. If the electronic copy of assignment is not submitted within 30 days, the reduced grade is to be posted to the student record. All source materials in students’ papers must be properly referenced and cited as specified in the current City University Research & APA Style Guide

If it appears there has been a violation of the Policy, an instructor discusses the case with the Chair of the Scholastic Honesty Committee. If after discussion with the Chair it is determined that a charge needs to be filed, a Scholastic Honesty Violation Allegation form and the student’s paper which is the subject of the allegation, along with any other supporting documentation regarding the case is submitted to the Scholastic Honesty Committee Chair. SH cases are heard by a committee consisting of 3 Scholastic Honesty panel members and the Chair. The Chair conducts the hearing, but is a non-voting participant. If the Committee finds a breach of the Scholastic Honesty policy occurred, the following penalties may be imposed:

• first offense, 0.0 for the course
• second offense, 0.0 for the course and suspension for one or more quarters
• third offense, 0.0 grade for the course and expulsion from the University

Definitions

Violations of scholastic honesty include, but are not limited to, the following examples.

1. Cheating:

• Using unauthorized materials such as books or notes to answer examination questions.
• Copying another student’s homework, written assignments, examination answers, electronic media, or other data.
• Assisting or enabling someone else to cheat.

2. Plagiarism:

• Presenting another person’s work as your own.
• Paraphrasing or condensing ideas from another person’s work without proper citation.
• Failing to document direct quotations with a proper citation.
• Word-for-word copying, use of select phrases from another person's work or simply failing to properly cite all sources from which data, examples, ideas, words, or theories are found.

3. Other forms of scholastic dishonesty:

• Changing examination solutions after the fact, inventing, changing or falsifying data or research.
• Reproducing or duplicating images, designs, or web pages without giving credit to the developer, artist, or designer.
• Submitting work created for another course, or resubmitting work for the same course without prior approval from the instructor.
• Misrepresenting oneself or one’s circumstance to gain an unfair advantage.
• Collaborating with another person(s) without prior approval from the instructor.
• Selling or providing term papers, course work, or assignments to other students knowing that the intention is to plagiarize.
• Bribing or attempting to bribe an instructor.

Policy document and procedures document as well as the Research & APA Style Guide are available for all students and instructors at the web page Policies and procedures and in the current VSM/CU catalog. All current information regarding SH news and the hearing results will be posted on bulletin boards in the hall of your school building as well as on the web.