Policies & Procedures

Name: Academic Integrity
Administrative Procedure Number: AP-8001
Approved: 07/01/19
Revised: 05/5/21
Series: Student Conduct and Expectations, Student Services

Administrative Procedure: 8001

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

In its most elementary form, academic integrity encompasses the principles of an honest, fair, and continuing pursuit of the truth and means students are expected to author their own work. Moreover, the process takes place in a collegiate environment where each participant has a responsibility for fair dealing with the other members of the community. The College is committed to the principle of academic integrity and the educational experience it fosters. The expectation to uphold the standards of academic integrity and honesty is the responsibility of every member of the College community.

The principles of academic integrity require that a student:

  • properly acknowledge and cite all use of the ideas, results, or words of others;
  • properly acknowledge all contributors to a given piece of work;
  • make sure that all work submitted as the student’s own in a course or other academic activity is produced without the aid of impermissible materials or impermissible collaboration;
  • obtain all data or results by ethical means and report them accurately without suppressing any results inconsistent with the student’s interpretation or conclusions;
  • treat all other students in an ethical manner, respecting their integrity and right to pursue their educational goals without interference. This requires that a student neither facilitate academic dishonesty by others nor obstruct their academic progress; and
  • uphold the canons of the ethical or professional code of the profession for which the student is preparing.

Adherence to these principles is necessary in order to ensure that:

  • everyone is given proper credit for the student’s ideas, words, results, and other scholarly accomplishments;
  • all student work is fairly evaluated, and no student has an inappropriate advantage over others;
  • the academic and ethical development of all students is fostered; and
  • the reputation of the College for integrity in its teaching, research, and scholarship is maintained and enhanced.

Types of Violations

Because of the importance the College attaches to the concept of academic integrity, the College finds the following to exemplify violations of this important principle for which they may be subject to informal action or disciplinary sanctions. An instructor has the authority to impose an academic sanction in accordance with the instructors’ syllabus, and all violations will be reported to the Office of Student Affairs (Gloucester Campus) or Office of Judicial Affairs (Cumberland Campus) according to the policy. To seek clarification, students should ask the instructor for guidance. The instructor should explain the nature of the violation including its academic sanction and disclose the evidence against the student, along with informing the student of the option to appeal the instructor’s decision in the Office of Student Affairs (Gloucester Campus) or Office of Judicial Affairs (Cumberland Campus).

In all of the following cases, examples of each type of violation are given, but neither the types of violation nor the lists of examples are exhaustive. Academic exercises include any academic assignments, but not limited to, quizzes, examinations, term papers, laboratory exercises, and/or clinical assignments.

  • Cheating is defined as the intentional use or attempted use of materials, information, or study aids other than those specifically authorized in an attempt to claim credit for learning that is not one’s own. Under this definition, cheating is not limited to examination matters, but can encompass the myriad of educational activities that occur both within and outside the classroom setting. Examples of cheating include, but not limited to,
  • Receiving assistance from others or working with another on an assignment where such help is not permitted;
  • Copying another’s work or answers on an academic assignment;
  • Using or possessing books, notes, calculators, cell phones, or other prohibited devices or materials during an academic assignment;
  • Communicating during an academic exercise in any way with anyone other than the instructor using paper, cell phones, text messaging, or other media;
  • Submitting the same work or major portions thereof to satisfy the requirements of more than one course without advance permission from the instructors involved;
  • Preprogramming a calculator or other electronic device to contain answers, formulas, or other unauthorized information for use during an academic exercise;
  • Acquiring a copy of a quiz or examination from an unauthorized source prior to the examination;
  • Having a substitute take an examination in one’s place;
  • Signing another person’s name on an academic exercise or attendance sheet; and/or
  • Changing, altering, or being an accessory to the changing or altering of a grade in a gradebook, on an academic exercise, or any College official academic record that relates to grades.
  • Plagiarism is an intentional or unintentional act that is further defined as the unacknowledged use of another’s means of expression and/or work product, whether published or unpublished, without proper credit through the use of quotation marks, citations, and other customary means of identifying sources. Examples of plagiarism include, but not limited to,
  • Using another person’s words, ideas, results, or images without giving credit to the person, giving the impression that it is the student’s own work;
  • Copying work, written text, graphs, drawings, photographs, diagrams, tables, spreadsheets, computer programs, images, or any other material from another student, the Internet, or any document without giving due credit to the source of the information;
  • Purchasing or contracting another person or company to complete coursework, including a paper from the Internet, a term paper company, or another student, and submitting it as the student’s original work; and/or
  • Submitting the same work or major portions thereof to satisfy the requirements of more than one course without advance permission from the instructors involved.
  • Fabrication is defined as the invention and proffering of information as true and reliable with or without false attribution. Examples of fabrication include, but not limited to,
  • The changing and/or manipulation of research data, results, processes, or research record. The omission of results from the research record;
  • The alteration and resubmission of a graded exercise, except as permitted by the instructor in advance;
  • Citing a source that does not exist; and/or
  • Requesting an academic benefit based on false information or deception. This includes, but not limited to, requesting an extension of time, a better grade, or a recommendation from an instructor.
  • Collusion is defined as working together in preparation of separate course assignments in ways unauthorized by the instructor. A student may only collaborate on academic work within the limits prescribed by the instructor. Unless specifically authorized by the instructor, all academic work by students is expected to be their own, and if teamwork is permitted, the participation of all involved must be acknowledged.
  • Facilitating academic dishonesty is defined as intentionally or negligently helping or attempting to help another to commit an act of academic dishonesty. A student who facilitates a violation of academic integrity can be considered to be as culpable as the student who receives the impermissible assistance, even if the facilitator does not benefit personally from the violation. Examples of facilitating academic dishonesty include, but not limited to,
  • Knowingly allowing others to copy answers on an academic exercise, such as an examination or term paper, or assisting others to do so;
  • Taking an examination or any academic exercise for another student; and/or
  • Distributing or selling academic exercises, such as an examination or term paper to other students.
  • Academic sabotage is defined as deliberately impeding the academic progress of others. Examples of academic sabotage include, but not limited to,
  • Intentionally destroying or obstructing another student’s work;
  • Altering computer files that contain data, reports, or assignments belonging to another student; and/or
  • Removing posted or reserved material or otherwise preventing one or more student’s access to it.
  • Violations involving potentially criminal activity include theft, fraud, forgery, or distribution of illegally acquired materials committed as part of an act of academic dishonesty. Examples of a potential criminal activity include, but not limited to,
  • Stealing an examination from a college or faculty member’s office or from electronic files;
  • Selling or distributing a stolen examination;
  • Forging a change-of-grade form or electronic database entry; and/or
  • Falsifying a college transcript.

Levels of Violations and Procedures

Level 1

Less serious violations of academic integrity and 1st offenses may occur because of inexperience or lack of understanding of the principles of academic integrity and are often characterized by a relatively low degree of premeditation or planning and the absence of malicious intent on the part of the student committing the violation. These violations are generally quite limited in extent, occur on a minor assignment or quiz or constitute a small portion of a major assignment and/or represent a small percentage of the total coursework.

Below are a few examples of violations that are most often considered less serious, at least when committed by an undergraduate student as a first-time offense. This list is not exhaustive, and classification of a given violation is always heavily dependent on the specific facts and circumstances of the violation.

  • Improper citation without dishonest intent;
  • Plagiarism on a minor assignment or very limited portion of a major assignment;
  • Unpremeditated cheating on a quiz or minor examination;
  • Unauthorized collaboration with another student on a homework assignment;
  • Citing a source that does not exist or that one has not read on a minor assignment;
  • Making up a small number of data points on a laboratory exercise; and/or
  • Signing in for another student via attendance sheet or clicker in a course in which attendance counts toward the grade.

Instructors will enter an academic integrity complaint into the portal (or otherwise use a similar effective method of submission, e.g., email, inter-office mail, etc.) to be forwarded to the Office of Student Affairs (Gloucester Campus) or Office of Judicial Affairs (Cumberland Campus). The instructor will meet with the student to discuss the complaint and what actions will be taken.

  • An assigned paper or research project related to ethics or academic integrity;
  • A make-up assignment that may be more difficult than the original assignment;
  • No credit for the original assignment;
  • A failing grade on the assignment; and/or
  • A failing grade for the course.

Level 2

Separable violations are very serious violations of academic integrity that affect a more significant portion of the coursework compared to lesser violations. Level 2 violations are often characterized by substantial premeditation or planning and clearly dishonest or malicious intent on the part of the student committing the violation. Following are some examples of violations that are most often considered. Again, the list is certainly not exhaustive, and classification of a given violation is always heavily dependent on the exact facts and circumstances of the violation.

  • A second violation;
  • Substantial plagiarism on a major assignment;
  • Copying or using unauthorized materials, devices, or collaboration on a major exam;
  • Having a substitute take an examination;
  • Making up or falsifying evidence or data, or other source materials for a major assignment, including falsification by selectively omitting or altering data that do not support one’s claims or conclusions;
  • Facilitating dishonesty by another student on a major exam or assignment;
  • Intentionally destroying or obstructing another student’s work;
  • Knowingly violating research or professional ethics; and/or
  • Any violation involving potentially criminal activity

Level 2 incidents are to be reported immediately by filing an Academic Integrity Complaint through the portal (or otherwise use a similar effective method of submission, e.g., email, inter-office mail, etc.). Any level 2 incident that rises to the level of suspension or expulsion will require the Academic Disciplinary Panel to convene and review. This panel will be composed of three permanent members to include the Chief Academic Officer, the chair of Academic Standing Committee (ASC), and the Director of Student Affairs & Military Services. In addition, two ad hoc faculty members will also participate on the panel. Ad hoc faculty members will vary according to the complaint/subject matter expertise (Gloucester Campus). Conversely, the Academic Disciplinary Panel will consist of three faculty members, one advisor, and one student representative with the Executive Director, Threat Assessment Management, Title IX, Compliance, and Judicial Affairs serving as Ex-Officio (Cumberland Campus). The panel’s function will be to verify that the complaint has merit and that the integrity of the complaint can be confirmed through sufficient evidence. A preponderance of the evidence standard will be used when rendering a decision. The accused student has the responsibility to submit to the panel any documentation that supports the student’s claim against the charge once they are notified that the panel will convene. Once the panel meets and comes to a conclusion, a written decision from the Academic Disciplinary Panel will be forwarded to the Director of Student Affairs & Military Services (Gloucester Campus) or the Executive Director, Threat Assessment Management, Title IX, Compliance, and Judicial Affairs (Cumberland Campus). A copy of the written decision will also be provided to the reporting faculty member(s). The Director of Student Affairs & Military Services (Gloucester Campus) or Executive Director, Threat Assessment Management, Title IX, Compliance, and Judicial Affairs (Cumberland Campus) will administer discipline as outlined in the College’s policy and administrative procedure, 8106 Student Code of Conduct.

If there are criminal elements involved in the integrity complaint Student Affairs and the Sheriff or local law enforcement will conduct the investigation. The alleged student, if criminal activity is determined, will be charged accordingly under applicable state or federal laws and appropriately under 8106 Student Code of Conduct.

References:

Rowan College of South Jersey Board of Trustees Policy Manual, 8001 Academic Integrity

Back to All Policies
Print This Page