Academic Misconduct
Issues governing academics
Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, diminishes the integrity of education at the College. Such conduct is a serious offense, subject to stern disciplinary action. Academic misconduct falls into three categories: plagiarism, cheating, and falsifying results or data.
Plagiarism – Passing off someone else’s work as your own
The following Statement of Policy on Plagiarism was adopted by the Faculty in April 6, 1987:
Intellectual honesty is fundamental to scholarship. Accordingly, the College views plagiarism or cheating of any kind in academic work as among the most serious offenses that a student can commit.
Plagiarism occurs when one presents work which is taken from another person who is not given due credit. All students will be held responsible for carefully reading and following The Statement on Plagiarism and A Guide to Source Acknowledgments, which defines plagiarism and discusses in detail the proper and improper uses of source material. Students who are uncertain in any specific situation as to whether plagiarism may be involved should discuss the matter with their instructor.
In order to insure equal and fair treatment for all students, instructors are expected to report to the Dean of Students any cases of plagiarism where there appears to be an intent to deceive, as well as cheating of any kind in student work. Absence of any obvious attempt on the student’s part to acknowledge the original source will be taken as prima facie evidence of such an intent to deceive. If the evidence warrants, the case will then be brought before the Committee on Student Conduct for a hearing.
In instances involving questionable or faulty use of source material where culpable motives may not be involved, the instructor should warn and advise the student. At the beginning of each semester the instructor should discuss potential problems in the area of the plagiarism as they apply to the particular course involved.
Specific reference to appropriate citations of resources are described in the Guide to Source Acknowledgements.
Cheating - Violation of recognised academic norms
Cheating includes those forms of academic misconduct that may not meet the definition of plagiarism, but nevertheless violate either recognized norms for academic inquiry or specific norms identified by faculty for particular assignments.
Examples of cheating include, but are not limited to, using materials not allowed during an examination (either in class or take-home), receiving assistance beyond what is allowed, sharing materials on assignments that are not collaborative (e.g. bibliographies, research and laboratory experiments and reports), and copying answers from or providing answers to another student during an examination or in preparing a report or paper.
Falsifying Data - Presenting inaccurate information
The collection and analysis of data are fundamental aspects of many types of research. Data may consist of interview transcripts, narrative accounts, or qualitative and quantitative information collected for purposes of research. It is the researcher’s responsibility to insure that data are recorded and analyzed as accurately as possible.
Fabrication, misrepresentation or falsification of data, or practices that seriously deviate from those that are commonly accepted in the academic community all may be considered academic misconduct. (n.b. This definition is in part borrowed from the Faculty Handbook, which cites NIH guidelines.)