Academic Integrity Policy
Academic integrity means acting in a way that is honest, fair, transparent, and ethical in one’s academic work. It is about the actions of individuals: how students produce their work, how faculty design and deliver their courses, and how administrators uphold standards and promote accountability. By adhering to the responsibilities outlined in this policy, one’s academic work will have greater value and maintain the credibility expected in the Central College community.
Responsibilities for maintaining standards of academic integrity.
Faculty are expected to:
- Model academic integrity in all aspects of their work;
- Abide by copyright law and principles;
- Provide in course syllabi and discuss with students general and course-specific policies regarding academic integrity;
- Create an environment conducive to authentic student work;
- Maintain vigilance of and act on instances of suspected violations, and report on discovered violations in a timely fashion; and
- Maintain confidentiality regarding instances of suspected violations.
Students are expected to:
- Approach their work ethically and honestly, submit only their own work, and properly credit the work of others;
- Become familiar with what constitutes a violation of academic integrity (see Types of actions having negative consequences below);
- Ask for clarification of general or course-specific policies regarding academic integrity; and
- Actively discourage and avoid facilitating violations by other students.
Administrators are expected to:
- Ensure that policies governing incidents of reported violations are followed;
- Maintain fairness in disciplinary actions; and
- Support faculty and students in their efforts to maintain academic integrity.
Types of actions having negative consequences
- Plagiarism and/or misuse of ideas from other sources, such as:
- Deliberately representing the work of someone else as their own work;
- Submitting one’s own previous work without permission;
- Failing to provide proper and complete citation of content incorporated into their work.
- Utilizing unauthorized resources on assigned work, such as:
- Technological resources: AI, (online) homework services, software;
- People: collaboration, assistance.
- Cheating. This can take many forms, such as:
- Copying from other students and turning it in as their own work;
- Gaining an advantage unfairly.
- Facilitating plagiarism, cheating, or use of unauthorized resources by other students.
- Falsification of credentials or grades.
Procedures for violations of academic standards of integrity
In the event of a perceived violation, the instructor will collect evidence documenting the violation and arrange to meet with the student to discuss the incident as soon as possible.
The instructor of the course will determine the course penalty in consultation with their department chair (or senior departmental colleague). Depending on the nature of the offense, the penalty in the course may take the form of additional work or reassignment, failing the assigned work, or failing the course.
For every discovered integrity violation, instructors will file an academic integrity violation report with the VPAA (or designee) along with copies of evidence collected. The report will include a description of the offense, the action taken by the instructor and confirmation that a department chair (or senior colleague) was consulted in this process.
After review by the VPAA (or designee), an institutional sanction may be imposed. Students will receive a letter restating the course penalty and, if applicable, the institution’s sanction or warning, and a copy will be permanently retained in the VPAA’s Office. For a first offense, in addition to the sanction(s) imposed by the instructor, the student will typically receive an institutional letter of warning. Repeated offenses may be grounds for suspension or dismissal from Central College. Serious violations may result in dismissal.
Students who wish to appeal the penalty imposed by the faculty member and/or the institutional sanction must send a letter to the Vice President for Academic Affairs. All appeals should be submitted within two weeks of being notified of a decision.
Those involved with cases of academic integrity violations will maintain strict confidentiality and follow the provisions of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act as it applies to the release of information in student records.
Information on academic integrity
Further information about plagiarism and other violations of academic integrity is available on the Geisler Library home page under the heading “Copyright and Academic Integrity.”
Policy Approved by Faculty March 28, 2024