Academic Honor Code Information for COL Faculty

Introduction

This publication is designed to assist faculty in creating an online atmosphere that promotes academic integrity among students at Saint Leo University. The Center for Online Learning encourages its faculty to assist students in understanding the importance of academic integrity. As a Catholic institution rooted in the Benedictine tradition it is our responsibility to educate students as to the definition of academic dishonesty, the consequences of such behavior, and the procedures for addressing academic dishonesty.

We believe faculty can play a major role in assisting student's understanding of academic integrity. Each term our students receive a document that requires them to read and accept the Saint Leo University Honor Code. This document provides an explanation of various forms of academic dishonesty and gives students a clear concept of the expectations for their academic work at Saint Leo University.

Students may also review the Honor Code in the Catalog, on the COL website, and within each course syllabus.

Saint Leo Catalog link: http://www.saintleo.edu/Academics/Academic-Catalogs

COL Website link - http://www.saintleo.edu/COL/Advising/Academic-Honor-Code

Academic dishonesty is defined in Saint Leo University's Honor Code as: representing another person's work as your own, active complicity in any falsification, or violating test conditions. Plagiarism is defined as: stealing and/or passing off someone else's ideas and works as your own or using the work of another individual without crediting them.

Academic Honor Code

As members of an academic community that places a high value on truth and the pursuit of knowledge, Saint Leo University students are expected to be honest in every phase of their academic life and to present as their own work only that which is genuinely theirs. Unless otherwise specified by the professor, students must complete homework assignments by themselves (or if on a team assignment, with only their team members). If they receive outside assistance of any kind, they are expected to cite the source and indicate the extent of the assistance. Each student has the responsibility to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity and to refrain from cheating, plagiarism or any other form of academic dishonesty.

Academic dishonesty is representing another's work as one's own, active complicity in such falsification or violating test conditions. Plagiarism is stealing and passing off the ideas and words of another as one's own or using the work of another without crediting the source.

The University will hold students responsible for safeguarding their work against plagiarism by others. For example, papers left on hard drives or floppy disks are easily copied and, when two or more students submit papers that are essentially the same, it is often impossible to determine which version was written first and which was plagiarized. In cases of this nature, the actions of both students will be reviewed by the appropriate body and appropriate sanctions may be awarded to one or all students.

Questions of academic honesty are of great importance to Saint Leo University. Infractions are addressed by the Office of Academic Affairs. When there is a reason to suspect that a student has violated either the University's policy on academic honesty or the faculty member's specific codes as outlined in the course syllabus, the faculty member must, in private, via email discuss the charges and the evidence with the student, without taking any punitive action. Any punitive action that needs to be taken will be determined by the OASC only. The faculty member will as soon as possible submit a Faculty Adjudication Form (FAF) and any additional documentation necessary of the suspected violation.

For students enrolled in the Center for Online Learning, the report goes to the Online Academic Standards Committee (OASC).

The report of the faculty member will normally include these points:

1. The faculty member's charge against the student. (FAF)
2. The evidence supporting the faculty member's charge. (emails, turnitin.com report, all documents regarding charge) Turnitin.com is the official tool that is being used by Saint Leo University to identify possible honor code violations.
3. Documentation of the electronic discussion between the student and the faculty member, including any admission or denial of guilt by the student.

Upon receipt of the faculty member's report, the OASC will schedule a hearing and inform the student, and faculty member via email, of the date and time of the hearing. The OASC also will attach copies of the faculty member's report.

A student is not permitted to withdraw from a course while the infraction is under investigation. The student is required to attend the hearing.

If the student does not attend the hearing, the OASC will render a default judgment with appropriate sanctions.

After reviewing the evidence and hearing the argument of both parties, the Committee will render a decision on the charge and determine any sanctions that are appropriate.

The sanctions for academic dishonesty such as cheating on an examination, plagiarism, forgery of academic documents (including signing another's name), copying of computer programs or information and similar offenses, are as follows:

1. The minimum sanction for the first offense is an "F" for the test or assignment but the usual sanction is an "F" in the course in which the violation took place. No provision will be made for the student to receive a "W."
2. The minimum sanction for the second offense is an F in the course, but the usual sanction is suspension of the student from Saint Leo University.

Circumstances that would justify sanctions greater than the minimum include the student's previous academic and disciplinary record at the University or the particularly flagrant nature of the offense.

A Center for Online Learning student may appeal the decisions of the OASC to the Center for Online Learning Director who may accept or modify any finding, conclusion, or suggested sanction in the OASC's recommendation and issue the final decision of the University as soon as practical. The final authority rests with the Director of the Center for Online Learning

It is the responsibility and obligation of each student personally to uphold the Academic Honor Code. Students are required to report any observed instance of academic dishonesty to the faculty member.

Academic dishonesty is defined in Saint Leo University's Honor Code as: representing another person's work as your own, active complicity in any falsification, or violating test conditions. Plagiarism is defined as: stealing and/or passing off someone else's ideas and works as your own or using the work of another individual without crediting them.

Examples of academic dishonesty include, but are not limited to:

Obtaining Information Illegitimately:

• Copying, emailing or faxing assignments to another student when the professor has not permitted the student to do so
• Working together with another student on an exam or other assignment(s) when not permitted by the professor
• Obtaining or viewing another student's assignment, paper, quiz or exam
• Willfully giving work to another student to be copied, emailed or faxed when not permitted by the professor
• Telling students, in other sections of the course or those who have not yet taken a quiz or exam during the semester or those in future semesters, what information or questions were used by the professor
• Giving someone else the answer(s) to assignments, quizzes or exams
• Giving or selling work
• Forging academic documents (including signing someone else's name)
• Copying computer programs

Complicity:

• Knowingly sharing work for someone else's benefit
• Giving a written assignment, term paper, quiz or exam to someone else
• Printing out work for the benefit of another student

Misrepresentation:

• Submitting someone else's work
• Having another student take assignments, quizzes or exams
• Lying to a professor
• Having a student take a paper used for one course and hand it in to a different professor without consent

Plagiarism:

• Having a student submit an article or quoted material from a periodical or the internet as their own
• Having a student attempt to make the thoughts of another student appear to be their own by altering the word arrangement, or by paraphrasing or omitting works and not citing the source
• Handing in a paper purchased from the internet or a term paper source
• Having a student retype or retitle another student's paper and hand it in as their own

Prevention Techniques

COL has found that some of the following suggestions have been beneficial in addressing academic dishonesty and preventing its occurrence.

I. Outline your EXPECTATIONS in the syllabus (SLU Honor Code is automatically included)

1. DISCUSS academic dishonesty as outlined in the Academic Honor Code
2. REAFFIRM the importance of academic integrity within the educational process.
3. PRESENT an appropriate ethical model for students.
4. CREATE an environment which encourages academic honesty and fairness.
5. OUTLINE how you will handle all cases you suspect of academic dishonesty in your class. (See SLU policy)

II. Utilize appropriate techniques to help PREVENT academic dishonesty.

1. UTILIZE turnitin.com software to assure that students are not utilizing sources within their assignments without appropriate documentation.
2. MAINTAIN control of exams by changing or rewriting exams periodically (remember online students network and talk to one another).

Code of Conduct

Saint Leo University also maintains a Student Code of Conduct for which students are responsible (pages 22-23 of SLU Catalog). Disciplinary action may be initiated by the Center for Online Learning, particularly in overt cases of misconduct. If a faculty member suspects an infraction of the code of conduct, he/she needs to report this charge to Dr. Diane Johnson and complete the FAF form.