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Intro to Online Gavilan

Lesson 15: Academic Honesty

Academic Honesty will be enforced

College instructors have always been concerned with academic honesty, but now they are able to rely on plagiarism detection services and plagiarism detection software. It is your responsibility to know what constitutes academic honesty. Interpretations of academic honesty may differ among individuals and groups.

You are expected to refrain from the unacceptable behavior outlined in the Academic Honor Code and the Student Code of Conduct for Gavilan. It is our goal to not only detect but to prevent cheating and plagiarism all together.

Academic Honor Code

As a college student, you join a community of scholars who are committed to excellence in the teaching/learning process. We assume that all students will pursue their studies with integrity and honesty; however, all students should know that incidents of academic dishonesty are taken very seriously. When students are caught cheating or plagiarizing, a process is begun which may result in severe consequences. It is vitally important to your academic success that you know what constitutes academic dishonesty. See also, Academic Honor Code for Internet Based Courses.

What is Academic Dishonesty?

The two most common kinds of academic dishonesty are cheating and plagiarism. Cheating is the act of obtaining or attempting to obtain credit for academic work through the use of dishonest, deceptive or fraudulent means. Plagiarism is representing the work of someone else as your own and submitting it for any purpose.

It is your responsibility to know what constitutes academic dishonesty. Interpretations of academic dishonesty may differ among individuals and groups. However, as a college student, you are expected to refrain from the behavior outlined below. If you are unclear about a specific situation, speak to your instructor. The following list identifies some of the activities defined as academic dishonesty:

Cheating

  1. Copying, in part or in whole, from someone else's test.
  2. Submitting work presented previously in another course, if contrary to the rules of either course.
  3. Altering or interfering with grading.
  4. Using or consulting, during an examination, any sources, consulting with others, use of electronics equipment including cell phones and PDAs, or use of materials not authorized by the instructor; or
  5. Committing other acts which defraud or misrepresent.

Plagiarism

  1. Incorporating the ideas, words, sentences, paragraphs or parts of another person's writings without giving appropriate credit, and representing the product as your own;
  2. Representing another's artistic or scholarly works such as musical compositions, computer programs, photographs, paintings, drawings or sculptures as your own;
  3. Submitting a paper purchased from a research or term paper service, including the Internet; or
  4. Undocumented Web source usage.

Other Specific Examples of Academic Dishonesty

  1. Purposely allowing another student to copy from your paper during a test;
  2. Giving your homework, term paper or other academic work to another student to plagiarize;
  3. Having another person submit any work in your name;
  4. Lying to an instructor or college official to improve your grade;
  5. Altering a graded work after it has been returned, then submitting the work for re-grading;
  6. Stealing tests;
  7. Forging signatures on drop/add cards or other college documents; or
  8. Collaboration without permission of instructor.

Consequences of Academic Dishonesty

Academic and/or administrative sanctions may be applied in cases of academic dishonesty. Depending on the seriousness of the infraction, you may:
  1. Receive a failing grade on the test, paper or exam.
  2. Have your course grade lowered.
  3. Receive an F in the course.
  4. Be placed on disciplinary probation.
  5. Be placed on disciplinary suspension.
  6. Be expelled.
The college administration maintains a record of students who have engaged in academic dishonesty. This information is used to identify and discipline students who have been reported for academic dishonesty more than once. Copies of the related procedures are available from the college administration.

Student Code of Conduct for Gavilan - Internet Based Courses

As a Gavilan student, your conduct in the classroom and on-line (Internet classes) will be expected to conform to those acceptable standards for all students as described in this handbook. Unacceptable behavior includes, but is not limited to the following:
  1. the use of threatening, harassing, sexually explicit language or discriminatory language or conduct that violates state and federal law and college policy on sexual harassment or discrimination;
  2. unauthorized posting or transmitting sexually explicit images or other Content that is deemed by any administrator, supervisor or instructor of a course published utilizing Gavilan's online system or other online software to be offensive;
  3. conduct that constitutes fraudulent behavior as enumerated in state and federal statutes;
  4. disruptive behavior on-line or off-line;
  5. Vandalism, or any other violation of college policy. Particular attention should be given to college policy on academic dishonesty, which includes plagiarism or otherwise representing others' work as your own.
All students are subject to the same consequences for violations of college policy. They include sanctions and consequences for infractions that are outlined in the college's student handbook, course catalog, and on the college's web site.

All students are hereby notified that these documents, available online and in print, serve to alert them to their rights and responsibilities, and the college's obligations.

Address of this page: http://hhh.gavilan.edu/jparker/15.html
Last updated onSept. 1, 2008