Academic Honesty

The Laurel Ridge Community College experience depends on the absolute integrity of the work completed by each student, and it is imperative that students maintain a high standard of honor in their coursework. Academic honesty is essential to develop students’ full intellectual potential and self-esteem.

Cheating, plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, deliberate interference with the integrity of the work of others, fabrication or falsification of data, and other forms of academic dishonesty, including those not specifically identified below, are considered serious offenses for which disciplinary penalties can be imposed.

Cheating

Using materials not permitted by the instructor during exams, including stored information on electronic devices, copying answers from another student on exams or assignments, altering graded exams or assignments and submitting them for re-grading, submitting the same paper for two classes without the permission of both instructors.

Plagiarism

Copying ideas or taking exact wording from published sources without indicating - using quotation marks or other conventions - where the words came from, paraphrasing from sources without indicating where the information came from, copying another student and submitting the work as your own, or buying a paper or having someone write a paper for you and submitting it as your own.

Unauthorized Collaboration

Collaborating beyond the extent specifically approved by the instructor.

Facilitating Academic Dishonesty

Allowing another student to copy someone else’s assignment or problem set that is supposed to be done individually, allowing another student to copy someone else’s answers during an exam, or taking an exam or completing an assignment for another student.

Academic Dishonesty Procedures

Communication of the Charge of Academic Dishonesty to the Student by Faculty

1. If a faculty member suspects a student of academic dishonesty and has gained evidence through any combination of firsthand observation, written or electronic information, and/or other verifiable sources, the faculty member shall make every reasonable effort to discuss this suspicion and the reasons privately with the student involved. If more than one student is involved, the faculty member must discuss the situation with each student individually. “Reasonable effort to discuss” is defined as communication in person, by email, and/or by telephone.
2. After the discussion, if the faculty member remains convinced that the student is guilty of academic dishonesty, the faculty member may impose one or more of the following penalties depending on the faculty member’s judgment as to the seriousness of the offense and consistent with the faculty member’s syllabus:
   1. Reprimand the student
   2. Require that the work in question be done over
   3. Assign a grade of zero on the work involved
   4. Assign a grade of F for the course (An F earned because of academic dishonesty can only be altered through successful appeal of the charge (see procedures below). Withdrawing from a class will not alter a grade of F imposed for academic dishonesty.
   5. Follow the guidelines set forth in the handbooks for individual cohort programs (e.g. the nursing program calls for dismissal from the program)
3. The faculty member must keep any documentation and evidence of the violation for reference in case of appeal.
4. The student charged with academic dishonesty should be allowed to continue class, in the event the student appeals the penalty that the faculty member imposes (unless the student is a risk to the safety and security of Laurel Ridge Community College).

Administrative Disposition of the Charge

1. The faculty member must complete an official incident report through See Something, Say Something, which will be automatically routed to the appropriate dean depending on campus/site where the student is enrolled.
2. The dean will inform the student in writing of the penalty imposed by the faculty member, that the student will be on disciplinary probation, and that future violations may result in more severe sanctions as described below. The dean will also inform the student of the date by which he/she must appeal the penalty.
3. As with other grade appeals, a student may appeal the charge by submitting a written request to the dean who contacted them about the violation within five (5) business days following the receipt of the dean’s official notification of the charges and penalty. The dean’s response to the appeal will be issued within 10 business days of receipt of the written appeal. The decision of the dean will be considered final and binding.
4. If the student already has such notice on file and neither case is reversed on appeal, the student may be suspended for one semester.
5. A third violation of academic honesty by a student may result in expulsion from the College. The Chief Academic Officer for the campus/site (CAO) will automatically review all penalties of expulsion.

Impact of Academic Dishonesty on Academic Honors

Students are advised that if they are found guilty of academic dishonesty they will not graduate with any type of academic honors awarded by the College.