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Academic Integrity
By being a student here, you have agreed to the following Academic Integrity Statement:
I will act with integrity and responsibility in my activities as a La Sierra University student or faculty member. I will not participate in violations of academic integrity, including plagiarism, cheating, or fabricating information. I will not stand by when others do these things. I will follow the academic integrity policy.
What You Need to Know
Forms
- Faculty Report of Academic Integrity Violation (for Level 1 and 2 cases)
- Faculty Referral of Academic Integrity Violation to Committee (for Level 3 or 4 cases, or possible Level 3 or 4 cases)
- Student Appeal
Clearances
A single Level 1 violation is automatically cleared from a student's record upon his or her graduation. Furthermore, a student can request from the Academic Integrity Committee a clearance of his or her record one year after the date of the violation. In such cases, the full committee meets to make a determination, taking into account a variety of factors.
Violations of academic integrity include behaviors such as the following
Plagiarism occurs when a writer appropriates another’s ideas without proper acknowledgement of the source or uses another’s words without indicating that fact through the use of quotation marks.
Cheating is the use of unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in an academic exercise as well as collusion in visual or oral form.
Fabrication is the falsification or invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise. This includes lying to any member of the campus community.
The facilitation of academic dishonesty occurs when someone knowingly or negligently aids others or allows her or his work to be used in a dishonest academic manner. Such a person is as guilty of violating academic integrity as the recipient. If you violate academic integrity, there are many issues that must be addressed and balanced: How can the integrity of the community of scholars be maintained? How can you learn not to be dishonest again? How can you be restored to your place in the campus community? How can the consequences of your actions ensure fairness for all students?
There are four levels of academic integrity violations
Level One violations involve a small fraction of the total course work, are not extensive, and/or occur on a minor assignment. Examples include working with others on an assignment when asked for individual work, failing to footnote or give proper acknowledgement to a written, internet, or oral source in an extremely limited section of an assignment, or leaving an exam room without permission. Your instructor will determine the consequences for level one violations that typically involve additional course work and/or getting a “0” on the assignment. If you do not believe that you have been treated fairly by your instructor you may appeal to the Academic Integrity Committee (composed of students, faculty, and staff) that will conduct a hearing.
Level Two violations are characterized by dishonesty of a more serious nature or by dishonesty that affects a more significant aspect or portion of the course work. Examples include learning what is on a test from someone who has already taken it; quoting directly or paraphrasing, to a moderate extent, without acknowledging the source; or submitting the same work or major portions thereof to satisfy the requirements of more than one course without permission from the instructor(s). Your instructor will determine the consequences for level two violations that involve lowering your grade in the course. If you do not believe that you have been treated fairly by your instructor you may appeal to the Academic Integrity Committee (composed of students, faculty, and staff) that will conduct a hearing.
Level Three violations include dishonesty that affects a major or essential portion of work done to meet course requirements, or involves premeditation. Examples include helping someone else cheat on a test, using unauthorized electronic device to obtain information on an exam, copying material almost word for word from a written source without citation, using a cheat sheet, or downloading a paper or major sections of a work from the internet. Your instructor will refer the case to the Academic Integrity Committee which will conduct a hearing. Consequences of level three violations may include lowering the course grade, a course grade of F, or an XF grade on the transcript for the course (failure due to academic dishonesty).
Level Four violations represent the most serious breaches of intellectual honesty, such as stealing an examination or falsifying any official University documents. These cases are heard by the Academic Integrity Committee; typical consequences include expulsion and XF grades.
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