Academic Honesty - Academic integrity is a commitment, even in the face of adversity, to five fundamental values: honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility. From these values flow principles of behavior that enable academic communities to translate ideals into action (Duke University's Kenan Ethics Program).1 Cheating is a serious offense against your peers, your college and yourself. Anytime a student does not abide by the fundamental values of academic integrity, cheating has occurred. Cheating can destroy your personal integrity, and ultimately result in dismissal from York College. Cheating can take many forms, but usually falls into one of the following categories: 1. Fraud - Fraud itself can occur in many different ways; here are some: # Copying: directly copying another individual's work, either on homework or during a test. # Misrepresentation: submitting an assignment that someone else completed. This includes turning in downloaded papers and documents (free or for a fee) from the web, papers submitted by previous students, or papers that you've already written for a different class. # Fictionalized accounts: incorporating fictitious data, statements or sources in your paper or assignment. This could also include listing sources that you did not actually consult or read. # Unauthorized collaboration: working as a group on assignments designed as work for individuals. Many times it is permissible, and even helpful, for students to work together; however, individuals should present the work from their own perspective, and with their own understanding. "Carbon copies" of assignments are never acceptable.2 2. Plagiarism - Plagiarism is perhaps the ultimate form of theft since it’s not taking something material or physical but taking someone else's words, ideas or visions. Like fraud, it has different forms.3 # Word-for-word plagiarism: copying exactly or nearly exactly someone else's work. Exact copies of anything anyone else did needs to be clearly indicated as such and also need to have appropriate source citations. # Lifting-and quilting: taking large or small portions of someone else's work, mixing it around a bit, and throwing-in a few of your own phrases. Entire research papers have been completed with lifting and quilting; it is cheating. # Quoting without a source: failing to cite the original author of a quote. This can be especially troublesome if you happen to be quoting a quote that is second-hand. If you have any questions about whether something is cheating, always check with your instructor. Academic integrity relates to the issue of character. York College students need to be persons of academic integrity. ___________________________ 1 http://www.academicintegrity.org/Values.asp 2When working together results in multiple copies of the same assignment being handed-in by members of the group, the group has really degenerated into a cheating session. The group may discuss strategies or concepts, but individuals still need to accomplish the task themselves. 3These forms are taken from the University of Charleston (http://www.uchaswv.edu/library/plagiarism.html), but there are many web sites that discuss this issue. Another excellent site is http://library.ups.edu/research/guides/acadhon.htm.
Academic Dishonesty - Cheating, defined as any act of fraud or plagiarism discussed above, will result in severe penalties. The first time a student is caught cheating, a zero will be issued for that assignment or test. If a second offense occurs in the same course, the student will be dropped from the course with a failing grade. If the student is dropped from another course with a failing grade for cheating during the same semester, the student will be placed on academic suspension for the following semester. A student has the right to appeal an incident of alleged cheating. To do so, the student must write a letter to the Vice President for Academic Affairs, or his designee, describing the events surrounding the alleged cheating incident from the student's perspective. The appeal must be made within seven working days of the student being notified of the incident, after that time no appeal will be allowed. The VPAA's office will resolve the appeal within seven working days and notify the student in writing of the results. Honesty promotes successful college and professional careers and enhances your personal integrity. Honors Students - Students who receive the baccalaureate degree with the following cumulative GPA levels will graduate with the indicated honors: C.GPA Baccalaureate Associate 3.40 “cum laude” “with honors” (3.30) 3.60 “magna cum laude” “with high honors” 3.85 “summa cum laude” “with very high honors” Academic Honor Roll - published each Fall and Spring semester. It is composed of those students who carry 12 or more graded hours and achieve a term grade point average of at least 3.75 with no incomplete grade and no grade below “C” for the semester.
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