B: Academic Integrity Policy

BCS students are expected to pursue honesty and integrity in all that they do and say. Creating a false impression of coursework is a form of dishonesty and will be treated as a serious disciplinary case as outlined in the Student Handbook. Forms of violating the academic integrity policy are as follows:

Cheating

This encompasses giving or receiving unauthorized assistance that could result in an unfair advantage in completing academic work. Forms of cheating include but are not limited to: ● Sharing academic coursework electronically or via hard copy. This includes checking answers with one another. ● Using any external assistance (books, notes, calculator, conversations with others, websites) on a quiz, test or examination unless authorized by a teacher. ● Using unauthorized materials, information, study aids, or computer-related information on academic assignments.

Plagiarism

A writer’s facts, ideas and phraseology should be regarded as their property. Any person who uses a writer’s ideas or phraseology without giving due credit is guilty of plagiarism. Information may be put into a written paper without documentation only if it meets all the following criteria: ● May be found in several books on the subject ● Written entirely by the student ● Not paraphrased from any particular source ● Common knowledge

BCS students should use the documentation conventions of the Modern Language Association (MLA) which states that all sources used when writing must be documented.

Consequences of Violating the Academic Integrity Policy

All incidents involving violations of the Academic Integrity Policy will first be referred to the Assistant Principal or the Principal. He or she will work with a committee that includes the classroom teacher, the department chair, and the Director of Curriculum and Instruction. This committee will judge the severity of the infraction and if a student is deemed responsible for intentional plagiarism or cheating, BCS may enforce the following consequences: ● The student will receive a zero on the assignment or examination in question ● The student may be subject to suspension and academic probation ● The student may be subject to removal from student groups such as National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, Student Government Association, etc. ● If a student commits an additional violation while on academic probation, the student may be subject to expulsion

Students should refer to the Briarwood Christian School MLA Guide for information on appropriately writing a research paper.