As a college of higher learning, NMJC is concerned that all participants in the learning environment conduct themselves with a high level of academic honesty and integrity. As much as it is the students’ responsibility to conduct themselves according to accepted values of honesty and integrity, so too is it the institution’s responsibility to provide a fair and equitable process for addressing behavior that falls outside of what has been deemed as acceptable.
The course syllabus is an agreement between the professor and the student. Students should read the course syllabus carefully. The Vice President for Instruction (VPI) is the final authority for academic policy and discipline in the academic arena.
Academic Dishonesty
Academic dishonesty (commonly known as cheating) is any behavior on the part of a student that results in that student or any other students giving or receiving unauthorized assistance in an academic exercise or receiving credit for work which is not their own. Such acts include, but are not limited to:
Unauthorized aids – Use of material, information, wearable technology, generative artificial intelligence models, or study aids not explicitly permitted by the professor during tests, quizzes, writing, or other graded activities. This includes intentional sharing of information or working together on a graded academic exercise when such collaboration is not approved by the professor. The cheating might be premeditated as in the case of preparing “cheat sheets” or securing a copy of the test beforehand or opportunistic as in the case of looking at another student’s test. It might also include using a smartwatch or other device during a proctored assessment or receiving unauthorized assistance from an artificial intelligence model on any assignment.
Plagiarism – Use of words or ideas from any source without clearly acknowledging the source of that information, resulting in the false representation as one’s individual work. Students must educate themselves about plagiarism. Ignorance is not a legitimate defense against a charge of plagiarism. To avoid plagiarism, students must give credit when they:
- Quote from any source.
- Paraphrase from any source.
- Use a unique idea from any source.
- Use images, creative work, solutions, data, or calculations without citation from any source.
Falsification/Fabrication – Intentional and unacknowledged invention or alteration of any data, incident, quotations, or citations in an academic exercise.
Facilitating Academic Dishonesty – Intentionally or knowingly helping or attempting to help another student to violate any aspect of academic dishonesty.
Academic Sanctions
In all cases of academic dishonesty, the professor should document the suspected event, meet with the student(s) in question and impose an academic sanction at the professor’s discretion. The Vice President for Instruction (VPI) will maintain a centralized report of all cases of academic dishonesty.
In all cases of disruption of the educational process, the professor should document the suspected event, meet with the student(s) and impose a disciplinary sanction up to removal from the class. The professor may make a recommendation to the dean (director) and VPI that the student be expelled from the class or program. The professor will provide the Dean and VPI a copy of the documentation. All persons authorized to administer discipline (either academic or behavioral) will establish a course of just cause and due process. Severity of the infraction and prior violations will aid in determining to what extent discipline will be meted.
Academic Dishonesty Appeal Process
The student may appeal any academic dishonesty determination or sanction by submitting a written request within one week of receipt of the notification of sanction. The three-stage appeal consists of professor, dean, and Vice President for Instruction and the written appeal must include the following:
- The name of the professor who imposed the academic sanction;
- The name of the student requesting the appeal;
- The course number, course name, and section;
- A description of the imposed sanction; and
- The grounds for the appeal.
After reviewing the appeal, the professor, dean, and Vice President for Instruction will take one of the following actions:
- Deny the appeal request.
- Grant the appeal request and refer the matter back to the professor to amend the original decision and sanction.
The student submitting the appeal is notified in writing of the decision by the professor, dean, and Vice President for Instruction regarding the outcome of each stage of the appeal.
In cases of repeat offenders or students on probationary status, the student will be summoned to the office of the VPI for a disciplinary hearing and a determination will be made if additional sanctions, including an, “F” in the course or removal from the course of instruction is warranted. The student, professor, and dean are notified of any further academic sanctions rendered by the VPI.