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Academic Honesty (approved by Faculty Senate, March 2003)

Stonehill College has an uncompromising commitment to academic honesty. Without a climate of intellectual and moral integrity, no college flourishes or even functions. Any violation of this principle, no matter how small, threatens the unrestricted exchange of knowledge. 

All members of the College community have the responsibility to be familiar with, to support, and to abide by the College’s policy on academic honesty. This responsibility includes reporting known or suspected violations of this policy to the appropriate faculty member or to the Dean of Faculty in the Office of Academic Affairs. 

Academic dishonesty includes but is not limited to the following actions: 

1. presenting another’s work as if it were one’s own 
2. failing to acknowledge or document a source even if the action is unintended (i.e., plagiarism); 
3. giving or receiving, or attempting to give or receive, unauthorized assistance or information in an assignment or examination; 
4. fabricating data; 
5. submitting the same assignment in two or more courses without prior permission of the respective instructors; or 
6. having another person write a paper or sit for an examination. 

Procedures 

Inquiry: When a faculty member discovers evidence of academic dishonesty, the faculty member meets privately with the student, presents the student with the evidence (without accusation) and asks for an explanation. If the incident occurs at the end of a term and the student is unavailable, a grade of Incomplete will be issued until the matter can be discussed with the student. 

Penalty: As soon as possible, but within two weeks of a faculty member’s determination that a student has violated the Academic Honesty Policy, the faculty member informs the student of the determination, of the charge, and the penalty imposed and whether or not the incident has been reported to the Dean of Faculty. 

If the faculty member believes that the student acted intentionally, the faculty member reports the incident to the Dean of Faculty and imposes one of the following penalties, depending on the nature and severity of the infraction: (1) reduction or loss of credit for the assignment, or (2) failure in the course. For a serious infraction of the policy, the faculty member may recommend to the Academic Review Board that the student be separated from the College.

If the faculty member believes that the student’s action is an unintentional, minor matter resulting from a lack of understanding, the penalty can be limited to a slight reduction in the grade for the assignment, a requirement to rewrite and resubmit the assignment, and/or the requirement that the student schedule an appointment with Writing Center personnel for assistance on proper procedure. Reporting of the incident to the Dean of Faculty is left to the discretion of the faculty member.

Report of Offense: The report includes (1) date and nature of the exercise; (2) evidence and method of determination; (3) penalty imposed; and (4) copies of all relevant documents. The Dean of Faculty informs the student that his or her name has been entered in a confidential list of students who have violated the Academic Honesty Policy. The student receives a copy of the report submitted by the faculty member and may submit comments to the Dean. This record is kept confidential and is destroyed upon graduation.

Repeated Offenses: If a student is reported a second time for violating the policy, the Dean of Faculty notifies the Academic Review Board. The Board normally separates the student from the College for a minimum of two semesters. This separation is entered on the student’s Permanent Academic Record (“Academic Separation: Violation of the Academic Code”).

If a student who was separated for an infraction of the Academic Honesty Policy and later readmitted again violates the Policy, the Academic Review Board permanently dismisses that student from the College. This dismissal is entered on the student’s Permanent Academic Record. (“Academic Dismissal: Violation of the Academic Code”).

The penalties of the Academic Review Board become effective at the time of the Board’s decision.

Appeals: Students may appeal to the Academic Appeals Board any penalty imposed for infraction of the Academic Honesty Policy within ten days of the imposition of the penalty. If an appeal is successful, all records of that charge are destroyed.

(From the Hill Book, Jan. 2007)