Academic Dishonesty

Academic Dishonesty Policy for Residential Programs

Academic Dishonesty is any behavior intended to promote or enhance a student’s academic standing within the University by dishonest means. Acts of academic dishonesty are offenses against established standards of the academic community and the University’s Honor Code. All suspected acts of academic dishonesty are initially subject to review by the Academic Integrity Officer.

Acts of academic dishonesty are considered cheating under the University’s Honor Code, and include, but are not limited to, the following:

Submitting work done by another as your own.
Submitting your own academic work for credit more than once, whether in whole or in part, in the same course or different courses without the approval of the instructor who is responsible for assigning credit to the work.
Giving or receiving unauthorized aid on any assignment or examination.
Altering any University form, record, or document, or forging the signature of any University instructor or official.
Interfering with, or attempting to interfere with, the access of others to the University computer system, or any part thereof, copying computer files, diskettes, programs, software, or manuals without proper authority, or tampering in any way with the integrity of the University computer system.
Interfering with, or attempting to interfere with, the fair and equal access of others to the use of the University libraries or other academic resources
Exercising plagiarism, which is the use of words, ideas, concepts, or work of another, without proper acknowledgment.
- The direct quotation of the words of another must be set off in quotation marks and acknowledged in a footnote or other acceptable form of citation. The use of paraphrased material, or the ideas, concepts, or work of another must also be acknowledged in a footnote or other acceptable form of citation. Acknowledging sources used in the preparation of an assignment solely in a bibliography does not constitute an acceptable acknowledgment of the words, ideas, concepts, or work of another used in the assignment. In any case where a student is found to have used plagiarized material, an academic penalty will be assessed.

All suspected acts of academic dishonesty will be reported promptly to the Academic Integrity Officer (AIO), who is also the Chair of Academic Integrity Committee (AIC). Upon receipt of the report, the AIO will communicate with the student to review the charge.

If the student accepts the charge upon review, the AIO will refer the student to a Restorative Conversation. The student, the professor of the class, and a facilitator will discuss the incident and draft a contract under which the student takes accountability, learns from the event, and repairs the wrong done. The case will then be referred to the Honor Committee for review as an Honor Code violation.
If the student contests the charge of academic dishonesty, the case will be heard by the Academic Integrity Committee. If the student is found responsible, the case will then be referred to the Honor Committee for review as an Honor Code violation.

Academic Dishonesty Policy for the College of Graduate and Continuing Studies

Students enrolled in the College of Graduate and Continuing Studies and who are suspected of academic dishonesty, most often in the form of plagiarism, will be subject to a formal university process to determine fault and, if at fault, the sanction.

Graduate students who suspect another student of academic dishonesty shall report their suspicions to their instructor. Graduate faculty or staff shall report their own suspicions, or those reported to them, to the program director.
Degree completion students who suspect another student of academic dishonesty shall report their suspicions to their instructor. Degree completion faculty or staff shall report their own suspicions, or those reported to them, to the Associate Dean of Continuing Studies.

All charges of academic dishonesty will be filed in accordance with this policy. Acts of academic dishonesty are offenses against established standards of the academic community and the university’s honor code. All suspected acts of academic dishonesty are subject to review and action by the Academic Integrity Committee.

Academic dishonesty is the failure to maintain academic integrity. Academic dishonesty includes (but is not limited to) such things as cheating, fabrication, bribery, obtaining or giving aid on an examination, having unauthorized prior knowledge of an examination, doing work for another student, and presenting another person's work as one’s own, and plagiarism. Examples of academic dishonesty include, but are not limited to, the following:

Cheating on Exams and Other Assignments

Cheating is the use or attempted use of unauthorized materials, information, and study aids. Unauthorized collaboration on examinations or other academic exercises is also cheating. Students must consult the instructor about permissible collaboration. Cheating or assisting another student to cheat in connection with an examination or assignment is academic fraud.

Committing Plagiarism

Plagiarism in any of its forms violates standards of academic integrity. Plagiarism is the act of passing off as one's own the ideas or writings of another. All academic disciplines recognize and value the contributions of individuals to knowledge and expertise. Note that unintentional plagiarism is still plagiarism.

Using False Citations

False citation is academic fraud. False citation is the attribution of intellectual property to an incorrect or fabricated source with the intention to deceive. False attribution seriously undermines the integrity of the academic enterprise by severing a chain of ideas that should be traceable link by link.

Submitting Work for Multiple Purposes

Students may not submit their own work (in identical or similar form) for multiple purposes without the prior and explicit approval of all faculty members to whom the work will be submitted. This includes work first produced in connection with classes at either Norwich University or any other institutions attended by the student.

Submitting False Data

The submission of false data is academic fraud. False data are data that have been fabricated, altered, or contrived in such a way as to be deliberately misleading.

Falsifying Academic Documentation

Any attempt to forge or alter academic documentation (including transcripts, certificates of enrollment or good standing, letters of recommendation, registration forms, and medical certification of absence) concerning oneself or others constitutes academic fraud.

Abuse of Library Privileges

Attempting to deprive others of equal access to library materials is a violation of academic integrity. This includes the sequestering of library materials for use by an individual or group; a willful or repeated failure to respond to recall notices; and the removal or attempt to remove library materials from any University library without authorization. Defacing, theft, or destruction of books and articles or other library materials that deprives others of equal access to these materials also is a violation of academic integrity.

Abuse of Shared Electronic Media

Malicious actions that deprive others of equal access to shared electronic media used for academic purposes are a violation of academic integrity. This includes efforts that result in the damage or sabotage of Norwich University computer systems or of any other computer systems.

Copyright infringement is a violation of the University Honor Code, Academic Integrity Policy, and Academic Dishonesty Policy. For more information see the University's Copyright Infringement Policy applicable to all students.

The Academic Integrity Committees for Residential and CGCS Programs

The Academic Integrity Committee, one that oversees residential programs and one overseeing the online programs, is comprised of members of the faculty and chaired by the Provost’s designee. The AIC is responsible to the Faculty Senate for the implementation of University regulations involving violations of academic integrity.

The Procedures of the Academic Integrity Committee describing the procedures of hearings will be provided to all students charged with academic dishonesty in advance. Hearings of the AIC are held jointly with the Honor Committee. At the hearing, the AIC will review all available facts and authorize an appropriate academic penalty if its review confirms that an act of academic dishonesty occurred. If the student is found responsible for an act of academic dishonesty, the hearing is continued by the Honor Committee for review as an Honor Code violation. Decisions of the Academic Integrity Committee may be appealed to the Provost.

Academic Integrity Procedures for either Residential Programs or CGCS Programs are sent to the students upon notification of the report of an incident of academic dishonesty in a Norwich University course.