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Academic Integrity Policy

Students are expected to do their own academic work; therefore, academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Faculty and students are encouraged to take an aggressive approach to combating acts of inappropriate academic behavior.  Academic dishonesty occurs when a student submits the work of someone else as his/her own or has special information for use in an evaluation activity that is not available to other students in the same activity. Students who observe or become aware of violations of academic integrity are urged to report these violations to the professor in whose course the dishonest acts occur.

Examples include but may not be limited to the following:

  1. Cheating on an examination:
    1. Copying from another student’s examination.
    2. Possessing or using during an examination material not authorized by the person giving the exam.
    3. Collaborating with or seeking aid from another student during an exam without permission from the instructor.
    4. Knowingly using, buying, selling, stealing, transporting, or soliciting in whole or in part the contents of an unadministered examination.
    5. Substituting for another student or permitting another student to substitute for one’s self to take a test.
    6. Obtaining an unadministered test or information about an unadministered test.
  2. Plagiarism is the appropriation, buying, receiving as a gift, or obtaining by any means another person’s work and the unacknowledged submission or incorporation of it as one’s own work. This could include the failure to specifically cite sources.

Penalties

Penalties may range from dismissal from the University to a lesser penalty. If the penalty is an F for the course in which the violation occurred, the F will count in the computation of the student’s GPA even if the course is repeated.

No student who has violated the Academic Integrity Policy will be allowed to graduate from Hardin-Simmons University with honors.

Procedure for Violation

  1. At the point of discovery, the instructor shall inform the student of the alleged violation of academic integrity and hear his/her explanation of the circumstances. If the instructor determines there is no violation, the case is dropped. If the instructor decides the violation is unintentional or minor, then the instructor may decide to require the student to rewrite the paper in question, take a modified exam, or take some similar action. If, in the judgment of the instructor, the alleged violation is deemed to be serious and intentional, the instructor will follow the procedure outlined below in steps 2-5.
  2. Before imposing a penalty for a violation, the instructor shall consult with his/her immediate supervisor and together they will agree on a penalty. The instructor shall then make a written report outlining the incident and the recommended penalty. A copy of this report shall be given to the supervisor, the head of the department and the dean of the school or college in which the course is offered, the Office for Academic Affairs, the student, and the student’s advisor. The instructor shall inform the student, in writing, of the right to appeal the charge of violating academic integrity.
  3. From the point of discovery, and within ten (10) working days, the instructor shall complete the process outlined above.
  4. The Office for Academic Affairs shall maintain files of all violations of academic integrity.
  5. The student has the right to appeal the charge of violating academic integrity and/or the penalty assessed in accordance with the following appeals process.

Procedure for Appeal

  1. A student appealing a charge of academic integrity violation and/or a penalty must deliver a letter to the chair of the Grade Appeal and Academic Misconduct Committee, specifying the basis for the appeal, within ten (10) working days after receiving the instructor’s written report.
  2. The chair of the committee will schedule a meeting of the committee as soon as practical after receipt of the letter of appeal, preferably within ten (10) working days. The chair will notify the student and the instructor of the meeting date and time.
  3. Copies of the instructor’s report and the student’s letter of appeal will be provided to all members of the committee at least two (2) working days before the day of the meeting.
  4. The committee will review the materials submitted by both the student and the instructor before the formal meeting and convene at a time convenient for all involved for the purpose of hearing the two individuals present their cases. The committee will then convene in an executive session to reach a decision in the matter. The chair of the committee will inform, in writing, the student, the student’s advisor, the instructor, the instructor's immediate supervisor, the head of the department and the dean of the school or college in which the course is offered, and the Office for Academic Affairs of the decision.
  5. If the appeal is denied, then the charge and the penalty are upheld. If an appeal of a charge of violating academic integrity is upheld, the case is dismissed. If an appeal of a penalty is upheld, then the committee will determine an appropriate penalty.

The ruling of the committee is final. Action or failure to take action, by an instructor or the Appeals Committee does not preclude disciplinary action by the university when appropriate.