6.3500R Academic Integrity Code Regulation

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I. Title of Regulation

6.3500R Academic Integrity Code Regulation

II. Objective of Regulation

To inform faculty, staff, and students of the College community’s standards of academic integrity and the process for adjudicating alleged violations of those standards

III. Authority

Bylaws of the Board of Trustees, 1.3054(f)

IV. Regulation Statement

This regulation defines violations of academic integrity and outlines the potential penalties for such violations and the process for adjudicating alleged violations. This Academic Integrity Code applies to all academic units of Brookdale Community College

A. Definitions

Cheating – The use or possession of inappropriate or prohibited materials, information, sources, or aids in any academic exercise.  Cheating also includes submitting papers, research results or reports, analyses, and other textual or visual material and media as one’s own work when others prepared them.

Fabrication – The invention or falsification of sources, citations, data, or results, and recording or reporting them in any academic exercise.

Facilitation of Dishonesty – Deliberately or carelessly allowing one’s work to be used by other students without prior approval of the instructor or otherwise aiding others in committing violations of academic integrity.

Plagiarism – The use of previously self-submitted or another person’s words, ideas, images, data, or results, no matter the form or media, without giving that person appropriate credit.

Student – All persons taking courses at the College, full-time or part-time, without regard to the physical location of the course, including off-campus sites or through distance learning. Persons who have not officially applied to the College or are not enrolled for a particular term but have or have had a continuing relationship with the College are considered students.

Violations Involving Potentially Criminal Activity – Violations in this category include, but are not limited to, theft, fraud, forgery, or distribution of illicitly obtained materials committed as part of an act of academic dishonesty.

B. Principles of Academic Integrity

Academic Integrity

As an academic community dedicated to the values of educational excellence, economic empowerment, institutional integrity, and diversity, Brookdale Community College is committed to fostering an intellectual and ethical environment based on the principles of academic integrity. Academic integrity is essential to the success of the College’s educational, research, and clinical missions, and violations of academic integrity constitute serious offenses against the entire academic community.

The principles of academic integrity require that a student:

• make sure that all work submitted in a course, academic research, or other activity is the student’s own and created without the aid of impermissible technologies, materials, or collaborations.
• properly acknowledge and cite all use of the words, ideas, images, data, or results of others.
• receive appropriate permission to use previously submitted work.
• properly acknowledge all contributors to a given piece of work.
• obtain all data or results by ethical means and report them accurately without suppressing any results inconsistent with the student’s interpretation or conclusions.
• treat all other students ethically, respecting their integrity and right to pursue their educational goals without interference. This principle requires that a student neither facilitate academic dishonesty by others nor obstruct their academic progress.
• uphold the ethical standards and professional code of conduct in the field for which the student is preparing.

Adherence to these principles is necessary to ensure that:

• proper credit for words, ideas, images, data, results, and other scholarly work, no matter the form or media is attributed to the appropriate individual(s).
• all student research and work are fairly evaluated, and no student has an inappropriate advantage over others.
• the academic and ethical development of all students is fostered.
• the reputation of the College for integrity, ethics, scholarship, and professionalism is maintained and enhanced.

Failure to uphold these principles of academic integrity threatens both the reputation of the College and the value of the degrees awarded to its students. Every member of the College community, therefore, bears a responsibility for ensuring that the highest standards of academic integrity are upheld.

To uphold these principles, the College administration is responsible for:

• working with faculty, staff, and students to foster a strong institutional culture of academic integrity,
• providing effective educational programs that create an understanding of and commitment to academic integrity, and
• establishing equitable and effective procedures to deal with allegations of violations of academic integrity.

All members of the College share the collegial responsibility for educating students about the importance and principles of academic integrity. Faculty members are expected to inform students of the particular requirements regarding academic integrity within their specific courses, to make reasonable efforts to minimize academic dishonesty, and to respond appropriately to violations of academic integrity. Additionally, faculty members are strongly encouraged to provide a statement concerning academic integrity and a link to the Academic Integrity Policy and related Regulation on their course syllabi. Students are responsible for understanding the principles of academic integrity and abiding by them in all aspects of their work at the College. Students are also encouraged to help educate fellow students about academic integrity and to bring all alleged violations of academic integrity they encounter to the attention of the appropriate parties.

To create a strong culture that promotes academic integrity, instructors have the option to adopt an honor pledge similar to the one suggestion below to be written and signed on examinations and major course assignments submitted for grading: I affirm that I will not plagiarize, use unauthorized materials, or give or receive illegitimate help on assignments, papers, projects, presentations, or exams. Some specialized programs may have codes of professional conduct that impose additional requirements such as requiring students to report observed violations of academic integrity by others and to self-report such violations.

• complete and sign this pledge on examinations and major assignments submitted for grading;
• take an online academic integrity tutorial and pass an online examination on academic integrity in their first semester at Brookdale; and
• affirm that they understand the Brookdale Academic Integrity Code and will abide by it in all of their academic work.

Applicability of the Regulation

This Academic Integrity Code Policy applies to all academic units of Brookdale Community College. Students are responsible for understanding and adhering to the requirements of this Regulation. While also being assured that they will be accorded fair and objective treatment when violations occur.

C. Academic Integrity Violations

Types of Violations

This section describes various ways in which the principles of academic integrity can be violated. Examples of each type of violation are provided in this Regulation Policy; however, neither the types of violations nor the lists of examples are exhaustive.

Plagiarism: Plagiarism is the use of previously self-submitted another person’s words, ideas, images, data, or results, no matter the form or media, without giving that person appropriate credit. To avoid plagiarism, a student must identify every direct quotation using quotation marks or appropriate indentation and cite both direct quotation and paraphrasing properly according to the accepted format for the particular discipline or as required by the instructor in a course. Some common examples of plagiarism are:

• Copying word for word (i.e. quoting directly) from an oral, printed, or electronic source without proper attribution.
• Paraphrasing without proper attribution, i.e., presenting in one’s own words another person’s written words or ideas as if they were one’s own, regardless of the nature of the assignment.
• Incorporating into one’s work graphs, drawings, photographs, diagrams, tables, spreadsheets, computer programs, or other non-textual material from other sources, regardless of format, without proper attribution.

Cheating: Cheating is the use or possession of inappropriate or prohibited materials, information, sources, or aids in any academic exercise. Cheating also includes submitting papers, research results or reports, analyses, and other textual or visual material and media as one’s own work when others prepared them.  Some common examples are:

• Prohibited collaboration: receiving research, programming, data collection, or analytical assistance from others or working with another student on an assignment where such help is not permitted.
• Copying another student’s work or answers on a quiz or examination.
• Using or having access to books, notes, calculators, cell phones, technology, or other prohibited devices or materials during a quiz or examination.
• Preprogramming a calculator or other device to contain answers, formulas, or other unauthorized information for use during a quiz or examination.
• Acquiring a copy of an examination from an unauthorized source before the examination.
• Having a substitute take an examination in one’s place.
• Submitting a purchased or downloaded term paper or other materials to satisfy a course requirement.
• Submitting as one’s own work a term paper or other assignment prepared, in whole or in part, by someone else.

Fabrication: Fabrication is the invention of falsification of sources, citations, data, or results, and recording or reporting them in any academic exercise. Some examples include the following:

• Citing a source that does not exist.
• Making up or falsifying evidence or data or other source materials.
• Falsifying research papers, reports, or other documents by selectively omitting or altering data that do not support one’s conclusions or claimed experimental precision.
• Falsifying patient or client records.
• Falsely documenting experiential and/or internship opportunities that did not occur.
• Providing falsified excuses, documents, or other information to excuse late or missed assignments, or to justify regrading.

Facilitation of Dishonesty: Facilitation of dishonesty is deliberately or carelessly allowing one’s work to be used by other students without prior approval of the instructor of otherwise aiding others in committing violations of academic integrity. A student who deliberately facilitates a violation of academic integrity can be subject to the same sanctions as the student who receives the impermissible assistance, even if the facilitator does not benefit personally from the violation. Some examples are:

• Collaborating before a quiz or examination to develop methods of exchanging information.
• Knowingly allowing others to copy answers to complete a quiz or examination or assisting others to do so.
• Distributing an examination from an unauthorized source before the examination.

D. Levels of Violations

Violations of academic integrity are generally divided into three categories: Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3.

• Level 1 violations may occur as a result of inexperience or lack of malicious intent by the person committing the violation.
• Level 2 violations include misconduct of a more serious character or misconduct that affects a major, significant, or essential portion of work done to meet course requirements. These violations demonstrate premeditation or may have posed harm to others. The student alleged to have committed the violation may have one or more previous violations.
• Level 3 violations represent the most serious breaches of conduct. They may involve a serious violation of a professional code of conduct; may include extreme cases of dishonesty and maliciousness or violations of law; and/or are likely to cause direct harm to others.

The procedures for adjudicating alleged violations of academic integrity are different for Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 violations. The following examples of violations are not exhaustive. Classification of a given violation is heavily dependent on the exact facts and circumstances of the violation as determined by the Chief Academic Officer.

Level 1 Violations

Level 1 violations are less serious violations of academic integrity. They may occur because of inexperience or lack of understanding of the principles of academic integrity and are often characterized by a relatively low degree of premeditation or planning on the part of the student committing the violation. These violations are generally quite limited in extent, occur on a minor assignment or quiz, or constitute a small portion of a major assignment and/or represent a small percentage of the total course work. Below are a few examples of violations that are considered Level 1, at least when committed by an undergraduate student as a first-time offense.

• Plagiarism on a minor assignment or a very limited portion of a major
• Unpremeditated cheating on a quiz or minor
• Prohibited collaboration with another student on a homework
• Unauthorized sharing of course materials.
• Citing a source that does not exist or that one has not read on a minor assignment.
• Signing in for another student via attendance sheet or clicker in a course where attendance is graded.

Level 2 Violations

Level 2 violations are serious violations of academic integrity that affect a more significant portion of the course work compared to Level 1 violations or are an alleged second violation of this regulation Level 2 violations are often characterized by substantial premeditation or planning and clearly dishonest or malicious intent on the part of the student committing the violation. Below are some examples of violations that are most often considered Level 2.

• A second Level 1 violation.
• Substantial plagiarism on a major assignment.
• Copying or using unauthorized materials, technology, websites, devices, or collaboration on a major assignment or exam.
• Making up or falsifying evidence or data or other source materials for a major assignment, including falsification by selectively omitting or altering data that do not support one’s claims or conclusions.
• Distribution of course materials to unauthorized parties or for financial gain.
• Facilitating dishonesty by another student on a major exam or assignment.
• Intentionally obstructing another student’s work.
• Participating in an organized cheating scheme.

Level 3 Violations

Level 3 violations are serious breaches of conduct, may involve a serious violation of a professional code of conduct, may include dishonesty and maliciousness, violation of law, and/or are likely to cause direct harm to others. Below are some examples of violations that are considered Level 3.

• Subsequent violations
• Any violation involving potentially criminal activity.
• Coordinating, facilitating, or participating in an organized cheating scheme.
• Having a substitute or serving as a substitute to take an examination.
• Cheating and/or plagiarism on a major assignment.
• Intentionally destroying another student’s work.

When a student is accused of one or more Level 3 violations that include alleged violations of law or a professional code of conduct, or when it is reasonable to believe that the student is likely to cause direct harm to others, they may be removed from a course, clinical, or internship setting on an interim basis. The student shall be immediately informed in writing of any interim removal and has the right to appeal to the Chief Academic Officer.

E. Sanctions

Any violation of academic integrity is a serious offense subject to appropriate sanctions or penalties up to and including suspension from the College. Violations of academic integrity may result in academic penalties, educational sanctions, and/or disciplinary sanctions, and are not limited to the examples below.

Academic Sanctions

• Requirement to re-submit the assignment or complete an alternate assignment.
• A grade reduction for assignment or course.
• A failing grade for the assignment.
• A grade of F in the course.
• A grade of XF in the course, where applicable.

Educational Sanctions

• An assigned paper or research project related to ethics or academic integrity.
• Participation in a workshop or seminar.
• Service to the College community.

Disciplinary Sanctions

• Disciplinary reprimand
• Disciplinary probation.
• Dismissal from a departmental or school
• Denial of access to internships or research programs.
• Loss of appointment to academic or college positions.
• Loss of departmental or College endorsements for support and employment opportunities.
• Suspension for one or more semesters.
• Expulsion from the College with a permanent notation of disciplinary expulsion on the student’s transcript.
• Degree or certificate revocation.

Note: Any of these sanctions may have an impact on financial aid, scholarship, or scholastic standing.

F. Process and Discipline Procedures

The College ensures every individual has the right to a fair and equal process in academic disciplinary matters. The flowchart below outlines the process.

At the meeting of the Academic Integrity Appeal, the student and the faculty/staff member will have the right to produce witnesses on her/his behalf, to question all witnesses, and to bring the counsel of her/his own choosing. Representatives will be allowed to advise their respective parties but not speak at the hearing. Any other Brookdale students, faculty, and staff may attend only through invitation by the Chief Academic Officer. Within two weeks after the hearing, the student and faculty will be informed in writing of the Committee’s determination of academic code violation. If the committee finds that a violation of the academic code did occur, the outcome determined by the faculty will be upheld. If the committee finds in favor of the appeal, no sanctions will be imposed. All records of violations of the academic integrity code will be maintained by the Office of the Chief Academic Officer.

VI. Responsibility for Implementation

Vice President of Student Affairs

VP of Academic Affairs

Revised: 7/12/2001
Effective: 7/12/2001
Updated: 3/2009
Revised: 11/2005
Approved: President, 1/26/2016
Revised: President, 1/29/2018
Revised: President, 2/3/2022
Revised: President, 1/24/24

Formerly titled 6.3000R Student Conduct Code and Academic Integrity Code.