ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY
The academic integrity policy of Sacred Heart is set forth below, in the following Parts:
I: Application and Definitions
II: Penalties for Academic Offences in Course Work, Tests or Exams
III: Procedures for Determination of Academic Dishonesty in Course Work, Tests and Exams
IV: Procedures for Determination of Academic Dishonesty in Applications to Sacred Heart
V: Procedures for Dealing with Conflict of Interest
VI: Other Procedures and Regulations
VII: Review of Policy
PART I: APPLICATION AND DEFINITIONS |
I.1. APPLICATION
This policy applies to students registered in courses at Sacred Heart of Peterborough. It is expected that this policy will be implemented with discretion and compassion following a thorough examination of the pertinent circumstances. I.2. DEFINITIONS i. Academic Integrity. All members of the Sacred Heart academic community share the responsibility for its academic standards and reputation. When students submit work for academic evaluation and credit, they imply that they are the sole authors of the work. Clear and careful attribution of the words and ideas of others is an essential part of academic scholarship. Academic honesty is a cornerstone of the development and acquisition of knowledge and is a condition of continued membership in the Sacred Heart learning community. ii. Academic Dishonesty. Academic dishonesty, including plagiarism and cheating, is ultimately destructive of the values of the Sacred Heart community. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the community. Engaging in any form of academic dishonesty or misconduct in order to obtain academic credit or advantage of any kind is an offence under this policy. iii. Plagiarism. Plagiarism is knowingly presenting words, ideas, images, data, or any other form of work of another person (including essays, theses, lab reports, projects, assignments, presentations and posters) in a way that represents or could be reasonably seen to represent the work as one's own. "Knowingly" includes ought reasonably to have known. Plagiarism includes failure to acknowledge sources correctly and submitting materials copied from the internet without proper acknowledgement of the source. Draft work submitted for evaluation is subject to the same standard as final work. iv. Cheating. Cheating is dishonest academic conduct or attempted dishonest academic conduct during tests or examinations or in the preparation of any other course work or in the presentation of credentials for admission to Sacred Heart or one of its programs. Some common examples are: a) submitting one's own original student work for credit in two or more different courses without the prior agreement of the instructors involved; b) bringing aids, including electronic aids, that have not been authorized by the instructor into an examination or test; c) impersonating another individual or colluding in an impersonation; d) copying from one or more other individuals or knowingly permitting one or more other individuals to copy from one's test, examination paper, lab report or assignment; e) collaborating with one or more other individuals when collaborative work has not been expressly authorized by the instructor; f) communicating with one or more other students during a test or examination; g) purchasing or selling any piece of work for submission, or facilitating the selling and purchasing of such material; h) submitting purchased material as one's own work; i) falsifying or tampering with results in laboratory experiments or research assignments; j) falsifying transcripts or tampering with documents used to make decisions about admissions to Sacred Heart or one of its programs; k) withholding transcripts or other required documents at the time of application to Sacred Heart; l) submitting false or misrepresentative medical certificates or other documentation in support of requests for concessions on academic work or deadlines. I.3. DOUBT CONCERNING DEFINITIONS Students who have any doubt as to what might be considered academic dishonesty in a particular course should consult the instructor of the course to obtain appropriate guidelines. |
PART II: PENALTIES FOR ACADEMIC OFFENCES IN COURSE WORK, TESTS OR EXAMS |
II.1. LEVELS OF OFFENCE: MAJOR AND MINOR
i. The penalty for a student who has been found to have committed an academic offence will be based on whether the offence is minor or major. ii. In deciding whether an offence is minor or major, consideration will be given to the following factors: a) the extent of the dishonesty; b) whether the act in question was deliberate and whether the student ought reasonably to have known that it was an offence; c) the importance of the work in question as a component of the course or program; d) the academic experience of the student; e) any other relevant circumstances. iii. The factors listed immediately above shall also be taken into consideration in determining penalty where the usual penalty provides for a range. II.2. PENALTIES Penalties for academic dishonesty shall be assigned as follows: i. First Minor Offence: The penalty for a first minor offence will be a grade of 0 on the piece of work with no opportunity to re-write. ii. Second Minor or First Major Offence: The penalty for a second minor offence (i.e., for two minor offences) or for a first major offence will be a grade of zero (0) on the piece of work with no opportunity to re-write, plus the deduction of marks in the course potentially down to a course grade of zero (0), plus a transcript notation (e.g.: 62-Academic Dishonesty; 0-Academic Dishonesty). iii. Subsequent Offence: The penalty for any offence after two minor offences, or after a first major offence, or after a major offense where a minor offence is already on record, will be a period of suspension from Sacred Heart academic programs (academic status "Suspension - Academic Dishonesty") ranging from one term to two years in addition to a 0-Academic Dishonesty in the course. iv. Further Offence After Suspension: After a Suspension, the penalty for any further offence will be expulsion from the academic programs of Sacred Heart. II.3. Extraordinary Circumstances The penalties above will be levied unless there are extraordinary circumstances which justify a different penalty. II.4. Ineligibility for Honour Rolls A student who has committed a major offence or multiple offences is ineligible for the Sacred Heart Honour Roll for that academic year and for the Chancellor's Honour Roll at graduation. |
PART III: PROCEDURES FOR DETERMINATION OF ACADEMIC DISHONESTY IN COURSE WORK, TESTS AND EXAMS |
Sections III.1-III.4 below deal with the procedure for course work; Section III.5 below deals with the procedure for tests and exams.
III.1. INSTRUCTOR INVESTIGATES AND REPORTS If an instructor has reason to believe that a student has committed an academic offence, the instructor will so inform the student within a reasonable time and invite the student to meet to discuss the matter. The instructor will make reasonable inquiries to investigate the circumstances of the matter. i. Instructor Finds No Academic Dishonesty If after meeting with the student and reviewing the evidence the instructor is satisfied that no academic dishonesty occurred, no further action will be taken by the instructor unless new evidence comes to his or her attention. ii. Instructor Finds Academic Dishonesty If, after meeting with the student (or if the student fails to respond to the request for a meeting or does not attend a prearranged meeting) the instructor decides that academic dishonesty has occurred, the instructor will prepare a report to the Dean of Studies. The report will summarize the relevant facts and evidence, including the student's version of events (if given). The report will additionally state whether the instructor considers the offence to be minor or major and the reasons why, as well as any extraordinary circumstances that are evident in the case. Copies of all supporting documentation will be attached to the report. The instructor will inform the student in writing that a report to the Dean of Studies has been prepared and that a copy has been made available for the student to pick up from the department office. III.2. OPPORTUNITY FOR COMMENT BY STUDENT Should the student wish to add to or clarify the information in the report, the student may send written comments to the Dean of Studies within seven days of the date of the report. III.3. DEAN OF STUDIES REVIEWS THE CASE The Dean of Studies will carefully review the report and comments, if any. i. Dean of Studies Finds No Academic Dishonesty If the Dean of Studies is not satisfied that academic dishonesty occurred, the Dean of Studies will inform the student in writing of his or her decision and no further action will be taken unless new evidence is brought to the Dean of Studies' attention. ii. Dean of Studies Finds Academic Dishonesty If the Dean of Studies is satisfied that academic dishonesty occurred, the Dean of Studies will make inquiries as to whether there is a record of any previous academic offence by the student. iii. Dean's Response in Case of First Offence a) If there is no record on file of any previous academic offence by the student the Dean of Studies will decide the matter. The Dean of Studies will determine whether the offence is minor or major and levy a penalty accordingly. The Dean of Studies may, based on extraordinary circumstances, decide to levy a penalty other than the usual penalty. The Dean of Studies will send to the student an Academic Dishonesty Form to inform the student in writing of the decision and confirm that a record of the offence will be filed in the student records office and the Office of the Dean of Studies. b) In the case of a first offence, the Dean of Studies does not have authority to levy a penalty exceeding a grade in the course of 0 with the transcript notation "0 - Academic Dishonesty." iv. Dean's Response in Case of Second or Further Offence If there is already a record of one or more academic offences on file for a student the Dean of Studies will decide the matter. In the latter case the Dean of Studies will set out the reasons for his or her conclusion that a stronger penalty is appropriate. III.4. OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENT APPEAL OF DEAN'S DECISION The student may appeal a decision by the Dean of Studies by writing to the Committee for Student Petitions (CSP), Chaired by Principal of Sacred Heart, setting out the grounds for appeal within two weeks of receiving the Academic Dishonesty Form. The Chair of CSP will normally respond to the appeal within two weeks of receiving the appeal. III.5. DETERMINING ACADEMIC DISHONESTY ON TESTS AND EXAMS Where an allegation of academic dishonesty arises during a test or examination, the responsible invigilator will collect the available evidence and, if he or she is not the course instructor, will notify the course instructor, who will proceed as detailed above. |
PART IV: PROCEDURES FOR DETERMINATION OF ACADEMIC DISHONESTY |
IV.1. ALLEGATIONS SUBMITTED TO THE DEAN OF STUDIES
Where there is an allegation of falsifying, misrepresenting, or withholding records for entry into Sacred Heart or one of its programs, the Dean of Studies' Office and Dean of Studies will be informed. IV.2. DEAN OF STUDIES REVIEWS THE CASE i. Notification of Student The student will be notified in writing of the allegation and be invited to meet within a reasonable time. If the student does not respond to the request for a meeting or does not attend a prearranged meeting, the Dean of Studies will proceed to make a decision on the basis of the evidence before him or her. ii. Decision by Dean of Studies If, after reviewing the evidence, the Dean of Studies is satisfied that no academic dishonesty occurred, the Dean of Studies will inform the student in writing of his or her decision and no further action will be taken by the Dean of Studies unless new evidence is brought to the Dean of Studies' attention. If the Dean of Studies is satisfied that academic dishonesty has occurred, the Dean of Studies will decide the appropriate penalty and inform the student in writing of his or her decision. A written record of the incident, along with the documented evidence, will be kept on file at the Office of the Dean of Studies (and the Registrar's Office, if appropriate). iii. Opportunity for Student Appeal of Dean's Decision The student may appeal the decision of the Dean of Studies by writing to the Chair of the Committee for Student Petitions (CSP) and setting out the grounds for appeal within two weeks of notification of the Dean of Studies' decision. The Chair of the CSP will normally respond to the appeal within two weeks of receiving the appeal. |
PART V: PROCEDURES FOR DEALING WITH CONFLICT OF INTEREST |
In investigations of academic dishonesty, all steps will be taken to eliminate the possibility of conflict of interest. This section deal with the cases where Dean of Studies or the Principal of Sacred Heart may have a conflict of interest between the role of instructor and the role of adjudicator.
V.1. WHERE THE DEAN OF STUDIES IS THE INSTRUCTOR OF THE STUDENT WHOSE WORK IS AT ISSUE If the instructor of the student whose work is at issue is the Dean of Studies, then the evaluation process shall be conducted by the Chair of the Committee for Student Petitions (CSP), and the Dean of Studies will not serve on the Committee for Student Petitions as it considers the case. V.2. WHERE THE PRINCIPAL IS THE INSTRUCTOR OF THE STUDENT WHOSE WORK IS AT ISSUE If the instructor of the student whose work is at issue is the Principal of Sacred Heart, then the evaluation process shall be conducted by the Dean of Studies. The Dean of Studies will serve as Chair of the Committee for Student Petitions (CSP), and the Principal will not serve on the Committee for Student Petitions as it considers the case. |
PART VI: OTHER PROCEDURES AND REGULATIONS |
VI.1. FINAL APPEAL
The student may appeal a decision of the CSP to the Special Appeals Committee (SAC) of Sacred Heart within four weeks of notification of the decision. The decision of the SAC is final. VI.2. PRIVACY PROTECTION In accordance with privacy legislation, personal information gathered under this policy will only be shared among Sacred Heart personnel on a need to know basis. VI.3. OTHER TYPES OF ACADEMIC DISHONESTY Allegations of academic dishonesty of types not covered in this policy may be made in writing to the Dean of Studies, who will determine the appropriate procedure to be followed. VI.4. NON-PRESERVATION OF DROPPED ALLEGATIONS If it is determined that allegations of academic dishonesty are not supported by sufficient evidence, no permanent record of the incident will be kept on file at Sacred Heart of Peterborough. VI.5. NON-EFFECT OF WITHDRAWAL UPON PROCEEDINGS A student's withdrawal from a course, program, at Sacred Heart does not stay or prevent proceedings for academic dishonesty under this policy. Penalties for academic dishonesty determined under this policy will appear as appropriate on the student's record, including the student's transcript, despite any such withdrawal. VI.6. REMOVAL OF TRANSCRIPT NOTATION If a student has a notation of academic dishonesty on his or her transcript, an application can be made in writing to the Dean of Studies to have the notation removed from the transcript. Such applications may not be initiated before two years have passed. Zero grades and notations of suspension cannot be removed. VI.7. REPORT ON ACADEMIC OFFENCES A summary report of academic offences and penalties will be prepared by the Dean of Studies. |
PART VII: REVIEW OF POLICY |
VII.1. REVIEW OF ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY
This policy is subject to occasional review at the request of any member of the Academic Advisory Council. |