Students attending
To create an environment in which all may flourish, members of the StFX community share five fundamental values in their pursuit of truth and knowledge: 1) intellectual and personal honesty; 2) mutual trust and the free exchange of ideas; 3) clarity and fairness in interactions with each other; 4) respect for others’ ideas and opinions; 5) personal responsibility and accountability.
To address
incidents of academic dishonesty, the University has determined upon the
following definitions, procedures, and penalties:
A. Definitions:
1.
Plagiarism: The misrepresentation of another’s
ideas, words, or other work as one’s own, plagiarism is a form of theft. Types
of plagiarism may include: a) paraphrasing or re-arranging another’s words without
proper acknowledgement; and b) using material from the Internet, a database, a
book, a journal, or any other source without attribution.
2.
Cheating: A more direct form of academic theft,
cheating may include: a) buying, selling, or sharing papers or other
assignments, or submitting them as one’s own work; b) collaborating on
assignments designated as individual; c) submitting to one instructor work
completed for another; d) copying or using unauthorized aids during
examinations; e) impersonating another or allowing oneself to be impersonated;
f) illicitly obtaining, viewing, or sharing information about an assignment or
an examination before it is administered.
3.
Falsification: This form of academic deceit may
include: a) altering research results or transcripts; b) submitting false
credentials; c) lying on application forms; d) requesting extensions
dishonestly.
4.
Tampering: This category of academic dishonesty
includes: a) illegitimately using, or illicitly altering, any computer data; b)
damaging University materials; c) interfering with others’ work, including
their use of computer or other resources.
B. Procedures and Penalties:
1. Any member of
the University may act as complainant or report another’s academic dishonesty
to the course instructor.
2.
If an instructor determines that plagiarism has occurred,
s/he will consult the Registry of Academic Discipline to see if the student has
previously been reported for academic dishonesty.
3.
If the student has never before plagiarized, the instructor
and student will discuss the matter, and the student will be given an
opportunity to acknowledge his or her responsibility, with the following
possible penalties to be applied: a) the assignment may be re-submitted for a
new grade; b) the assignment grade may be reduced or a grade of zero may be
applied. The instructor will report
to the Registrar both the problem and its resolution; and the Registrar will
add the student’s name to the Registry of Academic Discipline, to be removed
upon graduation.
4. Should the student
refuse to acknowledge that plagiarism has occurred, or reject the instructor’s
determination, s/he may appeal in writing to the
Senate
Committee on Academic Discipline, with a copy to the instructor, who will
prepare a brief for the Committee.
5.
In the case of a second determination of plagiarism,
or in the case of any other form of academic dishonesty, the complainant (the
instructor or other accuser) will prepare a detailed statement on the matter,
to include the names of any witnesses, and send it to the Academic Discipline
Officer. The Officer will review the statement and decide whether the case
should proceed to the Senate
Committee on Academic Discipline.
6. The Senate Committee on Academic Discipline
will meet within a week of receiving a complaint or an appeal, will review the
information, and may interview the complainant(s). Should the student admit
culpability, the Committee will determine an appropriate penalty. Should the
student dispute his or her guilt, s/he may present arguments
to the Committee,
accompanied by an advocate or witnesses. Meeting in camera, the
Committee will decide the case on the civil standard, which is the balance of
probabilities, and based on a majority vote.
7. If the student is found guilty, penalties
may range from a grade of zero for the assignment, to a grade of zero for the
course, to academic probation for a specified period, to temporary suspension
from the University, to permanent dismissal from the University. Penalties for
repeat offences will be increasingly severe, and all decisions will be recorded
in the Registry of Academic Discipline. In the case of probation, suspension,
or dismissal, the penalty will be noted on the student’s transcript for a
length of time to be determined by the Committee.
8.
Should
the student or the complainant wish to appeal the Committee’s decision, s/he may petition the
Joint Committee on Studies, which may, based on a majority vote, endorse or
amend the decision of the Senate Committee on Academic Discipline. Decisions of
the Joint Committee on Studies are final.
The complete
Policy on Academic Integrity is available at http://www.mystfx.ca/services/registrar/academic-integrity-document.pdf