Academic Honesty
Academic honesty is necessary for the free exchange of ideas. Utica College expects academic honesty from all students. In cases of academic dishonesty, Utica College faculty are empowered to report such instances to the Office of Academic Affairs and assign academic penalties, based on the severity of the dishonesty.What is academic dishonesty?
Academic dishonesty can include plagiarism or cheating. Plagiarism, a serious form of academic dishonesty, is the use of ideas and phrases in the writings of others as one's own without crediting the source. All materials used or paraphrased must be cited and credited. Cheating refers to both the giving and the receiving of unauthorized assistance in the taking of examinations or in the creation of assigned and/or graded class work. Students who assist other students in, or contribute to, acts of academic dishonesty are subject to the appropriate penalties. Utica College faculty are authorized to assign academic penalties, including the grade of F for the course, for academic dishonesty.Students who receive a penalty for academic dishonesty forfeit the right to withdraw from the class or College without penalty, unless the faculty member allows it. The faculty shall inform the student in writing of the penalty and of the right to an appeal to the Academic Standards Committee, with a copy to the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs. The Provost will refer any repeat offense, or any particularly egregious first offense to the Academic Standards Committee, which may recommend a more severe penalty than that imposed by the faculty member.
In addition, instances of academic dishonesty may be referred to the Academic Standards Committee by the Office of Student Affairs. Instances of academic misconduct (misuse of academic resources or facilities) may be referred by the Academic Standards Committee to the Office of Student Affairs for possible action through the student disciplinary process. Behavior by a student may result in both a hearing by the Academic Standards Committee and action through the student disciplinary process. The processes are separate so the decision rendered in one place will not determine the decision rendered in the other.
Further information on procedures for reporting academic dishonesty, guidelines for rendering appropriate sanctions, as well as the form letter needed to inform students in writing can be found under the "Resources for Faculty" tab on the left of this page.