Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism

Honesty in all matters is a valued principle at Judson University. Members of this community of learners - students, faculty, staff, and administrators - are expected to treat each other as trustworthy, honest, and honorable. Any form of academic dishonesty, which includes cheating, plagiarism, and falsification of documents, constitutes a serious breach of trust. No form of academic dishonesty will be tolerated.

Plagiarism is the use of another's words, information, or ideas without giving credit to that person. This includes copying, quoting, paraphrasing, or taking an idea from published or broadcast material or from another individual. Plagiarism is dishonest and can be illegal. It is the student's responsibility to be careful and meticulous when taking notes and documenting sources. Unintentional plagiarism may still be considered stealing someone else's work or misrepresenting it as one's own. Further, it is the responsibility of the student to follow the appropriate style of documentation as determined by the instructor or program. If the student has any questions regarding the appropriate style of documentation, the student must be certain to ask his or her instructor. Further instruction is available at the library and in the Writing Center.

Appeal Process

Documentation of Appeal Process

For reasons of both efficiency and clarity, any appeal should be pursued as close in time to the alleged unfair event as possible. Any appeal must be documented by all involved parties. Standard rules of evidence and strict confidentiality will be observed through any and all appeal steps.

INITIAL ACTION (Step One)

Upon discovery of evidence of dishonesty, cheating, or plagiarism by a student, the instructor will notify that student via his/her University email account of the infraction. The instructor may also schedule a meeting with the student either prior or subsequent to the official notification via email. Students are responsible for checking their University email account until all course grades are submitted or the appeal process is concluded.

1. The student will have an opportunity to appeal the charge in writing within two business days of the receipt of the email notification from the instructor. This appeal to the instructor must be submitted to the instructor via University email. If the instructor concludes student is guilty of dishonesty, cheating, or plagiarism, a written incident report will be sent to the Registrar who will notify the Chair of the appropriate program. The instructor of the course has the discretion to administer either or both options below:
• Assess a 0 or F for the paper, assignment, or exam
• Assess an additional 10% penalty against the student's final grade
2. Once the course of action has been decided, the professor will notify the student via email, and a follow-up written report will be sent to the Registrar's Office.

PLAGIARISM SEMINAR REQUIREMENT

If a student is found guilty of his/her first offense of plagiarism, he/she will be required to attend a plagiarism seminar led by the Writing Center. The student must attend this seminar within one month of the incidence of plagiarism. Failure to attend will result in further disciplinary action.

SECOND OFFENSE

Should there be a second offense of dishonesty, cheating, or plagiarism, in the same course or in any other course, the student may be dismissed from the University and, in the case of fraud, appropriate legal action will be taken.

Appeal to the Chair (Step Two)

As a Christian community, all Judson University personnel live under the authority of biblical standards and the direction of the Holy Spirit, sharing mutual accountability for ethical and just behavior. As a human community, we will make mistakes. Students at Judson University have the right to appeal academic decisions. If a student has appealed to the faculty member and disagrees with the faculty member's decision that student has, without fear of penalty or reprisal, the right to pursue additional appeals.

If the student's concern is not resolved after communicating with the faculty member, he/she may appeal in writing to the appropriate Chair within two days of receiving a written response from the faculty member. The Chair will send a written report to the Registrar once a resolution has been reached.

Appeal to Associate Provost of Curriculum (Step Three)

If the student's concern is not resolved after appealing to the Chair, the Associate Provost of Curriculum may hear his/her appeal. The AP will notify the student of the final decision and send a written report to the Registrar.

Action by the Registrar

The Registrar will, upon receipt of resolution documentation, notify the appropriate parties, including:

• Writing Center if the student is required to complete the plagiarism seminar
• Student Development
• Chair of the program in which the student is studying