Academic Honesty Honor Code

Dominican University of California is rooted in the Dominican ideals of love of truth, beauty, and the life of the mind, combined with a deep respect for the dignity and worth of the individual. In the spirit of this philosophy, all members of the University community have the responsibility to protect and maintain an academic climate in which the fundamental freedom to learn and grow can be enjoyed by all its members.

Faculty, administration, staff, and students are expected to demonstrate standards of conduct, personal honor, regard for the rights of others, and respect for order, which are essential for good citizenship and appropriate to the pursuit of academic goals. In becoming a member of this academic community, one accepts the right and responsibility to abide by standards of intellectual integrity and standards for conduct. The Honor Code depends upon the willingness of members of the campus community, individually and collectively, to maintain and perpetuate standards of the Honor Code. When one becomes aware of a violation of this principle, she/he is bound by honor to take some action. He/she may report the violation, speak personally to the individual involved, or do whatever is appropriate under the circumstances. If one stands by and does nothing, both the spirit and the operation of the principle of honor are threatened.

Academic Honor & Plagiarism Policy updated in October,  2007 - Link to Addendum #5

Academic Honor    

Dominican University of California is an academic community. All of our community members are expected to abide by ethical standards both in their conduct and in their exercise of responsibilities toward other members of the community. Students, faculty members, administrators, and staff are expected to adopt standards of behavior that place a high value on respecting the ideas of others. All intellectual accomplishments—examinations, papers, lectures, experiments, and other projects—should adhere to the highest standards of academic integrity and ethics.

The faculty, administration, and staff recognize their obligation to provide continuing guidance as to what constitutes academic honesty and to promote procedures and circumstances that will reinforce the principle of academic honor. Fundamental to the principle of independent learning is the requirement of honesty and integrity in the performance of academic assignments, both in the classroom and outside. Students should avoid academic dishonesty in all of its forms, including plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic misconduct.

The University reserves the right to determine in any given instance what action constitutes a violation of academic honesty and integrity.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is an act of academic dishonesty and is a serious ethical and scholarly violation unless the words, phrases, or sentences are in quotation marks and the sources are given in full. Broadly defined plagiarism is presenting the work of another person as one’s own. It is unacceptable to copy text or ideas, either verbatim or in using wording or sentences from a source, without citing the author and source. These sources might be written, such as textbooks, library books, journal articles, encyclopedia articles, or they may be electronic, such as computer files, the World Wide Web or Internet, or they may be audio disks, musical scores, or film and video materials. The format of the information you use is irrelevant; any material written by another that you incorporate into your papers must be properly acknowledged using the style manual appropriate to the discipline or required by the instructor. Similar care must be taken in the preparation of oral presentation.

There are two main forms of plagiarism:
1. Direct copying of any source without proper acknowledgment.
2. Integrating ideas or concepts from one or various sources without citations.

The presentation of material without acknowledging its sources misleads the reader about the source of the ideas, language, or data. Required practices include written citations acknowledging the ideas or work of others that contributes directly to your work. When using the exact language of another, the text must be put in quotation marks and the source acknowledged. When using combined sources for a paper that closely express the views of other authors, even though the wording may be changed, each of the works must be cited. Students should consult with their instructor if there is any question regarding good practices of citation.

Plagiarism is a very serious matter. Plagiarism, like cheating on an assignment or exam, is a violation of the University Honor Code.

Cheating

While plagiarism is, perhaps, the most common form of academic cheating, other violations of scholarly integrity also undermine the learning process and compromise personal honor. Any effort to flout the general standards of academic conduct or to circumvent the stated course expectations of individual instructors constitutes “cheating” and violates the University Honor Code. Such dishonorable behavior includes:
• Using information from another student’s research or paper.
• Copying information from another student’s test or using unauthorized materials during an examination, whether an in-class or take-home exam.
• Buying, selling, or stealing test questions, answers, or term papers.
• Doing work or taking tests on behalf of another student or submitting work done by another person.
• Falsifying data or laboratory results.
• Submitting the same work for more than one course.

Penalty for Student Acts of Plagiarism or Cheating

Should an incident of plagiarism or cheating occur, the faculty member is expected to take swift action. If, after investigating the incident and consulting with the chair of the department within which the course is offered, the faculty member determines a violation did occur, the faculty member will fill out an Academic Misconduct report form (intranet/academic affairs/forms/academic misconduct form) and submit a copy  to the Dean of the appropriate school with originals going to the Associate Vice-President of Academic Affairs (AVPAA). The report should include copies of the evidence of the plagiarism or cheating.  The penalties for acts of plagiarism or cheating may include failing an assignment/exam, failing a course, and/or dismissal from the University.

The faculty member may determine the penalty to be applied as indicated in the following process:
Upon detecting an act of plagiarism/cheating the instructor is authorized to fail the student for that assignment/exam.  The instructor must immediately file an Academic Misconduct Form with accompanying evidence with the AVPAA.  The AVPAA will determine if this incident is the first or a repeated act of academic misconduct and notify the instructor.  If, at the end of a semester, a student has committed an act of plagiarism/cheating in a course, received an (F) for the assignment, and still has a passing grade, an incomplete grade (I) for the course will be assigned until the AVPAA has had time to review the allegation and determine if it is a first, second, or third offense.  The AVPAA will inform the faculty member of the appropriate action to be taken. If it is determined to be the second offence, the AVPAA will direct the instructor to assign a grade of F for the course.  If it is the third offense, the University reserves the right to dismiss the student.  Decisions of dismissal must be made by the AVPAA in consultation with the Provost.  Dismissal is not within the purview of the faculty.

In all cases the University reserves the right to determine the final administrative, disciplinary, or legal action including dismissal from the University for any offense. The AVPAA will communicate with the student by letter with copies to the chair of the department within which the course is being offered, the chair of the department in which the student is majoring, the instructor of the course, and the Dean. The original documents will remain in a confidential file in the Office of the AVPAA. The confidential file will be destroyed upon graduation of the student.

Procedures for Students Who Witness an Act of Plagiarism or Cheating

The University expects anyone who witnesses or has knowledge of plagiarism or cheating to report it using the following procedure: 1) report the incident to the faulty member whose course is involved; 2) if not satisfied with the results, discuss the incident with the Department Chair; 3) if still not satisfied, see the Dean of the appropriate School. University employees are responsible to maintain confidentiality. Cases should not be discussed beyond official channels; breaking of confidentiality by a faculty member is considered to be unprofessional conduct and is a violation of the Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act of 1974.

Student Rights

A student who believes s/he has been falsely accused of plagiarism or cheating, or that the instructor’s resolution of the alleged incident is unjust, may appeal, in writing, directly to the Department Chair and the Dean of the appropriate School. The appeal should follow the process outlined in the section entitled “Grievance Procedures."

Standards of Conduct

Disrespectful behavior of any kind and the lack of civility in interacting with others fundamentally undermine the educational process. For this reason the University is firmly committed to ensuring that each person in the University community feels valued as an individual and respected for his/her accomplishments and unique contributions to the campus.

Pager and Cell Phone Policy

The noise caused by cell phones and pagers is annoying and has a negative impact on a learning environment. For this reason, Dominican University of California asks that students leave phones and pagers outside their classrooms or at least turn them off before the start of a class. Cell phones are to be turned off when entering Alemany Library and may not be used anywhere within the Library building. It is a mark of courtesy to your student colleagues and instructors to keep the classroom cell phone and pager free.

Resource Use

Library, computer, laboratory, and studio resources are central to the academic purposes of the University and essential to the work of everyone in the community. No member of the campus community may infringe upon the right of others to have fair and equal access to these resources. Intentional behaviors that limit such access or otherwise interfere with legitimate academic pursuits are always irresponsible, often illegal, and may result in disciplinary action. Examples of inappropriate conduct include:

• Removing Library materials without checkout from the Circulation Desk.
• Hoarding materials for personal use within the Library by hiding them.
• Removing pages from print materials or marking (e.g., highlighting) in books and periodicals.
• Destroying or altering computer files and default settings or installing personal software.
• Damaging the facility through the use of restricted foods and beverages within the Library or labs.
• Behaving in a loud or boisterous manner that undermines the concentration of other patrons.
• Using cell phones in the Library.
• Using computers for prohibited purposes (e.g., e-mail at the Library Reference desk workstations, viewing or printing pornographic sites anywhere on campus).
• Leaving children under 12 years of age unattended in the Library.
• Violating copyright law by reproducing printed or electronic resources without the permission of the library or the publisher.
• Wearing clothing unsuitable to a public service building (e.g., shirts and shoes are required).
• Physically or verbally abusing or harassing Library patrons or personnel in the performance of their duties.

The Library reserves the right in all instances to establish policies consonant with the academic mission of the University, to impose fines for overdue materials, and to charge replacement costs for lost or damaged items owned by the Library or borrowed through interlibrary loan. All users of the facility and its resources are expected to conform to these policies as publicized on the Library Web site.