Academic Integrity Policy
The Mahanaim faculty, staff, and students affirm that the principles of truth, fairness and honesty are absolutely necessary in an academic environment. Upholding the standard of academic integrity that relies on honesty is the responsibility of faculty, staff, and students. Charges of violating academic integrity shall be handled according to established student discipline procedures.
Violations of Academic Integrity
Reporting Alleged Offenses:
Alleged violations of the Academic Integrity Policy may be reported by a faculty or staff member, a student, a program chair, the Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs, or the Vice President of Academic Affairs to the Office of Academic Excellence where all steps short of a Level III hearing will be overseen by either the Vice President of Academic Excellence or Director of Academic Excellence Center.
Conduct that constitutes an offense includes:
I. Cheating
Cheating - The unauthorized use or attempted use of material, information, notes, study aids, devices or communication during an academic exercise. Examples of cheating include, but are not limited to:
Copying from another student during an exam or allowing another to copy your work.
Unauthorized collaboration on a take-home assignment, project or exam.
Using notes, books, electronic devices or other unauthorized materials during a closed book exam.
Taking an exam for another student, or asking or allowing another student to take an exam for you.
Unauthorized sharing of examination questions and/or answers before or after an examination.
Retaining exam materials for use or circulation that clearly should have been returned after the exam.
Changing an already graded exam or assignment and resubmitting it for a grade without permission.
Submitting substantial portions of the same paper or assignment to more than one course without the permission of each instructor.
Allowing others to research and write an assigned paper or do an assigned project for you (and vice versa), including using commercial term paper services.
Submitting someone else’s work as your own.
II. Plagiarism
Plagiarism - The act of stealing or using ideas, research, or writings of another as one’s own and submitting such work in a course. Examples of plagiarism include, but are not limited to:
Directly quoting another person’s actual words or images without the use of quotation marks and/or a citation attributing the words to their source.
Presenting another person’s ideas or theories in your own words without acknowledging the source.
Using facts, statistics, or other material taken from a source without acknowledging the source.
Fabricating and/or falsifying text, data, sources, or citations.
III. Falsification of Records & Official Documents
Falsification of Records and Official Documents
Forging signatures of authorization.
Falsifying information on an academic record such as a transcript, certificate, or honor.
Falsifying/ altering information on an official document such as a test or assignment.
IV. Other Examples of Violations
Other Examples of Academic Integrity Violations
Accessing another student’s electronic accounts without authorization.
Misrepresentation to avoid academic work by fabricating an otherwise justifiable excuse such as illness, emergency accident, etc. in order to avoid a timely submission of academic work or sitting for an exam.
Coercing any other person to engage in academic dishonesty.
Aiding any other person engaged in academic dishonesty.
Deliberately impeding the progress of another student by giving false or misleading information, impeding access to library or class resources, altering the student’s records or coursework, etc.
Any other behaviors or actions identified by faculty as violating Academic Integrity.
Levels of Offenses & Sanctions
Level I*
I. Offenses
Unintentional violations of Academic Integrity.
Based on misunderstanding of the Academic Integrity policy.
II. Sanctions
Sanctions to be discussed between the faculty and the student, with the VPAE to advise and consult.
May include: resubmission of coursework with penalty, failure of the assignment, or failure of the course.
Implementation of a learning plan to receive guidance on academic honesty from the Office of Academic Excellence. May include instruction on proper citations and references. Must include a review of the Academic Integrity Policy.
Level II
I. Offenses
One or more Level I offenses already on record.
Alleged offense appears intentional.
Severity of offense merits more severe sanction.
II. Sanctions
In addition to the sanctions listed above, the faculty member, in consultation with the VPAE could recommend other appropriate remedial action.
For Level II and up, communications between the student and the person reporting the offense will be done through the VPAE.
Program-level sanctions may also be recommended if the violation occurs outside of an individual course.
Level III
I. Offenses
Utter disregard for the Academic Integrity policy.
Two or more previous offenses of the Academic Integrity policy.
Offense so egregious that it could warrant institution-level sanctions.
When the faculty member and student are unable to come to an arrangement at a lower level and a hearing by the Academic Council is necessary.
III. Sanctions
Sanctions for level III offenses are to be determined through a hearing according to the Mahanaim judicial system.
Hearings may be requested by the student, faculty member, or the AVPAA based on the conditions listed for level III offenses.
In addition to the sanctions listed above, sanctions for level III offenses may include institution-level sanctions such as course failure, grade change, program suspension, expulsion from the school, or the retraction or withholding of certificates awarded by the school.
*It is possible for a student to have more than one level I offense before being moved up to a higher tier if the offenses occurred in significantly different areas.
Possible Sanctions:
A formal warning. Will go on the student’s record.
A reduction in the assignment grade.
A failing grade for the assignment.
A reduction in the course grade.
A failing grade for the course.
A grade change for a past course in which the offense occurred.
A learning plan requirement with instruction from the Office of Academic Excellence.
Academic Probation
Loss of the privilege of representing the school in any official capacity (requires a hearing). Duration of the sanction and conditions to regain privileges will be determined at the hearing.
A failing grade on the transcript with a notation of Academic Dishonesty (requires a hearing).
Suspension from the school (requires a hearing).
Suspension with transcript notation (requires a hearing).
Rescinding admission into the school.
Rescinding or withholding an academic certificate(requires a hearing).
Expulsion from the school (requires a hearing).
Questions?
Office of Academic Excellence
Glen Heil - Vice President of Academic Excellence
Room 145
