ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

The faculty, administration, and staff of Grossmont College, in creating a culture of academic excellence, value honesty and integrity in all aspects of learning, working, and participating in the college community. Moreover, we believe that those who value learning would never view cheating (copying or otherwise presenting work that is not one’s own) and plagiarism (presenting another writer’s ideas, materials, images, or words as one’s own without proper citation) as viable choices within an academic environment. It is incumbent on faculty, in particular, to communicate expectations to students with regard to academic honesty in each class, and it is the responsibility of each student to understand the actions and behaviors that constitute cheating or academic dishonesty within each class as well as in other venues on campus. Students are encouraged to ask questions of their instructors and are expected to read the college’s statement on academic fraud (located in the class schedule). Penalties for actions inconsistent with classroom, library, and college expectations for academic integrity range from a failing grade on an assignment, exam, or project (which may lead to a failing grade in the course) to, under certain conditions, suspension, or expulsion from a class, program, or the college. For more information, please consult with your instructor or contact the office of the Dean of Student Affairs.
 
The college is an academic community with high standards, and its teaching, learning and service purposes are seriously disrupted and subverted by academic fraud.
 
All students at Grossmont College are expected to comply with the institution’s high standards of academic integrity and avoid instances of dishonesty at all times. Such acts of dishonesty include cheating, plagiarism, fraud, false citations or data, and the fraudulent use of Internet resources.
 
Students are not to commit academic fraud, which is a form of cheating, lying and stealing. It is a serious violation of the Student Code of Conduct, as published in the catalog. The intent of this document is to increase student awareness as to what academic fraud is, to provide strategies to avoid the situations, and to explain the consequences of committing academic fraud. The faculty and administration expect students to have a responsible and sincere commitment to academic integrity during the performance of their instructional activities and completion of assignments or requirements.
 
Academic fraud includes, but is not limited to, the following situations:
 
Plagiarism: Using someone else’s ideas or work without proper or complete acknowledgement. Plagiarism encompasses many things, and is by far the most common manifestation of academic fraud. For example, copying a passage straight from a book into a paper without quoting or explicitly citing the source is plagiarism. In addition, completely rewording someone else’s work or ideas and using it as one’s own is also plagiarism. It is very important that students properly acknowledge all ideas, work, and even distinctive wording that are not their own. Students who are unsure of how or when to properly acknowledge sources are encouraged to consult their instructor.
 
Cheating: Copying of any test or quiz question or problem, or work done in a class that is not the student’s own work. It also includes giving or receiving unauthorized assistance during an examination whether it was intentional or not. Obtaining or distributing unauthorized information about an exam before it is given is also cheating, as is using inappropriate or unallowable sources of information during an exam. To avoid unintentional copying of work, students should cover their own exams and quizzes, and not leave a test or quiz on the desk where another student may be tempted to look at it.
 
Multiple Submission: Use of work previously submitted at this or any other institution to fulfill academic requirements in another class. For example, using a paper from an English 126 Creative Writing class for a Sociology 138 Social Psychology class is academic fraud. Slightly altered work that has been resubmitted is also considered to be fraudulent. With prior permission, some professors may allow students to complete one assignment for two classes. In this case, prior permission from both instructors is absolutely necessary.
 
False Citation: Falsely citing a source or attributing work to a source from which the referenced material was not obtained. A simple example of this would be footnoting a paragraph and citing a work that was never utilized.
 
False Data: Fabrication or alteration of data to deliberately mislead. For example, changing data to get better experiment results is academic fraud. Instructors and tutors in lab classes will often have strict guidelines for the completion of labs and assignments. Whenever in doubt about what may be considered academic fraud, students should immediately consult with the instructor.
 
Plagiarism via the Internet: Occurring with more and more frequency, and taking a number of different forms. As should be obvious, purchasing research papers on the Internet and submitting them as a student’s own work constitutes plagiarism. Cutting and pasting from a website without putting the text being used in quotation marks and/or without properly citing the source also constitutes plagiarism. Posting stolen tests online and/or accessing such tests is cheating. Also students should be aware that while many websites provide reliable information, others may not include well-documented research. Students should be sure to check facts using a variety of different types of resources in order to ensure accuracy.
 
Intentional Deception: Submission of false documentation (absence excuse, proof of attendance, volunteer hours, etc.) for falsifying any official college record. A student who misrepresents facts in order to obtain exemptions from course requirements has committed an act of intentional deception and may also be subject to the consequences listed below. It is best for a student to do the work as required in a course or speak to the instructor about circumstances that may cause problems in completing forms correctly or honestly.
 
Students who engage in academic fraud will be subject to authorized penalties at the discretion of the instructor of record in the class. Such penalties may range from a failing grade on an assignment, exam, or project (which may lead to a failing grade in the course) to, under certain conditions, suspension, or expulsion from a class, program, or the college. For more information contact the office of the Dean of Student Affairs or the Vice President of Student Services.
 
It is worthwhile to note the California Education Code Section 76224(a) states:
 
“When grades are given for any course of instruction taught in a community college district, the grade given to each student shall be the grade determined by the faculty member of the course and the determination of the student’s grade by the instructor, in the absence of mistake, fraud, bad faith, or incompetency, shall be final.”
 
The foregoing language indicates that the instructor has sole and final authority in awarding grades based on his/her determination of the quality of the student’s work in the course.
 
Faculty are strongly encouraged to directly report all students found to be in violation of the college standards for academic integrity to the Dean of Student Affairs.

For further clarification and information regarding academic integrity, please contact Student Affairs at (619) 644-7600.