Academic Honesty and Integrity Policy

Purpose

In support of Minnesota State Community and Technical College’s core values, this policy establishes the standards for academic honesty and enforces the College’s commitment to teaching and learning while maintaining authenticity, ethics and scholarship in one’s work as a student at the College.

Definitions

Cheating

Cheating includes, but is not limited to:

• The use of unauthorized assistance in taking quizzes, tests, exams, re-use of academic material from another course, completion of projects or any form of course assessment in any course modality.
• Using unauthorized sources determined by the instructor in written or oral assignments or projects.
• Acquiring test keys, test questions, solution manuals, etc. for distribution or use.
• Engaging in behavior explicitly prohibited by an instructor per the course syllabus.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:

• The use, by paraphrase or direct quotation, of the published or unpublished work of another person without full and clear acknowledgment.
• The unacknowledged use of materials prepared by another person or agency engaged in the selling of papers or other academic materials or misrepresentation of student work in any learning environment.
• Presenting another student’s written work as your own.

Policy

Minnesota State Community and Technical College expects all students to represent themselves with integrity. In academic work, students are expected to present their original ideas, train of thought, images, direct quotations, summaries, points of view, and to give credit for the ideas of others.

When an instructor has convincing evidence of cheating or plagiarism, the instructor has a variety of options, which may include the following academic outcomes (this list is not exhaustive and the instructor is not obligated to offer any of these options):

• A failing grade may be assigned for the course in which the student cheated.
• The course or assignment grade may be reduced.
• The assignment may be given a zero.
• The individual item on the assignment may be given a zero.
• The student may be required to re-submit the assignment.
• The student may be required to submit an alternative assignment that meets the same learning outcomes.

The instructor shall report the incident of cheating/plagiarism and the academic outcome to the appropriate school dean in instances where a failing grade in a course is given solely due to academic dishonesty. The instructor may also choose to report the incident of academic dishonesty and the academic outcome to the appropriate school dean for other cases, at the instructor’s discretion.

If the instructor, dean or any other person feels the seriousness of the offense warrants additional action, the incident may also be reported to the dean of students, who will determine any relevant student conduct outcome.

Associated Policies and Procedures

Academic Honesty and Integrity Procedure