Academic Honor Code - Violations

Students are expected to uphold the Academic Honor Code. Chipola College’s Honor Code is based on the premise that each student has the responsibility to (1) uphold the highest standards of academic honesty in his/her own work; (2) refuse to tolerate academic dishonesty in the college community; and (3) foster a high sense of honor and social responsibility on the part of students.

Chipola College expects students to be honest in all of their academic work. By enrolling at the College, students agree to adhere to the Academic Honor Code and understand that failure to comply with this code may result in academic and disciplinary action, up to and including expulsion from the College. The conduct set forth hereinafter constitutes academic dishonesty.

Cheating is the improper taking/tendering of any information or material which shall be used to determine academic credit. Taking of information includes, but not limited to, copying from another student’s test or homework paper; allowing another student to copy from a test or homework assignment; using unauthorized materials during a test, such as the course textbook, notebook, formula lists, notes or crib sheets, including those stored in a calculator or other electronic device; collaborating during an in-class or take-home test with any other person by giving or receiving information without authority; having another individual write or plan a paper, including those bought from research paper services; and submitting the same paper/project in more than one class.

Plagiarism is the attempt to represent the work of another as it may relate to written or oral works, computer-based work, mode of creative expression (i.e. music, media, or the visual arts), as the product of one’s own thought, whether the other’s work is published or unpublished, or simply the work of a fellow student. When a student submits oral or written work for credit that includes the words, ideas, or data of others, the source of that information must be acknowledged through complete, accurate, and specific references, and if verbatim statements are included, through use of quotation marks as well. By placing one’s name on work submitted for credit, the student certifies the originality of all work not otherwise identified by appropriate acknowledgements. A student will avoid being charged with plagiarism if there is an acknowledgement of indebtedness. Examples include: Quoting another person’s actual words; using another person’s idea, opinion, or theory, even if it is completely paraphrased in one’s own words; drawing upon facts, statistics, or other illustrative materials—unless the information is common knowledge; submitting a paper purchased from a term paper service as one’s own work; failing to accurately document information or wording obtained on the World Wide Web; submitting anyone else’s paper as one’s own work; and violating federal copyright laws, including unauthorized duplication and/or distribution of copyrighted.

Bribery is the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any materials, items or services of value to gain academic advantage for yourself or another. This does not apply to College approved or sponsored tutoring or supplemental instruction.

Misrepresentation is any act or omission with intent to deceive an instructor for academic advantage. Misrepresentation includes using computer programs generated by another and handing it in as your own work unless expressly allowed by the instructor; lying to an instructor to increase your grade; lying or misrepresenting facts when confronted with an allegation of academic dishonesty.

Conspiracy is the planning or acting with one or more persons to commit any form of academic dishonesty to gain academic advantage for yourself or another.

Fabrication is the use of invented or fabricated information, or the falsification of research or other finding with the intent to deceive for academic professional advantage; also the falsification or misrepresentation of experimental data, and violating the professional ethics that are established in clinical activities, science labs, research projects, or internships.

Duplicate Submission is the submission of the same or substantially same paper/project in more than one class unless prior permission has been obtained from the current instructors if the paper/project is being used in two classes in the same term or from the subsequent instructor if being used in a subsequent term.

Academic Misconduct is the intentional violation of College policies by tampering with grades or taking part in obtaining or distributing any part of a test, quiz, or graded assignment. Examples include, but are not limited to, stealing, buying, downloading, or otherwise obtaining all or part of a test and/or test answers; selling or giving away all or part of an unadministered test and/or test answers; asking or bribing any other person to obtain a test or any information about a test; misrepresenting the truth, including handing in computer programs or using computer programs generated by another as one’s own work; lying to an instructor to increase a grade; and lying or misrepresenting facts when confronted with an allegation of academic dishonesty; changing, altering, or being an accessory to changing and/or altering of a grade in a grade book, on a computer, on a test, on a “change of grade” form, or on other official academic records of the college which relate to grades; and continuing to work on an examination or project after the specified time has elapsed.

Improper Computer/Calculator/Cell Phone/Other Electronic Device Use includes but is not limited to unauthorized access, modification, use, creation or destruction of calculator-stored or computer-stored data and programs; selling or giving away all or part of the information on a calculator, computer disk, cell phone, jump drive, hard drive, etc., which will be used as graded materials; using a cell phone or other electronic device while taking an exam/test or completing an in-class graded assignment; sharing a calculator, computer disk, cell phone, jump drive, hard drive, etc., while leaving answers on display or in memory; submitting a duplicate computer printout with only the student’s name changed (this applies to homework and tests).

Improper Online, Canvas, and Blended (web-based, interactive course) Course Use includes but is not limited to having or providing unauthorized outside help when completing online quizzes or assignments and obtaining access to confidential test materials or questions before quizzes or assignments.

Any student who observes or learns of another student’s academic dishonesty should report this violation to the instructor in whose class it has taken place. A student who shall have assisted in the forms of dishonesty mentioned above shall be considered equally guilty as the student who accepts such assistance.

Online Proctored Testing

To utilize Honorlock, students must adhere to the Chipola College Academic Honor Code and the Online Testing Requirements listed below. Chipola College reserves the right to require a re-test at an approved proctor location.

Failure to follow proper online testing requirements may result in a zero (0) grade for your exam and/or additional consequences as outlined in the Student Governance section of the Chipola College catalog.

Online Testing Requirements

The online testing environment and testing area should mimic that of the “in class” testing environment. Online Testing includes the following requirements:

• No writing visible on desk or on walls.
• No websites other than Canvas and the Honorlock proctoring extension should be used or open while taking a proctored exam.
• Close all other programs and/or windows on the testing computer prior to logging into the proctored test environment.
• Make sure music/televisions are not playing in the background.
• Communication or receiving assistance from others is not permitted during a proctored assessment.
• No other persons except the test-taker should be in the room during testing.
• Using a phone or any other electronic device, other than your test-taking device, is not permitted.
• Remain visible in the web camera during the entire duration of the exam.
• Leaving the room during the testing period is not permitted.
• You must not take the computer into another room to finish testing (exam must be completed in the same room the “Exam Environment View” is completed in).
• Headphones or smart watches are not permitted.
• Dual monitors are not permitted.
• Caps/hats are not permitted.
• Textbooks, notes, etc. are not permitted unless clearly stated in the testing instructions provided at the beginning of the exam.
• Unless your instructor allows notes, textbook or other materials, keep your eyes on your screen, not focused on any other area of the desk or room.
• Sit at a clean desk or table (not on a bed or couch)
• Lighting in the room must be bright enough to be considered “daylight” quality. Overhead lighting is preferred; however, if overhead is not possible, the source of light should not be behind the student
• Ensure your desk or table is cleared of all other materials.
• When prompted to do a room scan, be sure to carefully include your desk/work area in your scan. Make sure to do a complete 360-degree rotation of your room, then show your work space. Replay your room scan for verification. Partial scans and/or failure to show your work space may be flagged during the proctoring review and may result in a zero (0) grade on the exam.
• Make sure your laptop is fully charged, or keep the charger within arm’s reach.
• When prompted to provide a photo ID, make sure your fingers do not cover any information on the ID. Photo capture of the photo ID must be clearly legible, and photo must clearly represent the student taking the exam.

Academic Honor Code—Consequences

When a student is alleged to have committed academic dishonesty, the faculty member shall discuss the evidence of academic dishonesty with the student and explore the possibility of a Step 1 agreement within five (5) working days of the assignment grade posted on Canvas on which the alleged incident occurred. The criteria used by the faculty member to determine the proposed academic penalty should include the seriousness and the frequency of the alleged violation. The faculty member may request that the department chair or appropriate College administrator attend this meeting as a witness. Once the faculty member meets with the student and a Step 1 sanction is determined, the student may accept the sanction. In this case the Academic Honor Code Step 1 Agreement Form will be completed, signed by both the faculty member and student, and a summary of events forwarded to the Associate Vice President of Student Affairs. If the student refuses to accept the sanction or denies responsibility, the matter will be referred to the Associate Vice President of Student Affairs within five (5) working days; a Step 2 procedure will then be followed. The student has the right to continue in the course in question during the Step 2 process. Once a student has received notice that he/she is being charged with an alleged Step 2 violation of the Academic Honor Code the student is not permitted to withdraw or resign from the course unless the final outcome of the process dictates that no academic penalty will be imposed. If a final determination is not made before the end of the term, the grade of “Incomplete” will be assigned until a decision is made. Any class that the student withdraws or resigns from in violation of this restriction shall be reinstated until the charges are resolved.

Step 1: The Step 1 procedure is implemented with a first-offense that does not involve an egregious violation. An egregious violation, as defined by Webster’s Online Dictionary, is one that is “conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible”. The Academic Honor Code Step 1 Agreement Form and a summary of events must be completed and forwarded to the Associate Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of the department. Two sanctions are available in the Step 1 process and may be imposed singly or in combination:

1. Additional academic work;
2. A grade of “0” for the assignment, quiz, test, etc.
3. If a grade of “0” is given, that grade may not be dropped from the grades used to calculate the final course grade.

Step 2: A Student Disciplinary Committee hearing is held for all second offenses, for all first offenses that involve egregious violations of the Academic Honor Code, and in all cases where the student denies responsibility for the alleged violation or refuses to accept the sanction imposed by the faculty member. The following sanctions are available in Step 2 and may be imposed singly or in combination:

1. Additional academic work;
2. A grade of “0” for the assignment, quiz, test, etc;
3. A reduced grade (including “F”) for the course;
4. A verbal or written warning;
5. Attendance at educational programs, interviews with appropriate officials, or other educational activities;
6. Restitution;
7. Disciplinary probation;
8. Final disciplinary probation;
9. Suspension;
10. Expulsion;
11. Withholding of diplomas, transcripts, or other records for a specified period of time; and/or
12. Revocation of degree, in cases where an egregious offense is discovered after graduation.

If the student is found “responsible,” the outcome will be recorded with the Associate Vice President of Student Affairs and will become a confidential student record reflecting a violation of the Student Academic Honor Code.