• Home
• About eCore
• Benefits
• Prospective Students
• Registration Information
• Is eCore Right for Me?
• Courses
• eCore Faculty
• Student Services
• Exams and Testing
• Planet eCore Blog
• Joint/Dual Enrollment
• Online Degrees
• Student Testimonials
• Request Information

Home » Faculty » » Academic Honesty Policy

Academic Honesty Policy

(Acknowledgement is hereby given to Georgia State University on whose policy this is based).

As members of the academic community, all students are expected to recognize and uphold standards of intellectual and academic integrity. The University System of Georgia assumes as a basic and minimum standard of conduct in academic matters that students be honest and that they submit for credit only the products of their own efforts. Both the ideals of scholarship and the need for fairness require that all dishonest work be rejected as a basis for academic credit. They also require that students refrain from any and all forms of dishonorable or unethical conduct related to their academic work.

In an effort to foster an environment of academic integrity and to prevent academic dishonesty, students are expected to discuss with faculty the expectations regarding course assignments and standards of conduct. In addition, students are encouraged to discuss freely with faculty, academic advisors, and other members of the academic community any questions pertaining to the provisions of this policy.

Definitions and Examples

The examples and definitions given below are intended to clarify the standards by which academic honesty and academically honorable conduct are to be judged.

● Plagiarism
● Cheating on examinations
● Unauthorized Collaboration
● Falsification
● Multiple Submissions
● Evidence and Burden of Proof

The list is merely illustrative of the kinds of infractions that may occur, and it is not intended to be exhaustive. Moreover, the definitions and examples suggest conditions under which unacceptable behavior of the indicated types normally occurs. However, there may be unusual cases that fall outside these conditions that also will be judged unacceptable by the academic community.

Plagiarism

(NOTE: Plagiarism detection systems are often used by eCore faculty members. For example, see the following site: http://turnitin.com/static/plagiarism.html. Faculty are also advised to report violations to the eCore Administrative offices for investigation)

Plagiarism is presenting another person's work as one's own. Plagiarism includes any paraphrasing or summarizing of the works of another person without acknowledgment, including the submitting of another student's work as one's own. Plagiarism frequently involves a failure to acknowledge in the text, notes, or footnotes the quotation of the paragraphs, sentences, or even a few phrases written or spoken by someone else.

The submission of research or completed papers or projects by someone else is plagiarism, as is the unacknowledged use of research sources gathered by someone else when that use is specifically forbidden by the instructor. Failure to indicate the extent and nature of one's reliance on other sources is also a form of plagiarism.

Finally, there may be forms of plagiarism that are unique to an individual discipline or course, examples of which should be provided in advance by the instructor. The student is responsible for understanding the legitimate use of sources, the appropriate ways of acknowledging academic, scholarly, or creative indebtedness, and the consequences of violating this responsibility.

Cheating on Examinations

Cheating on examinations involves giving or receiving unauthorized help before, during, or after an examination. Examples of unauthorized help include the use of notes, texts, "crib sheets," websites, electronic documents or notes, and computer programs during an examination (unless specifically approved by the instructor), or sharing information with another student during an examination (unless specifically approved by the instructor). Other examples include intentionally allowing another student to view one's own examination and forbidden collaboration before or after an examination.

Unauthorized Collaboration

Falsification

It is a violation of academic honesty to misrepresent material or fabricate information in an academic exercise, assignment or proceeding. Some examples of falsification are:

• false or misleading citation of sources
• the falsification of the results of experiments or of computer data
• false or misleading information in an academic context in order to gain an unfair advantage.

Multiple Submissions

It is a violation of academic honesty to submit substantial portions of the same work for credit more than once without the explicit consent of the instructor(s) to whom the material is submitted for additional credit. In cases in which there is a natural development of research or knowledge in a sequence of courses, use of prior work may be desirable, or required. However, the student is responsible for indicating in writing, that the current work submitted for credit is cumulative in nature.

Evidence and Burden of Proof

In determining whether or not academic dishonesty has occurred, guilt must be proven by a preponderance of the evidence. This means that if the evidence that academic dishonesty occurred produces a stronger impression and is more convincing compared to opposing evidence, then academic dishonesty has been proven. In other words, the evidence does not have to be enough to free the mind from a reasonable doubt but must be sufficient to incline a reasonable and impartial mind to one side of the issue rather than to the other. Evidence as used in this statement can be any observation, admission, statement, or document that would either directly or circumstantially indicate that academic dishonesty has occurred. Electronic means may be used to monitor student work for the inappropriate use of the work of others.

Student Recourse

If the student is contacted by their instructor regarding academic dishonesty it is important that they provide all information requested so that a thorough investigation can take place. Their grade and/or academic record may be affected if academic dishonesty is confirmed. All academic dishonesty cases will be reported to the judicial officer of your home institution. Students have a right to an appeals process if they feel any grade or decision is unfair. After the initial discovery of academic dishonesty by the instructor the student will be afforded the following:

1. Student is made aware by instructor regarding concern of academic dishonesty. 
1. Student is provided with possible consequences of the offense
2. Student is provided with the opportunity to discuss or explain the circumstances in writing
2. Student responds to the concern(s) from #1 above within 7 calendar days. Response is sent to the instructor via the mail tool inside the course.
3. Student receives decision from the instructor
4. Student accepts or appeals the instructor’s decision within 1 business week.
5. If the student decides to appeal the instructor’s decision, the student must submit an Academic Honesty Appeal to the eCore Associate Dean by taking the following steps:
   1. Complete the Student Academic Honesty Appeal Form located at http://ecore.usg.edu/students/honesty/academic_appeal.php
   2. Appeal in writing to the Associate Dean of eCore, Dr. Melanie Clay.
   3. If the appeal is not resolved at the eCore Associate Dean’s level, the student must inform the eCore Associate Dean, in writing, within one business week that he/she is not satisfied and must then appeal to an ad hoc committee of eCore faculty in writing.  The Dean of eCore will appoint the committee which will then consider the written appeal from the eCore Associate Dean’s decision via conference call or through an electronic medium.  After careful deliberation and consideration, the committee will recommend to the USG eCore Dean what should be done in the case.
   4. The Dean of eCore will render the final decision taking all relevant factors into consideration.

If the student is found in violation of academic honesty, the eCore Student Success manger will report the violation to the appropriate judicial officer at the student’s home institution.

The Dean or Associate Dean of eCore will be involved in the escalation of academic honesty issues and provide guidance, signatures, etc., during any appeals process as needed.

Faculty Recourse

eCore faculty are encouraged to use methods or systems such as Turnitin to confirm authenticity of student work. In the event that a student’s work is found questionable or exhibits signs of academic dishonesty faculty should take the following measures:

1. Review the current Academic Honesty Policy in your syllabus and in the Student Guide to eCore (found at http://ecore.usg.edu/student_guide.pdf).
2. Report the issue to eCore Administrative offices using the Academic Honesty Form provided on the Faculty Resources page of the eCore site
3. Address the issue with the student using the course email.
1. Provide the student with possible consequences of the offense
1. Zero grade for the assignment or activity
2. Zero Grade for the course
3. Other grading option (such as lowered grade, or new assignment to replace other, etc.)
2. Provide an opportunity for the student to discuss or explain the circumstances
3. Notify student that they have 7 calendar days to respond to the instructor.
4. Include the Student Success Manager on all correspondence to the student. (Copy Stacey Rowland, eCore Student Success Manager, within the course email.)
4. Once the response is received or after 7 days and no response was received
1. Notify the student via course email of your judgment. (Include the eCore Student Success Manager.)
2. Notify student of his or her right to appeal your decision by using the eCore Student Academic Honesty Appeal Form at http://ecore.usg.edu/students/honesty/academic_appeal.php

eCore Administration Recourse

The eCore Administration is responsible for ensuring that claims of academic dishonesty are professionally handled, tracked and thoroughly investigated so that the process is fair and clear to students, faculty and external inquirers. Therefore eCore must have a system in place to track, close, and store issues of each case; preferably with use of Remedy action request system. The home institutions of students under investigation must be notified in writing.

The Student Success Manager is the designated contact for faculty reporting student academic dishonesty and will receive the completed Academic Honesty forms as well as correspondence between faculty and students via email.

• 1 business week after the faculty has submitted his or her decision to the student, the Student Success Manager should follow up with the student on the action to be taken.
• If the student has accepted the decision, he or she must indicate by email to the Student Success Manager that they accept and understand the decision by the faculty.
• If the student has decided to appeal, the student must submit an Appeal to the eCore Associate Dean by taking the following steps:
• Complete the eCore Student Academic Honesty Appeal Form here: http://ecore.usg.edu/students/honesty/academic_appeal.php
• Appeal in writing to the Associate Dean of eCore, Dr. Melanie Clay.
• If the appeal is not resolved at the eCore Associate Dean’s level, the student must inform the eCore Associate Dean, in writing, within one business week that he/she is not satisfied and must then appeal to an ad hoc committee of eCore faculty in writing.  The Dean of eCore will appoint the committee which will then consider the written appeal from the eCore Associate Dean’s decision via conference call or through an electronic medium. After careful deliberation and consideration, the committee will recommend to the USG eCore Dean what should be done in the case.
• The Dean of eCore will render the final decision taking all relevant factors into consideration.
• If the student is found in violation of academic honesty, the eCore Student Success manger will report the violation to the appropriate judicial officer at the student’s home institution

The Dean or Associate Dean of eCore will be involved in the escalation of academic honesty issues and provide guidance, signatures, etc., during any appeals process as needed.