POL 02.05.06 - Academic Honor Code Policy

About this Policy

Authority:
Chancellor
Responsible Office:
Provost's Office
Date Established:
07-01-2004
Last Revised:
09-17-2024

1. STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES

1.1 Academic honor and integrity are essential to the existence of a university community. If high standards of honesty are not maintained by everyone, the entire community and society itself suffer. Maintaining standards of academic honesty and integrity is ultimately the formal responsibility of the instructional faculty. Therefore, when any academic dishonesty is suspected, a faculty member has the responsibility to, and must, follow the policies and procedures of the UNCP Academic Honor Code.

1.2 Students are important members of the academic community. As responsible citizens of the UNCP community, students are obligated to uphold basic standards of honesty and to actively encourage others to respect and maintain those standards. Allowing academic dishonesty is just as dishonest as committing a dishonest act oneself.

1.3 The Academic Honor Code applies to both undergraduate and graduate students who attend the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

1.4 The university recognizes the rights of faculty to limit/regulate the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, such as ChatGPT, Google Bard, Claude, and other Generative AI and AI-assisted tools, as a matter of academic integrity. Any direct violation of an instructor's explicit requirements regarding the use of AI in the production of academic work as stated on either the course syllabus or written assignment instructions distributed and available to all students in the course will be considered a violation of the Academic Honor Code.

2. ACTS THAT VIOLATE THE ACADEMIC HONOR CODE

2.1 While specific violations may take many forms, the general categories of acts that violate the Academic Honor Code are as follows:

2.1.1. Cheating. Cheating means the use of or attempted use of unauthorized materials and methods (notes, books, electronic information, submission of work composed by another entity, telephonic or other forms of communication, or other sources or methods) in any academic exercise, whether graded or otherwise. This definition includes both giving unauthorized information (in either oral or written form) and receiving such information during any academic exercise, whether graded or otherwise.

2.1.2. Plagiarism. Plagiarism is defined as the representation of another's words, thoughts, creative works, images or ideas as one's own without proper attribution in connection with submission of academic work, whether graded or otherwise.

2.1.3. Fabrication and falsification. Fabrication and falsification are defined as the alteration, invention or citation of any information or material in any academic exercise, whether graded or otherwise. Falsification is a matter of altering information or material, while fabrication is a matter of inventing or counterfeiting information or material for use in any academic exercise, whether graded or otherwise.

2.1.4. Abuse of Academic Materials. Abuse of Academic Materials is defined as the destruction, defacement, stealing, altering, or making inaccessible library or other academic material.

2.1.5. Complicity in Academic Dishonesty. Complicity means knowingly helping or attempting to help another person to commit any act of academic dishonesty. For example, complicity would include allowing another student to look at test answers or to copy a paper. Simply stated, don't help someone else be dishonest.

2.1.6. Multiple Submission of Work for Credit. Multiple submission of work for credit is defined as reusing work that you have already published or submitted for a class, or in fulfillment of any other academic requirement at any institution, without prior permission of the faculty member. It can involve re-submitting an entire paper or copying or paraphrasing passages from your previous work without permission and without proper citation.

3. PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS OF THE ACADEMIC HONOR CODE

3.1 The UNCP community takes the Academic Honor Code very seriously. Consequently, violations may lead to severe penalties. All acts of academic dishonesty violate standards essential to the existence of an academic community. Some first offenses are properly handled and penalties determined by the faculty member teaching the specific course in which they occur. The faculty member must use the settlement procedure described below to handle such an offense.

3.2 Penalties which individual faculty members may impose are limited to the following:

3.2.1. a formal written warning or reprimand;

3.2.2. a reduced grade (including F) for the assignment;

3.2.3. a reduced grade (including F) for the entire course; and

3.2.4. supplemental educational assignment(s) in conjunction with the penalties above.

3.2.5 In all cases, whatever the penalty, a completed Violation of the Academic Honor Code form will be submitted to and retained in the Office of the Provost for ten years. The purpose of this record-keeping is to deter students from repeating offenses and to maintain continuity of recordkeeping regarding academic misconduct. A second purpose is to be sure students who violate the Academic Honor Code a second time are appropriately adjudicated.

3.3 An Academic Hearing Board, overseen by an Academic Dean or their designee, handles all second offenses, some more serious first offenses, and any charges that the student feels are unfounded. In addition to any of the penalties available to an individual faculty member, the Academic Hearing Board may also implement educational sanctions (i.e. educational courses on academic integrity, referral to academic support services, referral to counseling, etc.)

3.4 Several factors are considered in determining what penalty to impose for a violation of the Academic Honor Code. Those factors include:

3.4.1. the nature and seriousness of the offense;

3.4.2. the injury or damage resulting from the violation;

3.4.3. the student's prior disciplinary record.

4. STUDENT RIGHTS

4.1 Students have the following rights related to alleged Academic Honor Code Violations:

4.1.1 to be provided a fair, impartial, and efficient process;

4.1.2 to be presumed not responsible until determined otherwise through the Academic Honor Code process;

4.1.3 to be given advance written notice of any formal charge(s);

4.1.4 to examine the documentary information that will be presented in any Hearing, provided that the information may be available only in a redacted format;

4.1.5 to present relevant information on their behalf, including witnesses and documentary information;

4.1.6 to respond to information presented against them;

4.1.7 to accept responsibility for any or all formal charge(s);

4.1.8 to decline to make statements;

4.1.9 to have an Advisor present during the Hearing;

4.1.10 to obtain the list of witnesses who have been called to present information at the Hearing;

4.1.11 to request a delay of the Hearing due to extenuating circumstances, provided that the granting of such request is at the discretion of the Hearing Officer;

4.1.12 to challenge the objectivity of a Hearing Officer or board member if they believe that a bias or conflict of interest may exist;

4.1.13 to pose relevant questions to any witness appearing at the Hearing;

4.1.14 to present any documents or letters regarding their character as part of the outcomes phase of the Hearing;

4.1.15 to be notified in writing of the outcome of the Hearing;

4.1.16 to appeal the decision of an Academic Hearing Board within the time limits and conditions specified in the Academic Honor Code; and

4.1.17 to have any conduct records kept confidential to the extent permitted under the Academic Honor Code, University Policy, and FERPA.

5. PROCEDURES FOR HANDLING CHARGES OF VIOLATIONS

5.1 If the faculty member responsible for a course obtains evidence, either directly or through information supplied by others, that a student may have violated the Academic Honor Code, the faculty member has a duty to investigate and document the incident by collecting whatever relevant information is available.

5.2 If the faculty member decides that the information is sufficient to support a charge against the student, the faculty member is to contact the Office of the Provost within 21 calendar days of the alleged violation. The Provost or their designee will determine from the records of past violations whether the student in question has previously admitted to or been found responsible in a previous case of an Academic Honor Code violation.

5.3 If the suspected violation would be a second offense, the case must be heard by the Academic Hearing Board. If the charge would be a first offense and the faculty member believes that a penalty no greater than F in the course would be appropriate, the charge may be settled between the faculty member and the student as described below, with the Violation of the Academic Honor Code form signed and filed with the Office of the Provost. If the suspected violation would be a first offense, but one for which the faculty member considers the appropriate penalty to be more severe than an F in the course, the case must be brought to the Office of the Provost to be referred to the Academic Hearing Board.

5.4 Once a student has received notice that they have alleged to have violated the Academic Honor Code, they may not withdraw from the course or the university in order to avoid the penalty. The student is advised to continue completing work for the class as the alleged violation is being adjudicated.

6. SETTLEMENT PROCEDURE TO BE USED BY INDIVIDUAL FACULTY MEMBERS

6.1 Within 21 calendar days of the alleged violation, the faculty member shall meet via phone, email, video conferencing, or in person with the student suspected of violating the Academic Honor Code, present the evidence of the violation, and request an explanation from the student. After hearing the explanation, if the faculty member decides that a violation has occurred, he or she must complete and sign the Violation of the Academic Honor Code form, which is available to all faculty members online through the Office of the Provost. The faculty member indicates the nature of the violation and the penalty to be applied, and then gives a copy of the form to the student. After receiving the form, the student has three (3) calendar days to review the charges and seek advice about whether to admit responsibility and accept the penalty by signing the form or denying responsibility by not signing the form.

6.2 If the student agrees to sign the form, thereby admitting responsibility and accepting the penalty proposed, he or she does so in the physical or virtual presence of the faculty member or via email communication with the faculty member. The faculty member then imposes the penalty. The faculty member will provide a signed copy of the form to the student and keep another signed copy for their files. The faculty member will send the original signed settlement form to the Office of the Provost, who keeps a record of first offenses for ten years, and thus the matter is ended. If the student decides not to admit responsibility or not to accept the penalty, the faculty member must take the case to the Office of the Provost for the incident to be referred to Academic Hearing Board, if any penalty is to be imposed.

7. HEARING PROCEDURE

7.2. Hearings follow procedures outlined herein. An Academic Dean or their designee will serve as the chair of the Academic Hearing Board for these cases, which will adjudicate the student as responsible or not responsible for the charges contained in the form submitted by the faculty member. The faculty member who has submitted the violation will provide information to the Academic Hearing Board to support their position. The student who has been charged with a violation may provide information to the Academic Hearing Board to support their position. The Board may question either the student or the faculty member or both and may ask for additional materials. The instructor and the student may attend the hearing but are not required to do so unless the Academic Hearing Board requests their presence. The hearing should be conducted in a timely manner in order to honor the student's right to due process. The Hearing Board will make a decision about the validity of the charges and the student's responsibility for the applied violation(s).

7.3 If the student charged with a violation of the Academic Honor Code is found not responsible, the chair of the Academic Hearing Board prepares a written report of the case and sends it to the Office of the Provost, who will maintain a confidential file of materials related to the case. No part of the file becomes part of the student's disciplinary record. The case is closed, and no penalty may be imposed.

7.4 If a student is found responsible for violating the Academic Honor Code, the Academic Hearing Board will determine an appropriate penalty. During the hearing, both the student and faculty member who submitted the violation may give evidence and make statements concerning the appropriate penalties to be imposed. The Office of the Provost will supply the student's previous academic honor code disciplinary record (if any) to the chair of the Academic Hearing Board.

7.5 After hearing the evidence, the Hearing Board will determine the penalty and prepare a written report to the Office of the Provost. If the Hearing Board decides that a penalty of a grade of F in the course (or one less severe) is appropriate, the faculty member imposes that penalty and no other penalty. If a more severe penalty is deemed appropriate, the Office of the Provost implements the penalty indicated in the report. The student will be notified by the Office of the Provost within five (5) calendar days of the outcome of the hearing and the determination of the penalty.

8. CONDUCT APPEAL BOARD

8.1 If the Academic Hearing Board has found a student responsible for violating the Academic Honor Code, the student has the right to appeal that decision. If the student does not file a notice of appeal within five (5) calendar days, the decision of the Hearing Board will be final.

8.2 In order for a student to appeal a determination of the Hearing Board in an Academic Honor Code violation, the student must complete the “Academic Honor Code Violation Appeal Request Form” within five (5) calendar days. A link to the form will be included in the correspondence of the Hearing Board's decision. The Office of the Provost will convene the Academic Appeal Board and provide all related materials to review the appeal.

8.3 The function of the Conduct Appeal Board (CAB) is that of reviewing the action of the Academic Hearing Board to determine: (1) if an alleged violation of the rights guaranteed the accused has occurred; (2) material deviation from substantive and procedural standards; and/or (3) discovery of new and significant information that would have affected the outcome of the hearing and that was not known, or could not reasonably have been discovered and/or presented, at the time of the hearing.

8.3.1 If an appeal is filed, sanctions are implemented only after the CAB makes a decision. If the CAB finds a violation of rights, a material deviation from standards, or new and significant evidence, they have the authority to dismiss the charge or modify the sanctions.

8.3.2 The CAB shall be composed of the chair of the faculty senate or their designee, who will serve as chair of the CAB, the president of the student body and their designee from the SGA Executive Board, one faculty member and alternate(s) recommended by the faculty senate chair, and one university staff member and alternate(s) recommended by the vice chancellor for Student Affairs. The faculty and staff members will be appointed by the chancellor.

8.3.3 A quorum shall consist of any three (3) members, not including the chair.

8.3.4 The decision of the CAB will be final.

8.4 All charges for alleged Academic Honor Code violations occurring one week prior to exams and going through exam week and during summer sessions may be heard by an Academic Dean or designee. Appeals will be directed to the Provost or their designee.

9. WHAT TO EXPECT FROM FACULTY

9.1 Faculty members have been instructed that they shall outline their expectations pertaining to the Academic Honor Code at the beginning of each course. Students must be made aware that some faculty members authorize or prohibit specific forms of student conduct which are unique to their courses or disciplines. All faculty members shall refer students to the Academic Honor Code. Further, faculty members have been advised to include the following statement in all course syllabi:

9.1.1 Student Academic Honor Code. Students have the responsibility to know and observe the UNCP Academic Honor Code. This code forbids cheating, plagiarism, abuse of academic materials, fabrication or falsification of information, multiple submission of work for credit, and complicity in academic dishonesty. Any special requirements or permission regarding academic honesty in this course will be provided to students in writing at the beginning of the course and are binding on the students. Academic evaluations in this course include a judgment that the student's work is free from academic dishonesty of any type; and grades in this course therefore shall be adversely affected by academic dishonesty. Students who violate the code can be dismissed from the university. Standards of academic honor will be enforced in this course. Students are expected to report cases of academic dishonesty to the instructor.

9.2 In general, faculty members shall take preventive measures to avoid cases of academic dishonesty. However, a faculty member's failure to take such measures is no excuse for academic dishonesty. Academic honesty and integrity, in the final analysis, are matters of personal honesty and individual integrity on the part of every student.

Related Policies:

Additional References: