Academic Honesty Policy

Brigham Young University-Idaho students should seek to be totally honest in all their dealings. They should complete their own work and be evaluated based upon that work. They should avoid academic dishonesty and misconduct in all its forms, including but not limited to plagiarism, fabrication or falsification, cheating, and other academic misconduct.

Intentional Plagiarism is the deliberate act of representing the words, ideas, or data of another as one=s own without providing proper attribution to the author through quotation, reference, or footnote.

Inadvertent Plagiarism involves the inappropriate, but non-deliberate, use of another=s words, ideas, or data without proper attribution. Although not a violation of the Honor Code, it is a form of academic misconduct for which an instructor can impose appropriate academic sanctions. Students who are in doubt as to whether they are providing proper attribution have the responsibility to consult with their instructor and obtain guidance.

Plagiarism may occur with respect to unpublished as well as published material. Examples include:

• Direct Plagiarism. The verbatim copying of an original source without acknowledging the source.
• Paraphrased Plagiarism. The paraphrasing, without acknowledgment, of ideas from another that the reader might mistake for his/her own.
• Plagiarism Mosaic. The borrowing of words, ideas, or data from an original source and blending this original material with one=s own without acknowledging the source.
• Insufficient Acknowledgment. The partial or incomplete attribution of words, ideas, or data from an original source.

Fabrication or Falsification A form of dishonesty where a student invents or distorts the origin or content of information used as authority. Examples include:

• Citing a source that does not exist.
• Citing information from a source which is not included in the source for which credit is given.
• Citing a source for a secondary proposition which it does not support.
• Citing a bibliography source when it was neither consulted nor cited in the body of the paper.
• Intentionally distorting the meaning or applicability of data.
• Inventing data or statistical results to support conclusions.

Cheating A form of dishonesty where a student attempts to give the appearance of a level of knowledge or skill that has not been obtained. Examples include:

• Copying from another person=s work during an examination or while completing an assignment.
• Allowing someone to copy from you during an examination or while completing an assignment.
• Using unauthorized materials during an examination or while completing an assignment.
• Collaborating on an examination or assignment without authorization.
• Taking an examination or completing an assignment for another, or permitting another to take an examination or to complete an assignment for you.

Other Academic Misconduct Includes other academically dishonest, deceitful, or inappropriate acts which are intentionally committed. Examples include but are not limited to:

• Inappropriately providing or receiving information or academic work so as to gain unfair advantage over others.
• Planning with another to commit any act of academic dishonesty.
• Attempting to gain an unfair academic advantage for oneself or another by bribery or by any act of offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting anything of value to another for such purpose.
• Changing or altering grades or other official educational records.
• Obtaining or providing to another a test or answers to a test which has not been administered.
• Breaking and entering into a building or office for the purpose of obtaining an unauthorized test.
• Continuing work on an examination or assignment after the allocated time has elapsed.
• Submitting the same work for more than one class without disclosure and approval.
• Getting equal credit on group assignments when equal work was not done.

Faculty are responsible to establish and communicate to students their expectations of behavior with respect to academic honesty and the student=s conduct in the course. The instructor will be responsible to investigate any incident of academic dishonesty or misconduct, determine the circumstances, and take appropriate action. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• Reprimanding the student orally or in writing.
• Requiring work affected by the academic dishonesty to be redone.
• Administering a lower or failing grade on the affected assignment, test, or course.
• Work with the Dean of Students to remove the student from the course.
• Recommending to the Dean of Students that the student be put on probation or dismissed.

If the incident involves the violation of a public law, e.g., breaking and entering into an office or stealing an examination, the act should be reported to Campus Police.

For the purpose of tracking, suspected or proven violations of the Academic Honesty Policy should be reported to the Dean of Students Office--name, incident, action taken. If the occurrence is sufficiently egregious or if a pattern of dishonesty or misconduct is discovered additional action may be taken on behalf of the university based upon the nature of the infraction (see Student Handbook).

If an affected student disagrees with the determination or action and is unable to resolve the matter to the mutual satisfaction of the student and the instructor, he/she may have it reviewed through the university=s grievance process (see Student Academic Grievance Policy).

Sources

A large number of publications and policies of colleges and universities were reviewed in creating BYU-I Academic Honesty Policy. The basic content and structure of this policy was adapted from the AAcademic Honesty@ policy of Brigham Young University. Their research and policy evolved from review of the following information:

AAcademic Honesty,@ a brochure produced by the Office of Judicial Affairs, University of Florida.

AAcademic Honesty and Dishonesty,@ a brochure produced by the Office of the Dean of Students, University of Deleware.

AAcademic Honesty and Dishonesty,@ a brochure produced by the Dean of Students Office, Louisiana State University.

AA Statement on Plagiarism,@ a committee report from the October 1994 Conference on the Center for Academic Integrity, Tom Langhorne, Binghamton University (chair).

ADefinition of Plagiarism,@ by Harold C. Martin, taken from The Logic and Rhetoric of Exposition, by Harold C. Martin, Richard M. Ohmann, and James H. Wheatly, 3^rd ed. (New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1969).

Legal Aspects of Plagiarism, by Ralph D. Mawdsley (Topeka, Kansas: National Organization on Legal Problems of Education, 1985).

APlagiarism--The Do=s and Don=ts,@ a brochure produced by the Office of Student Judicial Affairs of the University of California--Davis.

Return to Dean of Student Homepage

03/01/05