Plagiarism occurs when you use someone else’s ideas or words without proper acknowledgement, thus giving the impression that you created them. Failure to understand instructions and unknowingly committing plagiarism is still a violation of the academic integrity policy.

Some examples of plagiarism include, but are not limited to:

• Word-for-word copying of another person’s ideas, words, theories, data, etc. without quoting and/or proper acknowledgement
• Interspersing your own words here and there while in essence still copying another’s work
• Paraphrasing or rewriting another’s work, yet still using that person’s idea or theory without acknowledgement
• Fabricating, inventing, or counterfeiting sources
• Submitting someone else’s work as your own, whether that work was obtained via theft, purchase, or gift
• Neglecting quotation marks on material that is otherwise acknowledged
• Omitting citations or incorrectly citing others’ work, including using citations in the paper but not on the citation page or vice versa

Self-plagiarism occurs when you submit for credit an assignment which you have previously submitted for credit without permission to do so.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Using the same research paper, essay, project, or any other type of written assignment for more than one class
• Submitting work completed in a previous semester when retaking a class
• Copying lab results, data, etc. from one study into another without redoing the experiment

Offering false information with regard to your performance in academic work is academically dishonest and in opposition to the Christian life.

Examples of lying and/or falsification include, but are not limited to:

• Giving false reasons for failure to complete an academic assignment or attend class
• Falsifying the results of laboratory work or other data
• Altering academic work after it has been submitted
• Altering grades, lab work, or attendance records
• Falsely signing another person as present when he/she is absent in a class
• Taking a test for another student
• Signing a false name on a piece of academic work
• Falsifying or purposely omitting information and evidence in an appeal of an academic integrity violation. (Note: lying about and/or omitting information pertinent to an appeal will result in the charge of an additional violation of the academic integrity policy.)

Complicity occurs when a student, whether through action or inaction, knowingly encourages, induces, facilitates, or solicits another student to commit an academic integrity violation. The level of offense and appropriate sanction for complicity will be determined by the Provost in consultation with the College Appeals Committee.

Examples of complicity include but are not limited to:

• Having knowledge of another student’s violation or plan to commit a violation and failing to report it to the instructor or to the Provost
• Soliciting or encouraging another student to commit or participate in a violation
• Participating with another or with a group in planning the commission of a violation, whether or not the plan is carried out

Following the instructions below, you will write your version of the events surrounding your violation in response to an essay question in Brightspace.

Assignment
First, think of someone whom you respect or admire and/or someone who has a “stake” in your academic integrity violation. This could be the instructor of the course in which the violation occurred, your favorite high school teacher, a parent, a current or future employer, or a future admissions counselor (perhaps for graduate school, medical school, law school, etc.). If you are going to be applying for a job or graduate school and are worried about having to tell them about this violation, the employer or “admissions counselor” would be a great choice for this assignment.

Second, you will compose a letter to that person. In that letter, you should:

1. Tell the story of events that led to the violation (see below: Further Tips to Complete Assignment).
2. Consider the factors that contributed to the situation. What went wrong? What could have been done better? Which aspects are under your control and which are not?
3. Pose questions that you still have about the violation, the consequences, or future ramifications you may experience as a result of the violation.

Further Tips to Complete Assignment
You can begin the writing process by reflecting on and writing out responses to the following questions:

1. What was your integrity policy violation, that is, the “problem”? Write out your description.
2. Who was involved, that is, who are the main characters? Obviously you are one, but who are the others? The instructor, a teaching assistant, classmates, roommate, parent, friend, etc.? What roles did they play in the case? Describe the characters and their roles. Don’t forget to use pseudonyms so your case is anonymous.
3. What was the sequence of events that led to the integrity policy violation? Reconstruct how you came to the final action that led to the academic misconduct allegation. For example, “The instructor assigned us a research paper on global warming. Within a week, I had all of the sources I needed to write the paper, but because of other assignments and my job, I left the reading to the week the paper was due. I read all of the material in one night, copying and pasting stuff from the material into my paper. Then, the next night I went back to the paper and started writing and paraphrasing the material; I was up until 3:00 a.m., but I got the paper done. Then, a week after I submitted the paper, I was told by the professor that I had plagiarized and was being reported for academic misconduct!”
4. Identify the beginning, middle and end of your story—now read it as if you were someone else. What additional details—vivid descriptions—can you provide to help the reader understand the story? For example:
   
   • Beginning —“I was totally not into writing this research paper because I do not care about the topic and I had never written a research paper before, so I was clueless on how to start”;
   • Middle —“I was so tired when trying to write the paper that I became angry at having to even do the assignment”; and
   • End —“My reaction was that the professor was crazy and out to get me, and I was worried about how this would affect my grade in the course.”

(https://academicintegrity.ucsd.edu/excel-integrity/ai-training/index.html#Pre-Requisite-#2:-Write-your-Te).

The Academic Integrity Training Module must be completed in the Academic Success Center/Office of Student Engagement and Success before the deadline stated in the official notification. You will not be able to log in to the Academic Integrity Course training in Brightspace unless you are with a representative from the Academic Success Center/Office of Student Engagement and Success. Students failing to complete the module by the stated deadline will be assessed a $50 fine and suspended from class attendance with unexcused absences until the module has been completed. Off campus students may make arrangements to complete the module via Skype, Google Hangouts, or other virtual meeting software.

Rewrite your step 1 assignment using the information you just learned in your Academic Integrity Training module. You may choose to write to the same person you did in step 1 or someone else.

In this letter, you should:

1. Tell the story of events that led to the violation.
2. Consider the factors that contributed to the situation. What went wrong? What could have been done better? Which aspects are under your control and which are not?
3. Explain your findings after completing the academic integrity violation. Do you now see that what you did violated the policy even if you did not: intend to cheat, know what the policy said, know how to properly cite sources, actually cheat, know that your friend was going to copy your answers, etc.

1. The student should first discuss the matter directly with the instructor and make a reasonable effort to resolve the issue. The student must begin such an informal resolution process within seven calendar days of the release of final course grades.
2. If the student is uncomfortable trying to resolve the issue directly with the instructor, the student should request informal resolution by the Division Chair. If the instructor is the Division Chair, then the student should request informal resolution by the Provost. This step must begin within seven calendar days of the release of final course grades. The Division Chair nor the Provost play a decision-making role; rather, he or she facilitates a resolution when possible.

If no resolution is reached with the instructor, a student may initiate a formal appeal with the Provost.

1. In order to complete a formal grade appeal, a student must submit a Grade Appeal Form to the Provost within seven calendar days of the close of the informal resolution process. Students may ask the ASC professional staff for assistance in completing their appeal (not peer tutors).
2. Upon receipt of an appeal, the Provost will acknowledge its receipt with a copy to the instructor. The instructor will have the opportunity to write a letter of response, of which the student will receive a copy.
3. Both letters will be forwarded to the College Appeals Committee, who will meet to consider all facts presented in both letters. If the committee feels as though any party needs to be present at an appeals meeting, then both parties will be afforded the opportunity to appear. The individuals will not be required to discuss the appeal in front of one another. The committee will deliberate in closed session. All decisions are made by majority vote unless otherwise noted.

The Grade Appeal Form serves to remind students that an appeal must contain the following information:

1. 1. the course number, name, instructor, and the letter grade which the student is appealing;
   2. the basis for the student’s appeal;
   3. a statement of the remedy the student is seeking;
   4. evidence to support the basis for appeal, such as, but not limited to
      • syllabus information
      • assignment instructions
      • assignment evaluations
      • evaluations of prior learning
      • evidence of student attempts to contact an instructor outside of the classroom prior to the grade appeal
      • information on when and with whom the student attempted an informal resolution.
   5. Incomplete Grade Appeal Forms will be returned to the student to be corrected before being forwarded to the College Appeals Committee.