In the pursuit of knowledge and scholarship, all members of the academic community at Montgomery County Community College must maintain a constant commitment to academic integrity. The College provides an environment that fosters critical thinking and judgment, and in order to safeguard the integrity of the institution, students are expected to follow the policies of the College and the faculty. To fulfill their part of that commitment, students must adhere to an academic code of ethics by refraining from participation in acts of academic dishonesty. By attending MCCC, students accept this Student Academic Code of Ethics and agree to the following:

Students must do all of their own work.
Students must not cheat.
Students must not help others to cheat.
Students who are unclear about the validity of an academic procedure they are about to undertake should ask their instructor for guidance beforehand. Violations of this code of ethics will result in sanctions, including possible dismissal from the College.
 

Academic Dishonesty
Academic dishonesty shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

Plagiarism
Copying or presenting material verbatim from any source without using quotation marks and the appropriate documentation or by using improper documentation of the source, including any materials from the Internet or other electronic sources
Copying from any source (print and non-print, including Internet websites), including altering a few words to avoid exact quotation, without the appropriate documentation or by using improper documentation of the source
Rewording an idea found in a source but then omitting documentation or improperly citing the source
Submitting as one’s own any course assignment (i.e., a paper, speech, computer project, media presentation, studio project, lab report, etc.) created by someone else
Having someone other than the student correct the mistakes on a paper or speech [Someone may suggest revisions, but the work must be the student’s.]

Cheating on Examinations and Assignments
Copying answers from another person
Copying a passage from a book, magazine, or other source without proper citation or quotation marks
Using any unauthorized resources during an exam, such as bringing notes to class on a scrap of paper, on an article of clothing, on one’s person, on an electronic device, etc., or writing notes or answers on campus furniture or structures
Asking for, giving, or receiving the answers to test questions
Having an unauthorized person take a test for a student
Stealing or having in one’s possession without permission any tests, materials, or property belonging to or having been generated by faculty, staff, or another student
Fabricating data and information (i.e., laboratory and clinical results, case studies, interviews, etc.)
Submitting a previously graded paper or speech to a different instructor without that instructor’s approval
Submitting the same paper to two instructors simultaneously without both instructors’ permission

Aiding Another Student in Committing an Act of Academic Dishonesty
Willfully offering to or taking from another student questions or answers to tests, examinations, oral and written assignments, presentations, clinical projects, etc.
Doing another student’s assignment (in the classroom, laboratory, studio, or clinical setting; online; or outside of class), excluding collaborative learning assignments or joint assignments approved by the instructor. Some examples may include, but are not limited to, doing another student’s homework or other assignment for him or her as opposed to showing the student how to do the work, correcting a student’s misspelled word as opposed to identifying a misspelled word, or writing or re-writing a major portion of a student’s assignment.
Taking a test for another student

Consequences of Academic Dishonesty
Ensuring academic honesty is everyone’s responsibility. The excuse of ignorance is unacceptable in response to a charge of student academic dishonesty. Options for dealing with academic dishonesty are at the discretion of the instructor. Instructor-imposed sanctions for the student may include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following:

Repeating the assignment with a grade penalty
Receiving a failing grade for the assignment
Receiving a failing grade for the course
Receiving a failing grade for the course with a notation of academic misconduct on the student’s transcript
Students may follow the College’s appeal process if they dispute an instructor’s accusation of academic dishonesty. The Academic Progress Committee will hear the appeal, and the policies of the Academic Progress Committee are incorporated into this statement by reference.

Either through the appeal process or at the recommendation of the faculty member, the Vice President of Academic Affairs/Provost has the discretion to impose institutional sanctions. Institutionally-imposed sanctions for the student may include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following:

Being expelled from the student’s program
Being expelled from the College
Before imposing sanctions, the Vice President of Academic Affairs/Provost will consult with the faculty member and appropriate administrator/s.

Appeal Process
Appeals for student adjudication of any charge of academic dishonesty brought by a faculty member will be processed through the procedures set forth by the Montgomery County Community College Committee on Academic Progress. The Committee of Academic Progress is empowered to hear special appeals relating to academic policies and procedures, including charges of academic dishonesty. A review by the Committee on Academic Progress is part of the student due process procedure when a student wishes to appeal a grade or to appeal faculty charges relating to a violation of the Student Academic Code of Ethics. While the appeal process for these types of violations follows the committee on Academic Progress procedures, certain adjustments to the procedures are made to accommodate violations of the Student Academic Code of Ethics. Specific adjustments to the Committee on Academic Progress procedures are the ones that follow.

Academic dishonesty should be addressed at the faculty/student level whenever possible. Faculty members who accuse students of academic dishonesty are required to inform students of their right to appeal the accusation and refer students to the written appeal process published in the Montgomery County Community College Course Catalog and the Student Handbook Calendar. For a student to appeal a faculty charge of academic dishonesty that violates the Student Academic Code of Ethics, the following steps must be taken.

Within five days of the accusation, the student, in writing, must request from the faculty member written notification of the complaint of academic dishonesty and imposed sanctions. The faculty member is obligated to supply this document within 48 hours (exclusive of holidays and weekends) of the student's request. While filing an appeal, the student is entitled to remain in the class with all student rights intact until the appeal is processed and a final decision is reached.

Within 48 hours of receiving written notification of charges of academic dishonesty and imposed sanctions, the student must make a written request for a conference with the faculty member through the appropriate academic division head for the course of the department in which the course is given.

The division head must schedule a conference with the faculty member and the student within seven working days (exclusive of weekends and holidays) after the student was notified of the charge.

Upon securing all documentation relating to the charge and meeting with the student and faculty member, the division head shall attempt to resolve the issue at the conference. If a solution is reached, all three parties sign an agreement, and the division head submits a report of the incident to the Vice PResident of Academic Affairs/Provost, with copies to the student and the faculty member.

If there is no resolution at the division head conference or if either the student or faculty member is not satisfied with the resolution proposed, a written appeal must be made within five days, to be considered timely and effective, directly to the Vice President of Academic Affairs/Provost requesting that the Committee on Academic Progress be convened to hear the complaint.

For purposes of hearing violations relating to charges of academic dishonesty, the Committee on Academic Progress shall be appointed by the Vice President of Academic Affairs/Provost and shall be composed of the following:

A member of the English faculty if the charge involves plagiarism

Two additional faculty members (three if no charge of plagiarism is involved) drawn from an academic division other than the one from which the complaint originates

An Academic Affairs administrator other than the head of the division from which the complaint originates

A current, full-time student member of Phi Theta Kappa who is not majoring in the discipline in which the complaint originates.

The associate Vice President of Academic Affairs who will chair the Committee as an ex-officio member.
NOTE: The Vice President of Academic Affairs/Provost and the appropriate division head are invited to the Committee hearing but have no role in the recommendation coming from the Committee.
 

Prior to the Committee on Academic Progress hearing, all involved parties will receive written notification of the hearing date, location, names of Committee members, and a copy of all documentation relating to the issues.

The Committee will hear the student complaint according to the standard procedure of the Committee and will send a written recommendation to the Vice President of Academic Affairs/Provost within 48 hours. Either party may bring a witness(es) to the hearing, but only the student or faculty member may represent himself or herself.

The Vice President of Academic Affairs/Provost will review the documentation and the information presented at the Committee hearing and render a final decision within 48 hours of receiving the written recommendation of the Committee. If the Vice President of Academic Affairs/Provost finds on behalf of the student, the charges and sanctions will be dismissed and records destroyed, and the student will continue with the class. If the Vice President of Academic Affairs/Provost finds on behalf of the faculty member, the sanctions will be enforced. At the discretion of the Vice President of Academic Affairs/Provost, institutional sanctions may be added.
NOTE: The time frames above are strongly recommended, and every attempt will be made to adhere to them. However, these time frames may have to be extended due to extenuating or extraordinary circumstances.
 

The Decision of the Vice President of Academic Affairs/Provost is final and is unappealable, and terminates the internal procedures for student due process for violations of the Student Academic Code of Ethics.