Academic Integrity Policy

Academic Integrity

In the world of education, academic integrity is seen as a desirable, foundational value. This is a topic of growing concern with new technologies making the temptation to violate the principles of academic integrity greater than ever. In addition to this wider academic desire for integrity, LBC seeks to help mold the character of students according to a biblical worldview and to send people of integrity into ministry. Academic dishonesty includes but is not limited to:

1. Plagiarism: Submitting as one’s own work part or all of any assignment that is copied, paraphrased, or purchased from another source, including online sources, without the proper acknowledgment of that source.
2. Cheating: Using or attempting to use unauthorized material or study aids for personal assistance in examinations or other academic work.
3. Fabrication: Submitting altered, contrived, or invented information in any academic exercise.
4. Misrepresentation of Academic Records: Tampering with any portion of a student’s record.
5. Facilitating Academic Dishonesty: Helping another individual violate the Academic Integrity Policy.
6. Unfair Advantage: Attempting, in an inequitable manner, to gain a more favorable playing field than fellow students have on an academic exercise.
7. Multiple submissions: Submitting the same work to fulfill the requirements for more than one course without authorization of all instructors involved.
8. Tolerating Academic Dishonesty:When a student knows about academic dishonesty and fails to address it with the other student, that student is complicit in the dishonesty. If the confronted student fails to confess to the monitor and cease and desist, the other student is responsible to address the issue with the monitor.

Procedures for Violations of Academic Integrity

In a course, each faculty member is responsible to monitor his/her class for academic integrity. Outside a course, the Provost is the monitor of academic integrity.

1. If a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy is suspected, the monitor should meet with the student(s) to discuss the incident and determine, to the monitor’s satisfaction, whether or not a violation has occurred. Monitors and student(s) may choose to have a witness present at the discussion. Both parties should be notified that a witness will be present and have opportunity to bring his or her own witness. The monitor should thoroughly discuss the evidence of the offense and the report that will be sent to the registrar.
2. If a student is accused of violating the Academic Integrity Policy, but subsequently the monitor determines that the student is innocent or insufficient evidence exists to justify further action, the student should be informed. No report of the accusation or of the monitor/student meeting should be filed with the registrar.
3. If the monitor determines that a violation has occurred, a report should be filed with the registrar and to student services. Also, a duplicate of the report should be provided to the student. (The faculty member must keep originals of tests, papers, and/or projects that provide evidence of the violation.) The report of violation should include the following:
   1. A complete description of the incident, including date of meeting with the student.
   2. Conclusions regarding exact nature of the violation.
   3. Copies of originals of tests, papers, and/or projects that provide evidence of the violation.d. Faculty recommendation.
4. The registrar shall convene an interview to determine the appropriate penalties for the offense. The conclusion will be kept as part of the student’s record in the registrar’s office.
5. The desire of the College is to act in redemptive rather than merely punitive ways. Consequently, in coordination with student services, counsel will be provided.

Penalties for Violation of the Academic Integrity Policy

 The consequences and penalties for academic dishonesty will be tied to where the offense occurred.     

Penalties for Violating the Academic Integrity Policy— In a Course

1. For a first offense, the offense will be as follows: After meeting with the student, the monitor will complete a report to registrar. The registrar will determine with the monitor whether the violation was minor and unintentional, warranting a failing grade for the assignment in question. Or, the registrar with the monitor will decide if the violation was flagrant and blatant, warranting a failure for the course.
2. For subsequent offenses, the penalty will be as follows:
   1. Two minor/unintentional offenses will result in failure of the course.
   2. Three minor/unintentional offenses will result in the registrar recommending to the president that the student be expelled.
   3. If the second offense is flagrant, the registrar will recommend to the president that the student be expelled.
3. The registrar will determine what sanctions will be imposed when a student confesses to having cheated in any course already completed.

Penalties for Violation of the Academic Integrity Policy—Outside a Course

1. For instances of violating the Academic Integrity Policy outside a course (such as interfering with the college records or vandalizing library materials), the case will be presented to the Provost who will investigate the alleged offense and based on evidence suspend the student.
2. For second offenses, a recommendation will be made to the president that the student be expelled.

Appeals Process for Violation of the Academic Integrity Policy

The student may appeal in writing to the student appeals committee. A student’s intent to appeal a monitor’s response to a violation must be communicated in writing to the registrar within one week of the receipt of the written notification from the monitor dealing with the incident. The student appeals committee should hear both the monitor and the student on the issue as well as review the documents. The decision of the committee may be appealed to the Provost who has the final authority to remediate the action.