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Academic Integrity and Plagiarism Policy

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism Policy

Academic integrity is essential in higher education. As a testimony to God and faithfulness to the original work of others, the Seminary and Graduate School prioritizes integrity in all matters, particularly related to research and writing. Christian leadership should reflect the character and conduct reflective of the high calling and privilege of graduate education. It is the student’s responsibility to be knowledgeable as to what constitutes plagiarism. In order to maintain faithfulness in such matters, the following definitions and procedures are adhered to in the program.

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. Fabrication: Submitting altered, contrived, or invented information in any academic assignment.
  3. Misrepresentation of Academic Records: Tampering with any portion of a student’s record.
  4. Facilitating Academic Dishonesty: Helping another individual violate the Academic Integrity Policy.
  5. Unfair Advantage: Attempting, in an inequitable manner, to gain a more favorable playing field than fellow students have on an academic assignment.
  6. Multiple submissions: Submitting the same work to fulfill the requirements for more than one course without authorization of all instructors involved. No more than 10% of a previous course paper should be used in an assignment for another course.
  7. 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 professor.

Types of Plagiarism:

  1. Direct plagiarism: Word-for-word transcription of someone else’s work, without citation and quotation marks.
  2. Self-plagiarism: Submitting one’s own work from previous classes without permission of the professors. As noted, no more than 10% of a previous course should be used in an assignment for another course.
  3. Mosaic plagiarism: Borrowing phrases from a source without quotation marks.
  4. Accidental plagiarism: Neglecting to cite sources, misquoting sources, or unintentionally paraphrasing a source by using similar words.
  5. Adopting someone else’s work: Submitting an assignment written by someone else.

Procedures for Violations of Academic Integrity

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

  1. If a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy is suspected, the professor should meet with the student(s) to discuss the incident and determine, to the professor’s satisfaction, whether or not a violation has occurred. Professors 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 professor should thoroughly discuss the evidence of the offense then report the violation to the Program Director.
  2. If a student is accused of violating the Academic Integrity Policy, but subsequently the professor 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 professor/student meeting should be filed with the Program Director.
  3. If the professor determines that a violation has occurred, a report should be filed with the Program Director. 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 original tests, papers, and/or projects that provide evidence of the violation.
    4. Faculty recommendation.
  4. The Program Director shall convene an interview to determine the appropriate penalties for the offense.
  5. The Program Director shall determine the appropriate consequences and penalties (see below). The conclusion will be sent in written form to the Registrar, respective faculty member for the course, and the student. The letter will be kept as part of the student’s record in the Registrar’s office.
  6. The program desires to act in a redemptive manner rather than one that is punitive. The Program Director will aim to facilitate redemptive growth in the student throughout the process.

Penalties for Violation of the Academic Integrity Policy

The consequences and penalties for academic dishonesty are as follows:

  1. For a first offense, the offense will be as follows: After meeting with the student, the Program Director will determine with the professor the gravity and intentionality of the violation.
    1. If the violation is deemed minor and unintentional, the student will receive a failing grade for the assignment.
    2. If the violation is major and intentional, the student will receive a failing grade for the course thus requiring the student to retake the course in its entirety. In addition, the student will be placed on academic probation for a minimum of one year.
  2. For subsequent offenses, the penalty will be as follows:
    1. Two minor/unintentional offenses will result in failure of the course thus requiring the student to retake the course in its entirety. In addition, the student will be placed on academic probation for a minimum of one year.
    2. Three minor/unintentional offenses will result in the Program Director recommending to the President that the student be expelled.
    3. If the second offense is flagrant regardless if the first offense was unintentional or flagrant, the Program Director will recommend to the President that the student be expelled.
  3. The Program Director will determine what sanctions will be imposed when a student confesses to having cheated in any course already completed.
  4. In terms of academic probation, after one year, the Program Director will review the student’s work from the previous year and meet with the student. If the student has exhibited academic integrity, academic probation will be lifted.

Appeals Process for Violation of the Academic Integrity Policy

The student may appeal in writing to the Department Chair. A student’s intent to appeal a Program Director’s response to a violation must be communicated in writing to the Department Chair within one week of the receipt of the written notification from the Program Director detailing the incident. The Department Chair should hear both the Program Director and the student on the issue as well as review the documents. The Department Chair may convene a committee to review the matter. The decision by the Department Chairman may be appealed next to the Registrar. In the absence of resolution, a final appeal can be made to the Provost who has the final authority to remediate the action.