California State University, Long Beach
Policy Statement
85-19 Obsolete Policy
December 13, 1985
CHEATING AND PLAGIARISM
This Policy Statement supersedes Policy Statement 77-14.
This policy was recommended by the Academic Senate in its meeting
in December 5, 1985 and received the concurrence of the President
on December 13, 1985.
It is the policy of the faculty and administration to deal effectively
with the student who practices cheating or plagiarism. These acts
are fundamentally destructive of the process of education and the
confident evaluation of a student's mastery over a subject. A University
maintains respect and functions successfully within the larger community
when its reputation is built on honesty. By the same token, each
student benefits in helping to maintain the integrity of the University.
This policy, therefore, provides for a variety of faculty actions
including those which may lead to the assignment of a failing grade
for a course and for administrative actions which may lead to dismissal
from the University. This document is written with the intent to
support the traditional values that students are on their honor
to perform their academic duties in an ethical manner.
GENERAL
1.1 The following definitions of cheating and plagiarism shall apply
to all work submitted by a student. Any change or refinement in the
following definitions or applications of the definitions, necessitated
by the nature of the work involved, shall be made by the faculty member
or departments desiring the change. Any change shall be announced,
in writing, in the relevant classes before the work is assigned and
a copy of the changes will be filed in the department office and in
the Office of Judicial Affairs.
DEFINITION OF PLAGIARISM
2.1 Plagiarism is defined as the act of using the ideas
or work of another person or persons as if they were one's own , without
giving credit to the source. Such an act is not plagiarism if it is
ascertained that the ideas were arrived at through independent reasoning
or logic or where the thought or idea is common knowledge.
Acknowledge of an original author or source must be made through
appropriate references, i.e., quotation marks, footnotes, or commentary.
Examples of plagiarism include, but are not limited to, the following:
the submission of a work, either in part or in whole, completed
by another; failure to give credit for ideas, statements, facts
or conclusions with rightfully belong to another; in written work,
failure to use quotation marks when quoting directly from another,
whether it be a paragraph, a sentence, or even a part thereof; close
and lengthy paraphrasing of another writing or paraphrasing should
consult the instructor.
Students are cautioned that, in conducting their research, they
should prepare their notes by (a) either quoting material exactly
(using quotation marks) at the time they take notes from a source;
or (b) departing completely from the language used in the
source, putting the material into their own words. In this way,
when the material is used in the paper or project, the student can
avoid plagiarism resulting from verbatim use of notes. Both quoted
and paraphrased materials must be given proper citations.
DEFINITION OF CHEATING
3.1 Cheating is defined
as the act of obtaining or attempting to obtain or aiding another
to obtain academic credit for work by the use of any dishonest, deceptive
or fraudulent means. Examples of cheating during an examination would
include, but not be limited to the following: copying, either in part
or in wholes, from another test or examination; discussion of answers
or ideas relating to the answers on an examination or test unless
such discussion is specifically authorized by the instructor; giving
or receiving copies of an exam without the permission of the instructor;
using or displaying notes; "cheat sheets," or other information or
devices inappropriate to the prescribed test conditions, as when the
test of competence includes a test of unassisted recall of information,
skill, or procedure; allowing someone other than the officially enrolled
student to represent the same. Also included are plagiarism as defined
and altering or interfering with the grading procedures.
It is often appropriate for students to study together or to work
in teams on projects. However, such students should be careful to
avoid use of unauthorized assistance, and to avoid any implication
of cheating, by such means as sitting apart from one another in
examinations, presenting the work in a manner which clearly indicates
the effort of each individual, or such other method as is appropriate
to the particular course.
FACULTY RESPONSIBILITIES IN ALLEGATIONS OF CHEATING OR
PLAGIARISM
4.1 Before a faculty member charges a student
with cheating or plagiarism, the faculty member should have reasonable
evidence with respect thereto. Reasonable evidence includes documentary
or other physical evidence, personal observation, or testimony. Prior
cheating or plagiarism is not reasonable evidence.
In order to establish facts of the student's knowledge or skill,
the faculty member may ask the student to provide such additional
demonstration of competency as the faculty member deems necessary
to evaluate scholarship and academic performance. The faculty member
must advise the student that a decision to provide an opportunity
for such an additional demonstration of competency is entirely at
the faculty member's option and that the student may comply with
the request of the faculty member at the student's option. Neither
compliance nor non-compliance shall be considered an admission of
cheating or plagiarism.
4.2 In cases where a student is suspected of cheating or plagiarism.
The faculty member should arrange for an informal office conference
with the student as soon as possible. The purpose of the informal
conference is to bring the persons involved together to discuss
the issues informally and to discuss courses of action. At the conference
the student shall be notified by the faculty member of the charge
and supporting evidence. For an incident with occurs during or as
a part of a final examination consult Section 4.5.
4.3 In cases where there is more than one individual suspected
of cheating or plagiarism, the faculty member may decide to call
the students to confer jointly as a group, or as individuals, or
both. If the faculty member should decide to confer with the students
as a group, the students shall have the option to also confer with
the instructor separately as individuals.
4.4 The faculty member shall inform the student(s) that both students
and faculty have the right to submit a request to the Academic Integrity
Committee (discussed below) for a written opinion on whether the
accusation is supported by the evidence. All notes and discussions
between the student and the faculty member are confidential, except
as may be relevant to the Academic Integrity Committee or in subsequent
campus disciplinary proceedings. Neither the faculty member nor
the student should discuss a specific charge of cheating or plagiarism
or any violations with reference to individuals in the classroom
before other members of the class.
4.5 When the student cannot be contacted and therefore the informal
conference cannot be held, as is sometimes the case after final
examinations, a grade of "I" (Incomplete) may be assigned, but only
if the instructor wishes an additional test of competence (see 4.1,
above). The instructor shall have the agreement form for assigning
an "Incomplete" sent to the last known address of the student. The
agreement form shall state the following:
Under the provisions of the C.S.U.L.B. Policy Statement on Cheating
and Plagiarism, an additional test of competency related to the (syllabus
name of suspect demonstration, e.g., Final Examination) is requested.
(Explain what additional test of competency.) You may decline to do
so. Please contact the instructor, the department office, or the office
of Judicial Affairs for information regarding the University policy
on Cheating and Plagiarism. The instructor must indicate on the agreement
form the grade with will be assigned, normally 120 calendar days following
mailing of the Incomplete Agreement, if the student does not respond
or, responding, the student does not agree to an additional test of
competence. 4.6 Charges of cheating or plagiarism cannot be brought
against a student more than 120 calendar days after discovery that
the work in question may have been plagiarized or that cheating may
have taken place.
4.7 Notes and evidence shall be kept by the department chair or
program director for a minimum of five years after the case is settled.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY COMMITTEE
5.1 The Chair
of the Academic Senate and the Vice President for Academic Affairs
shall jointly appoint an Academic Integrity Committee for the University.
This Committee shall consist of one member from the student body,
chosen by the Associated Students Government for a one year term of office; three members
of the full-time, tenured or tenure-track faculty, each with a term
of office of two years, terms of office expiring in alternate years;
and one member of the Office of Academic Affairs, who shall be Chair,
voting only in case of ties.
5.2 The primary charge of the Committee is to receive the requests
of students accused of cheating or plagiarism or the requests of
faculty accusing specified student(s) of cheating or plagiarism.
Following its review of the evidence, the Committee shall report
its opinion to the student(s) and to the faculty member involved
on whether the accusation is supported by the evidence. This opinion
may not be appealed. However, when new evidence appears to so warrant,
a faculty member or student may ask, in writing, the Vice President
for Academic Affairs or the Chair of the Academic Senate to request
the Committee to reconsider a case.
The Academic Integrity Committee shall make readily available the
rules and procedures governing its operations.
5.3 In all cases, a Report of the Committee is advisory
to the student, with whom rests the presumption of innocence, and
the faculty member, to whom the decision on the evidence and academic
action is reserved.
5.4 A faculty member or student who requests a review of the evidence
in a case of alleged cheating or plagiarism must make such a request
to the Academic Integrity Committee in writing no later than 14
calendar days following the date of first notification of the student
by the faculty member of the allegation. Except under extenuating
circumstances, the student and faculty member will have no more
than 14 additional calendar days to provide evidence to the Committee.
5.5 To preserve the rights of privacy, the Committee meetings shall
be closed. The Committee may request additional information as may
be appropriate to the development of its Reports. The Committee
is to provide a final Report within 21 calendar days of the submission
of a request to it. Should additional time be required, the reasons
should be Communicated to the Vice President for Academic Affairs
and the Chair of the Academic Senate as well as the student(s) and
faculty members involved.
5.6 The Committee is to report on its actions annually to the Vice
President for Academic Affairs and the Chair of the Academic Senate.
ACADEMIC ACTION
6.1 One or more of the following
academic actions are available to the faculty member who finds a student
has been cheating or plagiarizing. These options may be taken by the
faculty member to the extend that the faulty member considers the
cheating or plagiarism to manifest the student's lack of scholarship
or to reflect on the student's lack of academic performance in the
course. These actions may be taken without a request for or before
the receipt of a Report from the Academic Integrity Committee.
(a) Review -- no action.
(b) An oral reprimand with emphasis on counseling toward prevention
of further occurrences;
(c) A requirement that the work be repeated;
(d) Assignment of a score of zero (0) for the specific demonstration
of competence, resulting in the proportional reduction of final
course grade;
(e) Assignment of a failing final grade;
(f) Referral to the Office of Judicial Affairs for possible probation,
suspension, or expulsion.
6.2 A student may appeal a final course grade the computation of which
included an examination or other test of competence in which a score
of zero was assigned for cheating or plagiarism, but only on the grounds
permitted in the University Grade Appeal Policy Statement.
An appeal of the final grade may include as written testimony the
Report of the Academic Integrity Committee.
DISCIPLINARY SANCTIONS
7.1 Administrative
Action
Procedures and sanctions of the Office of Judicial Affairs are under
the administration of the Vice President for Student Services and
are conducted pursuant to the authority provided in Section 41301
of Title 5 of the California Administrative Code. Copies of Section
41301 of Title 5 may be found in the University Bulletin and
the Campus Regulations available in the Office of Judicial
Affairs. Copies of Chancellor's Executive Order 148, "Student Disciplinary
Procedures for the California State University" are also available
upon request.
7.2 Opportunities for appeal regarding the sanctions applied by
Vice President for Student Services are provided for students involved
in the proceedings as outlined by Executive Order 148.
7.3 The Vice President for Student Services shall report annually
ot the Chair of the Academic Senate a summary of the charges concerning
cheating and plagiarism brought before the Office of Judicial Affairs.
EFFECTIVE: Immediately. A summary of this policy shall be published
in each University Bulletin.
INCIDENT
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INCOMPLETE
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REFERRAL TO ACADEMIC INTEGRITY COMMITTEE
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ORAL REQUIRE
ZERO ON FAILING
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REPRIMAND REPETITION
ASSIGNMENT GRADE
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COUNSELING OF WORK
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(a separate process)
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REFERRAL TO JUDICIAL AFFAIRS
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