Academic Concerns

Students who have concerns about course requirements, attendance or grading policies, and other similar matters should first discuss them with the instructor. If the concerns cannot be satisfactorily resolved, the student should then discuss them with the department chairperson. Following that, if necessary, contact the Dean of the College.

Serious concerns about the quality of instruction in a particular course should be brought to the attention of the department chairperson and when necessary, to the Dean of the College.

Concerns related to final grades should be handled according to the procedures set forth in the Carthage College Policy on Grade Review.

Students who are uncertain about the appropriate way to deal with a particular academic concern are encouraged to discuss the issue with their faculty advisor before taking action.

Student Honor Pledge:

"I have read, do understand and will abide by the College academic honesty guidelines."

Academic Honesty Guidelines

Academic honesty is a necessary corollary to academic freedom; the two concepts each presuppose the other. The goals and objectives of Carthage have been claimed within the implicit context of academic honesty. Therefore, Carthage expects academic honesty from all its members and maintains college-wide honesty guidelines and penalties which must be supported by the whole academic community.

All types of academic dishonesty are forbidden, including the following:

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the appropriation by any means of another's work or words and the unacknowledged incorporation of that work or words in one's written [as well as oral] work offered for credit. Some ideas have such wide currency that all may use them freely; some words, such as proverbs and clichés are public property. But when the writer borrows what belongs to another, the writer must indicate the source by way of an internal reference, and she/he must enclose all distinctive words of the source within quotation marks.

Cheating on a Test

Cheating on a test includes copying from another's test paper; having or using during a test, materials not authorized by the person giving the test; knowingly using, buying, selling, stealing or soliciting in whole or in part the contents of an unadministered test; substitution for another student or permitting another student to substitute for one's self in the taking of a test; collaborating with or seeking aid from another person during a test; bribing another person to obtain an unadministered test or information about an unadministered test; and using electronic devices in an unauthorized manner during a test.

Collusion and Unauthorized Cooperative Work

Collusion means the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written work offered for credit. Collaboration must be based upon the explicit consent of the instructor and must be acknowledged in the stating of authorship of the report.

False Citation

False citation is any attribution to, or citation of, a source from which the reference material was not in fact obtained.

Multiple Submissions

Multiple submission is the re-submission of any work by a student which has been used in identical or similar form in fulfillment of any academic requirement at this or another institution.

Submission of Work Prepared by Another

Submission of this type includes commercially prepared papers and work of any type written or developed by any other person.

False Data

False data are data which have been altered or contrived in such a way as to be deliberately misleading.

Penalties

Penalties for the above offenses will be determined at the discretion of the Dean of the College and may include:

 

Warnings

 

Warnings are to be given by individual faculty at their discretion when they observe signs of inadvertent academic dishonesty. The student is to be warned in writing and no report is filed with the Dean of the College.

 

Failure of the Work in Question

 

This penalty may be administered at the discretion of the faculty member whenever he or she can show an academic honesty violation has occurred. A written report of the violation and penalty must be submitted to the Office of the Dean of the College, and a copy must be given to the student.

 

Failure of the Course

 

This penalty may be administered at the discretion of the faculty member whenever he or she can show an academic honesty violation has occurred. It is up to the faculty member to decide if a student fails the course or the work in question on a first occurrence. A written report of the violation and penalty must be submitted to the Office of the Dean of the College. A letter grade of F will be recorded for that course on the student's transcript.

 

Dismissal from the College

 

Any time a student receives two academic dishonesty reports in the Office of the Dean of the College, the student is automatically dismissed from the College. These can be reports of either failure in the course, failure of the work in question, or a report of one of the violations listed below.

As always in academic matters, a student may appeal to the Dean of the College and the President of the College in any case where the student thinks unfair or unfounded judgments have been made. (These guidelines and penalties were adopted by the Faculty of Carthage College on February 19, 1988).

Computer Fraud

Computer fraud involves using accounts other than one's own-- including willfully and fraudulently gaining access, modifying, destroying, copying, viewing, or in any other way "hacking" on the system, other accounts, and their files. Removing output (printouts, plots, etc.) not belonging to the student violator is also considered academic dishonesty, as is tampering with equipment. (It should be noted that people who have used up their files and who remain "logged on" are subject to having material deleted, so that others may use the system). This does not constitute violation of the academic honesty guidelines.

Library Abuse

This form of academic dishonesty includes mutilation of materials or in other ways infringing upon the right of other students to fair and equal access of all library materials. Failing to sign for materials taken from the library and similar abuse of library privileges are considered academic dishonesty.

False Information

False information includes knowingly furnishing false information to the college (including advisors, registrar, professors, etc.) for the purpose of obtaining special consideration or privileges (e.g., postponement of an examination or deadline of the development of a special major).

False information also includes knowingly providing information to the College which results in any undue academic advantage for any student or any undue academic disadvantage for any member of the college.

The penalty for these offenses listed immediately above is the report of the offense to the Office of the Dean of the College. If it is a second report of any type of academic dishonesty the student is automatically dismissed. If it is the first report, at his or her discretion, the Dean of the College can dismiss the violator (e.g., in cases of a particular egregious violation such as the destruction of another's work); or the Dean of the College can choose to have the violation noted so a penalty can be administered in the case of a second violation.

Academic Dishonesty Due Process Procedure

1. Any student charged with academic dishonesty has the right to request in writing that the Dean of the College establish a committee to review the decision of the faculty member. The student must contact the Dean no later than one week after a faculty member has formally charged a student with academic dishonesty.

2. The Dean will form a committee of three departmental chairpersons and one student government representative. The chairpersons selected cannot be from the same department as the faculty who has made the charge.

3. The committee must set a hearing date no later than two weeks after receiving the formal request from the student. The faculty member who has made the charge must attend the hearing.

4. The student has the right to invite individuals who have pertinent information to attend the hearing, or produce documents that are supportive of the student's appeal.

5. All members of the committee are voting members. A minimum of three votes are required to override the faculty member's charge. The final vote is confidential; therefore, the committee either upholds or denies the charge and conveys its decision to the Dean. Records of the hearing and appeals will be confidential and kept in the Dean's Office for a period of five years. After five years the records will be destroyed.

6. The student has the right to appeal the committee's decision in writing to the Dean of the College within three days of the committee's decision. The Dean must render a decision within one week of receiving the appeal.

Academic Policy On Disciplinary Dismissal and Suspension

1. Dismissal

a. If a student is dismissed for disciplinary reasons by the Dean of Students Office or the Student/Faculty Judicial Board, a grade of W (withdrawal) will be recorded for each course on the official college record.

b. When a student is dismissed, a notation will be made on the permanent record indicating that the student was dismissed for disciplinary reasons.

2. Suspension

a. If a student is suspended for disciplinary reasons, the period involved should not prohibit the student from completing the academic term in the prescribed time.

b. Faculty members instructing or advising suspended students will be notified by the Dean of Students Office that action has been taken to suspend the student for a period of time because of irresponsible behavior.

c. Faculty members have the option of providing students who have been suspended the opportunity to make up missed requirements.