Academic Integrity at Mohawk College

Mohawk College Academic Integrity

Purpose

This policy provides Mohawk College with guidelines with respect to promoting academic integrity. The policy describes a set of standard definitions; behaviours associated with maintaining academic integrity; and determinations of what constitutes a breach of academic integrity. The policy also identifies the rights and responsibilities of students, employees, and administration with respect to academic integrity; and the actions and sanctions associated with various breaches of integrity; and the process for which breaches are investigated, resolved, and appealed.

Application and Scope

This policy applies to all employees, students, contractors, consultants, researchers, volunteers, and other workers who are involved in academic activities at Mohawk College. Instances where academic integrity is breached outside from normal academic activities (e.g., in co-curricular or extracurricular activities) may involve resolution through other College policies or procedures. Such determinations will be at the discretion of the Academic Manager or designate of the School in which the student is enrolled.

Description of Breaches

Type of Breach Example(s)
Citation or Reference Errors & Plagiarism
  • Taking credit for others’ work.
  • Submitting files created by others without prior permission (excluding contract cheating, see below).
  • Failing to credit original sources of intellectual property.
  • Copying part of whole sections without reference.
  • Creating fake references or fabrication (e.g., lab results).
  • Submitting multiple copies of the same or nearly same work to the same or different courses without explicit written permission from the faculty member(s) (e.g., “self plagiarism”).
Unauthorized Collaboration
  • Completing an assignment in collaboration with others’ help without explicit permission.
  • Completing independent work as a group.
Assisting others in breaching academic integrity
  • Intentionally sharing work with others.
  • Helping others copy or plagiarize.
  • Failing to adequately safeguard or protect own work.
Cheating
  • Unauthorized possession or use of materials in a testing environment (e.g., copying papers, notes, textbooks brought into testing environments).
  • Using aids or devices (e.g., cell phone, earphones) in testing environments without explicit permission.
  • Knowingly continuing to complete evaluations after time has expired.
Unauthorized possession or use of academic materials
  • Possessing or using materials, resources, technologies, or other sources which are not permitted.
  • Distributing or accessing intellectual property without permission (e.g., misuse or unauthorized distribution of or access to instructional materials, audio recordings, videos, notes, visuals, instructions, and other related content).
Participating in unscholarly activities in preparation or completion of academic work
  • Altering, sabotaging, or deleting learning materials such as destroying another’s work, removing or destroying course content.
  • Uploading or distributing evaluation or assessment instructions or exemplars, course content, or other forms of College intellectual content without permission (e.g., via social media, “homework help” websites).
Contract cheating
  • Purchasing assignments.
  • Submitting evaluation instructions to another person to complete on one’s behalf.
  • Having someone else complete one’s assessment.
Improperly gaining access to evaluations prior to scheduled time and date
  • Accessing test banks.
  • Accessing or distributing prior tests or exams.
  • Providing knowledge of evaluation materials to other students (such as those writing at an alternative time or location).
  • Distributing or posting evaluation instructions for other students.
Falsification of documents
  • Creating, using or submitting fraudulent, false, or misleading documentation for any form of academic advantage (e.g., admissions requirements, credentials, medical documentation).
Misrepresentation, Fraud, or Impersonation
  • Acts or omissions intended to gain advantages for academic activities (e.g., lying to professor to increase grade, falsifying dates of submission for assessments).
  • Impersonating others or having others impersonate for any form of advantage in academic activities.

Description of Sanctions

Resubmission of Work

Student has an opportunity to make appropriate corrections (as applicable) and resubmits same work; or submits alternative assignment/assessment which addresses the issues which caused the original breach (e.g., by adding missing citations). At the discretion of the faculty member, the resubmission may incur an automatic grade reduction.

Grade of Zero for Submission

Student receives a grade of zero for the assignment/assessment with no opportunity to resubmit and no partial marks. This penalty may result in the student failing the course.

Grade of Zero for Course

Student receives a zero for the course which automatically results in a course failure.

Discontinuance from Program

Student is discontinued from their program effective immediately. This penalty results in automatic failing grades in all courses for the current term with no refund issued for any fees incurred. The student shall be eligible for return to the program following the standard discontinuance period.

Expulsion from the College

The student is removed from their program and permanently expelled from Mohawk College with no refund issued for any fees incurred.

Rescinding of Credentials

The student’s credentials (e.g., certificate, diploma or degree) obtained during one or more serious breaches of academic integrity are rescinded.

License

SSJS International Student Orientation Copyright © by Shannon Bowerman and Christine Sager. All Rights Reserved.

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