Academic Integrity Policy

Academic Integrity Board

The Academic Integrity Board (AIB) advocates and raises the awareness of academic integrity at Cumberland University by upholding the University Values section in the preamble that is fundamental to Cumberland University. These Values are: Value 1: Personal Integrity, Value 2: Worth of the Individual, Value 3: Critical, Independent Thinking, Value 4: Discipline, and Value 5: Community Responsibility and Accountability. The responsibility of acting with integrity impacts each member of the, administration, faculty, staff and student body of the university. The AIB reports to the Vice President of Academic Affairs about the status of Academic Integrity Policy. 

The Academic Integrity Board (AIB) consists of at least 7 members that include representation from each of the five academic schools of the University, an incumbent chair and at least one student representative. The function of the board is (1) to hear charges and/or appeals of academic integrity violations and to render decisions with regard to validity of charge(s) and imposed sanction(s); (2)to collect, report and analyze data from each “case” about the charges that have been brought by the student;(3)to report and use data for the purpose of improving communication across campus and improving Cumberland University;(4)to inform academic integrity violators of appeal process and direct them to resources to assist in the process;(5)to educate the campus community about academic misconduct; and (6)to ensure that the academic integrity practices of the University are current and in alignment with best practices.

The student may appeal an unfavorable decision by the board. Appeals are made first to Vice President for Academic Affairs and then to the University President. The decision of the University President is final. A copy of complete proceedings and actions will be kept in the Office of Academic Affairs and in the office of the Dean of Students.

Academic Integrity Procedures

Cumberland University considers any violation of academic integrity a significant offense and therefore subject to an appropriate sanction.  Academic integrity violations at the University are classified into minor and major categories each with two levels of violation for a total of four levels of violations. Faculty make the distinction within their course syllabi of the characteristics that define the category of academic integrity violation for a particular course. The sanction levied is decided upon by the faculty member in consultation with the appropriate Program Director and/or School Dean. The University recommends sanctions intended as a general guideline for the academy. Furthermore, extenuating circumstances may influence the imposed sanction, as degree of responsibility and experience of an individual student may be a factor in determining the appropriate sanction. For example a first-year student’s imposed sanction for a given violation may not be as severe as that imposed on a more experienced student (upper-classman or graduate student) for the same violation. All transgressions identified are recorded in the office of the Dean of Students (DofS). Academic Integrity Violations and Sanctions Policy

Every student is charged with the responsibility of acting in accordance with the standards of integrity established by the University, and ensuring that his/her fellow students also abide by these standards. As a member of the University community, if you have knowledge of a possible academic integrity offense, you should immediately contact the appropriate academic body (School Dean, faculty mentor or academic advisor) that will act as an academic integrity advisor. You do not necessarily need to disclose the course, the instructor, student suspect and/or other identifying details at this time. During this conversation, the advisor will explain the three criteria necessitating the action of reporting an academic integrity violation. Student Reporting Academic Integrity Violations Guidelines Calling upon the advice of an academic integrity advisor in no way binds you to report a case; however, it should be noted that academic integrity is the foundation of the academy.

All students are afforded the right to appeal a charge and/or sanction for an Academic Integrity violation. Grounds for an appeal include significant new evidence and/or procedural error. The Academic Integrity Board, Vice President for Academic Affairs and/or President reserve the right to accept or reject any appeal. All appeals must be reported on the Academic Integrity Appeal Form.

Academic Integrity Sanctions

A student found guilty of academic dishonesty shall receive a sanction or sanctions deemed appropriate to the offense. Sanctions may include, but are not limited to, a formal letter of censure, a requirement to perform community service on or off the campus, a grade of “F” on the assignment in question, dismissal from the course with a grade of “FC" (failure cheating), suspension, and/or expulsion from the University. The Faculty and Academic Integrity Board will be guided by precedent in determining sanctions and recommended sanctions for the academy found in Academic Integrity Violations and Sanctions Guidelines. When a verdict of guilty is reached, a record of the offense, the sanctions, and the proceedings shall be kept permanently on file in the Dean of Student’s office.

Student Academic Conduct Code

The University admits students with the expectation that they have previously developed acceptable personal standards of conduct and ethics. Admission to Cumberland University carries with it special privileges as well as special responsibilities different from those enjoyed by and/or imposed on non-students. All students, residents, guests, staff, and faculty are expected to abide by the rules and regulations of the University. A disciplinary situation occurs when substantive violations of rules, regulations, policies, and guidelines or violations of local, state, and/or federal laws, rules, or regulations are reported to or discovered by appropriate University officials. Disciplinary procedures will be enforced for all substantiated violations. Student violations of Cumberland University policies, regulations, rules, and guidelines or a violation of local, state, and/or federal laws, rules, or regulations may lead to a non-renewal of or cancellation of current and future financial aid awards and to disciplinary sanctions as deemed necessary by appropriate Cumberland University officials.

University regulations go into effect when an individual matriculates and continues until the time of graduation or withdrawal. By the act of registration, the student agrees to accept standards and regulations reflected in this document and other publications of the University.

Academic Integrity - Cumberland University expects its students to pursue their academic work with honesty and integrity. The following are serious academic offenses that may result in sanctions up to and including expulsion:

• Cheating in any form including facilitating another’s efforts to cheat.
• Fabrication or falsifying documents, records, or credentials.
• Unauthorized multiple submission includes simultaneous submission of the same piece of work in two courses without the prior approval of both instructors, as well as turning in any assignment for which one has already received credit.
• Abuse of academic materials which includes stealing, infringing upon, destroying, losing, defacing, or damaging intellectual resources that belong to someone else.
• Electronic dishonesty includes inappropriate access to network files, accounts, or resources, knowingly spreading viruses, disabling computer hardware or software, software piracy, and/or other forms of copyright infringement.
• Receiving or giving assistance not authorized by the instructor in the preparation of any essay, laboratory report, examination, or other assignments included in an academic course.
• Taking or attempting to take, steal, or otherwise procure in an unauthorized manner any material pertaining to the conduct of a class including, but not limited to, tests, examinations, laboratory equipment, and roll books.
• Selling, lending, or otherwise furnishing to any unauthorized person material which can be shown to contain the answers to any examinations scheduled to be given at any subsequent date in any course of study offered by the University or any paper required as part of the academic requirements for any class taught at the University without authorization from the instructor.
• Plagiarism or the representation of someone else's writing, computer program, or other creation as one's own.

It is the responsibility of all members of the community – students, faculty, staff, and administration – to familiarize themselves with the violations defined above. Students should help ensure that breaches of academic integrity do not remain undiscovered. Faculty must take responsibility for clearly defining, in course syllabi and assignments, the parameters of legitimate collaboration and any other areas in which boundaries of academic integrity may be unclear. The administration has a responsibility to assist in the fair and timely implementation of standards and sanctions.

Plagiarism - Plagiarism is the presentation of someone else’s words or ideas as one’s own. (See APA Manual, located in the reference section of the Vise Library). One of the most common forms of plagiarism is the paraphrasing of several phrases, sentences, or ideas in a paragraph with only one citation at the end of the paragraph resulting in confusion between the cited content and the researcher’s own words or ideas. Another common form is the practice of substituting words or phrases while retaining the original author’s form and structure.

Plagiarism in any form is one of the most egregious violations of professional ethics an author can commit. Submission of plagiarized material, even by accident or through ignorance, is a severe infraction of the professional ethical code and can result in expulsion from the program. To avoid plagiarism:

• Cite sources within the text for all phrases or ideas that are quoted or paraphrased.
• Cite sources within the text in the format delineated in the APA Manual.