Academic Honesty Policy
General
Students who attend Ensign College should seek to be totally honest in all their dealings. They should complete their own work and be evaluated based upon that work. They avoid academic dishonesty and misconduct in all its forms, including but not limited to, plagiarism, fabrication or falsification, cheating, improper use of Generative AI tools, and other academic misconduct.
Plagiarism
Intentional plagiarism is the deliberate act of representing the words, ideas, or data of another as one’s own without providing proper attribution to the original author through quotation, reference, or footnote.
Inadvertent plagiarism involves the inappropriate, but non-deliberate, use of another’s words, ideas, or data without proper attribution. Although not a violation of the Honor Code, it is a form of academic misconduct for which an instructor can impose appropriate academic sanctions. Students who are in doubt as to whether they are providing proper attribution have the responsibility to consult with their instructor and obtain guidance. Instructors should take a developmental and educational approach in assisting students who have engaged in inadvertent plagiarism.
Plagiarism may occur with respect to unpublished as well as published material. Examples include:
- Direct Plagiarism: the verbatim copying of an original source without acknowledging the source.
- Paraphrased Plagiarism: the paraphrasing of ideas from another without attribution, causing a reader to mistake these ideas for the writer’s own.
- Plagiarism Mosaic: the borrowing of words, ideas, or data from an original source and blending this original material with one’s own writing, without acknowledging the source.
- Insufficient Acknowledgment: the partial or incomplete attribution of words, ideas, or data from an original source.
Fabrication/Falsification
Fabrication or falsification occurs when a student invents or distorts the origin or content of information used as authority. Examples include:
- Citing a source that does not exist.
- Citing information from a source that is not included in the source for which credit is given.
- Citing a source for a secondary proposition that it does not support.
- Citing a bibliography source when it was neither consulted nor cited in the body of the paper.
- Intentionally distorting the meaning or applicability of data.
- Inventing data or statistical results to support conclusions.
Cheating
A student cheats when he or she attempts to give the appearance of a level of knowledge or skill that has not been obtained. Examples include:
- Copying from another person’s work during an examination or while completing an assignment.
- Allowing someone to copy work that is not his or her own during an examination or while completing an assignment.
- Using unauthorized materials during an examination or while completing an assignment.
- Collaborating on an examination or assignment without authorization.
- Taking an examination or completing an assignment for another, or permitting another to take an examination or to complete an assignment that is not his or her own.
Improper Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools
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Generative AI is a broad term for a suite of tools that utilize artificial intelligence algorithms to create novel content. Generative AI (e.g., Chat GPT, etc.) can be a powerful tool to assist students in their schoolwork (e.g., idea generation, information gathering, etc.). However, the use of Generative AI tools must not violate the essential learning outcomes of an assignment or course. Students with questions regarding the appropriate use of these tools should seek approval from their instructors prior to their use. Any use of Generative AI to complete assignments should be clearly identified and cited.
Other Academic Misconduct
Other academic misconduct includes other academically dishonest, deceitful, or inappropriate acts which are intentionally committed. Examples include:
- Inappropriately providing or receiving information or academic work so as to gain unfair advantage over others.
- Planning with another to commit any act of academic dishonesty.
- Attempting to gain an unfair academic advantage for oneself or another by bribery or by any act of offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting anything of value to another for such purpose.
- Changing or altering grades or other official educational records.
- Obtaining or providing to another a test or answers to a test that has not been administered.
- Breaking and entering into a building or office for the purpose of obtaining unauthorized materials.
- Continuing work on an examination or assignment after the allocated time has elapsed.
- Submitting the same work for more than one class without disclosure and approval.
- Getting equal credit on group assignments when equal work was not done.
- Using, uploading, downloading, or purchasing online resources derived from material pertaining to an Ensign College course without the written permission of the professor (e.g., Quizlet, Course Hero, Chegg, etc.).
Procedures for Handling Academic Misconduct
Instructors are responsible to establish and communicate to students their expectations of behavior with respect to academic honesty and conduct in the course. The instructor will be responsible to investigate any incident of academic dishonesty or misconduct, determine the circumstances, and take appropriate action. Examples of appropriate action include but are not limited to the following:
- Reprimanding the student verbally or in writing in a private setting.
- Requiring work affected by the academic dishonesty to be redone.
- Administering a lower or failing grade on the affected assignment, test, or course.
- Forfeiting their eligibility to drop or withdraw from a course even if the drop or withdraw deadlines have not passed.
Refer student to the Honor Code Office. The Honor Code Office will complete an independent investigation and take appropriate action. If the incident involves violation of a public law, e.g., breaking and entering into an office or stealing an examination, the act should be reported to College Security.
Students who know of or suspect another student has violated this policy should report their concern to their teacher or the Honor Code Office.
Both suspected and proven violations of the Academic Honesty Policy should be reported to the Honor Code Office, detailing the name, incident, and action taken. If the occurrence is sufficiently egregious, or if a pattern of dishonesty or misconduct is discovered, the Honor Code Office may take additional action, based upon the nature of the violation. If a student disagrees with the determination or action and is unable to resolve the matter to the mutual satisfaction of the student and the instructor, he or she may have it reviewed through the college’s grievance process ( See Student Academic Grievance Policy ).