Academic Integrity

A Student's Responsibilities

All students who enroll at McLennan Community College are admitted with the expectation that they will demonstrate integrity in every aspect of their work both for and with other members of this academic community. Please read this information carefully. Once you matriculate, you have accepted responsibility for your actions.

 

How does the College define Academic Integrity?

"The International Center for Academic Integrity defines academic integrity as a commitment, even in the face of adversity, to six fundamental values: honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility, and courage. From these values flow principles of behavior that enable academic communities to translate ideals into action..." (International Center for Academic Integrity)

Individual faculty members determine their class policies and behavioral expectations for students. Students who commit violations of academic integrity should expect serious consequences. Offenses will be tracked so that appropriate sanctions can be applied.

 

How serious are the consequences for Academic Dishonesty?

The professor's grading system is the first measure of consequence for a student who commits a breach of academic integrity. The grading system can be found in the course instructor plan for each class in which the student enrolls. Faculty members and/or their department chairs may require a meeting with students caught cheating, including plagiarizing, to discuss incidences of cheating and the penalty to be assigned in the course. Academic Integrity policy and procedures apply equally to all courses - whether on campus or online.

 

How are Academic Integrity violations defined?

All below definitions can be found in Local Policy FLB - Student Rights and Responsibilities: Student Conduct under Definitions. 

"Scholastic dishonesty" shall include, but not be limited to, cheating, plagiarism, and collusion.

"Cheating" shall include, but not be limited to:

  1. Copying from another student's test or class work;
  2. Using test materials not authorized by the person administering the test;
  3. Collaborating with or seeking aid from another student during a test without permission from the test administrator;
  4. Knowingly using, buying, selling, stealing, or soliciting, in whole or in part, the contents of an unadministered test, paper, or another assignment;
  5. The unauthorized transporting or removal, in whole or in part, of the contents of the unadministered test;
  6. Substituting for another student, or permitting another student to substitute for oneself, to take a test;
  7. Bribing another person to obtain an unadministered test or information about an unadministered test; or
  8. Manipulating a test, assignment, or final course grades.

"Plagiarism" shall be defined as the appropriating, buying, receiving as a gift, or obtaining by any means another's work and the unacknowledged submission or incorporation of it in one's own written work.

"Collusion" shall be defined as the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written work for fulfillment of course requirements.

 

What happens to a student identified as having committed academic dishonesty?

If the student's offense rises to the level of invoking, within the course grading system, penalties of consequence, it is a reportable offense. Students who are caught cheating, including plagiarizing, will be subject to penalties specified in the course syllabus and, in addition, may be reported to Student Conduct for further tracking. Students who repeatedly commit acts of academic dishonesty may be subject to disciplinary suspension from the College.

Accommodations and Title IX keeps a record of repeat offenders for the determination of future consequences.

For more information about issues of student discipline, including appeals, please refer to the following information: