Rio Hondo College expects that you will make choices that reflect integrity and responsible behavior. No matter what level of stress you may find yourself under, the college expects you to approach your work with honesty and integrity. Academic dishonesty is defined as cheating, plagiarism, or obtaining or attempting to obtain credit for work by the use of any dishonest, deceptive, fraudulent, or unauthorized means or helping someone else to commit an act of academic dishonesty.
Definition of Cheating
Cheating is defined as obtaining or attempting to obtain credit for work by the use of dishonest, deceptive, fraudulent, or unauthorized means. Helping someone commit an act of academic dishonesty is also considered cheating. The following are only some of the many forms cheating may take:
A. Communicating with fellow students during an exam; copying another’s work on an exam or allowing another student to copy during an exam; possessing or using unauthorized materials during an exam; taking an exam for another student, or any behavior the defeats the intent of an exam.
B. Copying another’s work on a paper, assignment, or project; providing coursework for another student to turn in as his or her own effort; unauthorized collaboration on a project, homework, or other assignment where the instructor expressly forbids such collaboration.
C. Fabricating, falsifying or misrepresenting data or results from experiments, interviews or surveys.
D. Submitting the same work in more than one class for credit without permission from the instructor.
E. Knowingly furnishing false information to the college including dishonesty, forgery, altering of campus documents or records, tampering with grading procedures, fabricating lab assignments, or altering medical excuses
Definition of Plagiarism
Plagiarism is defined as representing the words, ideas, or work of another as one’s own in any academic exercise. Plagiarism consists of taking the work of another and offering it as one’s own without giving credit to that source, whether that material is paraphrased or copied verbatim or near verbatim form. Plagiarism is applicable to written, oral, and artistic work.
The following examples are only some of the many forms plagiarism may take:
A. Word-for-word copying of work written by someone else
B. Failure to give proper credit for ideas, statements of facts, or conclusions derived by another, including undocumented Web source usage
C. Failure to use quotation marks when quoting directly from another, whether a paragraph, sentence, or phrase
D. Close and extended paraphrasing of another work without acknowledging the source
E. Submitting a paper purchased or downloaded from a research or term paper service, including the internet
Other Specific Examples of Academic Dishonesty:
A. Giving homework, term paper or other academic work to another student to plagiarize
B. Having another person submit any work in the student’s name
C. Lying to an instructor or college official to improve a grade
D. Altering graded work after it has been returned, then submitting the work for re-grading
E. Stealing tests or being in possessing of an unauthorized test or related document
F. Gaining unlawful or unauthorized access to college or district computers or servers
Academic Dishonesty and its Consequences
Faculty members have the right to choose whether or not to pursue suspected cases of plagiarism and cheating. When addressing plagiarism or cheating with reasonable evidence, the faculty member should meet with the student to discuss the concern. The student shall have the opportunity to share his/her side of the story and explain his/her behavior. Faculty members may consult with their Division Dean or Dean of Student Affairs when determining whether academic dishonesty has occurred. In situations where cheating or plagiarism has occurred, the faculty member is to determine the academic consequence in compliance with Ed Code, and Board policy and procedures, which prohibit dropping a student from a course. Faculty members shall inform students of the grade penalty that will be assessed. The consequences may include:
1. Receive a “0” on that assignment
2. Be referred to the Dean of Student Affairs for further disciplinary action
In situations where academic dishonesty has occurred, the faculty may also notify their Division Dean. All pertinent information such as exams, plagiarized sources, and/or other possible evidence should be retained by the instructor. Students will be referred to the Dean of Student Affairs and receive Due Process; students have the right to grieve an action they feel violates their student rights. The Dean of Student Affairs will address the behavior reasonably through the procedures outlined in Administrative Procedure 5520 – Student Conduct Procedures.
The Student Affairs Office will maintain records related to violations of academic dishonesty and other violations of the college Standards of Conduct policy.
Data about incidents of academic dishonesty at Rio Hondo College are available upon request.
