Student Handbook – Academic Integrity

◄ Discipline & Due Process

Discipline and Due Process

Academic Integrity

All members of the Academy community have a responsibility to promote the highest possible academic integrity. Students should always remember that the Academy Code of Conduct includes a commitment to “integrity in all things.”

1. Violations of academic integrity include, but are not limited to, the following:
   1. Violations of procedures intended to protect the integrity of a quiz, examination, or similar evaluation, such as:
      1. Possessing, referring to, or employing open textbooks or notes or other devices not authorized by the faculty member;
      2. Copying from another person’s paper;
      3. Communicating with, providing assistance to, or receiving assistance from another person in a manner not authorized by the faculty member;
      4. Possessing, buying, selling, obtaining, giving, or using a copy of any unauthorized materials intended to be used as, or in preparation for, a quiz or examination or similar evaluation;
      5. Taking a quiz or examination or similar evaluation in the place of another person;
      6. Utilizing another person to take a quiz, examination, or similar evaluation in place of oneself;
      7. Changing material on a graded examination and then requesting a re-grading of the examination;
      8. Cooperating with someone else on a quiz, examination, or similar evaluation without the prior consent of the faculty member;
   2. Plagiarism or violations of procedures prescribed to protect the integrity of an assignment, such as:
      1. Submitting an assignment purporting to be one’s original work, which has been wholly or partially created by another person;
      2. Presenting as one’s own work ideas, representations, or words of another person without customary and proper acknowledgment of sources;
      3. Submitting as new work, without the faculty member’s prior consent or knowledge, one’s own work which has been previously presented for another class elsewhere;
      4. Knowingly permitting one’s work to be submitted by another person as if it were the submitter’s original work;
      5. Cooperation with another person in academic dishonesty, either directly or indirectly, as an intermediary agent or broker;
      6. Knowingly destroying or altering another’s work, whether in written or digital form, computer files, artwork, or other format;
      7. Aiding, abetting, or attempting to commit an act or action that constitutes academic dishonesty.
   3. Deceiving any administrator, faculty member, or student regarding academic matters, including, but not limited to:
      1. Lying to an administrator or faculty member regarding the circumstances of a student’s academic work, such as feigning illness or falsely declaring a personal or family emergency to avoid class sessions or postpone due dates.
      2. Failing to disclose specific incidents of academic dishonesty when queried by an administrator or teacher concerning the incident.
      3. Failing to cooperate fully and openly in the investigation of any academic dishonesty.
      4. Lying regarding the academic integrity of any member of the Academy community.
2. Students are expected to maintain academic integrity as they participate in the academic life of the Indiana Academy.
   1. If, however, a student violates the Academic Integrity Policies, a diminution of the consequences will be considered if (a) a student self-reports their own admitted lapse in academic integrity or (b) a student admits to the violation after being confronted by the instructor.
   2. Students who report peers for violations of the Academic Integrity Policy will remain anonymous.
3. All members of the Academy community have a responsibility to respond promptly and fully to any and all potential violations of academic integrity.
4. The Academic Integrity Board, with one exception, will be responsible for the hearing of all cases involving potential violations of the Academic Integrity Policy.
   1. The Academic Integrity Board will consist of four faculty members and two Student Life Counselors. Each member will have one vote and a majority vote will be necessary for a recommendation to the Director of Academic Affairs. The faculty members will be elected by their respective Divisions. The Mathematics/Computer Science and Science Divisions will elect one member each, and two members will be elected by the Humanities Division. Faculty members will be elected on staggered two year terms. [For the first elections beginning in the 2011-12 school year, the representatives from the Mathematics/Computer Science Division and one representative from the Humanities Division will serve one year, and the representative from the Science Division and second representative from the Humanities Division will serve two years.]
      1. If a member of the Board is presenting evidence of violation of the Academic Integrity Policy or has a conflict of interest, the Director of Academic Affairs will appoint a temporary replacement to serve on the Board for the duration of the time the Board is considering any matter connected with the evidence presented by that permanent faculty member of the Board.
      2. If a possible violation of academic integrity implicates a student currently enrolled in the course of a member of the Board, and the violation concerns that course, then the Director of Academic Affairs will appoint a temporary replacement faculty member to serve on the Board for the duration of the time the Board is considering any matter concerning that currently enrolled student in that particular course.
      3. The Academic Integrity Board will determine the rules and policies regarding its operation and process for hearing cases.
      4. Both the implicated student and the faculty member (or other staff member, as the case may be) in whose class the violation occurred have the right to appear before the Board to present evidence and respond.
      5. At every meeting of the Board called to investigate any possible academic integrity violations, the parent(s) or guardian(s) of the student implicated by the investigation may be present, if they so request.
      6. The Board should hear all cases as soon as possible, but no later than thirty school days after receiving a referral concerning a potential violation of the Academic Integrity Policy.

   2. Faculty members must refer all possible violations of the Academic Integrity Policy to the Academic Integrity Board, with one exception. A faculty member who reports the possible lapse in academic integrity of a student currently enrolled in that faculty member’s class has the option of disciplining that student without any further investigative or disciplinary process if this is the first time the student has violated the Academic Integrity Policy. In this circumstance, the faculty member must (a) check with the Faculty Attendance Coordinator to determine if the student has a prior academic integrity violation and (b) report the incident to the Director of Academic Affairs if the student is found guilty of a violation of the Academic Integrity policy.

      Prior to the resolution of the incident, the student may request that the potential violation be adjudicated by the Academic Integrity Board, rather than the teacher. The teacher must inform the student of this right at the beginning of the inquiry.

      If the teacher determines the student has violated the Academic Integrity Policy, they must contact a parent/guardian to describe (a) the violation, (b) the evidence of the violation, (c) the seriousness of the offense, and (d) the possible consequences, if there is a second violation.

   3. Students may report a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy to the teacher of the class in which the violation occurred or to the Director of Academic Affairs. The teacher or the Directors will investigate the potential violation. If sufficient evidence is discovered, the potential violation will be dealt with according to the process specified above (in D-1). The student reporting the potential violation may remain anonymous, but may be asked to provide written evidence.
   4. If a student appears before the Academic Integrity Board, the teacher of the class in which the potential violation occurred must contact a parent/guardian of the student to inform the parent/guardian of the potential violation and the process of the Board in hearing the case.

   5. The resolution by the Academic Integrity Board on each case is presented as a recommendation to the Director of Academic Affairs for a final determination within ten school days of receiving the recommendation. The Director will contact a parent/guardian and relate the evidence of the violation, the seriousness of the offense, the consequences, and the possible consequences if another violation occurs. The Director will also notify the relevant parties of the Board’s recommendation before a final decision, which will include the Executive Director, Associate Director of Residential and Student Affairs, and the student’s Student Life Counselor.

      The decision of the Director of Academic Affairs may be appealed by the student or the faculty member (in whose class the potential violation occurred) to the Executive Director. The Executive Director will further investigate the violation and make a final determination within ten school days after receiving the appeal. The Executive Director will inform a parent/guardian of their final decision. The Executive Director will also notify the relevant parties of the Board’s decision, which will include the Director of Academic Affairs, Director of Residential and Student Affairs, and the student’s Student Life Counselor.

      Any recommendation that includes suspension, dismissal, or other serious consequences must be approved by the Executive Director.

Academic Integrity Violation Consequences

Based upon the circumstances of a particular case, the Academic Integrity Board may recommend any or all of the following consequences:

• No credit on assignment; redo assignment, at teacher’s discretion; must complete to teacher’s satisfaction to receive final grade (would receive an I)
• temporary decrease in card privilege level [level assignment would be determined in coordination with Residential and Student Affairs personnel]
• Adjustment of curfew, study sessions, restriction privileges
• Suspension
• Limiting of specific extracurricular privileges/activities
• Specific mandated counseling
• Referral to I&R Committee with recommendation for academic probation
• Referral to I&R Committee with recommendation for dismissal
• Meeting with Director of Academic Affairs
• Meeting with faculty member and the Director of Academic Affairs
• Study hall detention
• A reduced or failing grade for course
• In-school suspension
• Extra Academy and Community Service
• Assignment to educate student about Academic Integrity
• Other appropriate consequences

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