Procedures for Handling Alleged Academic Dishonesty

Academic dishonesty, in any form, is expressly prohibited by the rules of the District Board of Trustees of Florida State College at Jacksonville.

As used herein, academic dishonesty incorporates one or more of the following.

• Cheating, which is defined as the giving or taking of any information or material with the intent of wrongfully aiding one’s self or another in academic work considered in the determination of course grade or the outcome of a standardized assessment.

• Plagiarism, which is defined as the act of stealing or passing off as one’s own work the words, ideas, or conclusions of another as if the work submitted were the product of one’s own thinking rather than an idea or product derived from another source, including the product of artificial intelligence.

• Any other form of inappropriate behavior which may include but is not limited to: falsifying records or data; lying; unauthorized copying, tampering, abusing or otherwise unethically using computer or other stored information; unauthorized assistance from electronic/cellular devices in taking quizzes or tests; intentionally sharing or working together on an academic exercise when such actions are not approved by the course instructor; and any other act of misconduct which may reasonably be deemed to be a part of this heading.

Any student alleged to have committed any act of academic dishonesty as defined herein shall be entitled to due process as defined in District Board of Trustees’ Rule 6Hx7-11.1, Student’s Rights and Responsibilities, prior to the administration of disciplinary action including suspension and dismissal.

Classroom Assessment

A faculty member who has a concern regarding a student’s conduct in the area of academic dishonesty may elect to meet with the student directly.

Once the student is notified, it is advised that the student resolve the matter with the faculty member. However, at any time the student may request a hearing with the appropriate academic dean.

Meeting(s) referenced above shall meet the College’s requirements for due process as defined in District Board of Trustees’ Rule 6Hx7-11.1.

Following the discussion with the student, the faculty member may take one or more of the following action(s):

1. Verbally warn the student that continuation or repetition of misconduct of this nature may be cause for further disciplinary action.

2. Require the student to retake the test or rewrite the assignment.

3. Require the student to withdraw from the course.

4. Fail the student for the assignment.

5. Fail the student for the course.

6. Refer the student(s) to the appropriate academic dean for possible suspension or dismissal from the program.

7. Involve the student conduct office for further action/assistance.

For cases in which the student is referred to the appropriate academic dean for action, the dean will appropriately involve the faculty member and inform the faculty member of the disposition of the matter.

Each faculty member shall communicate the College’s policy on academic dishonesty to each class section with which that faculty member is involved.

Academic Dishonesty definitions and classroom assessment procedures are to be considered an integral part of the faculty member’s course syllabus.

It is the responsibility of the appropriate academic deans and the appropriate academic vice president to routinely inform the faculty of this requirement.

Standardized Assessment

Any student alleged to have committed any act of dishonesty on standardized tests administered through the College is subject to disciplinary action. These assessments include all standardized tests administered through the College Assessment Offices in both college credit and non-credit programs.

Any test examiner or proctor who has a concern in this area shall report this to the appropriate academic administrator for review. Any evidence, description, or witness shall be presented for further investigation. The appropriate administrator will notify the student, review the situation and determine potential disciplinary action.

The academic administrator may take one or more of the following actions:

1. Verbally warn the student that continuation or repetition of misconduct of this nature may be cause for disciplinary action.

2. Require the student to retake the test.

3. Record failure for that portion of the test and/or not give credit for the course (e.g., credit by exam).

4. Withhold the awarding of the degree/certificate or diploma until the requirement has been satisfied.

5. Schedule an academic disciplinary hearing for possible suspension or dismissal from the program.

6. Involve the student conduct office for further action/assistance.

For cases that involve an academic disciplinary hearing, the dean will involve the appropriate test examiner/proctor, and any witness. The recommendation of the hearing will follow due process as defined in District Board of Trustees Rule 6Hx7-11.1 Student's Rights and Responsibilities.

The Assessment Office will inform students of Florida State College at Jacksonville’s Academic Honesty policy at each test administration.

Academic Honesty violations should be submitted to the Student Conduct Office through the appropriate College reporting system for documentation and tracking purposes.