Academic Ethics

  

Policy Number

INST_001

Policy Statement

GCCC assumes that all students are enrolled to learn and expects each individual to function as an ethical student. Integrity in the classroom is expected. Therefore, any cheating is at variance with the purposes of both the student and the institution. Any student dishonesty detected in a course (including during examinations or in submitting plagiarized materials) may result in the student receiving no credit for the examination, written work or quiz, and may result in an F grade, suspension and/or dismissal from the course. A violation of academic ethics includes:

• Cheating on examinations, written quizzes, and other written work,
• Plagiarism, which is defined as the use of another’s written work without recognition/citation, the use of another student’s work, the purchase and/or use of a paper that has already been prepared, the borrowing of an idea or phrase or the paraphrasing and/or summarizing of an idea without proper documentation,
• Sharing sign-in credentials with someone or using log-in credentials that are not yours,
• Giving assistance to another person during an examination,
• Falsification of an academic record,
• Obtaining or attempting to obtain copies of a non-circulated examination or examination questions,
• Facilitating another student’s academic dishonesty.
• Using unauthorized or uncited artificial intelligence tools to complete classwork that is claimed as original work.

Procedures:

Violations of academic ethics are resolved within the division of Instructional Services. It is intended that resolution take place at the lowest possible level, preserving both the integrity of the College and the dignity of the student. When a violation of academic ethics is suspected, the faculty member should review the evidence to ensure that it is sufficient to warrant a charge of academic dishonesty. The faculty member should talk privately with the student to make the student aware of the suspicion and to solicit the student’s explanation. If the student is unable to explain the behavior satisfactorily, the faculty member should collect evidence of the alleged violation and prepare a written narrative of the incident. The faculty member should keep the original copy of the assignment or examination involved in the incident.  It is up to the instructor’s discretion to determine whether the student has violated the policy to the level in which a dean needs to be involved to enact consequences. The faculty member should assess the evidence, the student’s explanation, and discuss potential consequences of the incident with the faculty member’s respective dean. If the faculty member or dean are not sure whether the incident falls within the defined definitions of plagiarism, they may seek the counsel of experts in the area (e.g., English Department), to make sure the punishment is appropriate for the incident.

Depending on the level of infraction and occurrence rate of academic dishonesty, the following disciplinary actions are available if a student is determined to be guilty of academic dishonesty:

• The student may be issued a warning and/or be provided counseling.
• The student may be allowed to repeat the assignment or complete an alternative assignment.
• The student may be assigned a grade of “I” until the alleged violation is adjudicated.
• The student may be given a failing grade for the course. A consultation with the appropriate dean will precede assignment of a failing grade for the course. Students under investigation for, or found guilty of, academic misconduct will not be allowed to withdraw from a course to try to avoid disciplinary action.
• The student may be administratively withdrawn from the course and assigned an “XF” grade for the course. A consultation with the appropriate dean will precede assignment of an XF grade. After consulting with the appropriate dean, the request to assign an XF grade must be approved by the Vice President of Instructional Services or their designee. A grade change form will then be submitted to the registrar’s office.

NOTE: In order to monitor multiple violations, the faculty member will document and submit in writing, either hard copy or electronic, to the office of the Dean of Academics or Dean of Technical Education & Workforce Development, all situations deemed of a serious nature. Multiple or extremely serious violations may result in dismissal from the College. The following issues should be considered when deciding upon appropriate discipline:

• Nature of the alleged dishonesty,
• Prior warnings/violations,
• Impact on the student’s grade/progress in the course,
• Permanent impact on the student’s record,
• Student acknowledgment and recognition of the seriousness of the alleged behavior.

If assigning a grade of “F” for the course, the faculty member must consult with the Dean of Academics or Dean of Technical Education & Workforce Development prior to any disciplinary action. The student may also receive an “XF” grade on his/her transcript with the understanding that the “X” denotes academic dishonesty. The “X” will remain as a permanent part of the grade on the transcript.

The instructor must follow this protocol if requesting an “XF”:

1. The instructor will notify the Dean of Academics or Dean of Technical Education & Workforce Development that academic dishonesty has occurred. The notification will include the following information:
   1. Name and ID number of the student or students involved,
   2. Proof that academic honesty has occurred,
   3. A description of any action already taken by the instructor.
2. Once the appropriate Dean has received this information, he/she will notify the student’s advisor and any sponsor or coaches with whom the student is associated of the breech in academic integrity. The Dean will review all evidence and make a decision on whether an “XF” will be listed on the academic transcript.
3. The Deans will maintain a file which lists students whose names have been turned in for academic dishonesty.

The student may appeal the discipline assessed by the faculty and/or Dean of Academics or Dean of Technical Education & Workforce Development as outlined in the college catalogue and student handbook.

Contacts:

Vice President for Instructional Services, Dean of Academics, and Dean of Technical Education & Workforce Development

Policy History

• June 25, 2026: Revised to include policy number.
• July 31, 2013: Reviewed.
• November 12, 2019: Reviewed.
• July 26, 2023: Revised.