GEORGIAN COLLEGE OF APPLIED ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY

Academic and Student Services

Academic & Student Services Procedure #1-105

Effective Date: 83.09.01

STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC BEHAVIOUR

Cheating and Plagiarism

PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE:
To outline policy for dealing with cheating and plagiarism at Georgian College.

PURPOSE:
To provide guidelines, practice and procedures for dealing with cheating and plagiarism.

SCOPE:
Full time and part-time Post Secondary students.
RATIONALE:
This practice and procedure will ensure fair and similar treatment for all post secondary students who are suspected of cheating and plagiarising.

PROCEDURE:
ASSIGNMENTS
Numerous assignments will be required of students in the form of essays, laboratory assignments, reports, problems, drawings and projects specific to certain fields. There are definite rules regarding plagiarism, copying and art forgery, and the students are expected to obey them. If they do not, disciplinary action will be exercised.

TESTS AND EXAMINATIONS
From time to time students will write tests in regular class periods and occasionally will sit for formal proctored examinations. Cheating in a testing/examination situation will not be tolerated; students found cheating in any way will be disciplined. Where two students are involved in cheating, each will be disciplined. Forms of cheating include, but are not limited to, the following:

a) impersonation of a candidate in an examination or test

b) copying from another student

c) making information available to other students, knowing it is to be used as the borrowers’ own work

d) use of unauthorized material

e) submission of a take-home examination written by someone else.

DISCIPLINARY ACTION

A student who commits any of the above offences will be dealt with in the following manner:

1 ) The Division will request that the student’s file be checked to determine whether it is a first offence.

2) The Faculty or staff member and the relevant Co-ordinator or Chairman will discuss the offence and decide on the appropriate penalty, after which the Student Counsellor will be advised.

An appropriate penalty may include one or more of the following examples, but is not limited to them:

a) reprimand

b) requirement that the student repeat the assignment or submit equivalent work

c) mark of zero or below passing for the assignment

d) refusal of a passing grade for the course

e) suspension from the course

f) expulsion from the College.

3) The Co-ordinator or Chairman will discuss the offence and the penalty with the student and then arrange an appointment for him/her with the Student Counsellor or designate.

4) A written statement describing the offence and indicating the penalty will be given to the student by the Student Counsellor or designate (see attached form). At this time, the student must sign as agreeing or not agreeing to the offence and accepting or not accepting the penalty. If the student fails to keep the appointment with the Counsellor (or designate), the Counsellor (or designate) will note this on the written statement describing the offence and the student will forfeit the right to a Hearing. A copy of the statement will be placed in the student’s officialfile by the Registrar, and the Registrar will forward a copy to the appropriate Program Co-ordinator, Chairman/Chairmen, student and faculty member.

5) A Hearing, if requested, will be held before the Committee within 7 calendar days. The Committee will consist of:

Director of Academic Programs or Designate – Committee Chairman
Program Co-ordinator or Chairman or Designate
Registrar or Designate
Student Counsellor or Designate
Two Faculty Members
Two Students

HEARING PROCEDURE

The Registrar will, within 7 calendar days of receiving notice, convene a meeting of the Committee. The Registrar will send the student a Notice of Hearing which will include these statements:

i) The time, place and purpose of the Hearing

ii) The fact that the Hearing will proceed whether or not the student appears

iii) The Committee will meet in camera, unless the student requests that it be open to the public

iv) The student may be accompanied by a person of his/her choice and must advise the Registrar of the name of the person at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting.

After the Hearing the Committee will give its final decision in writing through the Registrar and, upon the request of the student, the Committee should provide written reasons for its decisions. The final report will be placed in the student’s official file by the Registrar. The Registrar will forward a copy of the appropriate Program Co-ordinator, Chaiman/Chairmen, student and faculty member.

SECOND OFFENCE

If the student has committed a second offence, the President may convene an Appeals Hearing at which time he may determine whether or not the student must withdraw from the College for the remainder of the academic year.