FACULTY POLICY ON ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

I. THE HONOR CODE

The students and faculty of American Jewish University have worked together to develop an honor code governing academic behavior and to which both bodies are fully committed. At the beginning of each semester of study, students are asked to re-familiarize themselves with that code and to indicate their acceptance of it by signing the applicable section of the Registration Application form; faculty will assume that all students have done so. In addition, introductory courses at College of Arts and Sciences and first year graduate level courses will reinforce understanding of the code by discussing in depth the meaning and significance of intellectual integrity and by acquainting students with the appropriate use and incorporation of bibliographic sources in students’ own work.

II. COURSES OF ACTION

A faculty member’s determination of an appropriate course of action upon discovery of an incident of academic dishonesty presumes a community value system in which academic dishonesty is viewed as an especially serious offense which diminishes the quality of scholarship and defrauds those who depend upon the integrity of our campus programs. Such dishonesty includes but is not limited to: cheating on examinations, fabrication, plagiarism, or facilitating academic dishonesty.

Should a faculty member believe there to be evidence of academic dishonesty, he/she is first asked to discuss such evidence with the student whose work is in question and to reach an agreement with the student over the appropriate penalty or remedy. In cases where both faculty and student have found mutually agreeable terms for addressing the act of academic dishonesty, the faculty member is required to report it to the Office of Student Affairs. This requirement exists since a student may engage in such behavior in other courses, and repeated acts may go undetected and recidivism will be difficult or impossible to monitor. Communication with the Office of Student Affairs also serves to assist the faculty member in determining how to handle the case appropriately. A notation of the details of the incident handled between the student and faculty member will be made in the student’s central file located in the Office of Student Affairs. If no further incidents occur, the notation of academic dishonesty will be removed upon graduation. However, in the failure of achieving a mutually satisfactory agreement with the student; within 10 working days of that discussion, either the student or the faculty member will forward the case, including supporting evidence and faculty input, to the Office of Student Affairs. If through the process of the university judicial system it is found that a preponderance of evidence does not exist to support the faculty member’s allegation of academic dishonesty, both the faculty member and the student shall be notified of this conclusion, and no penalty or disciplinary action may be exacted against the student. However, if it is established that a preponderance of evidence does exist to support the faculty member’s allegation of academic dishonesty, the Office of Student Affairs shall notify both the student and faculty member of this conclusion, and recommend appropriate disciplinary action against the student.