Academic Integrity Policy

Introduction

Academic integrity is important if students are to be successful learners. The Wallace State Community College General Catalog emphasizes the importance of the Academic Integrity Code. Students at WSCC are expected to be honest in doing all work for every class and must avoid academic dishonesty.

Cheating

Cheating refers to any act in which a student gets or gives unauthorized assistance on any assignment.

Having other students or outside individuals proofread work or assist with assignments is considered cheating unless the instructor has authorized this action.
Using online editing or proofreading services is considered cheating unless you have approval from your instructor prior to submitting your work to be edited.
Your instructor will inform you if group work, peer editing, or assistance from a tutor is acceptable; otherwise, you should always assume that work must be done independently.
Giving answers to another student or receiving answers from another student is cheating.
During a test or quiz, students should only use the materials allowed by the instructor.
Students should not talk or communicate with other students in any way during a test.

All electronic devices – pagers, PDAs, etc. – must be turned off before entering the classroom. Cell phones are not permitted in class. If a cell phone goes off in class, the student will be dismissed from that class meeting and will not be allowed to make up work.

Plagiarism

[Note: This section on plagiarism is taken directly from the syllabi of Bruce Terry, Professor of Bible and Humanities at Ohio Valley College.]

· Plagiarism is the presentation of another person's work as your own, whether you mean to or not.

· Copying or paraphrasing passages from another writer's work without acknowledging that you've done so is plagiarism.

· Copying another writer's work without putting the material in quotation marks is plagiarism, even if credit is given.

· Allowing another writer to write any part of your essay is plagiarism.

Plagiarism is a serious crime. The maximum penalty at WSCC is expulsion from the college. Plagiarism is easy to avoid by acknowledging the source:

· If you're not sure how to quote or paraphrase a source or if you need help with the format of citations or references, check with your text and/or your instructor.

· If your instructor permits you to seek assistance from peers or tutors, you must still be certain that your written work is completely your own.

English Rules and Academic Integrity Pledge

Certain rules and regulations apply to this college course:

This instructor follows the course syllabus and policies established by Wallace State Community College and the English Department.
Instructors cannot award a grade of W; a student must withdraw from the course.
If a student fails to attend class, it is his/her responsibility to obtain the covered assignment and to be prepared for the next class. The instructor will not re-teach the material.
Only officially enrolled students (those listed on the instructor’s roster as currently enrolled in the course) are permitted to attend classes.
Make-up work is allowed for only those students with documented excuses, such as a doctor’s visit due to illness, an unavoidable law requirement, mandatory participation in Wallace State activities, a death in the immediate family, or military duty. Work and/or another course are not valid excuses. A maximum of three assignments may be made up per semester. Please note that presentations, tests, and all other assignments are due as soon as the student returns to class. Make-up work is scheduled at the discretion of the instructor.
An acceptable excuse must be documented and brought to the instructor at the class meeting following the missed class(es). After the next meeting, the excuse will not be accepted.
If applicable, pop quizzes/papers and peer evaluations cannot be made up, and missed tests, presentations, and essays will earn the grade of zero.
A missed make-up test/assignment cannot be rescheduled.
Students must be prepared by bringing the necessary tools, such as textbooks, pens, paper, dictionaries, computer disks, and Scantron sheets to class.
All in-class assignments must be completed within the scheduled class time.
For academic security reasons, students are asked not to wear hats or caps during class.
All parts of all essays must be written in class, and students cannot bring prewritten materials of any kind to class (unless otherwise specified by the instructor).
No one other than the instructor may proofread or edit any portion of any paper.
Any or all assignments students submit for this course may be checked for plagiarism at the instructor’s discretion using manual searches, Internet searches, or anti-plagiarism programs.
The instructor reserves the right to reassign a grade on any assignment a student submits for the course.
All outlines, essays, Works Cited, presentations, pop tests, scantrons, and activities must remain in student folders and/or the possession of the instructor. If removed the grade awarded for the missing assignment will be a zero. Once graded, all materials are the property of WSCC; if a folder disappears, the student is held responsible, and zeroes will be awarded for all assignments.
Students may be dismissed from class for the following disruptive behaviors: sleeping, reading/working on other course assignments, routine tardiness, hygiene, and arguing/interrupting. A student who is dismissed from class may not return to subsequent classes until he/she has attended a conference with the instructor and the department chairperson. If the behavior continues, the student will be removed from the class.
Each student is asked to make a simple honor pledge:

I pledge on my honor that I will neither give nor receive any unauthorized assistance on all of my work submitted for this course and understand the rules/regulations/expectations of the English Department.

*Pledge information taken from the WSCC 2007-2008 General Catalog (p.11)