Applies to:	Original Policy Date:	Date of Last Review:	Approved By:
Students, Faculty, and Administering Staff	June 22, 2018	August 12, 2024	Dr. John Z. Kiss, Provost and Senior VP for Academic Affairs

Policy Owner: Office of the Provost

Policy Purpose

Members of the Florida Institute of Technology (Florida Tech) are committed to the pursuit of excellence in learning, experiential practice, and research. Academic honesty creates the necessary conditions that make intellectual inquiry and growth possible. When students are dishonest in their coursework they tarnish the diploma of every Florida Tech graduate. As such, Florida Tech shall strive to maintain a culture of academic integrity and ensure that all students exhibit the highest ethical standards, and the Student Academic Honesty Policy shall be employed to support the objective that all students understand and adhere to the principles of honest and ethical academic conduct.

Policy Scope

The Student Academic Honesty Policy applies to all students, faculty, and those staff involved in addressing allegations of violations of this policy.

Policy Statement

As members of the academic community, students are expected to recognize and uphold standards of intellectual and academic integrity. The Student Academic Honesty Policy (“SAHP”) assumes as a basic and minimum standard of conduct in academic matters that students be honest and that they submit for credit only the products of their own efforts. The ideals of scholarship and the need for fairness require that all dishonest work be rejected as a basis for academic credit. They also require that students refrain from any and all forms of dishonorable or unethical conduct related to their academic work.

The policy represents a core value of the university, and all members of the university community are responsible for abiding by its tenets. Lack of knowledge of this policy is not an acceptable defense to any charge of academic dishonesty.

All members of the Florida Tech community understand that adherence to the university’s shared expectations for integrity requires not only clear communication about those expectations, but the individual and collective courage to uphold them. As such, all are expected to report violations of these standards of academic conduct to the instructor in which the suspect behavior is believed/known to have occurred.

In an effort to foster an environment of academic integrity, students are expected to discuss with faculty the expectations regarding course assignments and standards of conduct.

Many colleges and/or departments provide statements of what constitutes academic dishonesty within the context of their discipline and recommend penalties for specific types of academic dishonesty. As noted in the Faculty Handbook, all syllabi are required to make reference to the SAHP; syllabi should also include a link to departmental standards where they exist.

No instructor or department may impose academic or disciplinary penalties for academic dishonesty outside the parameters of this policy. This policy applies to all incidents of academic dishonesty, including those that occur before a student graduates but are not discovered until after the degree is conferred. In such cases, it is possible that the application of this policy will lead to a failure to meet degree completion requirements and therefore a revocation of a student’s degree.

Definitions and Examples

The examples and definitions given below are intended to clarify the standards by which academic honesty and academically honorable conduct are to be judged. The list is merely illustrative of the kinds of infractions that may occur, and it is not intended to be exhaustive. Moreover, the definitions and examples suggest conditions under which unacceptable behavior of the indicated types normally occurs; however, there may be unusual cases that fall outside these conditions which also will be judged unacceptable by the academic community.

Plagiarism: Plagiarism is presenting another person’s work as one’s own. Plagiarism includes any paraphrasing or summarizing of the works of another person without acknowledgment, including the submitting of another student’s work as one’s own. Plagiarism frequently involves a failure to acknowledge in the text, notes, or footnotes the quotation of the paragraphs, sentences, or even a few phrases written or spoken by someone else. The submission of research or completed papers or projects by someone else is plagiarism, as is the unacknowledged use of research sources gathered by someone else when that use is specifically forbidden by the faculty member. Failure to indicate the extent and nature of one's reliance on other sources is also a form of plagiarism. Any work, in whole or part, taken from the internet without properly referencing the corresponding URL (along with the author’s name and title of the work, if available) may be considered plagiarism. Finally, there may be forms of plagiarism that are unique to an individual discipline or course, examples of which should be provided in advance by the faculty member. The student is responsible for understanding the legitimate use of sources, the appropriate ways of acknowledging academic, scholarly, or creative indebtedness, and the consequences of violating this responsibility.

Cheating on Examinations: Cheating on examinations involves giving or receiving unauthorized help before, during, or after an examination. Examples of unauthorized help include the use of notes, texts, or “cheat sheets” during an examination (unless specifically approved by the instructor), or sharing information with another student during an examination (unless specifically approved by the instructor). Other examples include intentionally allowing another student to view one’s own examination and collaboration before or after an examination if such collaboration is specifically forbidden by the instructor. Please note that the unauthorized use of electronic devices (e.g., cell phones) is prohibited.

Unauthorized Collaboration: Unauthorized collaboration means working with someone or getting assistance from someone (a classmate, friend, etc.) without specific permission from the instructor on any assignment (e.g., exam, paper, homework, report, etc.) that is turned in for a grade. It is also a violation of academic honesty to knowingly provide such assistance to another student. Collaborative work specifically authorized by an instructor is allowed.

Falsification: It is a violation of academic honesty to misrepresent material or fabricate information in an academic exercise, assignment, or proceeding (e.g., false or misleading citation of sources, the falsification of the results of experiments or of computer data, false or misleading information in an academic context in order to gain an unfair advantage).

Unauthorized Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence Tools: Unauthorized use of generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) tools in coursework constitutes a violation of the Student Academic Honesty Policy. The use of GenAI within the University must align with the university’s commitment to academic integrity, ethical standards, and the development of essential learning skills. Students are refered to the academic guideline on “Responsible Use of Generative AI in Academic Work” and must consult their instructors if they have any questions about the acceptable use of these AI technologies in their coursework.

Multiple Submissions: It is a violation of academic honesty to submit substantial portions of the same work for credit more than once without the explicit consent of the instructor(s) to whom the material is submitted for additional credit. In cases in which there is a natural development of research or knowledge in a sequence of courses, use of prior work may be desirable, even required; however, the student is responsible for indicating in writing, as a part of such use, that the current work submitted for credit is cumulative in nature.

Failure for a Course: A course failure issued through this SAHP will not be subject to withdrawal or grade forgiveness, and the outcome will not be removed from the student’s academic record/transcript.

Procedures/Guidelines

Procedures for Handling Suspected Violations (Undergraduate)

The following procedure is the only approved means for resolving matters of suspected violation(s) of the SAHP by an undergraduate student.

1. The instructor for the course in which the activity is alleged to have occurred should discuss the incident with the student and consider their response. If they find the student’s explanation plausible or determine the matter only warrants a verbal warning, the matter can be closed at that point with the instructor providing said warning (note – a verbal warning is not an official sanction and does not have an impact on a student’s course grade, their academic standing, or their university behavioral standing).
2. If the instructor decides it is appropriate to proceed with the process, they will consult with the college administrator (e.g., academic unit head, dean, or their designee) who has access to the university’s academic honesty case management system to determine whether the student has any previous findings of responsibility for academic honesty in that or any other program at the university. If the college administrator cannot be identified, the instructor may reach out to Student Affairs (deanofstudents@vaftizo.com) for guidance as to the identity of that individual.
3. Upon learning of any prior findings and the sanctions provided, the instructor shall look to the nature of the violation they have found to have occurred and develop an appropriate outcome/sanction(s) reflecting the gravity of the violation and the student’s academic honesty history in consideration of the intention of the university to provide progressive discipline except in cases of egregious conduct that cause the matter to be addressed more seriously (e.g., a broad generalization is that (i) a first or minor infraction will tend to result in consideration of failure for the assignment in question, (ii) a second or more serious infraction will tend to result in consideration of failure for the course, and (iii) a third or egregious infraction will tend to result in consideration of separation from the institution being considered and will involve more extensive procedural protections as herein indicated).
4. After developing an appropriate sanction proposal for the violation, the instructor shall review the situation and the proposed sanction with the course’s academic unit head. If the instructor and academic unit head desire to advocate for an outcome beyond failure for the course, Student Affairs shall be contacted to assist in convening an academic hearing in which the hearing board shall consist of four faculty members inclusive of the instructor and academic unit head with the academic hearing board being chaired by a non-voting trained Student Affairs Hearing Officer appointed by the Dean of Students and which shall generally follow the procedures outlined for the resolution of Student Code of Conduct violations. In this case, a Notice of Academic Dishonesty Finding (“NADF”) will be sent by the aforementioned hearing chair to the student that shall convey information about: (i) the option to appeal the matter to an academic hearing board upon providing notice of their intent to do so within five (5) business days of the NADF being issued via the chair’s official university email account to the student’s official university email account, (ii) the name and contact information of the academic hearing board chair who must receive the declaration of intent to appeal by the deadline, and (iii) invite the student to participate in an intake session to review the hearing process. After the hearing has concluded and the hearing board determined their finding and sanction(s), the outcome of the hearing shall be provided to the student together with the information found below in procedural element 7.
5. Should the recommended sanction not exceed failure for the course, the instructor and academic unit head shall mutually develop a NADF that shall include instructions that the student may choose to accept the determination and outcome or appeal such (within five (5) business days of the notification being sent) to the dean of the college and providing the dean’s name and contact information). This NADF shall be sent by the academic unit head via the head’s official university email account to the student’s official university email account. Should the instructor and academic unit head not concur as to the finding or recommended sanction, the instructor may request a conference between both of them and the dean of the college. As a result of such a conference, either the NADF will be authorized to be issued in accordance with the above process or denied by the dean of the college.
6. Upon receiving the NADF, the student may accept the outcome or choose to appeal. If the student does not file an appeal within the five (5) day period indicated in the NADF, the academic unit head or their designee shall submit Academic Integrity Violation Report Form along with any supporting documentation to be included in the university’s academic honesty case management system for future reference by other instructors as necessary.
7. If the student chooses to appeal and provides notice of this intent to the dean of the college identified in the NADF within the five (5) business day deadline provided and clearly identifying the permissive grounds upon which the appeal is based (as provided below in this paragraph) and the details the student would like to have considered, the dean of the college or their designee (e.g., associate dean of the college) will review/”hear” their appeal as to one or more of the following permissive grounds: (i) that the process used in determining responsibility for a violation of the SAHP did not follow the procedures herein outlined, (ii) there is new information that has been identified that was not available at the time the student met with the instructor (e.g., the responsible party has since been identified [note – this permissible appeals ground does not provide a forum for the matter to be reheard and the fact the student did not share information of which they were or could/should have been aware at the time of their conference with their instructor will not be considered]), or (iii) the sanctions for the offense are not commensurate with the nature of the violation and the student’s academic honesty history (i.e., the punishment is to severe).
8. The decision of the dean of the college shall be final in a SAHP matter.
9. The facts pertaining to the incident, including the name of the student and any information that could make the identity of the student known, are part of the student’s record and shall be considered confidential as per the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”). As such, the information may only be provided to others (i) for whom the student has provided a written FERPA waiver, (ii) who have an educational need to know (e.g., faculty members who have/had the student enrolled in their course(s) and other faculty and university officials, as appropriate, to guard against future incidents of cheating and plagiarism), or as otherwise permitted under an exception to FERPA’s restrictions.
10. Students dismissed from the university due to academic misconduct have the right to appeal for the dismissal decision. Appeals for reinstatement along with any supporting documentation must be submitted to the Office of the Provost (provost@vaftizo.com) for review and consideration.

Procedures for Handling Suspected Violations (Graduate)

Suspected breaches of academic regulations involving cheating, plagiarism, or academic misconduct at the graduate level will be handled as outlined in departmental handbooks and graduate misconduct policy. Graduate students should contact their college/school dean or academic unit head for complete information.

Guidelines for Avoiding Academic Honesty Violations

Eight Rules of Academic Integrity

• Know your rights—Do not let other students in your class diminish the value of your achievement by taking unfair advantage. Report any academic dishonesty you see.
• Acknowledge your sources—Whenever you use words or ideas that are not your own when writing a paper, use quotation marks where appropriate and include a list of sources consulted. See section on Plagiarism.
• Protect your work—In examinations, do not allow your neighbors to see what you have written; you are the only one who should receive credit for what you know.
• Avoid suspicion—Do not put yourself in a position where you can be suspected of having copied another person’s work, or having used unauthorized notes in an examination. Even the appearance of dishonesty may undermine your instructor’s confidence in your work.
• Do your own work—The purpose of assignments is to develop your skills and measure your progress. Letting someone else do your work defeats the purpose of your education and may lead to serious charges against you.
• Never falsify a record or permit another person to do so—Academic records are regularly audited and students whose grades have been altered put their entire transcript at risk.
• Never fabricate data, citations or experimental results—Many professional careers have ended in disgrace, even years after the fabrication first took place.
• Always tell the truth when discussing your work with your instructor—Any attempt to deceive may destroy the relationship of teacher and student.

Responsibilities

Students:

• Understand and adhere to the Student Academic Honesty Policy
• Seek clarification from instructors if unsure about academic honesty expectations
• Report known violations of academic honesty

Faculty:

• Include academic honesty statements and reference to the Student Academic Honesty Policy in course syllabi
• Clearly communicate expectations regarding academic honesty to students
• Follow the guidelines in this policy to resolve or report academic honesty violations
• Maintain confidentiality during the investigation process

Academic Units:

• Support faculty members in promoting academic honesty within their disciplines
• Assist in the investigation process when necessary

Student Affairs:

• Collaborate with the academic units and deans to ensure compliance with the procedures of this policy
• Manage archival of records including investigation reports and appeals for academic honesty violations

Office of the Provost:

• Oversee the implementation, communication, and enforcement of the Student Academic Honesty Policy
• Ensure fair and timely investigations of reported violations
• Review appeals for dismissals resulting from academic misconduct