Academic Dishonesty
In accordance with the moral and academic standards of Belmont Abbey College, scholastic dishonesty of any kind will not be tolerated. Academic dishonesty includes plagiarism (the appropriation of passages from the writing of another as one’s own), collusion (improper collaboration with another in preparation of notes, term papers, or other written work), cheating (giving or receiving, offering or soliciting information, or using illicit material in an examination or quiz), or fabrication of sources used in a paper and included in its bibliography.
Stern disciplinary action will be taken against any student who is found guilty of scholastic dishonesty, and penalties levied will be clearly stated in each course syllabus. At the discretion of the instructor, a student may receive a grade of F for the work on which there was dishonesty or the student may receive an F for the entire course. If a student receives an F for a course, the student may not drop the course to avoid the F grade.
General Procedures
An instructor who believes a student has committed an act of academic dishonesty must schedule a meeting with the student within ten (10) calendar days after discovery to discuss the alleged violation and give him or her the chance to explain the circumstances. If the instructor considers the offense to be unintentional, the student may be given a formal warning accompanied by a course specific sanction (additional assignment, written apology, etc.) or the student may be required to participate in a community service activity.
Most offenses will require more rigorous sanctions. In these cases, after conferring with the student, the instructor will send the work in question to the Department Chair accompanied by a standard form which outlines the violation and the penalty, and indicates whether the student acknowledges the dishonesty and agrees with the sanction. The Department Chair will review the case, as well as any previous violation(s) the student may have on file. After compiling and reviewing the materials, the Department Chair will submit the case to the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs (or their designate) who will review the case. The Vice Provost has the authority to sustain, increase, diminish, or nullify the penalty. The Vice Provost will inform the student if there is any change in the original sanction.
If review of the standard form indicates that the student does not acknowledge the dishonesty and/or agree with the sanction, the Vice Provost will notify the Department Chair and the student upon receipt of the documents from the instructor. If the incident in question is an egregious offense as determined by the Vice Provost or if the student is a habitual or repeat offender, the Vice Provost may bring the case directly to the Academic Integrity and Discipline Committee, or dismiss the student from the College without further adjudication.
Appeal Process
Students who believe that they have been unjustly accused of academic dishonesty may write a formal letter of appeal and deliver it directly to the Office of the Provost with a copy to the Department Chair and the instructor of the course. This must be done within ten (10) calendar days following the Vice Provost’s notification of receipt of the material referred to in the preceding paragraph. A written response from the Vice Provost will be made to the student within one (1) calendar week of receipt of the student’s appeal letter. If the student still believes that he/she was treated unjustly, he/she may write a formal letter of appeal to the Academic Integrity and Discipline Committee within one (1) calendar week of receiving the response from the Vice Provost. This letter must be delivered to the Dean of Student Affairs, who will direct it to the committee. The student’s entire disciplinary file will be released from the Office of Academic Affairs to the Academic Integrity and Discipline Committee for this final adjudication process. The decision of the Academic Integrity and Discipline Committee is final and cannot be appealed.
Note: The use of technological devices to perpetrate acts of academic dishonesty will be punished in the same way as other violations of the College's policy on academic honesty.
Withdrawal from the College
Students who wish to withdraw from Belmont Abbey College must contact the Registrar’s Office for an exit interview. The official date of withdrawal is the date the student completes and returns the exit interview to the Institutional Research office. If a student fails to return the completed exit interview to the Institutional Research Office, the student will not be officially withdrawn from the College. Withdrawal means voluntary withdrawal, either partial or complete. Except in the event of a serious illness or an emergency, withdrawals must be done in person. Telephoned requests for withdrawal will not be processed. Students with health and medical issues that cause them to miss half or more of the total class sessions for any course will be accommodated with a medical withdrawal. The student must provide medical documentation in such cases to avoid having a failing mark for the course posted to his or her transcript.