Academic Dishonesty Procedures

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. Instructors have authority within their own classes to determine the appropriate use of generative AI (including but not limited to ChatGPT, Bard, Quillbot, Claude, etc.). Inappropriate use of AI within a given class or use of AI without citation will constitute an academic honesty violation.

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 withdraw from 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.)

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 Program Director 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 Program Director will review the case, as well as any previous violation(s) the student may have on file. After compiling and reviewing the materials, the Program Director 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 Program Director 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 Program Director 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 Provost within one (1) calendar week of receiving the response from the Vice Provost. This letter must be delivered to the Provost, who will direct it to the committee. The student’s entire disciplinary file will be released from the Office of Academic Affairs to the Provost for this final adjudication process. The decision of the Provost 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.