/Institutions/Rockingham-Community-College/json/Current/Catalog-and-Student-Handbook-local.json

/Institutions/Rockingham-Community-College/json/Current/Catalog-and-Student-Handbook.json

Academic Integrity Policy

Rockingham Community College requires all members of its academic community to demonstrate and maintain high standards of academic integrity and personal conduct. It is the responsibility of every student, faculty and staff member to be familiar with and adhere to the academic integrity policies of the College.

RCC is committed to excellence in teaching and to providing an environment for students to excel in learning. It is the expectation of the College that all students adhere to an academic code of integrity and honesty. Students must not engage in or help others to commit acts of academic dishonesty, including, but not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, falsification, complicity, and gaining unfair advantage. Students are expected to report violations. There are many forms of academic dishonesty, and it is the responsibility of the student to ensure that all academic work submitted is free of any type of dishonesty. Examples of academic dishonesty, include, but are not limited to:

• Cheating is defined as providing, receiving or attempting to receive information, data, answers or other information not permitted by the faculty. This may include the use of unauthorized electronic devices.
• Plagiarism is defined as presenting another’s work, words, ideas, opinions, theories, etc. either in whole or in part as though they were the student’s own efforts. This may include submitting one’s own work done in another class, whether at RCC or another institution.
• Unauthorized use of AI occurs when a student uses AI tools to create, assist with, or modify academic work without the instructor’s permission. Simply telling an instructor that AI was used does not make it acceptable—AI use must be specifically allowed in advance. Examples of unauthorized use include:
  • Submitting AI-generated work as your own
  • Using AI when your instructor has not permitted it
  • Using AI in ways that go against assignment directions or course guidelines
  • Students are responsible for understanding and following each instructor’s expectations regarding AI use. When in doubt, ask your instructor before using AI tools.
• Falsification includes providing false information, spoken or written, concerning academic work or school activities to a fellow student or college employee. Unauthorized changing of grades/scores for academic work is also a form of falsification.
• Complicity in a violation of academic integrity includes an awareness that a violation of any academic standard, regulation, law, or ordinance is about to occur or is taking place. Students who are aware that a violation of academic integrity is about to occur or is taking place are expected to notify a faculty or staff member. Students who fail to report such incidents are considered complicit and may face a charge of academic dishonesty themselves.
• Any activity that intentionally or unintentionally gives a student an unfair advantage in the student’s academic work is considered a violation of academic integrity.

RCC prides itself on advancing qualified graduates; therefore, all instances of academic dishonesty will be considered serious violations of the academic integrity.

Student conduct matters, including academic integrity violations, are only noted on a student's transcript if they result in suspension or expulsion. If you are planning to transfer, many institutions require a conduct certification form to be completed as part of the application process. Please be aware that having a conduct record does not automatically prevent you from transferring. Admission decisions are made by the receiving institution, and they will consider a variety of factors.

Procedure for Violations of Academic Integrity

It is the right and responsibility of faculty to maintain an atmosphere of high academic integrity within their classrooms. A charge of academic dishonesty and the assigned consequences thereof are the right of faculty and must be outlined in the course syllabus. All cases for which a faculty has imposed an academic sanction or delivered a warning resulting from academic dishonesty must be reported to the Vice President for Student Development. The Vice President for Student Development will maintain records of the frequency of violations. In egregious cases of academic dishonesty, the faculty may also file a formal complaint with the Vice President for Academic Affairs for further disciplinary action beyond the classroom.

When an apparent violation of academic dishonesty has occurred, the faculty will retain related documentation and complete the Academic Integrity Violation Form. The faculty will notify the student within seven business days upon discovery of the alleged violation to discuss the academic dishonesty charge and explain the proposed consequences of the violation. When a face-to-face meeting is not possible for a student, the faculty will notify the student by official RCC email. The student is expected to sign the form, indicating whether the student accepts the sanction or wishes to challenge the accusation or proposed sanction. Failure to obtain the student’s signature does not interrupt the process.

A copy of the form will be provided to the student, the Department Chair/Program Director and the appropriate Dean. The Dean will forward a copy of the form to the Vice President for Student Development with a copy to the Vice President for Academic Affairs. The Vice President for Student Development will maintain and keep records of all cases involving violations of academic integrity. The initial, and any subsequent violations are recorded and maintained in the student’s permanent record.

In any case, if the student wishes to challenge a charge of academic dishonesty or the sanction, the student may file a Student Academic Grievance. The procedure for filing such a grievance is located in the RCC Student Handbook.

Student Withdrawals from Courses Following a Charge of Academic Dishonesty

Students may not drop a course in order to avoid a punitive grade after they have been charged with a violation of academic integrity. Students charged with a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy may receive a course grade of F.

Academic Integrity and Transcript Impact Statement

Violations of the College’s Academic Integrity policy are addressed through institutional procedures and are not recorded on a student’s official academic transcript. Such violations do not impact a student’s ability to transfer to another institution. However, any resulting course grade, including a failing grade (F), will appear on the academic transcript and may affect grade point average and the course's ability to be transferred to another institution.

Sanctions

First Violation

After the Vice President for Student Development confirms that a student has committed a first violation, the student receives a written notification of the first violation. Violations accumulate and are not erased. In addition, students are subject to the following sanctions for a period of two consecutive academic terms:

1. The student is not eligible to hold an office or leadership position in a college or student organization, publication, activity or athletic team;
2. The student is not eligible to be elected to membership in any honor society or to receive any college award;
3. The student forfeits any stipend to be awarded in conjunction with an elected office or leadership position. If the student is a student-athlete, the student will not participate in one intercollegiate match for volleyball, two consecutive intercollegiate games for baseball, or one meet for cross country.

Second Violation

1. If the student commits a second violation, the student will meet with the Vice President for Student Development to participate in an intervention activity pertaining to academic honesty and the college’s Academic Integrity Policy. Satisfactory completion of this activity will be required in order to be eligible to register for the following term’s courses. The activity will be scheduled within a reasonable time of completion depending on the timing in the term when the second violation was reported. If the student fails to meet with the Vice President, or fails to participate in and complete the required activity, the result will be the imposition of the sanction for a third violation.
2. If a student with a second violation is a student-athlete, the student will not participate in two intercollegiate matches for volleyball, four consecutive intercollegiate games for baseball or two consecutive meets for cross country.

Third Violation

If the student commits a third violation, the student will be immediately placed on Academic Suspension. The student will be withdrawn from the college and ineligible to enroll at the college for two consecutive terms. Following the completion of two terms of inactivity at the college, the student must apply for readmission.

Fourth Violation

A student readmitted to the college from having fulfilled two consecutive terms of academic suspension for a third violation shall not have prior violations removed. If a fourth offense occurs following readmission from three violations, the student’s fourth violation will be reviewed by a panel from the College Appeals Committee to determine if and/or when readmission to the college may be granted.

Due to program and facility requirements for professional behavior in the workplace, a first instance of academic dishonesty in a clinical practicum or workplace setting shall be treated as equivalent to a third violation of the academic integrity policy in the classroom.