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Academic Integrity


Randolph Community College expects the utmost integrity in its students’ academic endeavors and behavior. Students are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with these high standards of academic honesty. Consequently, Randolph Community College will not accept any incident that threatens the integrity of the academic learning environment.


■ Violations

Violations to the Academic Integrity Policy include, but are not limited to

  • Cheating
    • The taking or acquiring possession of any academic material from another without permission
    • Receiving or giving help during tests, quizzes, or other assignments (in or out of class)
    • Copying or attempting to copy another person’s test, quiz, or other assignment
    • Allowing another to copy your test, quiz, or other assignment
    • Unauthorized use of materials or electronic devices during a testing situation
    • The intentional communication with another student on specific questions of a quiz/test/exam prior to that student taking said quiz/test/exam
    • Taking a quiz/test for another student
    • Paying another person to write or edit a term paper
    • Submission of a term paper or assignment in more than one class unless approved in advance by the instructor
  • Plagiarism – the use of another’s original words or ideas as though they were your own
    • Turning in someone else’s work as your own
    • Copying a phrase, sentence, or passage from someone else or another source (Internet, print media, etc.) without proper citation
    • Failing to put a quotation in quotation marks
    • Giving incorrect information about the source of a quotation
    • Copying so many words or ideas from a source that it makes up the majority of your work, whether you give credit or not
    • Downloading or buying a term paper from the Internet and submitting it as your own work


*Please note that the list of examples above is not exhaustive. There may be other instances of
cheating and/or plagiarism that would violate this policy.


■ Sanctions

The following sanctions for violation of the Academic Integrity Policy will be imposed by the instructor, division chair/director/coordinator, dean, or vice president of instructional services:

  • First offense – a grade of 0 on the test, quiz, or assignment
  • Second offense – a grade of “F” for the course and academic probation for one semester
  • Third offense – suspension or expulsion from the College

With each violation, the vice president of instructional services will be notified in writing. These sanctions are not on a per course or per semester basis, but rather for your entire academic career at Randolph Community College.


■ Appeals Process


The appeals process varies depending on the offense. For the first offense, a student wishing to contest the penalty would follow the procedure outlined below.

  1. Student appeals to the instructor of the course in which the violation occurred to discuss the violation
    and determine fault.
  2. If student contests the instructor’s decision, the division chair/director/coordinator for the division
    in which the course is offered, hears both parties and corroborates, modifies, or dismisses penalty.


For offenses within curriculum programs, the decision of the division chair is final. For offenses in the Basic Skills and/or Continuing Education programs, a student may appeal to the dean to contest the decision of the director/coordinator. The decision of the dean is final.

For the second offense, the student may contest by following the above procedure and further appealing to the vice president for instructional services. The vice president will hear all parties involved and corroborate, modify, or dismiss the penalty. The decision of the vice president for instructional services is final.

For the third offense, the student may further extend the appeal process to the president. This request must be submitted to the president within five working days of the decision of the vice president for instructional services. The president will approve, modify, or overturn the decision of the vice president for instructional services and notify the student in writing of the decision within ten working days of the appeal. The decision of the president is final.


“What is Plagiarism?” Plagiarism.org. n. d. n. pag. web. 31 May 2010
<http://www.plagiarism.org/learning_center/what_is_plagiarism.html>.