Honor Code - St. Petersburg College expects students to be honest in all of their academic work. By enrolling at the College, students agree to adhere to the high standards of academic honesty and integrity and understand that failure to comply with this pledge may result in academic and disciplinary action, up to and including expulsion from the College. As members of the College Community, students also have an ethical obligation to report violations of the SPC academic honesty policies they may witness.

All students have an ethical obligation to adhere to the Honor Code and are required to abide by the following Academic Honesty Policies:

1. Each student is required to subscribe to the Policies upon registration each semester by signing the following pledge which is contained on the Registration and Drop/Add Form:
   
   
   • I understand that SPC expects its students to be honest in all of their academic work. I agree to adhere to this commitment to academic honesty and understand that my failure to comply with this commitment may result in disciplinary action, up to and including expulsion from College.
   
   A copy of this form can be obtained at the Office of the Registrar.



2. The conduct set forth hereinafter constitutes a violation of the Academic Honesty Policies. Those adjudged to have committed such conduct shall be subject to discipline up to expulsion. Violations of the Honor Code and Policies include but are not limited to the following:
   
   
   1. Cheating – the improper taking or tendering of any information or material which shall be used to determine academic credit. Taking of information includes, but is not limited to, copying graded homework assignments from another student; working together with another individual(s) on a take-home test or home-work when not specifically permitted by the instructor; looking or attempting to look at another student’s paper during an examination and; looking or attempting to look at text or notes during an examination when not permitted. Tendering of information includes, but is not limited to, giving your work to another student to be used or copied; giving someone answers to exam questions either when the exam is being given or after having taken an exam; giving or selling a term paper or other written materials to another student; sharing information on a graded assignment.
   
   
   
   2. Plagiarism – The attempt to represent the work of another, as it may related to written or oral works, computer-based work, mode of creative expression (i.e., music media or the visual arts), as the product of one’s own thought, whether the other’s work is published or unpublished, or simply the work of a fellow student. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, quoting oral or written materials without citation on an exam, term paper, homework, or other written materials or oral presentations for an academic requirement; submitting a paper which was purchased from a term paper service as your own work; submitting anyone else’s paper as your own work.
   
   
   
   3. Bribery – The offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any materials, items or services of value to gain academic advantage for yourself or another. This does not apply to College approved or sponsored tutoring or supplemental instruction.
   
   
   
   4. Misrepresentation – Any act or omission with intent to deceive an instructor for academic advantage. Misrepresentation includes using computer programs generated by another and handing it in as your own work unless expressly allowed by the instructor; lying to an instructor to increase your grade; lying or misrepresenting facts when confronted with an allegation of academic dishonesty.
   
   
   
   5. Conspiracy – The planning or acting with one or more persons to commit any form of academic dishonesty to gain academic advantage for yourself or another.
   
   
   
   6. Fabrication – The use of invented or fabricated information, or the falsification of research or other findings with the intent to deceive for academic professional advantage; also the falsification or misrepresentation of experimental data, and violating the professional ethics that are established in clinical activities, science labs, research projects or internships.
   
   
   
   7. Collusion – The act of working together on an academic undertaking for which a student is individually responsible. Unless working together on an individual assignment has been prior approved, it is not allowed. On group projects, students must stay within the guidelines set by the instructor and this Rule. If the instructor provides additional guidelines, they must be followed. Failure to do so also constitutes a violation of these Polices and Rule.
   
   
   
   8. Duplicate Submission – Submission of the same or substantially same paper/project in more than one class unless prior permission has been obtained from the current instructors if the paper/project is being used in two classes in the same term or from the subsequent instructor if being used in a subsequent term.



3. Faculty Determination Process:



1. When a student is alleged to have violated the Academic Honesty Policies, the faculty member involved should meet with the student and attempt to determine if a disciplinary proceeding is warranted. The faculty member can request that the department chair or other appropriate College official attend this meeting as a witness. The faculty member may impose the sanction of requiring an appropriate educational assignment and/or a Reduced or Failing Grade on the test, assignment or for the course.



1. The violation is the first offense and the faculty member believes there are no circumstances that require the imposition of a sanction other than a discretionary education assignment and/or a Reduced or Failing Grade and:



2. The student and faculty member reach a written agreement as to the sanctions. No further action is required other than the faculty member forwarding a copy of the written agreement to the associate provost.



2. The student shall not be permitted to drop the class once informed of a suspected academic honesty violation. Any class that is dropped in violation of this restriction shall be reinstated until the charges are resolved.



3. The student’s agreement to a sanction shall constitute a waiver of all other available adjudicatory procedures or appeals.



4. The faculty member shall forward a copy of the agreement with the student or the imposed sanctions(s) given by the instructor to the associate provost. If the student does not agree that a violation of the Academic Honesty Policy has occurred or that the imposed sanction(s) are appropriate, the student may within 7 days of the imposed sanctions, have the matter reviewed as a grievance by filing a petition pursuant to BOT Rule 6Hx23-4.36(F) alleging arbitrary and capricious actions of the faculty member and stating the reasons or grounds thereof. If the student fails to file a petition within the time set forth above, the sanctions(s) shall become final and shall constitute a waiver of all other adjudicatory procedures or appeals.



4. The faculty member involved may refer the student to the associate provost rather than take action, if the instructor believes disciplinary action may be warranted, and it appears that:



1. The violation would not be a first offense; or



2. In the judgment of the faculty member, a sanction such as Probation, Suspension or Dismissal, or expulsion would be warranted.



The associate provost shall then review and handle the matter in accordance with BOT Rule 6Hx23-4.35.


5. A student who is charged with an academic honesty violation by a faculty member and who does not agree to accept the faculty member’s sanction or for whom the faculty adjudication process is not appropriate, as stated above, or when the student denies the violation, the student shall meet with the assistant provost to be advised of the hearing procedures and the student’s rights and possible sanctions.



6. The associate provost may assist the faculty member and student in reaching an acceptable agreement.