Academic Integrity

CCC defines academic integrity as learning that leads to the development of knowledge and skills without any form of cheating or plagiarism. This learning requires respect for the College's institutional values of quality, service, and integrity. All students, faculty, staff, and administrators are responsible for upholding academic integrity. The following procedure for the Academic Integrity Policy begins with the notification of the first infraction and continues throughout the student's academic tenure at CCC:

Violations can be categorized as Course-level or Capital. Course-level violations are committed to obtain an unfair advantage in the completion of coursework. Capital violations are either repeated basic violations and/or committed in conjunction with multiple violations of integrity.

 

Course-Level Violations

Cheating and Plagiarism are considered course-level basic violations.

• Cheating is giving, receiving, or using unauthorized help on individual and groupacademic exercises such as papers, quizzes, tests, and presentations through any delivery system in any learning environment. This includes impersonating another student, sharing content without authorization, fabricating data, and altering academic documents, including records, with or without using personal and College electronic
  devices.
  
  
• Plagiarism is representing or turning in someone else’s work without properly citing the
  source. This includes unacknowledged paraphrase, quotation, or complete use of
  someone else’s work in any form. It also includes citing work that is not used and taking
  credit for a group project without contributing to it.

Related Academic Sanctions (Course-Level Violation)

Individual faculty members may elect to address episodes of basic academic integrity violations on a case-by-case basis. Specific sanctions, including not limited to the following, may be applied and can be assigned in any combination or order:

• Verbal Warning/No grade-related action
• Assignment of educational activity or programming
• 0/F on the assignment/quiz/examination with the possibility of makeup
• 0/F on the assignment/quiz/examination without the possibility of makeup Reduction of final course grade
• F in the course
• Prohibition from future enrollment in classes taught by that instructor
• Recommendation for administrative academic sanction(s)

Faculty members will complete the Student Notification of Academic Integrity Infraction form and will submit it to the Vice President of Academic Affairs. The notification will be shared with the student and documented on the student’s record in the student information system.

Capital Violations

Capital Violations of Academic Integrity are repeated acts of Course-level violations. While a faculty member has the authority to appropriately administer course-level sanctions within their course, the student may also be subject to additional disciplinary action by the College.

Related Academic Sanctions (Capital Violations)

While the College reserves the right to accelerate or alter these steps based on the nature and severity of the violation, academic integrity violations may result in the following Capital sanctions:

First Reported Violation – Warning
The first reported alleged violation may result in issuing a warning to the student in the form of a Warning Letter, regardless of the course-level sanction determined by the faculty member.

Second Reported Violation – Restrictive Actions
The second reported, alleged violation may result in issuing a Letter of Concern to the student, regardless of the course-level sanction determined by the faculty member. Sanctions may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• • • Course-specific enrollment prohibition; Probationary Status;
    • Attend an Academic Integrity Workshop (the student will be responsible for any fee associated with the workshop);
    • Suspension (of one semester or more);
    • Any other reasonable actions as deemed appropriate by academic administration.

Third Reported Violation – Dismissal
The third reported, alleged violation may result in issuing a Letter of Suspension to the student, regardless of the course-level sanction determined by the faculty member. The student may be required to meet with the Vice President of Academic Affairs.

For Capital Violations of academic integrity, students are entitled to (1) written notice of the charges which may result in academic sanctions and (2) an opportunity to respond to appeal the sanction according to the following procedure:

Student Grievance Procedure

It is the policy of Colby Community College to provide students protection against unwarranted infringement of their rights. A student grievance may concern an alleged violation of college policies, infringement of a student's rights, and other such problems dealing with students, college staff and faculty, and authorized college activities. To comply with federal regulations, Colby Community College maintains records of the formal written Student Complaint Log and the disposition of the complaints. These records are filed with the Vice President of Academic Affairs and the Vice President of Student Affairs.

• Level I - The student will attempt to rectify the grievance with the Vice President of Academic Affairs within ten (10) college working days. Every effort will be made to resolve the grievance at the lowest possible level.
• Level II - If the aggrieved student is not satisfied with the disposition of the grievance at Level I, or if no decision has been rendered within five (5) business days after the discussion of the grievance, the student may file the grievance in writing to the college president. Within five (5) business days after the receipt of the written grievance by the college president, the president will appoint a committee (one administrator and four faculty/staff members), which may adjust the sanction. The committe chair shall submit the committee's decision to the student within ten (10) business days.

 

(Revised August 2024)