Academic Integrity

Return To: 2016-2017 Student Handbook 

Students of Ozarks Technical Community College are expected to behave as responsible members of the college community and to be honest and ethical in their academic work. OTC faculty strives to provide students with the knowledge, skills, judgment and wisdom they need to participate meaningfully in society as educated adults. To falsify or fabricate the results of one’s research; to present the words, ideas, data, or work of another as one’s own; or to cheat on an examination, corrupts the essential process of higher education.

Guidelines for Academic Integrity

Students assume full responsibility for the content and integrity of the course work they submit. Following are guidelines to assist students in observing academic integrity:

• Students must do their own work and submit only their own work on examinations, reports and projects, unless otherwise permitted by the instructor. Students are encouraged to contact their instructor about appropriate citation guidelines.
• Students must follow all written and/or verbal instructions given by instructors or designated college representatives prior to taking examinations, placement assessments, tests, quizzes and evaluations.
• Students are responsible for adhering to course requirements as specified by the instructor in the course syllabus.

Violations of Academic Integrity

Actions constituting violations of academic integrity include, but are not limited to, the following:

PLAGIARISM. The use of another’s words, ideas, data or product without appropriate acknowledgment, such as copying another’s work, presenting someone else’s opinions and theories as one’s own, or working jointly on a project and then submitting it as one’s own.

CHEATING. The use or attempted use of unauthorized materials, information or study aids; an act of deceit by which a student attempts to misrepresent academic skills or knowledge; and, unauthorized copying or collaboration.

FABRICATION. Intentional misrepresentation or invention of any information, such as falsifying research, inventing or exaggerating data, or listing incorrect or fictitious references.

COLLUSION. Assisting another to commit an act of academic dishonesty, such as paying or bribing someone to acquire a test or assignment, taking a test or doing an assignment for someone else, or allowing someone to do these things for one’s own benefit.

ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT. The intentional violation of college policies, such as tampering with grades, misrepresenting one’s identity or taking part in obtaining or distributing any part of a test or any information about the test.

Academic Integrity Awareness

In each class, students will be notified about policies and procedures regarding academic integrity. That notification is stated in the course syllabus and contains an explanation of academic integrity, student responsibilities related to academic integrity, and references to information about the consequences of academic integrity violations.

Academic Due Process

Students can expect fair treatment in academic matters, and the following steps will be followed in each situation:

1. Notification of the Charge
2. Presentation of the Evidence Supporting the Charge
3. Opportunity to Respond
4. Notification of the Consequences
5. Information about the Appeal Process

Consequences for Academic Integrity Violations

Academic dishonesty or violation of academic integrity is not condoned or tolerated at Ozarks Technical Community College. Most infractions of academic integrity are governed by the instructional dean responsible for the division in which the violation occurs. OTC delegates the following disciplinary authorities to faculty in responding to infractions of academic integrity:

1. Requiring a reattempt at the assignment or assessment in question.
2. Requiring the completion of an alternative assignment or assessment.
3. Lowering the score on the assignment or assessment in question.
4. Recording a “zero” for the assignment or assessment in question.
5. Referral for further review and disciplinary action at the administrative level and approval.

Some infractions of academic integrity may violate state or federal laws or professional codes and may carry serious legal consequences.

Procedures for Addressing Academic Integrity Violations

Upon determination that an academic integrity violation has occurred, the following procedures will be followed:

1. The instructor will communicate with the student about the violation and the consequences.
2. In cases of flagrant academic integrity violations, the instructor will document the incident and the consequences on an Academic Integrity Infraction Form.
3. The instructor will submit the completed form, via OTC e-mail, to the student and appropriate college officials.
4. If a student does not challenge the accusation and accepts the proposed sanction, the student signs the form electronically and returns it to the instructor via OTC e-mail. The instructor then forwards the signed copy to the appropriate college officials.
5. If a student wishes to challenge the accusation or penalty, he or she must follow the Academic Appeal procedure as outlined in this Student Handbook.

Copyright Infringement and Peer to Peer Use

Ozarks Technical Community College is committed to operating in compliance with U. S. copyright law and enjoining copyright compliance by its instructors, staff and students in their performance of College related activities per 2.51 - Copyright Compliance Policy. College faculty, staff and students who infringe copyright by abusing “fair use” do so at their own risk.

Downloading or sharing music, videos, or any other copyrighted media without legally purchasing it or without the owner’s permission is a violation of copyright law and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DCMA) and is subject to legal action including substantial fines and criminal prosecution. Using OTC’s network or Internet services to download or share media illegally is also a violation of College policies, including the Information Technology Acceptable Use Policy, and is subject to disciplinary action as outlined in the student handbook.

It is a violation of this policy to distribute, download, upload, stream, scan, store, or share any material including software, data, music, videos, games, or any other electronic file when:

1. the file is copyrighted, and distribution to the user has not been authorized by the copyright owner or
2. the intended use is specified as illegal by any federal or state law or statute

While using Peer-to-Peer (P2P) software is not illegal per se, their use does consume significant Internet bandwidth on the College’s network and inhibits access to others for legitimate academic, administrative, or other purposes. Users also need to be aware that they are not entirely anonymous on the Internet and that copyright owners can often detect the origin of illegal downloading or sharing of media by identifying a computer’s individual Internet address. In addition, the College is legally obligated to respond to legitimate notification of copyright violation from copyright owners.

In general, anyone found liable for civil copyright infringement may be legally ordered to pay either actual damages or “statutory” damages affixed at not less than $750 and not more than $30,000 per work infringed. For “willful” infringement, a court may award up to $150,000 per work infringed.

Users on campus who engage in peer to peer file sharing, copyright infringement, or other prohibited activities are also subject to disciplinary action in accordance with College policies.