Academic Integrity

Keuka College expects students to fulfill academic assignments independently and honestly, including all matters related to Field Period®. Students are made aware through course syllabi of the permitted use of external assistance in their assignments. Any cheating, plagiarism, or other forms of academic integrity violations – including unauthorized use of Artificial Intelligence – at Keuka College will be penalized, with sanctions ranging from an “F” on a specific assignment to expulsion from the College.

Academic Integrity Definitions

Cheating refers to the use of unauthorized or inappropriate assistance on academic assignments. Unauthorized aid includes, but is not limited to, the providing or receiving help from others, use of any electronic or printed material, Artificial Intelligence software tools, personal notes, and editing services. Students should assume that assistance should not be used unless it has been expressly permitted by the faculty member in the course syllabus. It is the students’ responsibility to know the limits of assistance, if any, permitted on any assignment.

Other possible violations of academic integrity include:

1. Falsely claiming to have done work or obtained data.
2. Misrepresenting reasons for not completing assignments or taking examinations as scheduled.
3. Submitting the same work in different courses without the prior approval of the instructors.
4. Forging a signature on any college document.
5. Damaging or stealing College documents and/or equipment. 
6. Violating the Identity and Access Management Policy and Information Security Policy in an attempt to misuse the College technology or College networks for academic purposes.

Allegations of Academic Integrity Violations

Process for allegations of Academic Integrity Violations

1. An instructor who discovers evidence of cheating, plagiarism, or other forms of academic integrity violations will:

1. a. Notify in writing the Provost’s Office and Division Chair of the course of the suspected violation and provide the evidence upon which it is based as soon as possible after the offense is discovered. The Provost’s Office and Division Chair will respond to the instructor within two business days.
2. b. The instructor will consult with the Provost’s Office and the Division Chair of the course if the student is found responsible for the alleged violation. 

2. The  instructor will then notify the student of the suspected violation in writing.  The student should meet with the faculty member within five (5) business days following the notification to present an explanation to the instructor. After meeting with the student, the instructor may choose not to pursue the matter, or choose to pursue an informal and developmental resolution, or move to a formal charge based on the information provided. If the student fails to meet with the instructor, a decision will be made based on available evidence.

3. If after meeting with the student, the instructor still maintains that an academic integrity violation has occurred, a formal charge will be filed against the student with a penalty imposed as outlined in the course syllabus and in alignment with College policy. The instructor should send a written statement to the Provost’s Office that: 

a. details the alleged violation and evidence, 

b. clearly states the recommended penalty(ies) to be imposed, and

c. includes all supporting documents for the case.

4. The Provost or designee(s) will review the formal charge and recommended penalties and the submitted materials. The decision will be sent to the student, with copy sent to the instructor and Division Chair of the course and student’s program.  Additionally, the charge will become part of the student record unless successfully appealed. 

5. A student has the right to appeal the decision, based on the process below. 

Student Appeal Process

If a student would like to appeal the charges, the student has five (5) business days from the time the charge is received to submit an appeal in writing to the Provost’s Office. The appeal should include a professional, well-constructed email that includes either identification of new evidence or a violation of the process.

Possible outcomes of the appeal include affirmation of the initial decision, adjustment of the sanction, or dismissal of the charges. All parties will be informed of the outcome of the appeal, in writing. If the outcome of the appeal is a dismissal of the charge, no details will be maintained in the student record.

All decisions will be rendered within a reasonable amount of time from receiving the appeal.

If the charge is severe enough to warrant dismissal, the student will be withdrawn from all current coursework and suspended from the institution. A notation of “suspension dismissal” will be noted on the student’s transcript.