Discipline for Academic Honesty Violations

Introduction

Incidents of academic dishonesty and misconduct which occur within the context of a specific course are resolved by the academic department in accordance with the College academic honesty policy. In such a case, the instructor or academic department determines whether academic dishonesty or misconduct occurred, and if so, the appropriate academic penalty.

Lying, misrepresenting, or omitting relevant facts otherwise known at the time may subject students, faculty, or staff to disciplinary action, possibly up to and including dismissal or termination.

Sanctions for academic dishonesty or misconduct may include but are not limited to:

1. Requiring the student to resubmit the assignment
2. A lower or failing grade on the assignment, exam, or in the course;
3. Removal from the course
4. Referral for other disciplinary actions

A student who receives a penalty for academic dishonesty or misconduct may not avoid the academic penalty by withdrawing from the course.

Academic Violations Process

All academic misconduct actions must be reported to the Provost/Chief Academic Officer (CAO), Dr. Telly Sellars (111 JSO, 270-706-8406, telly.sellars@kctcs.edu) for record keeping purposes. The instructor should submit to the division chair or Provost/Chief Academic Officer (CAO) a written description of the activity that resulted in the accusation of academic dishonesty and the proposed sanction to facilitate a fair and reasonable approach to protecting the academic interests of the college and its stakeholders. Once a determination is made to proceed, the following process shall be observed:

Step 1: Notice

Within fifteen (15) business days of the determination, the instructor shall notify the student in writing of the academic offense, explain the sanction, and inform the student of his or her right to appeal the determination of guilt and/or severity of the sanction.

Step 2: Informal Resolution

The student may request the instructor to reconsider a determination of guilt for an academic dishonesty and/or severity of the sanction. The instructor may then confer with the appropriate division chair/chief academic officer to determine appropriate sanctions for the student.

Student Rights during the Appeals Process (Academic Rights/Academic Offenses)

In cases of academic rights and academic offenses, the student shall have the right of class attendance and participation during the consideration of any appeal except that such attendance and participation may be limited when:

1. outside agencies are used as a part of the student’s educational experience, in which case precedence will be given to the terms of any agreement(s), which have been negotiated between the college and the agency; or
2. patient/client contact is involved in the student’s educational experience, in which case only patient/client contact may be limited or excluded at the discretion of program faculty.

If the appeal is decided in the student’s favor, the college must provide an opportunity for the student to complete any essential experiences missed due to the appeals process. An appeal of a grade after the class has been completed, a grade change by the CAB will only be for a P grade or a W grade.

View the entire KCTCS Code of Student Conduct.