Ashford university academic integrity policy

Academic Integrity

Ashford University seeks to create a community of academic excellence through the highest levels of academic honesty, unique individual contribution, and integrity. Academic integrity is the ethical use of information, thoughts, and ideas from which we build original thought to contribute to the academic conversation. All Ashford students and alumni are expected to adhere to the standards of academic integrity. The University may address allegations of academic misconduct after a student has graduated, and will process allegations concerning alumni in the same manner it addresses allegations concerning current students. All students, staff, faculty, and administration are held to the highest standard of ethical, integral behavior at Ashford University at all times. Academic integrity includes several specific behaviors, including:

Personal Responsibility: Taking ownership for your educational activities and responsibility for choices and their consequences;

https://www.ashford.edu/student-rights-and-responsibilities.htm#academic-integrity 10/27/20, 8:03 PM Page 72 of 109

Student Responsibility: Ashford University students are expected to abide by the established Academic Integrity policy. Questions regarding expectations should be discussed with each course instructor, and academic integrity should be demonstrated in all coursework. Students are expected to also hold their peers to a high level of academic integrity within the classroom and all aspects of the University community.

Faculty Responsibility: It is the responsibility of all faculty to be familiar with the Academic Integrity policy. It is also the responsibility of the faculty to post in the course announcements their expectations regarding the academic integrity policy and outline it in detail for students as to how it relates to the work completed and the course learning outcomes.

Continual Improvement: Accepting the reality that mistakes are learning opportunities and that errors can be fixed and behaviors can be changed.

Original Thought: Developing your own perspectives from careful analysis and synthesis of existing information;

Academic Voice: Utilizing your own voice, spoken or written, while presenting ideas, facts, arguments, and conclusions that are supported by research;

Careful Attribution: Following the rules of grammar and proper citation methods to accurately attribute words and information to the original source;

Academic Integrity Violations

https://www.ashford.edu/student-rights-and-responsibilities.htm#academic-integrity 10/27/20, 8:03 PM Page 73 of 109

Academic dishonesty can take a number of forms. It includes, but is not limited to, cheating on a test or examination, claiming the work of another as one’s own, plagiarizing any paper, research project, or assignment, or falsely submitting material to fulfill course requirements.

Plagiarism: Ashford University defines plagiarism as representing the words or ideas of another as one’s own in any academic exercise. This definition includes draft assignments that are submitted and graded as a part of the curriculum. Plagiarism occurs when someone uses the ideas, language, or other material (that is not common knowledge) without acknowledging the original source. The use of materials, including printed or online texts, as well as the work of others, can be considered plagiarism when presented as one’s own work.

Acts of plagiarism include, but are not limited to:

Copying text from printed materials, which include books, magazines, encyclopedias, newspapers, online sources, etc., without proper citation;

The modification of text with the intent of changing phrases, changing words, or interspacing the student’s work into the plagiarized work;

“Copy and paste” plagiarism, which involves copying and pasting materials from Internet sources and presenting them as one’s original work;

The use of materials purchased from Internet or elsewhere;

Paraphrasing or summarizing another’s work without giving appropriate credit; or

Collusion.

Cheating: Using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, using the work of others taken from academic content share sites, information, or study aids in any

https://www.ashford.edu/student-rights-and-responsibilities.htm#academic-integrity 10/27/20, 8:03 PM Page 74 of 109

academic exercise (e.g., tests, essays, etc.).

Fabrication: Unauthorized falsification or invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise.

Facilitating Academic Dishonesty: Intentionally or knowingly helping or attempting to help another student to commit a violation of academic integrity.

Academic Collusion: The use of another student’s work, even if the student has permission. This includes, but is not limited to, stealing, sharing, or soliciting, in whole or in part, any information that is not your own. Students may work cooperatively but not collude. Every student is required to submit original and independent work in the classroom (i.e. assignments, discussions, quizzes, examinations, journals, etc).

Falsifying Data: Falsifying data to show either the process or the product of scholarly examination to be different from what actually occurred is also considered dishonest. This includes falsely reporting attendance or participation in any field work experience.

Unapproved Research: Unapproved research is any research that is undertaken without approval by the University or the Institutional Review Board (IRB), including any solicitation of or interaction with human subjects or accessing any data. In the case of doctoral research, unapproved doctoral research is any research that is started before officially enrolling in doctoral course work, any research for which the IRB has not approved the doctoral proposal. Conducting doctoral research without IRB approval is an Academic Integrity violation and could result in consequences.

Recycling of Academic Work: As part of the University’s policy on academic integrity, it is expected that students will not submit an assignment that is an exact copy of work previously submitted in another course at this institution or

https://www.ashford.edu/student-rights-and-responsibilities.htm#academic-integrity 10/27/20, 8:03 PM Page 75 of 109

any other institution. The University understands that work within a discipline is interconnected and expects students, when writing about similar topics, to enhance and refine the content of an assignment as they progress through their program of study. Submitting an exact copy of work, or any portion of work, previously submitted in another course may adversely affect one’s grade and/or be considered a violation of the Academic Integrity policy. For exceptions or unique cases, students are encouraged seek guidance from their instructor on recycling previously submitted work.

Consequences for Academic Integrity Violations

A student who commits an act of academic dishonesty may face consequences, including but not limited to: failure to receive credit on an academic assignment, course failure, rewrite of an assignment, completion of University remediation resources, coaching sessions, referral to Student Conduct and Community Standards, suspension, and/or expulsion from the University. Violations will be reviewed based on continued offenses, pattern of behavior, or level of egregiousness. The consequences for acts of academic dishonesty will be evaluated accordingly.

Plagiarism: Dissertation & Applied Doctoral Project

The University requires that all Dissertations and Applied Doctoral Projects be submitted for similarity review through Turnitin for the purpose of detecting plagiarism prior to the defense of the Dissertation or Applied Doctoral Project. The University further requires that the student’s Dissertation or Applied Doctoral Project Chair certify that the Dissertation or Applied Doctoral Project has been submitted through Turnitin .

If plagiarism is discovered after a doctoral student’s dissertation has been submitted for final examination, or after the student’s program has been completed, the alleged plagiarism must be immediately reported to the Provost. The

®

®

https://www.ashford.edu/student-rights-and-responsibilities.htm#academic-integrity 10/27/20, 8:03 PM Page 76 of 109

Provost (or designated Chair) will collaborate with the Office of Academic Integrity to determine an appropriate course of action.

Turnitin is available to students as a Learning Resource in the online classroom.

Student Community Standards

Ashford University is responsible for creating and maintaining an environment that is conducive to the pursuit of learning and living and to the development of students as scholars and citizens. University policies are necessary to safeguard the mission of Ashford University, thus protecting the students' ability to learn without undue interference by others. If misconduct occurs, the University community must respond in ways that protect all members of the community.

All students are expected to make themselves familiar with the Student Community Standards (hereinafter referred to as Standards). Ignorance of these Standards, including behavioral expectations, specific prohibited conduct, or consequences for misconduct is not a defense to, nor grounds for, excusing violations of the Standards.

The following Standards are applicable to individuals during all periods of enrollment following the submission of an admissions application and including institutional breaks or approved Academic Leaves from the University. Please note that prospective students are also required to uphold the Standards. A prospective student who is found to have violated these Standards could be precluded from enrolling.

®

https://www.ashford.edu/student-rights-and-responsibilities.htm#academic-integrity 10/27/20, 8:03 PM Page 77 of 109