Academic Integrity

POLICY

Students registered at the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology are expected to behave responsibly and abide by the policies and regulations of NVIT.

When students fail to meet these expectations, the Institution reserves the right to take whatever action it deems appropriate according to the nature of the student’s misconduct. NVIT will concern itself with misconduct including but not limited to the following examples:

Forms of Academic Dishonesty

Cheating
Cheating is an act of dishonesty by which a student claims that he/she has mastered information on an academic exercise that he/she has not mastered.

Examples:
a. Copying from another student’s assignment or test paper.
b. Permitting another student to copy from an assignment or test paper.
c. Using the course textbook, electronic devices, or other material such as a notebook brought to a class meeting but not authorized for use during a test.
d. Receiving information from any other person without prior authorization during a test.
e. Using explicitly prepared materials during a test, e.g. notes, formula lists, etc.

Academic Misconduct
Academic misconduct is considered a conscious infringement of NVIT academic policies and procedures, by tampering with grades, or taking part in obtaining or distributing any part of an assignment, test or exam.

Examples:
a. Theft of, buying, or otherwise obtaining all or part of a test, exam or document through the Internet.
b. Selling or giving away all or part of an assignment, test or exam including answers to an assignment, test or exam.
c. Enticement of any kind to obtain an assignment, test or exam or any information about the assignment, test, or exam.
d. Entering a building or office for the purpose of changing a grade in a grade book, on a test, or on other work for which a grade is given.
e. Changing, altering, or being an accomplice to the changing and/or altering of a grade in a grade book, on a test, a “change of grade” form, or other official academic records of NVIT which relate to grades.
f. Entering a building or office or otherwise viewing a test for the purpose of acquiring or examining an assignment, test or exam.

Fabrication
Fabrication is the deliberate use of made-up information or the creation of research or other findings with the intent to deceive.

Examples:
a. Listing sources in a bibliography not used in the academic exercise.
b. Manufacturing false data or source of information for research or other academic exercise.
c. Submitting as one’s own, any academic exercise (e.g. written work, printing, art work, etc.) prepared totally or in part by another.
d. Taking a test for someone, or permitting someone to take a test for the registered student.

Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the inclusion of someone else’s words, ideas or data as one’s own work.  When a student submits work for credit that includes the words, ideas or data of others, the source of that information must be acknowledged through complete, accurate, and specific footnote references, and, if verbatim statements are included, indicate as such through the use of quotation marks or block format as well.  By placing his/her name on work submitted for credit, the student certifies the originality of all work not otherwise identified by appropriate acknowledgements.

To avoid plagiarism the student will endeavour to acknowledge indebtedness:

a. Traditional Knowledge (Example: Whenever one conveys traditional knowledge, one must acknowledge the source of the information and demonstrate that permission is sought and granted); 
b. Whenever one quotes another person’s actual words;
c. Whenever one uses another person’s idea, opinion or theory, even if it is completely paraphrased in one’s own words;
d. Whenever one uses facts, statistics, or other illustrative materials, unless the information is common knowledge;
e. Whenever citation of information taken from the source indicated; and
f. Whenever submitting the same work for more than one course without previous authorization from all instructors involved.

Final Exams

Role of the instructor
Because of the special relationship which exists between an instructor and his or her students, the responsibility for taking reasonable precautionary measures to prevent academic dishonesty shall rest with the instructor or instructors in charge of a particular course or program.  As well as maintaining the security of final examinations, the instructor must assume responsibility for taking all reasonable steps to detect academic dishonesty in all forms of course or program assessment in the courses or programs for which he or she is responsible.

Each instructor is responsible for the invigilation of his/her scheduled exams, at the time and place indicated in the final exam schedule.  Any additional invigilators that may be required are to be assessed by the instructor involved and their respective Department Head.

Invigilators are responsible for taking reasonable precautions to prevent cheating in that examination.  Invigilators must also check the room for possible security problems both before the students enter the room and again after the examination is complete.

Together with the responsibility of the student in not participating in an act of academic dishonesty, it is the responsibility of the NVIT staff to take all reasonable steps to prevent and to detect acts of academic dishonesty.  The instructor has the responsibility to confront a student when such an act is suspected and to take suitable action if academic dishonesty, in the opinion of the instructor, has occurred.

Regulations
When an instructor suspects that academic dishonesty has occurred, the instructor shall:
1. Contact and meet with the student(s) concerned.  If the meeting with the student leaves the issue unresolved, then the instructor must notify the appropriate Department Head or Dean.
2. If resolution results in a failed grade for a course, this must be reported to the Academic Honesty Committee.
3. In conjunction with the Department Head or Dean, meet with the student(s) concerned.
4. If the Department Head or Dean is satisfied that academic dishonesty has taken place, he or she shall advise the student(s) in writing that the case will be referred to the Academic Honesty Committee.
5. The Academic Honesty Committee shall be comprised of: one representative from Student Service, Faculty, one Dean, one Student and one Elder.
6. The Academic Honesty Committee will decide whether the infraction submitted by the faculty member will receive one of the following academic sanctions:
-Reprimand: written warning to a student from the Academic Honesty Committee that states their behaviour is unacceptable to NVIT.
-Reduction of grade: may be applied to an assignment, test or project in consultation with the instructor and the program Department Head.
-Failure of the course.
7. The Academic Honesty Committee will inform the instructor, student, Department Head, Dean, Registrar, and Student Affairs of their decision.
8. The Academic Honesty Committee will keep a record of decisions.
9. In the event a student is found to have been guilty of academic dishonesty for a second time during his or her program or studies at NVIT, the student will receive a failing grade (F) for that course and the Academic Honesty Committee may recommend to the President the suspension or expulsion of the student from NVIT.
10. In the event a student is found to have been guilty of academic dishonesty, the student may appeal the decision by means of the appeal procedure described in the academy.
11. The Academic Honesty Committee has a role to inform faculty on issues and standards relative to academic honesty.