Academic Integrity Policy

Academic Integrity Policy

I. Academic Integrity at Granby Memorial High School

The mission of Granby Memorial High School calls for a commitment to academic excellence and ethical behavior. Clearly, cheating in any form is at odds with these two standards.

II. Plagiarism and Cheating

Changing the words of an original source is not sufficient to prevent plagiarism. If you have retained the essential idea of an original source and have not cited it, then no matter how drastically you may have altered its context or presentation, you have still plagiarized. Most cases of plagiarism can be avoided by citing sources. Simply acknowledging that certain material has been borrowed, and providing your audience with the information necessary to find that source, is usually enough to prevent plagiarism. Consult with teachers for citation requirements.[1] Additionally, www.plagiarism.org provides on-line assistance with citations.

All of the following are considered plagiarism:

• • • turning in someone else's work as your own

    • copying words or ideas from someone else without giving credit

    • failing to place quotation marks around material copied verbatim

    • giving incorrect information about the source of a quotation

    • paraphrasing, or changing words but copying the ideas of a source, without giving credit

    • copying so many words or ideas from a source that it makes up the majority of your work, whether or not you give credit to your source

    • Giving another student your work to claim as their own

III. Plagiarism and Cheating Infractions

• • • using unauthorized materials before or during a major assessment

    • acquiring any teacher materials without authorization

    • submitting your own or another person’s past work as new work without advanced teacher permission

    • paraphrasing without citation

    • submitting all or portions of another’s current written work such as homework, quizzes, projects, tests, and/or paper assignments as your own

IV. Consequences

The following will occur:

• • • • automatic inclusion in disciplinary record following a teacher’s written referral

        • a minimum of a Saturday School will be given for any plagiarism and cheating offenses.

      • grade deduction of up to 100% of the assignment’s value

      • parent will receive written notification via referral

      • in the case of a plagiarized Advanced Placement or Honors summer assignment, the assignment will be considered not completed, and the student will be withdrawn for not meeting course prerequisites

Depending upon the severity and number of prior offenses

• • • • student will lose earned privileges

      • GMHS National Honor Societies advisors will be notified of the infraction, and consequences in accordance with the societies’ national bylaws will be enforced

[1] www.plagiarism.org March 2008.

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