Academic Honesty
Helpful Tips to Maintain Academic Integrity
Maintaining academic integrity is essential for a meaningful and authentic educational experience. As you navigate through diverse courses, engage with peers, and pursue knowledge, the fundamental tenet of honesty and ethical conduct will shape the authenticity of your learning endeavors.
Here are some helpful tips to ensure you uphold the highest standards of honesty and ethical conduct throughout your academic journey at Valencia College:
Go to Class
Prioritize class attendance as it forms the foundation of your education. Instructors provide essential information, including announcements, revised due dates, exam preparation hints, and new assignments during class time.
Understand Expectations
Familiarize yourself with each course's expectations regarding collaboration, citation, and the use of external resources. Clear communication from instructors will guide you in meeting academic standards.
Cite Sources Properly
When incorporating external sources into your work, adhere to proper citation guidelines. Whether quoting directly, paraphrasing, or summarizing, give credit to the original authors to avoid plagiarism.
Clarify Assignment Guidelines
If you have any doubts about assignment requirements, collaboration policies, or citation expectations, don't hesitate to seek clarification from your instructors. Understanding the guidelines will help you produce work that meets academic standards.
Utilize Support Services
Take advantage of academic support services, such as tutoring and writing centers, to enhance your understanding of course material. Seeking help when needed contributes to your academic growth.
Reflect on Academic Ethics
Regularly reflect on the importance of academic integrity and the values it represents. Recognizing the significance of honesty in your academic pursuits will strengthen your commitment to ethical conduct.
Understanding Violations
All violations of the academic integrity policy at Valencia College are expressly prohibited within the College community.
Below are defined violations, including but not limited to:
A. Plagiarism
Presenting work done by others as one's own, whether in writing or orally.
Examples include using direct quotations without proper citation, paraphrasing without citation, and failing to acknowledge the ideas and words of others.
B. Cheating
Misrepresenting mastery of course content or clinical experience.
Examples include using unauthorized materials during exams, taking exams for others, submitting purchased assignments, and unauthorized copying of another's work.
C. Misrepresentation of Academic Experiences, Ability, or Effort
Providing false or misleading information about academic background or work.
Examples include falsifying information on coursework, absences, late work, or the level of effort on projects.
D. Unauthorized Access
Acquiring or forcing unauthorized access to property, information, or academic resources.
Examples include allowing unauthorized access to College software, interfering with computer systems, accessing, disclosing, or copying data without permission.
E. Facilitating Violations of Academic Integrity
Acting in a manner that misrepresents individual effort and contributions to assignments.
Examples include allowing someone to copy work, doing assessments assigned to others, or unauthorized collaboration during assessments.
Our Commitment to Academic Integrity
At Valencia College, we are dedicated to fostering an academic environment that upholds high standards of transparency, integrity, trust, and responsibility.
Our commitment is guided by the following principles:
Individual Effort and Attribution
Work submitted to the College is expected to be the result of individual knowledge, thoughts, research, effort, and self-expression.
Appropriate citation/credit is mandatory for the origin of the work, ensuring transparency and acknowledgement of intellectual contributions.
Collective Accountability
Academic integrity is a result of collective accountability within the collaborative learning process.
All members of the academic community, including faculty, instructors, and students, are expected to perform their duties with honesty, responsibility, and fairness.
Responsibilities of Faculty and Students
Faculty (Instructors): Faculty members play a crucial role in maintaining academic integrity. They assess student performance, ensuring the quality and integrity of work. Clear communication of expectations, criteria, and conditions for student work is essential, including guidance on collaboration, assistance, citation, and source acknowledgment.
Students: Students are responsible for understanding and adhering to the standards set by faculty in any course or instructional activity. If clarification is needed, it is the student's duty to seek additional information and guidance from the faculty member.
Consequences of Violations
Violations of academic integrity may result in academic sanctions or may be considered violations of the Student Code of Conduct, leading to conduct sanctions.
Accountability is enforced in accordance with all applicable academic and disciplinary policies and procedures, as administered by the College President or designee(s) in consultation with the Faculty Council.