Academic Honesty

Roseburg High School

Academic honesty and personal integrity are fundamental components of a student’s education and character development. The school board expects that students will not cheat, lie, plagiarize or commit other acts of academic dishonesty. The well-being of the entire school community depends on the student accepting responsibility for personal conduct in both social and academic endeavors.

The academically honest student produces work representative of his/her own efforts and abilities, whereas the academically dishonest student attempts to show knowledge and skills he/she does not possess by claiming it as his/her own. Academic dishonesty may take many forms; moreover, the practice of academic dishonesty undermines the purposes of education and denies the student his/her right to personal and academic integrity.

Roseburg High School believes that promoting academic honesty is the responsibility of the total school community. Only when there is a commitment on the part of all concerned can a school’s academic environment facilitate a healthy respect among students for the value of academic honesty. Academic Honesty” means performing all academic work without plagiarism, cheating, lying, tampering, stealing, giving or receiving unauthorized assistance from any other person, or using any source of information that is not common knowledge without properly acknowledging the source. In such an environment, students will know that teachers will not ignore or condone cheating, plagiarism, or other acts of academic dishonesty. Students will know that teachers, administrators, and parents/guardians will hold them accountable for any act of academic dishonesty.

Stakeholder Responsibilities

Promoting an atmosphere of academic honesty is the responsibility of all the stakeholders (student, parent/guardian, teacher and administrator). To this end, each must meet expectations that are meant to promote and maintain the standards of honesty.

Student

The student is expected to adhere to the principles of academic honesty in completing all school- related tests, quizzes, reports, homework assignments, projects, activities, and other academic work, both in and out of class. No form of student work is exempt from this policy.


Parent/Guardian

The parent/guardian is expected to support the Academic Honesty Policy by reviewing the principles of academic honesty with the student and encouraging the student to practice honesty in all matters. The parent/guardian is an important partner in developing the appropriate core character traits; therefore parent/guardian contact and involvement in all incidences of academic dishonesty is required.
Teacher
The teacher is expected to encourage honesty and clearly communicate to the students that academic dishonesty will not be condoned. He/she will clearly define the appropriate level of student collaboration for each assignment/assessment. Appropriate consequences will be initiated by the teacher when any student is found to have exhibited academic misconduct.

Administrator

The administrator is expected to support and implement the Academic Honesty Policy with all stakeholders. Administration at Roseburg High School shall ensure that specific penalties for academic dishonesty are addressed at the school pursuant to existing state law and district policy.

Definitions of Academic Dishonesty

Cheating

Cheating is using dishonest means in an attempt to obtain credit for academic work. The following offenses, including but not limited to those below, are considered examples of cheating:

  • Using/providing notes, documents, answers, aids, or helping another student on any assessment (i.e. test, quiz, exam, etc.) or assignment unless expressly permitted by the teacher.
  • Utilizing communication/electronic devices to send or obtain unauthorized information.
  • Taking any assessment in the place of another student, or allowing someone else to take an assessment in one’s place.
  • Looking at another student’s paper, talking during an assessment, or violating any other expressed directions given by the teacher.
  • Tampering with teacher materials and/or student records.

Plagiarism/ Self Plagiarism

Plagiarism is any use of another individual’s ideas, words, or work without giving him/her appropriate credit. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to the following: misuse of published material or material acquired from internet sources, and/or the work of another student. The following offenses, including but not limited to those below, are considered examples of plagiarism:

  • Paraphrasing or copying any source without giving proper credit to the author.
  • Not using a reference citation when citing sources.
  • Turning in any assignment which is not based on one’s own research and writing.
  • Turning in previously submitted work from another class.

Academic Misrepresentation

Fabrication is inventing information, falsifying research/projects, and/or using other products with the intent to deceive. The following offenses, including but not limited to those below, are considered examples of fabrication:

  • Creating a false reason to receive special consideration for an assessment or assignment.
  • Citing information not taken from the source indicated.
  • Submitting a paper, lab report or other academic exercise containing falsified data or evidence.

Other Academic Misconduct

Tampering with teacher materials and/or student records for purposes of cheating or fabrication will not be tolerated. Students who tamper with teacher materials and/or student records are subject to all academic honesty consequences.

Consequences

Individual violations of academic honesty are significant. It is the district’s intent, through the use of consequences, that the student will learn from his/her mistakes and not exhibit dishonest behavior in the future. Violations of academic honesty are cumulative during the student’s entire attendance at Roseburg High school.
Violations of the Academic Honesty policy may result in appropriate discipline up to and including expulsion, subject to the principles for appropriate discipline as set out in Policy JFC.

Consequences

First Offense/Second Offense/Third Offense

  1. Teacher will assign “no credit” (zero/F) for the work in question.
  2. Teacher will notify parent/guardian.
  3. Teacher will submit a referral to administration documented in Synergy.
  4. Administrator will assign Saturday School detention.
  5. Administrator will contact parent/guardian regarding the incident.
  6. Administrator will contact counselor.
  7. Conference will be held with the parent/guardian, teacher, administrator and student.
  8. Depending on further offenses and or severity, progressive discipline up to suspension or expulsion.