Academic Misconduct Subject to Disciplinary Action

Sampson Community College reserves the right to maintain a safe and orderly educational environment. Therefore, when in the judgment of College officials a student’s conduct disrupts or threatens to disrupt the sanctity of the community; appropriate disciplinary action will be taken. All students are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with generally accepted standards of scholarship and morality while on campus and when attending college-sponsored events or field trips. The purpose of this code is not to restrict student rights but to protect the rights of individuals and to ensure the integrity of the institution’s academic programs. The code of conduct applies to all currently enrolled students participating in any of the programs offered by the college. Officers of the Clinton Police Department will enforce criminal laws on the college campus.

Academic Misconduct Subject to Disciplinary Action

Academic misconduct is defined to include but is not limited to:

1. Plagiarism: The intentional theft or unacknowledged use of another's work or ideas. Plagiarism includes but is not limited to: a) paraphrasing or summarizing another's words or works without proper acknowledgment; b) using direct quotes of material without proper acknowledgement; c)  purchasing or using a paper or presentation, in whole or in part, written or produced by another person; or d) submitting a previously submitted assignment without permission (self-plagiarism). If a student is uncertain about what constitutes plagiarism, they should discuss with their instructor prior to the assignment deadline.
2. Cheating: Using notes or other material on an exam or class work without permission from the class instructor; receiving information from another student during an exam; obtaining a copy of an exam or questions from an exam prior to taking the exam; submitting someone else's work as one's own; submitting a written work, or other artistic work, or assignment that was created or generated, in whole or in part, by an artificial intelligence tool, platform, or software as one's own work; or having someone take one's exam and submitting it as their own.
3. Aiding Acts of Academic Dishonesty: Providing information to another student and knowing, or reasonably should have known, that the student intends to use the information for cheating or other deceptive purposes.

Disciplinary Procedures for Academic Misconduct

Faculty members will make a preliminary judgment about the seriousness of the incident and determine whether it is a possible violation of the Academic Code of Conduct. If the incident appears to be a violation, the faculty member will then decide whether the incident justifies a formal charge or whether a sanction on the test or assignment is appropriate. If the finding is that a violation rising to the level of a code of conduct charge has occurred, the faculty member may impose a variety of penalties for academic misconduct depending on the nature of the offense. Penalties include giving the student a grade of “F” or zero on the assignment or a grade of “F” in the course. Penalties will be included in the course syllabus.

In the event that the student wishes to appeal an individual grade resulting from alleged academic misconduct, including overcuts, the student must submit a written appeal within three (3) business days from the date they are informed of the penalty. Students may continue to attend class during the entire appeal process provided that they have initiated a written notice of appeal at each stage of the review process.

The student must present to the department or division chair supervising the faculty member a written notice of appeal outlining the grounds for the appeal. The department or division chair will provide the student with written notice of his or her finding as soon as practicable but not to exceed three (3) business days from notice of the appeal.