Code of Conduct
Bevill State expects all members of its academic community to
function according to the highest ethical and professional
standards. The entire college-wide community must be involved to
ensure this quality of academic conduct.
Academic Misconduct
Academic misconduct undermines the purpose of education.
Such behavior is a serious violation of the trust that must exist
between the faculty and students in order for the College to
nurture intellectual growth and development. Academic misconduct can generally be defined as all acts of dishonesty in
an academic or related matter. Academic dishonesty includes,
but is not limited to, the following categories of behavior:
use or attempted use of unauthorized materials, information, study aids, the answers of others, or computer related information.
claiming as one’s own the ideas, words, data, computer programs, creative compositions, artwork, etc., done by someone else. Examples include improper citation of referenced works, use of commercially available scholarly papers, failure to cite sources, or copying another’s ideas.
presenting as genuine falsified data, citations, or quotations.
helping another student commit an act of academic dishonesty. Allowing a fellow student to copy quiz/examination answers or use one’s work as his/her own are examples of abetting.
falsification, alteration, or misstatement of the contents of documents, academic works, or other materials related to academic matters, including works substantially done for one class as work done for another without receiving prior approval from the instructor.
In the event of suspected academic misconduct, the following procedure will be followed:
1. |
Upon reaching the conclusion that academic misconduct may
have occurred and that action is warranted, the instructor will
inform the student of the charge within 2 days, excluding
Saturdays, Sundays and official College holidays. The student
has the right to hear the instructor’s reasons for making the
charge, to inspect all relevant evidence in the instructor’s
possession, and to respond to the charge. Based on the
student’s response and all the evidence, the instructor will
determine if a penalty is appropriate. If a penalty is deemed
appropriate, the instructor will inform the student of the action to be taken. If the student is not in agreement with the findings
or the penalty, the instructor will provide the student with a
written statement of the action taken and the basis for that
action. A copy of this written statement will be sent to the
Campus Associate Dean on the campus where the course was taught. |
2.
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Within five (5) days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and
official College holidays, of this notification, the student may
appeal the instructor’s decision by letter to the Campus
Associate Dean. The Campus Associate Dean will take testimony from the student, the instructor, and all appropriate
witnesses within five (5) days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays
and official College holidays, and make a decision. If the
Campus Associate Dean reverses the finding of academic
misconduct, the instructor must re-examine the work in
question and assign credit without prejudice. In the event that
the Campus Associate Dean is the instructor, the appropriate
College-wide Associate Dean will replace the Campus
Associate Dean in the appeal process. The decision of the
Campus Associate Dean is final except for those cases in
which the grade for the course is an “F.”
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3.
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In those cases where the final decision concerning an
academic misconduct charge is an “F” for the course, the
instructor will send a letter to this effect to the student and to
the Campus Associate Dean on the campus where the course
was taught. If the student chooses to appeal the grade of “F” to the College-wide Associate Dean responsible for the
course, all evidence and other information used to determine
academic misconduct will be forwarded to that College-wide
Associate Dean.
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4.
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Within five (5) days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and official
College holidays, from the date of this notification, the College Associate Dean will review the evidence, hear any
additional information, and make the final decision. During this
or any appeal process, the student will remain in good standing
and will be entitled to the rights and privileges given all other students.
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Academic Penalties
The following is a list of penalties that may be imposed upon any
student found guilty of academic misconduct by the instructor or
the Campus Associate Dean.
1. |
Requirement to submit additional work or take additional examinations. |
2. |
A lower or failing grade on the assignment or examination. |
3. |
A lower or failing grade in the course. |
4. |
Removal from class. |
Possible Additional Penalties
The following is a list of penalties that may be imposed by the
appropriate College-wide Associate Dean, in addition to those
imposed by the instructor or the Campus Associate Dean.
1. |
a written statement from the College expressing disapproval of conduct. This reprimand will be placed in a sealed envelope and retained with the student’s permanent record. |
2. |
The notice of probationary status will be placed in
a sealed envelope and retained in the student’s permanent record. |
3. |
Suspension from the College for a period of one
year. Suspension will be required if the student has two
instances of academic misconduct. The notice of suspension
will be placed in a sealed envelope and retained in the
student’s permanent record. After a period of one year the student may apply for readmission to the College, but will remain on probation. Suspension from specific programs of study may be mandated on the first offense. Students should consult the policies of the program of study in which they are enrolled to determine the circumstances under which suspension can occur. |
4. |
A permanent separation from the College. Students
receiving this penalty are forever prohibited from readmission
to the College. The notice of dismissal will be placed in a
sealed envelope and retained in the student’s permanent record. |
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