School of Business students are expected to maintain the highest standards of honesty in their college work, and in their future business careers. Decision-making in the face of ethical dilemmas is a skill instilled throughout the business curriculum. Students entering the program complete web-based training that covers the integrity standards of the School of Business, and the consequences for violating them. Once students have certified their completion of this training, they are expected to be aware of these standards, regardless of their previous educational experience or cultural norms.
As members of the SUNY New Paltz School of Business community, we are committed to practicing the highest standards of ethical behavior, and demonstrating integrity in all we do. Consequently, students violating our academic integrity policy will be subject to disciplinary action. When in doubt, it is the student's responsibility to clarify what constitutes a violation of the academic integrity policy by consulting the instructor or seeking other campus resources such as those available on the Sojourner Truth Library's website (for example, http://library.newpaltz.edu/assistance/plag.html).
Cheating is defined as giving or obtaining information by improper means in meeting an academic requirement or professional obligation. Using the same work for academic credit in more than one course—without the knowledge and consent of the instructor(s)—is a form of cheating and is a serious violation of academic integrity.
Forgery is defined as the alteration of forms, documents, or records, or the signing of such forms or documents by someone other than the proper designee.
Plagiarism is the representation, intentional or unintentional, of someone else's words or ideas as one's own. When using another person's words in written document, they must be placed within quotation marks, or clearly set off within the text, with appropriate citation. When students use someone else's ideas, even if they are restated using different words, the source of the ideas must be clearly identified. Plagiarism, whether intentional or unintentional, is a violation of the property rights of the original author, and of students' implied assurance that the work being submitted is their own.
Penalties for violating the academic integrity policy
Faculty members are responsible for making the initial determination of the academic penalty to be imposed in cases of cheating, plagiarism, or forgery that come to their attention. Both students who receive—and those who provide— access to homework, papers and tests without express permission from an instructor are guilty of academic integrity violations. Faculty members are required to communicate in writing to the Dean of the School of Business and the student(s) involved, informing them of the alleged violation and the proposed penalty, which, depending on the severity of the violation, may range from failure on the assignment to failure in the course. In a student has been found guilty of a second violation of the academic integrity policy, the Dean of the School of Business may impose more stringent penalties, including dismissal from the School of Business and referral to the Dean of Students for possible judicial action.
Cases requiring disciplinary and/or grade appeal action will be adjudicated in accordance with campus procedures for resolving academic integrity cases. These procedures can be found in the Student Handbook at: http://www.newpaltz.edu/ugc/policies_appeals.html. Undergraduate students may request an appeal through Academic Appeals Committee, and graduate students through the Graduate Council.
Students who are taking a course online should also review the Online Identity Verification Policy. Instructors are encouraged to remind students of our ethics, honesty and integrity standards at the beginning of each course.
Links to:
» Expectations & Responsibilities of Students*
» Avoiding & Detecting Plagiarism, Sojourner Truth Library, SUNY New Paltz
