Arcadia University, like many other higher education institutions, continually enforced rules that preserve academic integrity because it's essential to academic environments. This is why students who are accused of violating these regulations have an uphill battle on their hands.
As a student, it's easy to get overwhelmed with the many assignments, homework, projects, and presentations you've likely been assigned. Unfortunately, the struggle to keep up with studies is the number one culprit behind academic misconduct charges.
In this article, we'll address how Arcadia University defines and handles cases of academic misconduct, as well as why you need a student defense attorney to represent you throughout the school's processes.
Arcadia University's Code of Academic Responsibility
According to the Arcadia University Code of Academic Responsibility, the life of the school's academic community relies on the integrity and personal honesty of its members. This is why the university expects every member of the community to respect and adhere to the values that aid in preserving academic integrity. Historically, these values include the freedom of inquiry, a commitment to truth, and respect for the freedom of inquiry of others.
Any actions that don't align with the values in Arcadia's code will fall under the umbrella of academic misconduct. Since there is a vast range of behaviors that could potentially constitute academic misconduct, here are a few specific examples the student handbook provides.
- Plagiarism: if a student appropriates the ideas, concepts, or language of another person and presents them without attribution, he or she is guilty of plagiarism. Great care should be taken in academic work to fully acknowledge the source or sources of all ideas, language, diagrams, charts, etc. For specific questions, faculty members should be consulted.
- Submitting the same work for credit in more than one course without the permission of each instructor involved
- Attempting to give or to receive unauthorized assistance on academic work, and attempting to hinder others in their academic work
- Furnishing false information to University officials on matters relating to academic work.
- Attempting to gain unauthorized access to exams or tests
- Cheating during examinations, which includes: attempting to look at another student's exam, attempting to communicate concerning the content of the exam with another student, attempting to use any materials (such as notebooks, notes, textbooks, etc.) not specifically authorized by the faculty member
- Failure to follow any of the procedures outlined above in regard to taking examinations, tests, and quizzes
- Failure to sign a book or periodical out of the library
Arcadia University's Procedure for Determining Level of Responsibility for Violations and Penalties
If a student has violated an academic regulation, he or she may be reported to a faculty member within 36 hours of the infraction. It's important to note that charges against students which cannot be resolved by the end of the semester may be continued to the next semester.
After a violation has been alleged, one of the two following procedures must be allowed:
- The student who is accused of the violation and the faculty member involved may choose to have the faculty member decide the case and assess the penalties as he or she determines. There will be no appeal process for cases decided in this fashion.
- A faculty member who suspects a student of violating academic regulations will notify the student of the allegation, within seven days of the discovery by the faculty member, or the grounds for suspicion.
- Within seven days of this notification, the student must sign a statement agreeing to abide by the decision of the faculty member.
- Should the faculty member decide that the student is guilty, the faculty member must submit a letter to the administrative head of Student Affairs describing the violation and the penalties applied within one week of the resolution of the case. A copy of this letter must be sent to the student. The letter will be kept in the student's file in the Student Affairs Office for a period of five years
- If, within a reasonable period of time after a decision is rendered, new evidence becomes available or extraordinary circumstances are revealed, a student may request the Judicial Board to reconsider the case. Such a case must be made in a letter addressed to the administrative head of Student Affairs, who will then consult with the Chair of the Judicial Board as called for in the pre-hearing procedures to decide whether to grant the request.
- The student accused of the violation, or the faculty member involved, may choose to have the case heard directly by the Judicial Board.
- In this instance, the party so choosing must present to the administrative head of Student Affairs a written, dated, and signed statement of the reasons for the hearing within fifteen days of discovery of the violation
- The administrative head of Student Affairs, in consultation with the chair of the Judicial Board, will initiate the pre-hearing procedures followed by the Board, and, if warranted, the hearing, sanction, and post-hearing procedures
- Should the administrative head of Student Affairs be made aware of previous violations by the student, or be made so aware examining the student's file, such information must be withheld from every member of the Judicial Board until such time as the accused student may be found guilty of the charges under consideration. After such a determination of guilt, the Board will consult with the administrative head of Student Affairs to learn of any previous violations and will use such knowledge in determining the sanctions
- The faculty member involved must await the results of the Board's procedures before assessing any penalties in the course
- If the student is found guilty, the Board must submit a letter to the administrative head of Student Affairs describing the violation and the penalties applied
- This letter will be kept in the student's file for five years. A copy must be sent to the student and to the faculty member involved.
- In every case concerning academic integrity, the faculty member has the final authority for determining penalties to be applied within the course. Sanctions, as called for in the procedures of the Judicial Board involving course grades, are only advisory to the faculty member involved. The Judicial Board has the authority to determine administrative sanctions
Academic Integrity Attorney
An academic misconduct violation can jeopardize the academic and professional goals you or your college student have set. If you value the investment you've made into your education and your professional future, contacting a skilled student defense attorney is a must. The attorneys of LLF Law Firm have helped students who've acquired serious academic misconduct charges recover from these allegations, and can do the same for you. Contact them today at 888-535-3686 for more information.
